The rules of blackjack may be fairly standard in locations around the world, but variations can help or hurt a player's chances of winning. Some European and Australian casinos offer changes that you may or may not have encountered in other countries, but if you know what to expect, you'll know when how to protect yourself!

The photo above shows a London, England blackjack game with both dealer cards on the table prior to players taking additional cards.


Although most casinos in the US and Canada use these rules, many casinos in Australia and Europe apply No-Hole Card Rules.

European No Hole Card Rules

Originally, dealers peeked at their hole card to see if they had a blackjack, which is an instant winner for the house. However, to avoid collusion or other forms of cheating, some casinos simply showed the dealer's up card and didn't even give the dealer their second card until after the players finished their hands. This presents several problems because the dealer may make a blackjack!

Standard European blackjack rules include the use of six or eight decks and the dealer hits until they get 17, even a soft 17. Players may double down on hard totals of 9, 10 and 11 only (Reno-Lake Tahoe rules, no double on soft hands) but may double after a split. However, the big difference is that unless the player has their own blackjack they lose all of their wagers, even their double-down and split bets, if the dealer makes a blackjack.

Basic strategy rules changes:

• Split aces against 2 through 10, hit against a dealer ace
• Never split 10's
• Split 8's against  2 through 9, hit against a dealer 10 or ace
• Double Down on a 9 against a dealer 3 through 6
• Double Down on 10 or 11 against a dealer 2 through 9 only

These changes will keep you from loosing all of your wagers against a possible dealer blackjack.

Australian Casino Blackjack

Australia is a large continent, with many casinos, and rules vary from club to club. As with European rules, Australian rules allow players to double down on 9, 10 and 11 only and doubling down after a split.

However, as with Las Vegas Strip rules and Downtown Vegas rules, you may find the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17; re-splitting aces may  or may not be allowed; and other split hands may be limited to either 3 or 4 total. Other rules are quite inventive, so make sure you check the table rules before you play! Assuming there is no hole card, here are the possibilities:

European No Hole Card - the same rules as shown above. Play to basic strategy changes shown above.

No-Peek Style - the dealer takes only original wagers, so you can double and split without worrying about loosing additional wagers to a blackjack. Play as you would at any standard peek table.

Original and Busts - the player loses all original wagers and any busted hands to a blackjack, but any non-busted splits or additional double-down wagers are returned. Stand on any splits with 14, 15 and 16 when the dealer has an ace or ten showing.

Original, Busts, and One - the player loses all original wagers, all busted hands, and one unit from any double-down or split hand. Ouch. Stand on those 14, 15 and 16's after a split against a dealer ace or ten showing and expect to be frustrated when the dealer does make blackjack!

Are these variations really detrimental to the player? Sure, the house edge is higher, especially on the Original, Busts and One variety, but the main rule that hurts players in European and Australian blackjack is the no doubling on soft hands and the dealer hitting a soft 17.

The double-down on 9, 10 and 11 costs the player about 1/10th of a percent and the dealer hitting a soft 17 costs another 2/10th's of a percent.That might not sound like much, but it adds up. Find the best games and enjoy yourself!