Blackjack is a card game played against the dealer, where the aim is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. For the grand ivy blackjack, the questions that matter are which versions exist, how a hand plays out and what separates a computer-dealt table from a live one.
Common blackjack variants
Online blackjack comes in several forms. These are the variants commonly found across the market, so check what The Grand Ivy offers before you play.
- Classic blackjack: the standard game, with the dealer standing or drawing by fixed rules.
- European blackjack: typically dealt from several decks, with the dealer receiving a second card after the players have acted.
- Multi-hand blackjack: you play several hands against the same dealer hand at once.
- Blackjack with side bets: extra wagers, such as on the first cards dealt, which carry their own paytables and are separate from the main hand.
Rules on doubling, splitting and what the dealer does on a soft total vary between versions, and those differences affect the odds.
Blackjack rules in short
Each player and the dealer receive two cards. Number cards count at face value, picture cards count as ten and an ace counts as one or eleven, whichever helps the hand. A first hand of an ace and a ten-value card is blackjack and normally pays more than an ordinary win.
On your turn you choose to hit and take another card, stand and keep your total, or, where the table allows it, double your stake or split a pair into two hands. If you go over 21 you lose at once. The dealer then plays by fixed rules, and the closer hand wins. A tie is a push, and your stake is returned.
Betting systems that raise or lower the stake after a win or a loss do not change the odds, because each hand is dealt independently of the last.
18+ · T&Cs apply
RNG blackjack and live dealer tables
An RNG table uses a random number generator to deal the cards, and you play at your own pace. A live dealer table streams a real dealer with physical cards, and the game moves at the pace of the table and the other players. The rules are the same; the difference is speed and atmosphere. See the live casino page for how live games are set up.
Practical points
Read the rules and the table limits before you join, and choose a stake you are comfortable losing. Set a spend limit first and keep to it. Bonus terms differ by offer, so read the welcome bonus page; T&Cs apply. If you plan to play on a phone, see the mobile version page.
