The gambling society is full of blackjack variations. Pontoon, Double Exposure Blackjack, California Blackjack, and Buster Blackjack are just a few of them. Of course, you’ve probably heard of those games at some point or another. They are common at casinos and even available in online casinos. But have you heard of Mega blackjack, though? If not, then you are definitely not alone.
Mega Blackjack is far more obscure within the gambling industry. But as I’ll explain below, it’s a fun game that’s worth a shot.
Mega Blackjack: Brief History
Mega Blackjack doesn’t rank as high as Blackjack Switch or Spanish 21 by means of recognition. But there’s a good reason for this. The Mega variation has only been around for some years.
AGS launched Mega Blackjack in Nevada last 2017. They debuted their variation at Las Vegas’ Monte Carlo Casino.
They’ve had been successful with this game and is continuing to offer it at different casinos across the country
As for AGS, they’re a game developer that first started off within the Class II Native American market. They’ve since expanded beyond just providing Class II games and now provide a range of table games and Class III (e.g. slots) machines.
Unique Rules
If you’ve played classic blackjack with real money before, you shouldn’t have much trouble playing the Mega version. Most of it follows the standard rules of the classic version.
However, Mega Blackjack has its unique set of rules that you should be aware of. Here are both the basic and unique aspects of the game:
- 6 decks
- Dealer hits a soft 17.
- Dealer peeks for a natural blackjack with an ace or 10 upcard.
- Double down after splitting (DAS) is allowed.
- Players can re-split up to four hands.
- Gamblers can resplit aces.
- No surrender is allowed.
- Normal hands that win pay 1:1.
- A natural blackjack normally pays 3:1 (casinos can adjust these).
- A winning suited A-K natural blackjack pays 5:1.
- If the dealer busts with 4+ cards, then the player pushes.
- Players receive a 3:2 payout for drawing to 21 (includes splits & double downs).
- These games can feature the “Buster Blackjack” side bet (wager on what cards the dealer has to bust).
Rules like six decks, dealers hitting a soft 17, and DAS are common throughout the game. Mega Blackjack is different in some specific rules.
First off, a natural pays 3:1 under normal circumstances. It pays much more for a suited A-K natural at 5:1. Most variations only pay either 3:2 or 6:5 for a natural.
The other big difference involves specific dealer bust outs. You automatically win during this circumstance regardless of what in other blackjack games. However, the Mega version sees you push when the croupier busts with four or more cards.
How to Play
Other than its unique rules, Mega Blackjack plays similar to classic 21. You place your bet before a hand like normal and have similar available actions (hit, stand, double down, and split).
The Buster Blackjack bet presents one slight modification. You’ve got the choice to place a side wager together with your regular bet before a hand.
As covered earlier, natural blackjacks pay differently in this game. You also push when the dealer busts out with 4+ cards.
But these rules don’t affect the process of playing Mega Blackjack.
Approach
The strategy for Mega Blackjack is not that different in comparison to other games.
The good news is that you could easily find strategy charts that cover this game. An easy look for a “Mega Blackjack Strategy Chart” will provide all the strategy you would like.
I suggest studying the chart before playing at the casino. After all, you don’t want the dealer and the other players getting angry because you keep referring to this resource on every hand.
Mega Blackjack is available in reallivedealer online casino. Contact us at [email protected] for further details.
