Standard Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack, formerly also Black Jack and Vingt-Un, is the American member of a global family of banking games known as Twenty-One, whose relatives include the British game of Pontoon and the European game, Vingt-et-Un. It is a comparing card game between one or more players and a dealer, where each player in turn competes against the dealer. Players do not compete against each other. Learn perfect Blackjack strategy quickly and easily! Maximize your casino edge by playing every kind of hand or just the ones you want to improve on. Get immediate feedback on each and every move. Automatically track your accuracy, hot streaks, and detailed stats. + No Ads + Learn perfect strategy + Fast and simple + Detailed stats of all your hands + Immediate feedback on every move. With some unique Blackjack Switch rules in the mix, changed considerably from the traditional format, the appropriate moves to make with particular hands differ from standard blackjack strategy.
What is rummy blackjack, and how does it differ from traditional rummy and traditional blackjack games?
The answer isn’t as simple as you might think, because the word “rummy” means multiple things in the world of blackjack.
In most casinos where it comes up, “rummy” is just a side bet you can make.
But in other casinos, it’s a separate card game with its own set of rules.
This post covers both meanings.
What Is Rummy?
Rummy isn’t just one card game – it’s a category of card games that all involve creating “melds” – multiple cards that are either of the same rank, sequenced, or suited.
A meld in rummy usually consists of 3 or 4 cards which meet one of the following criteria:
- They’re all of the same rank – for example, 3 jacks would be a possible meld, as would 3 queens or 3 aces.
- They’re all of the same suit – all clubs, all diamonds, all hearts, or all spades.
- They’re sequenced – the cards’ ranks are all in order with no gaps, like 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Most rummy games also involve drawing and discarding cards.
Rummy games are also easy to play; many people learn rummy as one of their first card games after go fish and/or war.
What Is a Rummy in Blackjack Game?
When you combine the first 2 cards in your hand with the dealer’s face-up card, you have 3 cards with the potential to make a meld. I’ve already explained that making melds is the entire point of rummy.
In some blackjack games, you just have a side bet on the rummy value of the first 3 hands (if any).
In other blackjack games, “rummy blackjack,” the rummy has bigger implications.
That will be covered later in the post.
The Rummy Side Bet
Most of the time, the optional rummy side bet pays off at 9 to 1 if you hit a rummy on those first 3 cards. In some casinos, the payout might be higher or lower than that. You can check 21+3 Blackjack Payouts comparison for more details
In blackjack games where a rummy side bet is available, the main game proceeds as normally. How you do in the blackjack game has no effect on the outcome of the rummy side bet.
The house edge for this side bet (assuming a standard 9 to 1 payout) is 4.14%. If you know much about blackjack, you won’t be surprised by this.
Most side bets in blackjack have lousy odds when compared to the main game, which usually has a house edge of less than 1% — assuming you’re playing with perfect basic strategy.
Rummy Blackjack in Costa Rica
Standard blackjack is illegal in Costa Rica, so they offer a rummy-based game that’s similar enough to blackjack to satisfy their 21-playing gamblers.
Like regular blackjack, rummy blackjack is played at a table with room for 7 players a dealer. The casino uses between 4 and 6 decks of standard playing cards for the game.
And just like in regular blackjack, you start with a 2-card hand.
You do NOT, however, get a 3 to 2 payout for a “natural” – another word for “blackjack,” which, in this context, is a 2-card hand totaling 21.
This doesn’t change how the point totals are calculated, though. The cards are still worth their face value, faces cards (the jack, queen, and king) are still worth 10 points, and aces are still worth 1 or 11.
The dealer stands on a soft total of 17.
The player options are generally looser than usual – you can take early surrender, for example. You can also double down on any 2 cards, even if you just split your hand. You can even re-split pairs.
Since you don’t get a 3 to 2 payout for a blackjack, you get a bonus payout based on rummy melds.
If you get 3 cards of the same rank, you get a 3 to 1 payoff. If the cards are all suited, you get 5 to 1. You also get 5 to 1 if the 3 cards total 21 (in other words, if you get 7s.)
If you get 3 cards of sequential rank and of the same suit, you get a 3 to 1 payout. That increases to 5 if the 3 cards total 21.
And here’s an interesting quirk:
You get the bonus payout even if you bust your hand (get a total of 22 or higher).
The only other things to remember is that the bonus payout applies to any amount you bet after doubling, and you don’t get a bonus if you split earlier in the hand.
Where to Play Rummy Blackjack Online
Rummy Blackjack for Beginners
I’ve assumed that anyone reading this page knows how to play blackjack already, but if this is ALL new to you, here’s a quick tutorial that anyone – no matter their level of experience – can follow:
The game starts when you place a bet. The dealer gives you 2 cards, and you’re competing with her. She also gets 2 cards – one of her cards is face-up, so you have SOME information about what she might have.
The game is based on a point score for your hand, and the cards have point values as follows:
- Cards with a number on them are worth that number regardless of the suit. A 2 is worth 2 points, and an 8 is worth 8 points, for example.
- The ace is worth 1 or 11 points, whichever is better for the player.
- Face cards – the jack, queen, and king – are each worth 10 points.
The object of the game is to beat the dealer, and you can do this in one of 2 ways:
- You can have a higher total than the dealer.
- You can still be in the game when the dealer busts.
Any hand with a total of 22 points or greater is a bust, which means that it’s an automatic loser.
But the dealer has position on you – if you’re hand busts, you lose immediately – even if the dealer busts later in the hand.
The player in blackjack ALWAYS plays his hand before the dealer does.
And most of your decisions will be based on hitting or standing.
To hit is to take another card and get a new total.
To stand is to settle for the total you have.
Those aren’t your only options, though.
If both cards have the same rank, you also have the option of splitting your hand. In that case, you put up a 2nd bet that’s the same size as your initial bet. You now have 2 blackjack hands, and the first card of each hand is one of the 2 cards you had in your initial hand.
Another option you have is to double (or “double down”). This means you double the size of your bet and take one (and only one) more card.
Rummy Blackjack Strategy
The house edge for rummy blackjack, as played in Costa Rica, is about 1% — assuming you use perfect basic strategy.
What’s basic strategy?
That’s just the appropriate way to play every hand in every possible situation. In other words, it’s the mathematically optimal decision to make in each situation.
If you don’t use basic strategy, the house will usually see another 1% or 2% on top of that house edge I just quoted.
In standard blackjack, basic strategy is actually pretty easy, but in rummy blackjack, you have additional considerations related to trying to get melds.
Your best bet is to find a printable rummy blackjack strategy card to take with you to the casino. The dealers don’t mind you using a printed strategy card – as long as you’re not holding up the speed of the game by using it.
Real Time Gaming launched as an online casino software company in 1998. There are dozens of licensed Real Time Gaming casinos. Real Time Gaming software offers over 200 casino games in its software suite. This includes a variety of slot machines, video poker games, and table games. There are seven blackjack games offered. All blackjack games have a minimum bet of $1, and a maximum bet of $200. Casino management has the ability to change the bet limits so it will vary from one casino to the next. High rollers may request a bet limit increase. Real Time Gaming casino owners will approve higher limits for qualified players.
Each Real Time Gaming blackjack game will reshuffle after every hand. Players can also check a complete hand history right at the table. Each blackjack table has a tab for the table rules, as well as a help link with a full explanation of the blackjack rules for the table that is open in the software.
RTG does not disclose the number of decks in their blackjack games. For the purpose of our house advantage, we used four decks. Our research shows that this is most likely the number of decks used for Real Time Gaming blackjack.
Standard Blackjack (99.46%)
There is a basic version of blackjack offered by Real Time Gaming. In this version, players may play one or two hands at the same time. The Standard Blackjack game is the only Real Time Gaming blackjack game that allows a player to play more than one hand at a time. The rules are:
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double down any two cards
- Double down after any split except on aces
- Split pairs other than aces to a total of three hands
- One card only on aces
Perfect Pairs Side Bet (99.46%)
Perfect Pairs is the exact game as the standard blackjack game with two exceptions. The first exception is that players may only play one hand. There is also a Perfect Pair side bet. This side bet has the following payouts:
- Suited Pair – 25-1
- Same Colored Pair – 12-1
- Different Colored Pair – 6-1
European Blackjack (99.43%)
European Blackjack is different from American Blackjack in one way. The dealer does not take their down card until after the player has acted. This means that players can lose double their bet if they split or double, and the dealer ends up with a natural blackjack. The dealer does not know if they have a blackjack until all players have acted and they draw their second card.
The strategy changes a bit from American Blackjack as a player should never double down or split against an ace showing unless the player is splitting aces. Against a ten, players should only split aces and double on 11. All other splits and double downs become a hit. No hands should be split against a ten value card. The rules for Real Time Gaming European Blackjack are as follows:
- Dealer stays on all 17s
- Double down only on hard 9-11
- Double down after split only on hard 9-11
- Split pairs other than aces up to a total of three hands
- One card only on split aces
Face Up 21 (99.25%)
Face Up 21 is dealt without down cards. The player can see the both of the dealer’s up cards when deciding what action to take. The player must beat the dealer, as the dealer will win any push. The exception is that the player automatically wins on a blackjack, even if the dealer also has one. This means that if you do not have more than the dealer does, you must hit, otherwise you will lose. The rules are:
- Blackjack pays even money
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double down on 9-11 only
- Double down after split on 9-11 only
- Split pairs other than aces up to a total of three hands
Match Play 21 (99.27%)
Match Play 21 is similar to Spanish 21 that can be found in brick and mortar casinos. There are no tens in the Match Play 21 decks but there are jacks, queens and kings. The fewer ten value cards give the dealer an advantage. To offset that advantage, a player has several special payouts:
- Match Play 21 (Suited 777 that matches suit of dealer’s 7 up card) – 40-1
- 777 Spades – 3-1
- 678 Spades – 3-1
- 7+ card 21 – 3-1
- 777 Suited (except spades) – 2-1
- 678 Suited (except spades) – 2-1
- Six card 21 – 2-1
- Any 777 (not suited) – 3-2
- Any 678 (not suited) – 3-2
- Five card 21 – 3-2
The rules in dealing Match Play 21 are as follows:
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Player automatically wins natural blackjack
- Player automatically wins with 21
- Double down on any number of cards
- Double down on any number of cards after splitting
- Late Surrender after dealer checks for blackjack
- Surrender after doubling down
- Split all pairs up to three times
Pontoon (99.35%)
Pontoon is an unusual blackjack variation typically found in Australian brick and mortar casinos. In Pontoon, both of the dealer’s cards are dealt face down. A player must draw blindly to beat the dealer. To make up for this player disadvantage, a player gets paid 2-1 on a Pontoon. A Pontoon is a natural blackjack hand containing an ace and a ten value card. The second best hand is a “Five Card Trick”. A Five Card Trick is a five card hand that did not bust. The dealer wins all ties. If a player splits aces and receives a face card, the split hand is considered a Pontoon. A player must hit until they have at least 15, or a Five Card Trick. The rules are:
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double down on 2, 3, or 4 cards
- If a double down hand is less than 15 another card must be drawn
- Hit after double down
- Split pairs other than aces up to a total of three hands
- Double down after split
- Dealer wins all ties
Super 21 (98.94%)
Super 21 is a blackjack variation with many fun rules, but one unfriendly player rule to offset it. The unfriendly player rule is that all blackjacks pay even money, except for a diamond blackjack, which pay 2-1. The player automatically wins on blackjack. A player with a six card charlie, meaning six cards that do not bust, automatically wins too. A player that makes a total of 21 in five or six cards will receive a 2-1 payout. The game rules are:
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double down at any time, even after drawing
- Double down after split
- Surrender
- Surrender after doubling down
- Surrender after splitting
- Surrender after hitting
- Split pairs other than aces up to a total of three hands
Suit ’em Up (97.3%)
Standard Blackjack Strategy Tactics
Suit ’em Up is a blackjack variation that plays like a standard game, but features a side bet that can pay off handsomely. The game is played with 2, 6, or 8 decks depending on the version you play, and pays 3-2. The game payouts are:
- Suited aces pays 60-1
- Suited blackjack pays 10-1
- Suited pair pays 5-1
- Suited eleven pays 3-1
- Any other suited pair pays 2-1