The aim of the game is to add the value of your cards to get as close to 21 as possible, without exceeding it. Cards in Blackjack are worth their face value, with the exception of Kings, Queens and Jacks, which are worth 10, and Aces which are worth either 1 or 11.
Note
- Your winnings will be credited to your account immediately.
- You will lose your stake amount if you lose the game.
How to play
1. Select your stake by clicking on a chip with a suitable value upon it from the bottom of the screen. The chip will rise and the edge of the chip will rotate, indicating that it has been selected for betting. Click on the table betting area (highlighted circles) to place a bet at the value of the chip selected. If desired, each additional click will add one unit of the chip value selected to the bet.
Click on a different chip at the bottom of the screen to change the chip value for betting. It is possible to mix chip values on the same bet. The total currency value is displayed in the stake field at the top of the game. Hover the mouse over the bets to display the values staked on each hand.
The following buttons are now available:
* Click the Clear All button to remove all chips from the table. You can change your stake at this stage and select new chip values.
* Click the Double Bets button to double the value of your stakes.
* Click the Undo button to undo the last action.
* Click the Deal button to start the game.
2. The cards are dealt from the shoe on the right of the screen. Two cards will be dealt to each hand you are playing and two cards to the dealer. The dealer's first card is placed face down. The dealer's second card is placed face up (the 'upcard'), showing its value. If the dealer's upcard is an Ace, you have the option of taking insurance for each hand – this is explained below. Your cards are placed face up. Each of your hands is played one at time from the right. An arrow indicator shows which hand is being played.
3. The value of your first hand will appear above the cards. If you have Blackjack (21) on your first hand, the game will automatically stick that hand and move directly to your next hand.
4. If you do not have 21, you can either take more cards ('hit') or remain at your current total ('stand'). Should you decide to continue to take more cards, click the Hit button until you have either gone over 21 ('bust') or you wish to retain your card total and call a 'stand'(i.e. click the Stand button). Depending upon your card values, you may also be offered options to 'Double' or 'Split' your hand. These options and others are discussed in more detail in the 'Special Plays' section.
5. Should you decide to 'Stand', the dealer will then reveal their first card. Whether the dealer can now draw any more cards depends on the total of their hand. If the dealer has fewer than 17, they must draw another card. If the dealer's hand equals 17 or over, they may not draw any more cards.
6. If the dealer has a 10 showing, they will check for Blackjack by 'peeking' at their downcard (hole card) and announcing 'Checking for Blackjack'. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the hand continues. If the dealer has Blackjack and the player doesn't, the player loses the hand/s without continuing. In cases where both dealer and player have Blackjack, a push is declared.
7. If the dealer's up card is an Ace and the player has a Blackjack, the dealer will announce the offer of 'even money'. Taking even money means the player believes the dealer also has Blackjack. When taking even money, the player is instantly paid 1:1 by doubling the player's chip amount in the bet circle, and play on the hand ends. When taking even money, the player gives up the normal 3:2 payoff, whether the dealer has blackjack or not.
8. The dealer will continue to draw cards until the card value goes beyond 17, the dealer may go 'bust' should the next draw prove higher than 21, otherwise the players' cards and the dealers' will be compared to determine a winner.
Winning or losing the game
* If the dealer busts, you win the game.
* If any of your hands bust, the hand is placed on the table and you immediately lose the bet for that hand.
* If any of your hands are higher than the dealers, without going over 21, you win the bet for that hand.
* If the dealer's hand is higher than any of yours, without going over 21, the dealer wins the bet for that hand.
* If both your hand and the dealer's hand are the same (a 'push'), your stake is returned to you and the game ends.
* If your winning hand is a split hand, you win evens on your original stake. Blackjack cannot be called on a winning hand that has split.
* The highest possible hand is a Blackjack, meaning an initial two-card total of 21 (an Ace and a ten-value card). If the dealer has a Blackjack and the player has a total of 21 with more than two cards, the dealer wins.
Additional winning hands
In Zero Blackjack there are two extra payouts:
* Suited Natural Blackjack where the players first two cards total 21 and are of the same suit (e.g. Ace of Spades and Jack of Spades), pays 2:1 instead of the standard payout of 3:2 for a Blackjack. A Suited Natural Blackjack does not beat a standard Blackjack and if both the player and dealer have a Blackjack (regardless of whether it is a standard Blackjack or Suited Natural Blackjack), it is always a 'push'.
* 5-Card 21 If at any stage the player achieves a points total of 21 having taken exactly 5 cards on the hand, the player will paid out at 2:1. A player 5-card 21 beats any dealer drawn 21, but does not beat a dealer Blackjack. The 5-card 21 rule does not apply to the dealer and therefore a dealer 5-card 21 will 'push' against a player 21 with less than 5 cards.
Rebetting
* Click the Rebet + Deal button to repeat the last bet with the same number of hands and the same stakes AND deal the cards. Note: This action cannot be undone when selected.
* Click the Rebet button to repeat the last bet with the same number of hands and the same stakes WITHOUT dealing the cards. You may want to alter the stakes at this stage. Note: This action cannot be undone when selected.
* Click the Rebet x 2 + Deal button to repeat the last bet with the same number of hands and DOUBLE the stakes AND deal the cards. Note: This action cannot be undone when selected.
* Click the New Game button to clear all bets and start a new game.
Rules
* The dealer must stand on a hard 17 and soft 17.
* Allow a split on equal value cards
* Split not allowed on Aces.
* The player may double on any first two cards totalling 8,9,10 or 11.
* The player may double after a split.
* Blackjack cannot be called on a split hand.
* The player may not hit after a Double.
* Splitting is only allowed once for each hand at the start of the game.
* The player may not take a Surrender or late Surrender on any number cards.
* 8 decks of cards, re-shuffled after each round.
Special plays
Special plays will appear as buttons during the course of the game, when you have the option to play them on any of your hands. The rules that govern these special plays are as follows:
Insurance
If the dealer's upcard is an Ace, you are given the option of insurance. You will be offered an option to accept or reject insurance for the each hand.
* Click the Insure button to insure each individual hand.
* Click the Secure button to reject insurance on a hand.
* Click the Insure All to insure all hands.
Insurance is effectively a side-bet of half the amount of your original stake, paid at 2:1. This means that if the dealer has a natural 21 or Blackjack, you lose your original bet (plus any double or split bet stakes), but win 2 to 1, i.e. you win back three times the insurance bet value (equivalent to winning the insurance plus your original stake), thereby limiting your loss to just the stakes placed to double or split your hand. The insurance bet is resolved and paid at the end of the game.
Note: No Insurance will be offered if you have Blackjack.
Split
If your first two cards are of identical value, you may split them and place an additional bet (equal to your original bet) to play two hands instead of one. Each of the cards then becomes the start of a new hand. Splitting is only allowed once for each hand at the start of the game. No further split (resplitting) can be carried out.
If either of your hands beat the dealer, you are paid evens on your original stake. If you split a hand, Blackjack (3:2) cannot be called on that hand – a winning hand in this situation will be paid at evens.
Split not allowed on Aces.
In order to identify which hand is to be played an arrow hovers above the active hand.
Double Down
This option enables you to double your bet and receive just one more card, forfeiting the opportunity to hit further.
In this version of Blackjack you may choose to select the Double option/button whilst playing a hand on your first two cards with a total value of 8, 9,10 or 11. Note: the above values may be otherwise defined by the operator.
You may not hit and double down to split Aces.
Tip: 'Doubling', or 'Double down' is most effective when you have an edge on the dealer, for example, when the dealer's hand shows a weak or low card like a Four, Five or Six.
Double Down after split
Once you have split your identical value cards into two hands and received a second card for each, you have the option to double down on those two hands. Each hand is played out separately and you can choose to double down on one, or both hands. Doubling down after splitting (on two hands) follows the same rules as doubling down on a single hand and returns the same odds - double your stake – for each hand you win.
Two Aces
Unlike some other variants of Blackjack, if your first two cards are Aces, you do not win the hand. Instead, it forms a total hand of either 12 or 2. Remember, Split not allowed on Aces.
Soft
This is displayed alongside an Ace card when your hand is low enough for the Ace card
This is displayed alongside an Ace card when your hand is low enough for the Ace card to be assigned its higher value of 11 without going bust. For instance, where an Ace is the first or second card to be drawn. You can always draw at least one card to a soft hand without busting.
No Surrender / Rescue
The game does not allow a player to Surrender or Rescue their hand. Surrender/Rescue means giving up half the bet for the privilege of not playing out a Weak hand.
Peek
The dealer is allowed to peek for Blackjack. This is where the dealer 'peeks' at their hole (hidden) card for Blackjack (21) if their upcard is a ten value card.
No Resplitting
You may only split your hand once, at the start of the game, if your first two cards are identical in value. No further split (resplitting) is allowed.
Game results
After you have finalised your hand, the dealer will then finalise theirs. The results of the game are clearly displayed by each hand and any winnings are displayed in the Paid field in the top bar.
Bets and payouts
* Suited Natural Blackjack payout is 2:1
* Blackjack payout is 3:2
* Winning Hand Totalling exactly 21 with 5 Cards (5 card 21) payout is 2:1
* Insurance payout is 2:1
* Winning hand (excluding Blackjack or special plays) payout is Evens
* Push (a draw) payout Returns the original stake
* Lose forfeits your stake, including any double or split stakes
* Double or Double down payout is 2:1 on the original stake
* Double after split payout is 2:1 on the original stake on each winning split hand
* Split payout is Evens on your original stake
Card deck
Blackjack uses eight full card decks, which are reshuffled after every hand and played with a 52–card deck.
General information
This game has a Return to Player of 100.13% based on good playing strategy.
System malfunction voids all pays and plays.
All currencies in the above are expressed in GBP. Please note that the amounts stated will apply in the user’s own currency.