If you like playing blackjack, you probably know that there are a couple of different variants of the game, with the two most popular being American blackjack and European blackjack. Although both games are based on virtually identical blackjack rules, there are a couple of differences that you need to take into account so that you know what kind of strategy you need to apply in order to minimize losses and maximize wins.

The main difference is that in the European blackjack, there is no hole card. Meaning that the dealer cannot peek at his card to see whether there is a chance for a blackjack. Instead, he receives the second card only after all the player hands are completed. In other words, he is dealt only one face-up card so that means that there is no chance for the round to end immediately after the cards have been dealt. When hands end early by the dealer who managed to get a blackjack, that prevents players from losing more money. However, that rule doesn’t exist in European blackjack. Furthermore, it means that the American blackjack strategy chart is probably not going to work on the European variant.

Another important rule is that doubling down in the European blackjack is possible only on hands that have a value of 9, 10, or 11. On the other hand, players can use the double down option on virtually any hand in the American blackjack.

Also, the number of decks that are used for playing the European type of blackjack is two, while in America, dealers usually use six to eight decks when playing. The main difference here is that the fewer decks there are, the easier card counting becomes. However, card counting is not allowed in casinos, so don’t try it even when playing the European blackjack.

When it comes to splitting, European blackjack allows players to split only cards that are like valued and have a value of 10, meaning 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings. Furthermore, they are allowed to split only once, whereas in American blackjack, players can split three times.

Finally, there is no late surrender in European blackjack, which makes things a bit more difficult compared to the American variant where players can surrender whenever they think there is no chance to win a hand.

To sum up, if we were to choose what blackjack type is the most suitable for the majority of players, we would have to go for the American one as its users are more user-friendly and flexible. If you want to play the best American and European blackjack, make sure to check out sites that review blackjack and find an online casino that suits your tastes.