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Table Games Blackjack - European vs American style

Discussion in 'Table Games' started by David Grant, Apr 7, 2014.

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  1. David Grant

    David Grant Low-Roller

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    I wondered what people thought of European style BJ Vs American style.

    Rules are the same but in European the dealer only takes their second card after all the players have completed whilst in US style they get it at the same time.

    This means that the dealer doesn't know if they have a BJ in European but in US does.

    I have to say I prefer US rules as we find out straight away if the dealer has BJ or not and can act accordingly. Whereas in European you can hit a 20/ 21 with double down / splits and the dealer who showed a ten could turn up an ace and you lose your double / split.

    What do you guys think?

    david
     
  2. dutchvelvet

    dutchvelvet VIP Whale

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    The dealer not peeking makes it possible for you to lose more than your original bet on a Dealer Blackjack. I'm sure that makes it a bad rule for players and a good rule for the house.
     
  3. MIA_305

    MIA_305 Tourist

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    I also prefer the Amercian way.

    It is also like this in the Caribbean. I have played in casinos in Aruba and Curacao and the rules are like this. :grrr:
     
  4. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    have played all around the world ,please take the with the most respect europeans dont know how to play bj.

    also rember the dealer get the last card last and at some casino you can actualy place a bet and have somebidy else play the hand now thats scary(amsterdam)

    the only good thing about europe is roulette one zero also they such at comping drinks:thumbsdown:
     
  5. finsfanscott

    finsfanscott Low-Roller

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    Every place I have played where the dealer takes their card last only takes the original bet. This includes casinos in Puerto Rico and Aruba. I can't remember if the casinos in France kept or took the second bet on dealer blackjack.

    If the casino only takes the original bet, I don't think it matters to the player. What it does do is make third base take more heat for an unpopular play (even if mathematically correct).

    I would certainly question a dealer, even in a foreign language, if they took a split/doubled bet on dealer blackjack.

    Either way, dealer blackjack sucks...

    Good luck!


    Hmmm... paperposter snuck in there a second before I did... agree with all his comments, most (not all) Europeans don't know or follow basic strategy, drink comps suck, but the single zero roulette (including the 'enprison' rule) makes roulette a statistically much better game.

    His comments on 'back betting', where a stranger can place a bet on your hand, is odd. Some places allow as many as 3 'back bets'. The back betters have no direct input on how to play the hand, but will certainly let their opinions be known. Back bets can be higher or lower than the initial bet. They can not be doubled or split (at least where I went) so in the event of a split the back bet goes with the original card. I didn't like that at all, and a couple of hit 16 or soft 18 v. dealer 10 got the back bettors to leave...
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2014
  6. dankyone

    dankyone VIP Whale

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    Blackjack in Europe can be tough...

    In certain casinos in Spain the "back bettor" gets to call the hand if his bet is higher than the original bettor. Generally their knowledge of basic strategy is nonexistent.

    Paying 9 euro for a drink while playing is a bit of a nasty wake up call. (Drinks were comped in Monaco and Portugal IIRC but not in Spain)

    Most games are continuous shuffle, some entire countries have done away with shoes/hand shuffled games.

    The "no hole card" rule which started the thread is a clear problem for the player and changes basic strategy on doubling/splitting when the dealer shows Ace--and even 10.

    Most players there are not even hoping to win, they are giving away their money.
     
  7. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    ive also noticed alot more europeans split tens and hit on wierd stuff.

    i belive in monaco you are correct drinks where comped, in cannes i belive only the first ones and only if they felt like it.cannes where to stuck up for me.realy bad players

    prague i belive they where.
    it varies so much.
     
  8. David Grant

    David Grant Low-Roller

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    American vs european

    Hi guys, many thanks for the replies.

    Seems we all agree it is a bad rule for the player unless you adapt your basic strategy. Europe, although we have had casinos longer than the US has a lot of watching up to do in terms of casino culture. Probably because we have nowhere quite like LV or even AC.

    Casino visits were more an occasion than the norm. But that is changing especially with the popularity of poker.

    As for playing BS. Most Europeans and I suspect most Americans don't even know it exists. Let alone take the time to study it. When I was learning I had the little card with me that tells you BS for 6 decks. In LV no problems. In The UK as soon as I took it out and consulted it was "what is that you have?". They hadn't seem it before as had none of my friends. But since they saw my results they all want one. So we are getting better.


    Once again many thanks for all the replies.

    David
     
  9. bbbaer

    bbbaer Tourist

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    and dealer don`t take a card on soft 17
     
  10. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    I played in the PR back in the late-90s, and this was certainly the case then.
    You only lost your original bet.
     
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  11. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    This is played two ways. It's knows as European No Hole Card (ENHC) and it's an anti-cheating measure to prevent anyone seeing the dealer's hole card ahead of time when the dealer is sloppy. In some places, it's "dealer takes all", so if you double or split you lost all the extra bets if the dealer has blackjack. This, is of course, bad. In some places, (I think the Gold Coast dealt like this for a while), it's "dealer takes original", so you can double or split without fear, because if the dealer has blackjack, you only lose your original bet; (they give you back the double/split bets).

    As to where the two variations exist, I really have no idea.

    "Dealer takes all" does modify your basic strategy a bit. But there are few hands where you should double or split against a dealer's Ace or a dealer's 10, anyway. Basically it's just my 11 vs. dealer 10 and my 11 vs. dealer Ace (sometimes). I think I'd just hit those instead. And you would split your Aces against A or T, (I think I'd continue to do that), and splitting 8s against 10 or A, (I might just hit). I'm just guessing on those BS changes, however.
     
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