Vegas Downtown Blackjack

Yet another version of the traditional game of blackjack,Vegas downtown blackjack has a lot in common with Vegas strip blackjack and as you can imagine they are both originally played in Las Vegas and can very commonly be found in any online casino. The two games have nearly the same rules with the only differences being the number of decks that are used, hitting and standing on soft 17 and the number of times you are allowed to split aces which for some are very minor differences but for others makes the difference between playing one game or the other.Vegas Downtown blackjack generally uses 2 decks, 104 cards instead of the 4 decks, 208 cards that are used in Vegas Strip blackjack. This should not make any difference unless you are trying to keep track of which cards have left the deck and which cards are still to come. This is something you only do when you are an experienced player and you completely understand the game and even then, if you are playing online blackjack as the only player you are unlikely to see enough cards to make a real impact.

The next difference between the two variations can be found in the soft and hard 17. If you are playing Vegas Downtown then the dealer will hit on soft 17 (17 which includes an ace which is counting one and not eleven also explained in our blackjack dictionary). This is not the case with Vegas Strip, as the dealer will stand on soft 17. It is very difficult to say which rule is the most favourable for you as a player as if you are holding 15 or 16 you would like to see a hit on 17 from the dealer as this means they might bust but on the other hand of you are holding 18 or 19 you would like to see the dealer stand.

The advantages and disadvantages of hitting on soft 17 are so small that they can be forgotten. Some players like to see a dealer who hits on soft 17 because they think they have an advantage and others are quite happy with the dealer just playing with his soft 17. It really boils down to where your preferences lie, apart from that it does not matter what the dealer does as long as he does it consistently.The final and also most important difference is the fact that you are only allowed to split aces once when you are playing Vegas Downtown blackjack. This means that if you get two aces and you split you only get one card per ace as you already knew but if you receive another ace you are not allowed to split these again. You are allowed to split any other cards up to three times but this rule does not apply to aces. The chance of getting three aces is small but if you get them then it can be very frustrating not being able to split them. Instead of increasing your chances of getting 21 you are stuck with 2/12. This is a rule that you will not have to use every day but it is something that you have to bear in mind when playing Vegas Downtown blackjack, what is worse than being happy about your three aces and then finding out that you are not allowed to split? Vegas Downtown and Vegas Strip are both great blackjack games to play; they differ slightly in rules but nothing too serious.

These are the most common forms of blackjack that we know and play today. When you are playing either of these games just make sure you know the rules as even the slightest difference can make you hit instead of pass. All of these different blackjack games appear to have different names but the basic game remains the same in all varieties and the idea is to beat the dealer but knowing what the dealer is going to do is an integral part of winning at the game and adjusting your own strategy accordingly. At blackjack.ie we do not advise players to use any of the jackpot or bonus features as they are generally at very poor odds and as blackjack is generally a good odds game if played properly it seems pointless to take on a high risk alternative. Surrender is an option that can be used sparingly as is insurance but our favourite game still remains traditional blackjack with none of the fancy features.