Check the blackjack payout
3 to 2 is standard. 6 to 5 is still blackjack, and a worse one: that is the odds guide. 1 to 1 usually means Switch, Double Exposure, or another variant.
A rule change is not a variant
Casinos tweak the standard game all the time: the dealer hits soft 17, blackjack pays 6 to 5, doubling after a split is banned. Those are still blackjack. A handful of chart cells move. The odds and chart pages are written for that family, and they tell you which cells flip.
A variant changes the object, the deck, or what a 'win' is. Spanish 21 is blackjack with the 10s pulled out and extra bonuses painted back on. Switch is two hands you may rearrange, then a dealer 22 that does not bust. Free Bet lets the house put up doubles and splits. Double Exposure shows both dealer cards and takes the ties. You can hit and stand in all of them. You cannot use this site's S17 grid in any of them.
Learn the standard game first. If you cannot play hard 16 versus 10 correctly on our chart, a Switch table will not teach you faster. Variants are for after the regular chart is automatic, or for spotting a table you should walk away from.
The variants worth knowing
These are the common ones.
- Spanish 21
- Played with 48-card Spanish decks: the 10s are removed, jacks through kings stay. That hurts. The table pays it back with bonuses: player 21 always wins, extra pay for five-card 21s and some suited 6-7-8s, and often late surrender plus doubling on any number of cards. Use the Spanish 21 chart.
- Blackjack Switch
- You are dealt two two-card hands and may swap the second cards. That is the extra skill. The house takes it back: a dealer 22 pushes every hand that is not a blackjack, and blackjack often pays even money. Use the Switch chart so the extra skill is not a guess.
- Double Exposure
- Both dealer cards are face up. You see the full total, or that the dealer is stiff. In return the dealer wins ties, blackjack pays 1 to 1, and there is no insurance. Use the Double Exposure chart. Face-up 21 is the same family.
- Double Attack Blackjack
- Spanish decks, like Spanish 21. You see your first card and the dealer upcard, then you may match the original bet before the rest of the hand is dealt. Player 21 always wins. If the dealer then has a blackjack, the original bet loses and the attack bet comes back. Use the Double Attack chart.
- Pontoon
- No hole card. A two-card 21 is a pontoon and pays 2 to 1. A five-card trick also pays 2 to 1. You must hit hard 14 or less. The buttons say twist, stick, and buy. Use the Pontoon chart.
- Free Bet Blackjack
- The house puts up free doubles on hard 9-11 and every soft hand, and free splits on pairs except tens. A win on that extra pays even money on your original bet only. Dealer 22 is a push. The dealer hits soft 17. Use the Free Bet chart.
Same name, still blackjack
These look like variants. They are usually the same game with a posted rule, a city name, or a live-dealer skin.
- H17 / multi-deck H17
- The dealer hits soft 17. Same 3 to 2 blackjack. A few cells move: 11 vs ace, soft 19 vs 6, and 15 vs ace. Use the H17 chart and trainer, not a new variant.
- Vegas Strip
- Usually four or six decks, dealer stands on 17, double after split, peek. That is our main table. Use the standard S17 chart. If the felt says the dealer hits soft 17, open the H17 chart instead.
- Atlantic City
- Usually six or eight decks, dealer stands on 17, late surrender, double after split. Still the S17 chart. Late surrender is already on our grid. It is not a different game.
- European no-hole-card
- The dealer does not take a hole card until the players finish. If the dealer then makes a blackjack, some tables take only the original bet (doubles and splits come back). Others take everything. Ask before you double into an ace or 10. The rest of the chart is close to ours.
- Face Up 21
- Both dealer cards are face up and the dealer wins ties. That is Double Exposure under another name. Use the Double Exposure chart, not the S17 grid.
- Super Fun 21
- Player 21 always wins, late surrender, and late doubles. That is the Spanish 21 family, even when the shoe still has 10s. Use the Spanish 21 chart, not the S17 grid.
- Live skins
- Infinite Blackjack, Speed Blackjack, Lightning Blackjack, and most live-dealer titles are still S17 or H17 with a side bet painted on. Read the dealer 17 and the blackjack payout. Then open that chart. The skin is not a new game.
- Multiple Action
- One player hand is played against two or three dealer upcards. Your cards do not change. Variance is higher because three results settle at once. Strategy stays near standard. It is not a new chart.
- Side bets
- Perfect Pairs, 21+3, and insurance are extra wagers on the same deal. They do not make a new game. Most have a fat house edge. Skip them on this site's rules, the same way you skip insurance until you are counting.
How to tell what you are sitting at
Read the felt and the payout sign before the first hand. The name on the marquee is advertising.
Look at the deck and the dealer 22
Missing 10s is Spanish 21 or Double Attack. A posted rule that dealer 22 is a push is Switch or Free Bet. Both dealer cards up is Double Exposure or Face Up 21. Free doubles on 9-11 is Free Bet. Those need their own strategy.
Hole card or not
American-style games peek for blackjack. European-style games do not. That changes a few doubles and pairs against 10 and ace. It does not throw out the rest of the chart.
If you are unsure, play ours
Our American table is hole-card S17, 3 to 2. The basic strategy trainer grades that chart. H17, single-deck, and each variant have their own chart and trainer.
What this page is for
- Spotting a table that is no longer the game you studied.
- Knowing why Spanish 21 bonuses exist: the 10s were removed.
- Knowing why Switch looks generous: dealer 22 does not bust.
- Keeping our S17 chart on the game it was built for.
What this page is not
- A second copy of the rules. Hit, stand, and bust still work the same way.
- A reason to skip the charts. H17, Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, and Pontoon each have one.
- A list of flash skins. Vegas Strip, Atlantic City, and live-dealer titles are still S17 or H17.
- A reason to skip standard blackjack. Variants come after the regular chart is automatic.
Standard blackjack versus the common variants
Left column is the game on this site: multi-deck, stand on 17, 3 to 2, hole card. Right column is what the named variant changes.
Our game (standard S17)52-card ranks. 10s in the shoe. Player 21 can push a dealer 21.
The variant10s removed. Player 21 always wins. Bonus pays on long 21s. Use the Spanish 21 chart.
Our game (standard S17)One hand. Dealer busts on 22. Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
The variantTwo hands, you may swap the top cards. Dealer 22 is a push. Blackjack often pays 1 to 1.
Our game (standard S17)One dealer upcard. Ties push. Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
The variantBoth dealer cards up. Dealer wins ties. Blackjack pays 1 to 1. No insurance.
Our game (standard S17)Dealer peeks for blackjack. Doubles and splits are not lost to a hole-card 10 or ace.
The variantNo peek. If the dealer later makes a blackjack, original-bets-only tables refund extras; others take the lot.
Our game (standard S17)Both cards come before you choose. The bet stays the same until you double or split.
The variantOne card and the dealer upcard first. You may match the bet. Spanish decks. Player 21 always wins.
Our game (standard S17)Hole card. Two-card 21 is a blackjack at 3 to 2. You may stand on hard 14.
The variantNo hole card. Two-card 21 is a pontoon at 2 to 1. Five-card trick pays 2 to 1. Must hit hard 14 or less.
Our game (standard S17)Dealer stands on all 17s. 11 vs ace is a hit. Soft 19 always stands. 15 vs ace hits.
The variantDealer hits soft 17. Double 11 vs ace. Double-else-stand soft 19 vs 6. Resign 15 vs ace.
Our game (standard S17)You pay for doubles and splits. Dealer busts on 22. Use the S17 or H17 chart.
The variantThe house puts up free doubles and free splits. Dealer 22 is a push. Use the Free Bet chart.
Blackjack variations FAQ
What is the difference between blackjack variants and table rules?
Table rules (S17, H17, 6 to 5, number of decks) are still blackjack. A few chart cells change. A variant changes the deck, the payout, or what counts as a win. Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, and Pontoon are variants. Our S17 chart is not for them.
Can I use the regular blackjack chart on Spanish 21?
No. The 10s are gone, so hitting, doubling, and insurance are different, and the bonuses for long 21s are priced into the Spanish 21 chart. Using the S17 grid there is a basic-strategy error on every other hand.
Is Blackjack Switch a better game?
It can be, if you switch correctly and the rest of the rules are not terrible. The dealer-22 push is a large house edge that the switch option has to earn back. Without a Switch chart, it is worse than ordinary 3 to 2 blackjack.
Is Perfect Pairs a blackjack variant?
No. It is a side bet that your first two cards are a pair. The main hand is still standard blackjack. The side bet has its own house edge, usually a steep one.
Do you offer Spanish 21 or Switch in the trainer?
The basic strategy trainer grades the standard four-deck, stand-on-17, 3 to 2 chart. H17, Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, Pontoon, and single-deck each have their own trainer. Open that trainer from the cards above, the chart page, or the trainer hub.
Are Vegas Strip and Atlantic City different games?
No. Those are city names on ordinary multi-deck blackjack. Use the S17 chart unless the dealer hits soft 17, then use the H17 chart. They do not need their own sit.
Is Face Up 21 or Super Fun 21 a new game on this site?
Face Up 21 is Double Exposure. Super Fun 21 is the Spanish 21 family. Play those tables and charts. Live-dealer skins such as Infinite or Lightning are still S17 or H17 with a side bet.
Is Pontoon the same as blackjack?
It is a close relative, not the same chart. There is no hole card, a two-card 21 is a pontoon with a bonus pay, and five-card hands are rewarded. Terminology changes too: twist, stick, buy. Learn standard first.
Should a beginner start with variants?
No. Start with the rules, the odds, and this site's chart. Variants are extra games. They are easier to learn after hard 16 versus 10 is automatic, not before.
Practice the standard game first
Every variant above assumes you already know when to hit a stiff. Get the standard chart automatic, then open that game's chart and its trainer.