If you’re not particular about where you enjoy your blackjack sessions, you’d have noticed that the game’s rules vary depending on which platform you’re playing. In many cases, this may be a result of the quirks of the casino. However, it might be due to the specific rule of blackjack you’re playing under, knowing which can save you a world of trouble. Down this road, something imperative for most blackjack enthusiasts to know is what the phrase “American Blackjack” means.
Just What Is American Blackjack?
American Blackjack is the term used to refer to specific rules, history, and style in blackjack that can be readily traced back to American origins. Typically, the rulesets in American Blackjack are named after significant betting hubs in the U.S.A. The most popular ones are Atlantic City blackjack and Vegas Strip blackjack. However, the distinction doesn’t end there as more and more, the way software interprets and implements these rules change them further in small yet significant ways.
The Core Rules Of American Blackjack
As we’ve said, the rules of American Blackjack continue to evolve almost daily. Having established this, these rules all have the same core foundation and will rarely ever deviate profoundly from that. In a nutshell, here are the 11 rules of American Blackjack to remember.
- Pure Vegas Strip blackjack is played with only four decks of cards, but many online casinos regularly increase this to 6 or 8 decks today.
- The dealer is always required to stand on soft 17.
- An American Blackjack game offers a 3:2 payout. But again, most modern-day casinos can use a 6:5 payout system instead.
- The dealer must peek at Ace, 10, and Face card values without fail.
- A player is allowed to double down on their initial hand.
- A player is allowed to double down after splitting.
- A player can split up to 4 different total hands.
- A player is allowed to split Aces just once.
- A player can use only one card for splitting Aces.
- A player is allowed to split any, unlike 10-value cards.
- 21 on split Aces is not a Blackjack.
Distinction Between American Blackjack Variants
The same rules apply for both Vegas Strip and Atlantic City blackjack with two key differences; The latter is exclusively played with eight decks of cards and always allows late surrender.
Becoming a Pro In American Blackjack
It’s easy to lose yourself in the complexity of this type of blackjack. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want to get better here and increase your chances of winning big, we have an extensive archive of information on this type of blackjack. The best part is that it’s completely free to access!
