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The house edge is the bane of every gambler. Luckily, a few sharp and motivated players have
put the work in and found unique rules and adjustments that can turn the game around. By asking
around and looking closely, it is possible to find blackjack tables and online games that offer
these special rules. Here are five optional rules to look out for.
1. Decking Down
From the moment card-counting became public knowledge, casinos have been shuffling together
more and more decks in order to throw off card-counters. The less decks, the better, but nothing
beats the single deck game. Blackjack games using only a single deck are the most common at
private events, and very rare inside a casino, online or on land.
2. The Charlie
One optional rule, called the Charlie, declares that the player wins so long as they have a certain
number of cards out and still haven’t busted. The classic Charlie is five cards with no bust, but
casinos may require up to seven. Even stricter Charlie rules are better than nothing, but a table
with a 5-card Charlie rule is a winner.
3. Blackjack Payout
Despite fairly straight-forward rules, no two casinos can agree on how much to reward the player
for a blackjack. Generous casinos pay 2 to 1 for a blackjack, while greedy casinos pay 6 to 5.
Most sit somewhere in the middle, not being too generous or too greedy. Some will only count it
if the blackjack is suited, but this rule is still invaluable. Certain tables will even offer a
consolation prize for a blackjack tie. When both the dealer and the player get a blackjack, the
player earns half their bet back instead of losing everything. With the right context, this rare little
rule may just be enough to tip over the house edge.
4. Adding Up
Some wins are worth more than others. Not only are blackjacks sometimes awarded more than
other wins, sometimes wins with a large number of cards take the ticket as well. If the player has
five or more cards when they win, the winnings might just increase. Unfortunately, receiving
more than five cards without a bust is highly unlikely, so the seven-card rule does not make
much of a dent.
5. Automatic Win
At some tables, it doesn’t matter what the dealer has so long as the player has exactly 21. The
dealer may have 21 as well, and may even have a blackjack, but none of that matters. The player
wins just because the staff was feeling especially nice when they made the rules.
Sometimes only a little tweak to the rules is needed to make a difference for the players. It might
take a little searching, but these games are out there, and they are worth it.
Try your “hand” now at Royal Ace Casino