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Face Up 21 Blackjack

Face Up 21 is a rare form of blackjack that puts a nice twist on the traditional game. If you are completely new to blackjack read our blackjack rules article, otherwise read on to learn the intricacies of Face Up 21 blackjack.

Face Up 21 is one of the more interesting variations which fall under the blackjack umbrella. In most other forms of blackjack, you are dealt two cards and you need to get as close to 21 as possible. However, if you think about it, you are playing the game a bit blind because you only get to see one of the dealer’s cards. You are therefore guessing how close to 21 you need to be in order to win the hand.

With Face Up 21 it is very different in the fact that the dealer has two cards face up. This allows you to know exactly what you need to win, but it also adds a bit of pressure on you. For example, you would not ordinarily hit on 19, but if you see that the dealer has 20 then you have to hit in order to land an Ace or a 2 and have a chance.

Online casinos with Face Up 21

Play real money Face Up 21 onlineOnline casino players are unlikely to find Face Up 21 in a live format, with this set of rules generally only found in random number generated format. This is for a couple of reasons including there is not enough demand to host live Face Up 21 tables and the fact Face Up 21 has never really had the popularity of other forms of blackjack.

Some of the best RNG titles using the Face Up 21 format include Microgaming’s Double Exposure Blackjack and RealTime Gaming’s title Face Up 21, with both of these titles found at many online casinos. However, there are restrictions on who can play these games, with Microgaming casinos in-particular strict about from which countries they allow their operators to accepts players.

RTG, on the other hand, specialises in markets where there is limited or no gambling legislation. Having said this they also cede most of the control of their games to the operator, including things like return to player (RTP) rate for each game. It definitely pays to research the RTG casino you are going to play at.

Face Up 21 Blackjack rules

In order to make the game as fair as possible, there are a few extra rules in the game of Face Up 21 that work both in your favour and against you. The key rules you need to know in Face Up 21 are:

  • The dealer must hit on a soft 17.
  • The dealer’s cards are both face up.
  • You only get paid out 1:1 for blackjack as opposed to the normal 3:2.
  • When your hand ties with the dealer, the dealer will win your bet.
  • The only time you will win a tied hand is if you have blackjack.
  • You are allowed to split Aces, but then you are only allowed one extra card per Ace.
  • You may double up on a split.
  • You may only double up on a hand which totals 9, 10 or 11.
  • Some online casinos will allow you to re-split up to 3 times.

As you can see, the game has quite a few differences that you need to keep in mind. If you have a firm grasp on how blackjack functions you will be able to grasp the intricacies of Face Up 21 with relative ease.

The house advantage of Face Up 21 (depending on the online casino you are playing at) is between 0.69% and 0.85%, which is in line with some of the more popular online blackjack games.

Even if you are a blackjack purist, you will find that this game is not too far away from the blackjack that you play. However, there is enough of a difference that it gives online blackjack players a refreshing change.