Today’s casino players are spoiled for choice when it comes to variety. Online platforms do not have the same physical limitations as their land-based cousins, so can offer hundreds, even thousands of different games. Having said that, casino gamers are creatures of habit and tend to play the games they like best time and again.
Blackjack tops the charts
Blackjack is consistently voted the most popular casino game, in both online and land based casinos. It’s the dictionary definition of a casino classic, based on a game that was being played 200 years ago in pre-revolutionary France. It has all the perfect ingredients. Blackjack is simple, you can learn how to play in two minutes flat, but it is a game with hidden depths, and learning detailed blackjack strategy can dramatically improve your odds of beating the house.
Tinkering with such a well-loved classic is a risky business. However, as we have said, real money online casino providers (see www.gamblingsites.org) can take a chance on offering new blackjack variations alongside the classic version. Let’s take a look at what is out there.
Pontoon
We mentioned that blackjack is based on the French game of vingt et un. While this became blackjack in the US, the British also developed their own version called Pontoon. There are two notable rule differences. Players can either twist or stick, as opposed to the terms hit and stand in blackjack. More importantly, the player initially sees only one upcard, making an initial bet on the basis of that alone. Further bets can be placed as the game progresses.
Blackjack switch
A popular feature in today’s live casinos, blackjack switch follows standard blackjack rules with an interesting twist. The player is dealt two hands instead of one and is allowed to switch cards from one hand to the other. This opens up all sorts of opportunities for improving your fortunes, but it comes at a cost. To even things out, blackjack pays only even money and the dealer busts on 23 – a 22 for the dealer results in a push with all stakes returned.
Lightning blackjack
Developer Evolution Gaming has become famous for adding a new dimension to casino classics with its famous lightning strikes. This one plays the same as regular blackjack, but with random lightning strikes that apply a multiplier between 2x and 25x to a winning score. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy some significant rewards at your next blackjack session.
Double exposure blackjack
Don’t you sometimes wish you could see the dealer’s hole card as well as the upcard? Give double exposure blackjack a try and your wish will come true. It gives the player a massive advantage, and even though there are some other rule changes, such as no surrender or insurance options, the house edge is still close to zero if you follow the optimum strategy.
These are just a few of the blackjack variations that are popping up online. Others include Double Attack Blackjack, Pitch Blackjack and Chinese Blackjack. So is it possible to improve on this casino classic? You’ll have to give these new variations a try to decide for yourself.
