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| Strategies for playing blackjack |
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Basic Strategy
Insurance
Surrender
House Edge
Rule variations
Bad Strategies
Card Counting
Methodology
Appendices
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Online Casino Apppendix
The following tables show the
blackjack rules offered by some major software providers. Some software
providers allow their licensees to select their own rules. I know this to be
true of Real Time Gaming and Unified Gaming. The rules below for Real Time
Gaming used to be standard but with a software update the number of decks may be
set by the operator. Comments on Unified Gaming rule variations follow the
tables.
Note that in May 2001 Starnet changed their name to World Gaming. They expect
to release new software in May 2002. If you're interested in Lasseters blackjack
information click here.
| Number of Decks |
| Unified Gaming |
1 or 6 |
| World Gaming |
6 |
| Microgaming (single hand) |
1 |
| Cryptologic |
8 |
| Boss Media single player |
1 |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
6 |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
1 |
| Real Time Gaming |
Configurable |
| Dealer Stands on Soft 17 |
| Unified Gaming |
Yes |
| World Gaming |
Yes |
| Microgaming |
Yes |
| Cryptologic |
Yes |
| Boss Media single player |
Yes |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
Yes |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
Yes |
| Real Time Gaming |
No |
| Double on Any Two Cards |
| Unified Gaming |
No, 9-11 only |
| World Gaming |
Yes |
| Microgaming |
No, 9-11 only |
| Cryptologic |
Yes |
| Boss Media single player |
Yes |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
Yes |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
Yes |
| Real Time Gaming |
Yes |
| Double after Splitting |
| Unified Gaming |
Yes |
| World Gaming |
Yes |
| Microgaming |
No |
| Cryptologic |
Yes |
| Boss Media single player |
Yes |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
Yes |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
Yes |
| Real Time Gaming |
Yes |
| Number of splits allowed |
| Unified Gaming |
3 |
| World Gaming |
1 |
| Microgaming |
1 |
| Cryptologic |
1 |
| Boss Media single player |
1 |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
1 |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
1 |
| Real Time Gaming |
2 |
| Player May Draw to Split Aces |
| Unified Gaming |
No |
| World Gaming |
No |
| Microgaming |
Yes |
| Cryptologic |
No |
| Boss Media single player |
No |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
No |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
No |
| Real Time Gaming |
No |
This next rule is too involved to explain in the table. In the
United States if the dealer has a blackjack the player may lose no more than
their original bet. In Europe the dealer does not check for blackjack until all
the players are finished. If the dealer does have blackjack then the player will
lose the total amount bet, including any additional from doubling or splitting.
Naturally the US rule is advantageous to the player. Online casinos can go
either way, or half and half. For example at World Gaming and
GamblingSoftware.com casinos the player will lose the full amount bet if the
dealer has a 10 showing but only the original amount with an ace showing. Boss
Media is the opposite. Micgrogaming has the full European rule and Cryptologic
and Unified Gaming following the full US rule. The following table shows on
which dealer up cards the player is subject to lose the total amount bet if the
dealer has a blackjack.
| European Hole Card Rule |
| Unified Gaming |
None |
| World Gaming |
10 |
| Microgaming |
10, Ace |
| Cryptologic |
None |
| Boss Media single player |
Ace |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
None |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
None |
| Real Time Gaming |
None |
| Surrender |
| Unified Gaming |
Late against 10 |
| World Gaming |
No |
| Microgaming |
No |
| Cryptologic |
No |
| Boss Media single player |
No |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
No |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
No |
| Real Time Gaming |
No |
| Minimum and Maximum Bets |
| Software |
Minimum |
Maximum |
| Unified Gaming |
$1 |
$250 |
| World Gaming |
$5 |
$200 |
| Microgaming |
$2 |
$2000 |
| Cryptologic |
$5 |
$100 |
| Boss Media single player |
$5 |
$500 |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
$5 |
$500 |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
$5 |
$500 |
| Real Time Gaming |
$5 |
$500 |
Note that some software brands have different tables for different betting
spreads. Jumping from the minimum to the maximum bet may require changing
tables.
| House Edge |
| Unified Gaming |
-0.01% |
| World Gaming |
+0.56% |
| Microgaming |
+0.13% |
| Cryptologic |
+0.49% |
| BossMedia single player |
-0.10% |
| Boss Media multi-player, regular game |
0.46% |
| Boss Media multi-player, single deck |
-0.11% |
| Real Time Gaming |
+0.58%* |
Note: Real Time Gaming house edge based on 4 decks. This is
configurable and the online rules in my experience do not disclose the number of
decks used. However I believe most Real Time Gaming casinos to use at least 4
decks.
Note: All Microgaming rules are based on their single hand game. They
also offer a multi-hand game with the same rules, except 5 decks instead of 1.
This results in a house edge of 0.57%.
See a list of casinos grouped by their software provider.
Fine Points of Basic StrategyMost online casinos shuffle after
every hand, especially in single deck. However just the cards on the table can
be enough to deviate from the basic strategy sometimes. Visit my blackjack appendix 3 for the fine points of basic
strategy in single deck blackjack, it is perfectly suited for use playing
blackjack online.
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