People have loved playing Blackjack for more than 300 years now for a range of different reasons. It relies heavily on skill, so you don’t have to depend so heavily on luck to win, it can offer fabulous returns and its rules are simple to understand and easy to learn.
There are also many different versions of 21, each of which add something different to the mix although they follow the same basic rules. And, because online casinos aren’t strapped for space the way their land-based counterparts are, you’ll find a wealth of different options to explore at a single site whenever you’re in the mood to play.
21 Duel
21 Deal is one of the most truly unique Blackjack variants. Only one of your cards is dealt facing up and neither of the dealer’s cards are. And there are also two communal cards dealt to the middle of the table that both you and the croupier will use. You’ll be able to combine one or both of your two cards with these.
Doubling, Insurance, and Splitting is not possible in this variant and all Blackjacks are valued equally, so there’s no special payout for a Natural. You’ll also be able to take a side bet, the 2 Up, in 21 Duel which pays out at 20:1 for any Three-of-a-Kind.
Double Attack Blackjack
The biggest drawcard for Double Attack Blackjack is its excellent Return to Player rate, an impressive 99.53%. It uses eight decks of cards with all the 10s removed.
Once you’ve placed an ante bet the dealer gets a single card facing up. Then you have the option to place your Double Attack wager. So, if you think the croupier’s first card is a poor start, you can increase your bet to get a bigger payout if you win.
After that, the cards get dealt as normal and all the usual 21 playing options are available. This means you can Double Down, Hit, Split, Stand, and Surrender as well as take out an Insurance bet at 5:1.
A Blackjack pays out at 1:1 in Double Attack and the Bust It! side bet allows you to wager on the croupier exceeding 21 first. Payouts depend on which card the dealer busts on and if they receive a suited trio of eights, you’ll get a fantastic return of 200:1.
Double Exposure Blackjack
All cards are dealt face up in this variant, so you’ll be able to see what the dealer’s got immediately, a huge advantage. To compensate for this, however, there are a few tweaks to the basic rules in place which favour the croupier.
This includes an even-money payout for Blackjacks and the dealer wins all ties, except if both you and the croupier have a Natural. You can only Split once and there are often other variations in place that differ from site to site. These can include whether or not the dealer must Hit or Stand on a Soft 17.
There is also no option to place an Insurance bet.
