Crypto Blackjack

Crypto blackjack, Pontoon, 21 – whatever you call it, it’s definitely one of the most popular games at any online casino.

Like most crypto casino classics, it’s easy to pick up the basics and then takes a while to learn the intricacies. Here, we’ll go through both, giving you a full understanding of how to play crypto blackjack.

What is Crypto Blackjack?

Crypto blackjack is a card game where your aim is to build a hand which totals 21, or as close to it as possible. However, if your hand total reaches 22 or more, you instantly go ‘bust’ and lose the hand.

Your opponent in crypto blackjack is the dealer. Your aim is to beat their hand. That’s why it’s sometimes the right move to hold even if you have a low total. If the dealer goes bust, everybody wins.

How to Play Crypto Blackjack

At the beginning of each crypto blackjack hand, you’ll receive two face-up cards. The dealer will get one face-up card and one face-down card. Dealers in crypto blackjack always make the exact same decisions, playing like robots regardless of your cards, which is why it doesn’t matter that your hand is exposed to the table.

When it’s your turn, you’ll have to choose whether to hold or hit. If you hold, you stick with the hand you have, and play continues to other players and, finally, the dealer. If you hit, you’ll receive another face-up card.

The ideal scenario is to make a hand worth 21. Face cards are each worth 10, while numbered cards are worth whatever the number is. For example, if you’re dealt a nine and a five, you have 14. Aces are worth either one or 11. You don’t need to declare which of the two you prefer; whatever works best for your hand is factored in automatically.

You should use all the information around you when deciding what to do. For example, if the dealer has an ace showing, they may have a ‘blackjack’ (an automatic 21 using just two cards). In this case, you should proceed with caution and assume they’ll have a strong hand.

If the dealer is showing a five, and you’re on an awkward number like 15, you might want to hold and hope the dealer goes bust.

The dealer acts last in crypto blackjack. They reveal their face-down card then play in a set way. Usually, they keep drawing cards until they hit at least 17. They will then hold, even if you have 18, 19, 20 or 21. If your hand is stronger than theirs, you win. If they bust, everybody still in the hand wins.

If the dealer has a stronger hand than you, you lose. If you draw, your bet is usually returned. This is called a ‘push’.

Types of Blackjack Bet

Hit and hold are the bread and butter of crypto blackjack bets, but there are plenty of jams and marmalades out there. Let’s take a look at the bets you can place when playing crypto blackjack.

Hit

When you hit, or ‘twist’, you’re asking the dealer to give you another card. The maximum number you can hit is 10 (excluding the ace, which can be either one or 11). So, if you have 11 or less, you can’t go bust with one hit.

If you’re closing in on 21, you want to be extra cautious. For instance, if you’re on 17, only a four or less helps you – so you may want to veer on the side of caution.

Hold

Holding, standing or sticking all mean the same thing – you’re done with your turn. It’s a bit like a check or a call in poker. Once you hold, you wait for all other players and the dealer to complete their turns, and find out if you’ve won.

In some cases, you’ll want to hold with a very low number. For example, if you have just 13, but the dealer is showing a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, correct strategy suggests you should stand.

Split

If you’re dealt a pair, you’ll be offered the chance to split. If you split, you double your initial stake and split the pair into two new hands. The dealer will give you one new card for each of your hands, so you now have two hands each consisting of two cards.

Whether or not to split is your decision, but there are a couple of easy choices. If you get aces, you should always split them – giving you two chances to hit blackjack, and lots of flexibility. If you have a pair of 10s, you should never split – it’s better to stick on 20 and avoid all the awkward 13s, 14s, 15s and 16s you might receive.

Double

Instead of hitting once, you can double down. This requires you to double your stake and, in exchange, you get one card. After that, you do not have the chance to hit again – your hand is locked in.

You should double when it looks like you’re going to win the hand. For example, if your hands totals 11 and the dealer is showing a weak card, it’s a good time to double your bet as you have a range of ways to win the hand.

Surrender

If the crypto casino allows you to surrender, you can give up your hand and get half of your stake back. This eliminates any chance of winning the hand, but limits the damage when you’re in a precarious position.

There are two main times when you should surrender. If you have 16 and the dealer has a 9, 10, J, Q, K or A. Or if you have 15 and the dealer has a 10. Of course, you’re free to surrender other hands, if you like.

Insurance

Crypto blackjack often comes with a bunch of side bets. These aren’t always available in every game, but some of them are pretty common – like insurance.

If the dealer is showing an ace, you can bet on insurance. If the dealer then flips over a jack, queen or king for blackjack, you get paid at odds of 2/1. Overall, it’s not a great payout considering the odds.

Perfect Pair

Another popular side bet is the perfect pair. A perfect pair is when you’re dealt two cards which are exactly the same, both in rank and suit. This is possible because more than one deck of cards is used during a game of crypto blackjack.

It’s exceedingly tough to hit a perfect pair in crypto blackjack, which is why it usually pays at odds of 25/1. In most cases, you’ll pretty much be guessing blindly – so it should mainly be used as a fun bet and not part of any efficient blackjack strategy.

Crypto Blackjack Game Types

Because crypto blackjack is so popular, casinos have naturally invented a million versions of it, with kooky side bets and the chance to jack up the action. Some of them are pretty cool, too.

Here are some of the most common variants of blackjack at crypto casinos:

European Blackjack

This is the most common and popular version of crypto blackjack. It has regular blackjack rules, with the dealer holding on 17. Blackjack outranks other hands, including three or more cards totaling 21. You can double on a total of 9, 10 or 11, and split your hand once. Once all players are finished, the dealer receives their second card.

American Blackjack

Like roulette, the European and American versions of crypto blackjack are similar. Dealing is a little different, as the dealer receives both cards before players do anything. Sometimes, they’ll check for blackjack right away, wrapping the hand up quickly. Play can also get a bit crazier, as you can split your hand repeatedly.

Pontoon

We’ve used blackjack and Pontoon interchangeably as they’re super similar, but there is actually a difference. In Pontoon, you won’t see the dealer’s card – so it’s better to stick to regular blackjack.

Blackjack Switch

While playing two hands simultaneously, you’re able to switch the top card from one hand to the other. This gives you the chance to be a bit more tactical and try to beat the house.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack

Any crypto blackjack game where you can use the side bet we discussed earlier in our crypto blackjack guide. In addition to the dream perfect pair, you can also bet on a regular pair or a pair of the same colour.

Multi-Hand Blackjack

This crypto blackjack variant lets you play multiple hands at once from a single table. At most crypto casinos that carry this game, you can rack up five hands at a time, which seems like plenty to us.

Atlantic City Blackjack

This one is like American roulette but with a few tweaks. You can double whenever you want, not just on 9, 10 or 11. And you can surrender on any hand, as long as you haven’t acted yet.

Crypto Blackjack Betting Strategies

Many crypto casino formats are pure games of chance. But crypto blackjack requires strategy and decision making. If you play using the correct strategy, you’ll boost your RTP to over 99%.

You can use our Moonshot Slots blackjack cheat sheet to see when to hit and stand, and it’s perfectly legal to use these – even during the game. If you’re playing live casino blackjack, you can even ask the dealer.

Here’s our crypto blackjack cheat sheet.

H = Hit
D = Double
S = Stand
Sp = Split