American Blackjack Overview
American blackjack, also known as American Blackjack, is a popular poker game whose rules are similar to traditional blackjack, but with some special rules and gameplay. For example, the dealer will only show one card when dealing the cards instead of two, and players can make insurance bets and split cards. The goal of the game is to get close to 21 and beat the dealer’s hand. American blackjack is an exciting game that requires players’ strategy and luck. It is popular across the globe and is available in many variants. Whether in a casino or on an online platform, players can enjoy the fun and challenge of American blackjack.
Pragmatic Play launched another version of the popular online casino card game American Blackjack in 2014. With its clear graphics, optimized animations and excellent gameplay, this particular game remains one of the most popular games in Blackjack online casinos around the world. How many hands can you play in this game? What potential profits are there? This Pragmatic Play American Blackjack review will answer these questions and provide some suggested tips!
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American Blackjack Rules
The first and most important rule of the Pragmatic Play American Blackjack game is no more than 21 points! The second most important rule is that at the end of the game round, the player’s score cannot be lower than the dealer’s score, otherwise he will have to wait for the dealer to bust (that is, exceed 21 points). Compared to other versions (multi-hand) from the same developer, Pragmatic Play’s American Blackjack features 4 decks of playing cards instead of 8! This does seem to make the game more dangerous, but also more exciting.
The value of the cards is distributed as follows: Ace can be worth 1 or 11 (depending on player preference and total points required), all face cards (J, Q, K) and the number 10 are worth 10, and cards numbered 2 to The value of the 9 card is the same as shown above. Pragmatic Play American Blackjack rules are easy to learn – no need to memorize tons of points and values.
The game round usually starts after the player places a bet and clicks the “Deal” button. The dealer will then deal two up cards to the player and two cards to himself – one up card and one down card. Cards will be dealt to all participants one by one in order until the players and the dealer each have two cards.
American Blackjack gameplay and special features
By normal iGaming standards, the Pragmatic Play American Blackjack online game can be considered a balanced stakes game. Players can choose to start the game with a minimum bet of $1, or choose to go all-out with a bet of $100 per hand. It’s important to note that since the game offers over 150 different foreign currency options, the exact bet numbers may vary depending on where you play.
Once the game round begins, you can choose to ask for more cards to be drawn, or turn the round over to the dealer. An interesting addition is that, for example, if your points have reached 17, but you still choose to “ask for cards”, the game will pop up the “Action Confirmation” dialog box, because it is risky to ask for cards after such a high point. It may cause you to lose the game. There are also some neat and useful features here that can work to your benefit.
Possible ways to increase the stakes
Although you can only bet up to $100 initially, you can choose to use the Double option. If you choose to do this, the game will automatically increase your bet by 100% and deal you an additional card. After that, the game will automatically put you in a “stand” state and hand the turn over to the dealer. If the dealer’s points are lower than yours, or the dealer busts, you will win. Remember, you can only choose the double option after you have received your first hand. That is, even if you “hit” it once, you won’t be able to use the double option.
Natural Blackjack Hands
In the game of blackjack, a “natural card” means that the sum of the first two cards obtained by the dealer or player is 21 points. If the dealer has a natural card and the player does not, the dealer automatically wins. Vice versa, if the player has a natural card and the dealer does not, the player will automatically win. When both the player and the dealer have natural cards, the game ends in a draw and no one wins or loses.
Improve game speed by re-betting
Once you’ve decided on a specific bet amount, you can use the re-bet button to place your cash and start a round immediately. This will greatly increase the speed of your game, but please keep in mind that we recommend that only players familiar with the rules of the game use this feature. If you want to adjust the size of your bet, simply wait for the game round to end and click “New Bet.”
Divide any number up to 20
Pragmatic Play American Blackjack online game is a game that is different from other similar games in that it allows players to separate their hands once they get two cards with a value of 10 each. In contrast, other Blackjack games only allow the use of the split function when these cards are all of the same type (such as two queens, jacks, etc.). However, in this game, as long as you have a 10 and a King, or a Jack and a Queen, the game allows you to split your hand and do it again on a second hand. Place your bet.
Due to the split-mechanical nature of American blackjack, we do not recommend this strategy for novice players. If you insist on using it, though, we recommend trying it out in Pragmatic Play’s American Blackjack demo mode first so you know what to expect from this mechanic. If your starting hand is suitable, the “Split” button will appear. While this feature allows players to split as many times as they would in other versions of American Blackjack, it can only be done once.
Special American Blackjack settings you can adjust
Although the design of the online version of Pragmatic Play American Blackjack is very simple, players can still make various settings adjustments using the game’s menus. When you click on the gear icon, you’ll have the opportunity to enter the game’s “Turbo Mode” and adjust the game’s sound effects. In the real money version of the game, you can also view the Game History, which provides a detailed report of all the hands you have played since the beginning of the game session.
Strategy cards are a bonus
Have you considered when to pause or resume bidding? Pragmatic Play American Blackjack not only offers many useful game features, but also offers advanced strategy cards. It is a pop-up suggestion window that gives suggestions for suspension, doubling or splitting based on the dealer’s and player’s card numbers. Strategy cards can have a good impact on the game, but be aware that using it doesn’t always mean you’ll win. For novice players, strategy cards can provide guidance in developing strategies.
Pragmatic Play’s American Blackjack Standard Odds
The first thing to mention is that Pragmatic Play American Blackjack has an RTP rate of 99.60%. If you know anything about Return to Player percentage, you know that this number is pretty high. Although there are many factors that contribute to this RTP, one of the main factors is the number of decks, which is 4 decks.
Once you start playing Pragmatic Play American Blackjack online, you will have one of three possible outcomes: win, lose or draw. Depending on how they win, players will win more or less money. When a round results in a tie, that is, no matter whether the player and the dealer have the same number of cards or it is a natural blackjack, neither player wins, and the player’s initial bet will be refunded. Below are all possible outcomes and corresponding odds:
- Win or lose 2:1
- Natural blackjack odds are 3:2
- Insurance betting odds 2:1
- In the event of a tie, players’ bets will be refunded -Push
American Blackjack game flow
- The game uses a total of four decks of cards, each with 52 cards. At the beginning of each new round, all cards are put into the game.
- Before each new game starts, the cards are shuffled.
- When players place their bets, the dealer will deal two cards to each player’s hand. The dealer will then receive two cards:
- There is a card showing the front
- One card is face up (not visible)
- When the dealer’s first card is an ace, he offers the player an option called an insurance bet.
- When the dealer’s card is an A or 10, he will confirm whether his card reaches 21.
- When the total number of cards in the dealer’s hand reaches blackjack:
- Winning insurance bets
- If a player has blackjack cards in his hand, he will go all-in.
- All other bets lost
- round head
- If the dealer fails to reach blackjack:
- The insurance bet didn’t win
- Continue to next round
- Only the player with a card total of 21 can win and stop playing the game
- For each player still involved in the game, their hand should be dealt with as follows:
- Players should choose one of the available actions to perform. You can decide what actions can be taken based on the current situation. The following is a complete list of possible actions:
- Stand
- Hit
- Double
- Spilt
- When the hand value reaches 21, the hand will be automatically suspended.
- If the number of points in a hand exceeds 21, then the hand is considered a failure.
- When a player pauses dealing cards or the total score of his hand reaches 21 points or above, the game will be transferred to the next player.
- Players should choose one of the available actions to perform. You can decide what actions can be taken based on the current situation. The following is a complete list of possible actions:
- When all players have taken turns with their cards, the dealer turns over his face-down cards.
- When the dealer’s total points are less than 17, the dealer will deal the cards one by one.
- As long as the dealer’s points exceed 21, all players with unexploded cards win.
- As long as the dealer’s score does not exceed 21, it will be compared with each player’s hand score:
- When the player’s hand has higher card points, he will win.
- If the players’ hands have the same number of points, the bet corresponding to that hand will be returned to the player.
- If the player’s hand has a lower value card, he or she will lose.
Blackjack hand operation rules
Stand
- When a player chooses “Stop”, the hand will be temporarily put on hold until it is another player’s turn to play.
Hit
When a player strikes a hand, an additional card is drawn without the need for another bet.
Split
Split means the player doubles the amount they bet and splits the two cards in one hand into two hands. If a split occurs, the dealer will automatically deal a second card to each new hand.
Split rules:
- When there are two cards with the same value in a hand, you can choose to split them
- Cards with the same number include 10, J, Q, and K. Card pairs like 10 and Q can be split
- Each person can only divide the initial cards once at the beginning.
- After splitting the cards, a 10-point card and an ace can make 21 points instead of blackjack
- After dividing a deck of cards into two piles, each pile can only contain one card
Double
Double means doubling the amount bet in a betting round and drawing one and only one more card in a draw
Doubles rules:
- You can only choose to double when you have two cards in your hand
- can be allowed to be divided and doubled
The versatile American Blackjack
In addition to the free split feature in the game, you can also choose multi-hand mode to play American Blackjack. In this mode, you can play up to three different hands at the same time. You can choose to bet the same amount on every hand, or choose a unique bet amount for each round. There’s no significant difference between playing multiple hands versus just one, but you’ll have a chance to win more money! In theory, if a player is lucky enough to split three sets of hands into six groups and bet $100 on each group, they will receive a $1,200 bonus if all hands win!
Use insurance as a side bet
In the online game Pragmatic Play American Blackjack, the only side bets available are “insurance” bets. Players can benefit from this particular option only if the dealer is dealt an ace. Once this happens, the game will ask the player if they would like to place an insurance bet. If the player agrees, the game will automatically bet 50% of the player’s current bet. If the dealer gets a blackjack and wins, the player’s original stake will be lost, but the insurance bet will win and cover the loss, effectively helping the player “break even.”
Turbo mode – makes the game smoother
Players can disable extra animations in the game by activating Turbo Mode in the game settings or simply clicking the arrow button in the upper left corner of the screen. While all of the animations are impressive, limiting them will significantly reduce the time between each session, thus greatly speeding up the game. We would like to note that for beginners, it is not recommended to try the Turbo game when playing for real money.
An excellent RNG card game from Pragmatic Play
Among today’s various iGaming games, it is well known that most existing RNG table games are outdated in terms of design and functionality. However, Pragmatic Play has managed to raise the quality bar for the look and functionality of RNG games with its American Blackjack game. Pragmatic Play’s American Blackjack is now one of the most popular RNG games in online casinos around the world, a fact that isn’t going to change anytime soon if measured solely by numbers. If you ever get the chance to experience this incredible game for yourself, we highly recommend you do so!