The game of Blackjack is very diverse. Unlike some other games, the Blackjack player is not limited to playing the same game over and over. Each variant of Blackjack has its own set of rules. It’s important to know these before diving in. If you play one variant like the other, you could end up losing money. Some variations are minor, but others require their own game system. Here are a few variations of the traditional Vegas Blackjack, which comes in two forms: Downtown and Las Vegas Strip.

European Blackjack

European Blackjack is played with two decks. The dealer must be on soft 17. Unlike the regular game of Blackjack, European Blackjack only allows players to double down on 9 and 11. This can be a serious limitation for those very aggressive players who love to double down on just about anything when the dealer has a 5 or 6 showing . Players are not allowed to split after a split, nor can they double on a split. There is no possibility of surrender. The house has a house edge of 0.39%.

Atlantic City Blackjack

This version of Blackjack is played in a shoe with 8 decks of cards. The dealer must be on a soft 17-ish and an Ace and a Six. Players may double on the first two cards and immediately after a split. Splits can be re-split to make up to 3 total hands. The dealer checks for Blackjack before the hand continues, and late surrender is allowed. Atlantic City Blackjack has 0.35% house edge.

Double Exposure Blackjack

Many players flock to Double Exposure Blackjack, thinking the advantage is in their favor. In this variant, both dealer cards are dealt face up. Sounds great right? Ah, but here’s the trick. The dealer wins all draws except Blackjack. Here’s another one. Blackjack only pays even money. There is no bonus to getting it. The game is played with a shoe and 8 decks of cards. The dealer hits on soft 17. You can re-split hands to make up to four separate hands. Here’s another drawback. You can only double on hard 9 and 11. And if you split aces, you get one last card for each. The house edge in Double Exposure Blackjack is 0.69%.