European Blackjack

European Blackjack is played with two standard decks of 52 playing cards that are re-shuffled before each round. As in all variations of the game, Blackjack beats all other hands and ties with other Blackjacks. In this variation, the dealer must stand on all hands valued at 17 and must hit on all hands valued at 16 or below. The Splitting Rules of European Blackjack are pretty simple. You are allowed to split any two cards that are identical, such as two Kings or two Fives, however, you may not split a King and a Ten as you can in some other variations. Also, if you receive what would normally be a Blackjack after splitting, it is not considered a Blackjack, even though its value is still 21. You are allowed to Double Down when your hand’s value is either 9, 10 or 11. You are dealt only one card then automatically stand. Insurance is offered at the cost of half of your original bet and only covers your original hand.

Winning hands in European Blackjack are paid out as described in this paragraph. If you get a Blackjack, you will be paid out with odds of 3:2 based on your original bet. If you beat the dealer in any other fashion, you will be paid double whatever your original bet was. If the dealer has Blackjack and you took out insurance, you will be paid at odds of 1 to 1.5.
With Microgaming’s software, you have the ability to track your game statistics. If you would like to take advantage of this feature, simply click on the “Stats” button at the bottom of the screen. This option allows you to see how many hands you have played, your winning percentage, and what your winning combos were.