This is one of the more interesting variations of the games which fall under
the blackjack umbrella. In most other forms of blackjack, you are dealt two
cards and you need to get as close to 21 as possible. However, if you think
about it, you are playing the game a bit blind because you only get to see one
of the dealer's cards. You are therefore guessing how close to 21 you need to be
in order to win the hand.
With Face Up 21 it is very different in the fact that the dealer had two
cards face up. This may allow you to know exactly what you need to win, but it
also adds a bit of pressure on you. For example, you would not ordinarily hit on
19, but if you see that the dealer has 20 then you have to hit in order to land
an Ace or a 2.
In order to make the game as fair as possible, there are a few extra rules in
the game of Face Up 21 that work both in your favour and against you.
Here is how the rules differ somewhat:
- The dealer must hit on a soft 17.
- The dealer's cards are both face up.
- You only get paid out 1:1 for blackjack as opposed to the normal 3:2.
- When your hand ties with the dealer, the dealer will win your bet.
- The only time you will win a tied hand is if you have blackjack.
- You are allowed to split Aces, but then you are only allowed one extra
card per Ace.
- You may double up on a split.
- You may only double up on a hand which totals 9, 10 or 11.
Some online casinos will allow you to re-split up to 3 times.
As you can see, the game has quite a few differences that you need to keep in
mind. If you have a firm grasp on how blackjack functions you will be able to
grasp the intricacies of Face Up 21 with relative ease.
The house advantage of Face Up 21 (depending on the online casino you are
playing at) is between 0.69% and 0.85%, which is in line with fair competition.
Even if you are a blackjack purist, you will find that this game is not too
far away from the blackjack that you play. However, there is enough of a
difference that has been added to the game of Face Up 21 that makes it a very
worthwhile experience.
