Usually new variants of online blackjack are developed by introducing different side bets. The basic rules are rarely tampered with. However, The New Blackjack at Australian online casinos like Ignition Casino and Joe Fortune is refreshingly different. The navigation and layout have been improved to make the game play more convenient and visually appealing. The popularity of this online blackjack variant can be gauged from the fact that it always figures in the big winners lists at these casinos.
To start with, the felt light blue colour, which immediately brightens the screen. Players can use the menu icon to see the rules, access the tutorials and change the settings. The tutorials are simply structured and will help new blackjack players easily understand how to play the game online. The settings allow players to mainly configure the audio options. The New Blackjack is played using six decks, which are shuffled after each hand.
The payouts are the standard ones and are repeated here: player blackjack pays 3 to 2; any other win pays 1 to 1 and insurance pays 2 to 1. From the point of strategy, the most important rules are that the dealer peeks for blackjack and that the dealer hits on soft 17. The split rules can get complicated and need to be understood carefully. You can split up to three hands; split aces receive only one card; aces cannot be re-split and a split ace and a 10-value card is not a blackjack but a regular 21. You can double and surrender on any two dealt cards. The maximum bet is AU$500, which will draw the high rollers.
The New Blackjack allows you can play up to three hands at a time against the dealer. After placing the bet you click the Deal button to start the game. Each of your hands is taken to the centre of the screen in turn for you to play. The moves that are available at any stage of the game are displayed on the screen so that new players do not miss out. After all your hands have been played, only the dealer’s hand is displayed on the centre of the screen and played out automatically. Because you see on the screen only what is needed at a given time, there is no cluttering up of the screen as is normal online blackjack variants. After the hand is over, you can play the next one with the same bet or with double the bet with one click. For any other bet you start as in a new hand.