“Blackjack” is not a complete table specification. Decks, dealer procedure, soft 17, payouts and special actions change the conditions. This guide explains available switches and distinguishes other games in the wider family.
In this guide
Peek and European no hole card
In our American peek mode, the dealer receives a second downcard immediately and checks possible blackjacks before your actions. European mode deals the second card later. A subsequent dealer blackjack here loses extra double and split wagers too, while a player natural pushes.
This does not describe every European table; liability rules vary. Ask which additional wagers are lost to dealer blackjack rather than relying on the geographic label. Late surrender is disabled in our European setting.
All available rule options
This list describes the current browser edition. Its settings affect different stages of play; change one at a time while learning. Stable assumptions make comparisons clearer than constantly changing combinations.
| Setting | Choices |
|---|---|
| Decks | 1, 6 or 8 |
| Soft 17 | Dealer stands or hits |
| Blackjack | 3:2 or 6:5 |
| Doubling | Any two cards, 9–11 or 10–11 |
| Double after split | On or off |
| Split cap | 2 or 4 hands |
| Pair matching | Same rank or same value |
| Dealer procedure | Peek or European |
| Surrender | Off or late; peek only |
| Insurance | On or off |
| Session | 1,000/2,000/5,000 chips; 10/20/50 rounds |
Two concrete differences
At a ten-chip stake, 3:2 rather than 6:5 adds three profit chips on a natural blackjack. That is not a three-percent increase in overall winning probability; it changes one event’s payout. A full expectation calculation needs all outcomes and decisions.
“Same value” allows a king and queen to split as ten-valued cards; “same rank” does not. Legality alone does not make a move advisable. Similarly, hitting soft 17 does not mean the dealer hits every seventeen.
Spanish 21 as a separate rule combination
The named Maryland Spanish 21 standard uses 48 cards per deck: the four tens are removed, while face cards remain. Special winning, bonus and action rules compensate. Simply removing four cards while retaining an arbitrary blackjack chart is incorrect. Spanish 21 is a reference topic here, not an enabled mode.
Further reading: MLGCA: Spanish 21, version 1.2
A country name is not a strategy assumption
Labels such as Vegas or European do not replace a rule sheet. Record decks, S17/H17, payout, doubling, splitting, surrender and dealer-blackjack liability. Only strategy matched to these assumptions can be assessed properly. A table-rule switch does not turn our simulation into a real-money offer.