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Live Blackjack Game Rules

The Object of the Game

The object is to achieve a higher card count than the croupier without exceeding a count of 21.

The Bet

Select the seat and left click on chip value(s) you want to place and click on your seat position. Each click on the seat position will add another chip to the bet.

The Play

Beginning on the croupier's left, a card is dealt face up to each player in turn with the croupier being last in rotation.

A second card is then dealt in the same manner, face up to each player and the croupier gets a hidden card. Once all initial cards are dealt, each player gets a turn to improve their counts. The order of the turns is the same as the order the cards were dealt. During your turn, you have the option of standing or hitting (drawing) one or more cards to improve your count. Once you stand, your turn is over.

If you exceed a count of 21, this is called a bust, and you lose your bet immediately; otherwise, your bet remains unresolved.

If your initial count (with two cards) is 21, this is called a Blackjack. You are not allowed to draw (hit) on a Blackjack. If there is no possibility that the croupier also has a Blackjack (that is, the croupier's card is neither a face card, a Ten, nor an Ace), then you win your bet immediately upon the start of your turn, and your bet is paid off at 3 to 2. If there is a possibility that the croupier also has a Blackjack, the resolution of your bet is delayed until the croupier's final count is established.

After all players have had a turn, the croupier turns the hidden card over, then stands or draws as appropriate, according to the house strategy. If the croupier exceeds a count of 21, she busts, and all unresolved bets are winners.

If she stands without busting, each player's count is then compared to the croupier's. If your count is closer to 21 than the croupier's, you win. If the croupier's is closer, you lose. If you and the croupier tie, the bet is a push (a standoff), which means you neither win your bet nor lose it. Once all bets have been resolved, the croupier announces the beginning of the next betting period.

The Cards

Face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are worth 10, while Aces are worth 1 or 11. After a player has stood, a hand containing one or more Aces is considered to be at its highest possible value without exceeding 21.

Player Options

After the first two cards are dealt, each player gets an opportunity to improve their counts. They may also alter their wagers in the following ways:

Splitting Pairs:
Pairs, two cards of equal value, may be split into two separate hands (subhands), each with a bet equal to the original bet amount. If you split your hand, the second card, for both subhands, is dealt immediately after the split is made and you are permitted to stand or hit one or more cards to improve the count.

Once you stand on your first subhand, your second subhand is dealt a second card, and you are then permitted to stand or hit on that hand. Split aces are an exceptional case.

When you split a pair of Aces, each subhand receives exactly one additional card with no option to you to hit. Further, a count of 21 with the two cards in a subhand of split Aces is not consider blackjack, and will lose to a croupier's Blackjack.

Doubling Down:
After the first two cards are dealt, you have the option to double down, which means you wager an additional amount equal to your original bet and receive exactly one more card on that hand. However, you aren't allowed double down after splitting a pair.

Insurance:
If the croupier's 1st card is an Ace, you may obtain insurance, which is a wager of a sum equal to one half of your original bet. If the croupier draws a Blackjack, the insurance pays two to one. If the croupier fails to draw a Blackjack, you lose your insurance. You may obtain insurance even if you have Blackjack.

The House Strategy:

Unlike the players, the house has no choice in whether it hits or stands its hand. The house must: Hit on a count of 16 or less; Stand on 17 or more. A soft hand is a hand in which an Ace may be counted as either 1 or 11 without the count exceeding 21.

A hard hand is a hand in which all Aces may only be counted as 1 each to avoid the count exceeding 21. * If there are any mistakes between hands, we will push the hand.

Payouts:

A Blackjack, a two-card 21 not arising on split Aces, is paid at three to two as long as the croupier does not also have a Blackjack. If both you and the croupier have a Blackjack, the bet is a push. A Blackjack beats any three-or-more-card 21. All other winning bets are paid at one to one. A croupier/ player tie is a push and neither wins nor loses. You bust and lose your bet with a card count exceeding 21.

Blackjack Side Bets: Perfect Pairs and 21+3

Perfect Pair Side Bet

Perfect Pairs is a Blackjack side bet that is made prior to any cards being dealt and must be supported by a regular Blackjack bet on the same betting box.

There are 3 different types of pairs and the payout odds vary accordingly:

Mixed pair(A pair that is made up of 1 red suited card and 1 black suited card - example 2 of clubs + 2 of hearts)

Coloured pair (A pair that is made up of 2 same cards of the same colour but are of different suits - example 6 of clubs + 6 of spades)

Perfect Pair (An identical pair - example K of diamonds + K of diamonds)

The rules for Perfect Pairs are as follows:

A player may place a Perfect Pairs wager on any box on which the player has placed a Blackjack wager - A Perfect Pairs wager must be placed before any cards in the round of play are dealt - A Perfect Pairs wager wins if the first 2 cards dealt to the player are a pair - A Perfect Pairs wager loses if the first 2 cards dealt to the player are not a pair

Winning Perfect Pairs wagers must be paid as per the displayed pay table
After each player has been dealt the first 2 cards, the dealer must take all losing Perfect Pairs wagers and make a payout to each player who has a winning Perfect Pairs wager

The dealer then goes on to deal with each player in the usual way for Blackjack

Perfect Pairs are paid out based on the odds below:

Perfect Pair pays 25 to 1

Coloured Pair pays 12 to 1

Mixed Pair pays 6 to 1

21+3 Side bet

At the start of play, as the players are placing their initial wager, they may also play the 21+3 wager in the designated area

Players must make a primary Blackjack wager and cannot make a 21+3 wager only.

Once all players have placed their bets, a round of Blackjack is dealt in the standard fashion - the dealer deals two cards face up to each participating player, and to themselves in the same manner as regular Blackjack (1 card face up, 1 card face down for the dealer)

Once the dealer has dealt two cards to each player and two cards to themselves (1 up, 1 down), the game will show if a player has won on 21+3. A player will only be awarded for one winning event, although their 3 card hand may contain more than 1 winning event (e.g. three of a kind suited)

Hands are ranked in the following order:

Flush -Three cards of the same suit (three hearts, three clubs). Payout: 5 to 1

Straight -Three cards in sequence but not the same suit (Ace can be used to achieve an Ace, 2, 3, Straight or Ace, King, Queen Straight). Payout: 10 to 1

Three of a Kind -Three cards of the same rank. Payout: 30 to 1

Straight Flush -Three cards in sequence and the same suits (spade of 10,Jack, Queen). Payout: 40 to 1

Suited Trips -Three cards of same ranking and of same suits, e.g. 3 Queens of Hearts. Payout: 100 to 1

RTP (playing main game, perfect basic strategy)

Blackjack = 99.59%.


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