European Blackjack, multi-player - Rules
European Blackjack, multi-player
- Introduction
- Game Rules
- How to Play
- Game Features
- Bet Limits
- Game Messages
- Shortcuts/Hotkeys
- Enhanced Audio
- Payouts
Introduction
European Blackjack enjoys worldwide popularity. In this version of blackjack, the dealer does not receive a second card (or hole card) until after all the player hands have been completed. Liberal split and double down rules are included to ensure an exciting gaming experience.
Rules for the game and descriptions of game features are provided below to make the game easier and more enjoyable to play.
Game Rules
- Play 1 hand
- 6 decks of standard playing cards are used
- The dealer does not receive a hole card on the initial phase of the game round
- The dealer's 2nd card is delivered following completion of all player hand actions
- The dealer stands on soft 17 or higher
- A winning player blackjack (an ace and 10-value card on the initial deal) pays 3:2
- All other winning hands pay 1:1
- Winning insurance bets pay 2:1
- Insurance is limited to 1/2 of the wager per hand
- The player may double down on any first two cards
- The player may double down following a split
- The player may split three times for a total of four hands
- Like-value cards that are not identical may not be split
E.g. K and Q cannot be split
E.g. K and K can be split
- Surrender is not available
- Split aces receive only one card on each ace
- The player may not re-split aces
- An ace and a 10-value card following a split does not constitute blackjack
- The player may not hit on a soft total of 21
- The cards are shuffled after approximately 1/3 of the decks have been used
All face cards are valued at ten and the cards from 2-10 are valued as indicated. Aces can be valued at either one or eleven; if counting the Ace as eleven would put the hand over twenty-one, the Ace is automatically counted as one instead. You do not need to specify which value the Ace has as it's always assumed to have the value that makes the best hand. The value of a hand is the sum of the values of the individual cards. For example, a hand containing a Jack, 3, and 4 has a value of 17. The object of the game is to beat the score of the dealer without exceeding a total of 21.
How to Play
Betting
- Chips values are displayed on the interface
- Click on the value of the chip you wish to use
- The chip will 'attach' itself to your mouse cursor
- If you selected a chip that is less than the table minimum, the first click on the betting circle will place the minimum bet in the circle
- Each time you click on a bet circle, a chip of that value will be placed in the circle
- Each time you click on a bet circle, a chip of that value will be placed in the circle
Deal
- If there are no bets on the table, the deal button will not be available
- After you have placed at least one bet, the Rebet & deal button will be replaced by the deal button
- Clicking on 'deal' will accept your bets and begin dealing the cards
Rebet
- On your second and subsequent hands, the Rebet button will be activated
- Selecting Rebet will place the same wagers on the table that you made on the previous round
- You may select Rebet more than once
- Each additional click presses your bet(s)
- When you are ready to play, click on 'deal' to continue
Rebet & Deal
- On your second and subsequent hands, there is a Rebet & Deal button
- If you wish to place the exact same wager on the following hand, use this button to begin the game round with one click
- After placing chips on the layout by any other means, this button will be replaced by the Deal button and you will be able to start the game round by clicking it when ready
Clear Bets
- If you wish to remove all of your chips from the betting circles, click on the 'clear bets' button
- Your chips will be removed from the table and you may start the betting process again
Pre-Turn Selection
In multi-player Blackjack games, you may select your next hand action from the interface even if it is not yet your turn. Simply make your choice (hit, stand, etc.) as you would normally and the game will act on your decision when it is your turn.
Chat
In multi-player games, you may type messages into the chat box that will be displayed for all players to see.
Sit Out/I'm Back
If you wish to skip the next game round(s), select this button from the interface and the game will allow you to sit out. If you click this button at any time during a hand in progress, the game will still ask you for decisions needed to complete your hand before making you inactive. You will keep your place at the table, but the dealer won't ask you to bet and play again until you click the button again to indicate �I'm Back�.
Settings
Game settings for insurance bets and for player the protection hand warning system can be adjusted. Access them using this button.
Balance, Paid & Bet
Your balance will be updated each time a chip is placed on the layout and each time a payout is made.
The paid amount is the sum of your winnings and any/all original bets that are returned to you.
The bet amount is the amount of wagered money placed on the layout.
Game Actions
- Once the cards have been dealt, the dealer will want to know whether you wish to hit, stand, double down, or split
- All of the action buttons will be shown on the interface, but only the ones you are permitted to use will be clickable
- If you are playing more than one hand, the first hand to be acted on is the one farthest to the right of the screen
- A small box will indicate the hand score and will update each time you draw a card
Hit
Requests another card. You can request a hit as many times as you like, but if your total goes over twenty-one, you will "break" and lose the hand. You may not draw a card on a total of 21.
Stand
Requests that you receive no more cards. The hand as it currently stands will be judged against the dealer's hand.
Split
If you have two cards that are the same, the Split button will be active. You can split your cards into two hands and play each hand separately. An additional bet equal to your original bet will be made for the new hand. Each hand will be played out as usual except when splitting Aces, where only one additional card per hand is dealt. Any winning 21 obtained after splitting a pair is paid 1-to-1. A maximum of three splits (creating four hands) is allowed.
Double Down
If you select this option, three things will happen: you will get exactly one more card, your turn will end, and your bet will be doubled.
Insurance
Whenever the dealer's up-card is an Ace, you have the option to take insurance. There are buttons for you to choose 'yes' or 'no' on a hand by hand basis and there are buttons that will allow you to bet or decline insurance for all of your hands with one click. If you believe that the dealer will draw a 10-value card for Blackjack, place a side bet of half the original wager as insurance by selecting 'yes'. If the dealer draws a 10-value card, the payout is 2-to-1 on the insurance bet.
You may, in the game options section, instruct the system to always decline insurance.
Insurance on a Player Blackjack
If you have Blackjack and the dealer is showing an ace, you may select the 'even money' bet option from the interface. This will immediately pay you 1:1 odds on your blackjack, regardless of the final outcome of the dealer's hand. It is the same as buying insurance. Since the net result of insuring a blackjack is the same regardless of the outcome, the money is paid right away and the cards are removed from play.
Game Features
Many exciting and helpful features have been added to blackjack to enhance your gameplay. The information below should be helpful in allowing you to get the most out of your experience.
Strategy Warnings
- To protect your interests, the dealer will ask for confirmation if the hand action you select may have been a mouse-click error
- These are the situations where the dealer will 'double-check' with the players:
Hit on hard 17 or higher
Stand on 11 or lower
Double down on hard 12 or higher
- Strategy warnings can be turned off through the settings button in the game
Autostrategy and Auto-Betting
European Blackjack contains an autostrategy feature. Selecting autostrategy from the interface allows you to instruct the game to play a selected number of rounds automatically based on the optimum strategy. Additionally, you may customize and save any of the hit/stand/double/split decisions on the table to match your own playing style. Changes you make to the strategy table only apply to the bet limit you are currently playing.
Auto-Betting allows you to tell the game which bet(s) you wish to place for each game round and they will automatically be placed for you. There are three types of Auto-betting:
- The same bet(s) will be placed for each game round
- A recurring pattern of bet amounts can be set up
- The game can increase or decrease your next bet based on the results of the previous hand
Used separately, autostrategy allows you to control your own bets prior to each hand, then watch while the game automatically plays for you.
When you use the new auto-betting feature, the game will automatically place your bets as you have instructed. The game will still ask you to decide on hitting, doubling down, etc.
You may combine the two features for a completely hands-free experience if you wish.
Bet Limits
There is a bet limit sign on the table that shows the minimum and maximum bet allowed per wagering position. Mousing over the table limit sign will provide an enlargement containing a summary of rules and information about the game.
Game Messages
The area over the dealer's chip tray will display all of the relevant game information including bet adjustments and winning hand announcements.
Shortcuts/Hotkeys
Some players like to use their keyboard instead of their mouse wherever possible. As an aide to the players, a lengthy list of shortcut keys is implemented in European Blackjack. The table below lists what can be accomplished in the game without the use of your mouse.
| Action | Shortcut Key | Description |
| (Select Chip) | ||
| $1000 | 6 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| $500 | 5 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| $100 | 4 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| $25 | 3 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| $5 | 2 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| $1 | 1 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| 0.50 | 9 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| 0.10 | 8 | same as clicking the chip on the GUI |
| Rebet | R | Places previous round’s bets on table |
| Can be used more than once to press your bets | ||
| Deal | Spacebar | Initiates ‘Deal’ |
| Rebet & Deal | X | In one step, place previous round bets on the table and deal right away |
| Clear Bets | C | Removes bets from layout |
| Sit Out | O | Invokes sit out function |
| I'm back | O | Return to active state from sit out |
| Progressive | B | Places a progressive bet (if the game has one) |
| Bet Placement | ||
| Hit | H or T | |
| Stand | S | |
| Double | D | |
| Split | P or V | |
| Insurance-Bet | I | Place an insurance bet on the active hand |
| Insurance-Pass | N | Decline insurance on the active hand |
| Reduce chip on stack | Mouse wheel down | When mouse is over an active betting area |
| Add chip on stack | Mouse wheel up | When mouse is over an active betting area |
Enhanced Audio
All-new audio has been included in European Blackjack for your enjoyment. Feel the excitement as your dealer wishes you luck, announces your score, and describes the results. On the fastest game speed setting, some of the audio will automatically shut off.
Payouts
| Event | Payout Odds |
| Winning Hand | 1:1 |
| Player Blackjack | 3:2 |
| Insurance | 2:1 |
