Blackjack Universe :: The Ultimate Blackjack Portal

ONLINE CASINO NEWS - Have you ever ordered a meal in a foreign country but found that it didn’t taste quite like you expected? Blackjack across the pond, or English Blackjack played online has one unusual ingredient that, if unknown, could have you wishing you never sat down at the table in the first place.

When the cards are dealt, the dealer only receives one card instead of two. While this may not seem terribly manky, it is a huge house advantage and responsible for almost all your basic strategy adjustments.

The reason has to do with when a dealer’s Blackjack is declared. In the States if the dealer has a 10 (or face card) or an Ace, he will “peek” to see if he has a Blackjack and immediately reveal it if he does, ending the hand. But in the United Kingdom, the all-powerful Blackjack is not exposed until after you have played your hand(s) first. If you have doubled-down or split any of your hands, you lose all those extra bets as well; whereas in American Blackjack the most you can lose is your original stake.

So what can you do to sugar-coat this “no peek” foulness? Basically don’t double or split when faced with a dealer Ace or 10, unless you have AA. The only other major variation is that you cannot split 4s, 5s or 10s.

There are some online casinos listed in the sidebar that offer this bloody game but considering the house has a 50% higher advantage than with the customary Atlantic City style Blackjack, you would be better off sticking to more American fare. Cheeseburger anyone?