Multi Hand Video Blackjack is an online blackjack variant from the portfolio of the online casino software provider Cryptologic. It is offered in two formats, one with 8 decks and the other with 4 decks. Players should opted for the four deck game because in blackjack the fewer the decks used the larger is the average return to the player. Cryptologic Multi Hand Video Blackjack is live at all Cryptologic online casinos such as InterCasino.
The standard online casino blackjack variants have one hand for the player against the dealer hand. In multi hand online blackjack variants players can wager up to five hands against the dealer hand. Cryptologic Multi Hand Video Blackjack is innovative because it allows multiple hands both for the player and for the dealer. The player has to select three parameters. The first is the bet amount, which can vary from 25 cents to $50. The second parameter is the number of player’s hands, which has to be selected from 1, 3 and 5. The final parameter is the number of dealer’s hands, which has to be selected from 3, 5, 10 and 50. The total amount wagered is the product of the three parameters.
Cryptologic Multi Hand Blackjack is played in a similar manner to the standard online blackjack variants. After the player clicks the Deal button, cards are dealt two at a time to each of the player’s hands. Then the dealer’s face up card is dealt for each dealer hand. This card has to be the same for all the dealer’s hands because one of the factors that determine optimum blackjack strategy is the dealer’s face up card. In Cryptologic Multi Hand Blackjack each player hand has to be evaluated against all the dealer’s hands. If the dealer’s face up cards are different for each hand then it will become impossible for the player to wager using optimum strategy.
After the cards are dealt player makes his moves for each player hand in turn according to the standard blackjack rules. For novice players Cryptologic Multi Hand Blackjack provides text messages on the screen that guide them in the game play. After the player is through with all his hands, the dealer’s hands are automatically played according to the dealer’s rules. The complete rules of Cryptologic Multi Hand Blackjack can be accessed by clicking the ‘?’ icon in the right hand panel. The important rules are as given below. Blackjack pays out at 3 to 2. Dealer stands on a total of soft 17. The player and the dealer can split any two equal value cards once. The player can buy insurance. However, the surrender move is not allowed.
The payouts for each hand are automatically calculated and the total is credited to the player’s account. But so that players can understand how each player’s hand has fared Cryptologic Multi Hand Video Blackjack employs an interesting visual device. Below each player hand there are three counters with different colors. The green counter indicates the number of dealer’s hands for which the player beat the dealer. The orange counter indicates the number of dealer’s hands for which the player tied with the dealer. The red counter indicates the number of dealer’s hands for which the player lost to the dealer.
