Multi Hand Perfect Pairs European Blackjack Gold

Blackjack is the world’s most popular casino card game and has been for some while.

There are plenty of reasons for that and they include:

  • The fact there’s more decision-making involved during the hand than in most other casino games, meaning players feel more in control of their destiny.
  • Players enjoy the gladiatorial nature of going head-to-head against the House.
  • There’s more of a communal feel to it than other games because other players’ hands can affect your own (and vice-versa) and playing as a team can produce the best results against the House.
  • It has one of the best RTPs of any casino game so gives you a fair crack of the whip.

That’s why classic Blackjack is so loved the world over, both in land-based casinos and online ones. But both online casinos and players themselves are always on the lookout to take the best games to the next level, or at least add an extra layer of excitement and innovation to proceedings.

Which brings us to Multi-Hand Perfect Pairs European Blackjack Gold by Microgaming.

As we’ll soon see, you can play it in the same way as you would the classic version, or you can place different side bets, at different odds, for bigger payouts and an extra element of drama when it comes to receiving your two initial cards.

Let’s find out what this new version is all about but first, here’s how the basic game works.

Multi-Hand Perfect Pairs European Blackjack Gold: The basics

Seasoned Blackjack players can probably skip this part because as we hinted in the intro, the base game is the same as Blackjack anywhere else. But if you’re new to it all or haven’t ventured to the Blackjack table in a while, here’s your refresher.

Card values

Using a two-deck card of 52 cards each with no Jokers or Wildcards, here’s the value of the different cards.

  • Cards 2-9 are worth their face value. I.e.. A five is worth five.
  • 10 and picture cards (Jack, Queen and King) are all worth 10.
  • An Ace is either worth 1 or 11 depending on what suits you and the Dealer best depending on the hand(s) you’re holding.

The mechanics of the game

You start by choosing your stake, which when it comes to Multi Hand Perfect Pairs European Blackjack Gold can be anything between 1GBP and 200GBP.

You and the other players at the table – a maximum of five players though any given player can play more than one box at a time- are dealt two cards, face up. The Dealer gives themselves one card.

Once you’ve worked out what your card count is, it’s time to decide on your next move.

In normal circumstances, your choices are:

  • Hit- Take another card when you a) Have a poor hand such as 6, 7 or 8 or b) the Dealer has an initial strong hand and you need to get to a stronger hand yourself to have a decent chance of beating it.
  • Stay- You don’t take another card because a) You’re happy with the hand you have, such as 18, 19, 20 or 21 or b) You think the Dealer has a good chance of going bust (getting more than 21) and you’d rather gamble that they automatically lose the hand, meaning your hand is a winner, as long as you don’t go bust yourself. The Dealer has a good chance of going bust when dealt 4, 5 or 6 but is unlikely to go bust when being dealt 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11.

If you decide to hit and don’t go bust, then it’s decision time once again as to whether you want to hit or stay.

If you did go bust by getting more than 21, you automatically lose the hand irrespective of what happens with the Dealer’s hand.

When you and all the other players still in the game have all either gone bust or stayed, the Dealer then keeps taking cards until:

  • Their hand comes to 17-21 at which point they stop taking cards and that’s their final hand.
  • They go bust.

If they do go bust, any players’ hands that are still alive will be automatic winners. If the Dealer doesn’t go bust, the player and Dealer’s hands are compared. A regular win is paid out at even money. In the event of a tie, you get your stake back.

Blackjacks and other special hands

An Ace and a card worth 10 mean you’ve just got yourself a Blackjack and are paid out at odds of 3:2 irrespective of what happens with the Dealer’s hand. Unless of course, the Dealer has Blackjack themselves, in which case you tie.

This is where the Ace is important. In these circumstances of getting Blackjack, it’s worth 11 and together with the card of a 10 value, the hand comes to 21.

If you have a 5 and 4 (9) and then get an Ace, you can decide the Ace is worth 11, bringing your count to 20. In other circumstances, such as having 17 and asking for a card and getting an Ace, you’ll decide it’s worth 1, won’t go bust and will be left with 18 instead.

When a Dealer gives themselves an Ace, they’ll decide it’s worth 11 to get to a total of 17-21 or 1 if it stops them from going bust.

There are two other special hands in classic Blackjack:

  • Doubling down- Only allowed on hard totals of 11, 10, and 9 after getting your first two cards. You must double up on your bet but are only allowed to take one more card, irrespective of what it is.
  • Splitting – When you have two cards that are exactly the same, you can split them and play the two hands separately. You can only split your hand once. For the purposes of splitting, cards worth 10 aren’t treated as being the same. You can therefore split two Jacks, but not a Jack and a Queen.

Multi Hand Perfect Pairs European Blackjack Gold: Pairs, coloured pairs and perfect pairs

So that’s the basic game but what makes this version so special?

The answer is you can place a side bet by putting chips in the little round box just to the left of your regular box before receiving your two initial cards.

The only two cards that matter for this purpose are the first two that you’re dealt. As the game’s name suggests, they need to be pairs to ensure a winner. But there are pairs and then there are special pairs. Here are the different types of pairs and their respective payouts.

Simple pair- Two cards that are the same but of different colours. E.g. A black two and a red two. Pays at 7/1.

Coloured pair- Not only are the two cards the same but they’re also the same colour. E.g. A five of hearts and a five of diamonds. Pays at 15/1.

Perfect Pair- Two identical cards are dealt to you, making up a perfect pair! An example of this are two Queens of Hearts and getting them pays out at 30/1.

Once your two cards are dealt, the Dealer will either take your side bet chips away seeing as they’re losing bets, or pay out accordingly at the odds just mentioned, if you have a winner.

The main game then progresses to its natural conclusion.

So those who want to keep it simple can play Classic Blackjack at this table without having to worry about what else is going on around the table. Those who want add some spice to proceedings, whether on every hand or just occasionally when they have a hunch, can place additional bets and hope a pair comes up. If it’s a Perfect Pair, so much the better!

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