Betsoft American Blackjack Review — A Thorough Report on the Rules & Payouts

Are Betsoft’s American Blackjack Rules Truly Traditional?

Our experts went through the rulebook of this release to see if it truly adheres to Vegas Strip regulations. You’ll be happy to know that Betsoft’s American Blackjack rules don’t deviate much from what most of us consider as standard. There are a few small changes that we’ve outlined below:

Conditions for Winning

• As usual, you have to beat the house by attaining a hand with a higher score than that of the dealer;
• 21 is the best possible result you can get. Going over it will “bust” your hand, which results in a loss;
• When you get a 21 from the first two cards you’re dealt, this is called a natural 21 or blackjack;

Cards & Decks

• The playing shoe includes six French decks of 52 cards each;
• Cards from 2 to 10 award as many points as their face value. Aces count either as 1 or 11 points. Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 10 points each;
• Betsoft’s American Blackjack online shuffles the decks between rounds, thus eliminating the possibility of card counting;
• Multi-hand play is permitted. You can activate up to 3 hands against the dealer;

Dealer Rules

• The dealer draws until 16 and stands on hard 17s (hands that don’t contain an ace). Additional cards are drawn on soft 17s;
• When the dealer’s face-up card is an ace or has a value of 10, they will check for blackjack;
• Insurance will be offered when the up-card is an ace. Don’t take it; it’s a bad bet;

Double Down Details

• You can double down before taking a third card;
• The double down option increases your bet by x2 and is only available if your first two hands amount to 10 or 11 points;

Split Rules

• “American Blackjack” by Betsoft allows one split per hand. While re-splits are forbidden, this is somewhat alleviated by the multi-hand feature;
• You can double, following a split, except when dividing aces;
• Only one additional card is drawn per split ace. You can hit all other splits;
• Getting a 21 from a pair of divided aces isn’t considered as blackjack and can be beaten by a natural 21 from the dealer;

Start Playing for Free with This Easy Tutorial

If you don’t know how to play blackjack, this Betsoft title presents a perfect opportunity for you to learn the ropes. We’ll give you a quick rundown of how to find a free-to-play copy of American blackjack by Betsoft and show you how to perform the most important actions in the game:

1. Locate a demo — Go back to the beginning of this article and pick a casino that is available in your region. They will allow you to play for free, sometimes without the need to create an account. If there are too many blackjacks to choose from, remember that you can search by provider.
2. Everything is at the bottom — Once you start Betsoft American Blackjack online, focus on the lower half of the screen. Near the center, you’ll see three areas for bet placement. Below them, there’s a widget containing playing chips of different denominations. Select one and put it in the designated zone. Once you perform this action, three new icons will appear. “Deal” starts the game while the other two help you to amend your wagers.
3. Know the right move — When a round begins, cards will be dealt to the positions you’ve bet on. Two cards will also appear at the top, but only one of them will be facing up. Your task is to figure out how to best play your hand with the limited information you have. Fortunately, the Betsoft American Blackjack “rules” page contains instructions on how to play to maximize your return rates over the long run. You can either use it or refer to the “strategy" section of our website.

If the gameplay is too fast or slow for you, you can always adjust the speed of the dealing animations through the three arrow keys at the bottom-left side. The general/sound options and the help screen are also located in this area.

Analyzing the Payouts and House Edge of Betsoft American Blackjack Online

Since this release doesn’t feature any side bets, its paytable is super concise. When you score a blackjack, your bet will be returned, and you’ll win an additional amount worth x1.5 times your wager. All other wins are paid 1:1.

If you take the insurance option, you’ll have to pay 50% of your staked amount, and your bet will be covered only in the event of a natural from the dealer. Our Betsoft American Blackjack review team strongly advises against this bet since there’s a bigger chance of the house not having a blackjack. Following basic strategy assures the maximum possible Return to Player rate, which is 99.35% for this title. The house edge is about 0.15% higher than what we would consider ideal, mainly due to the dealer hitting soft 17s and the restrictions for doubling down.

A Summary of the Pros and Cons

Betsoft’s rendition of US Blackjack is almost identical to the variants played in Las Vegas. This makes it a good pick for purists and people who are just getting into the genre. Its optional multi-hand feature is perfect for those who want to increase the risk factor, but the lack of side bets might disappoint some.

The $1-$100 betting limits aren’t perfect for high rollers, but they should suffice for everyone else. If you’re still on the fence about this title, you can always fire up a demo to see if you’ll like it. American Blackjack by Betsoft can be played for free or for real money at all of the casinos on our list.