Playing the Free Bet Blackjack is as simple as playing Blackjack itself and you shouldn’t need more than 10 minutes to learn the game. It obviously helps if you’re already aware of how to play blackjack, but you should be able to manage even if you don’t know how to play blackjack. The Free Bet Blackjack is exactly what the name sounds like – it allows you to make your split pair and double down wagers for free. With a house edge of less than 0.7%, the game might actually help you win some money as well. As experts have described it, playing the Free Bet Blackjack is like playing a game of Blackjack with a generous friend who takes care of all your supplemental bets and lets you keep the winnings.
The Free Bet Blackjack is played with six standard decks of playing cards that are dealt from a shoe. The dealer must hit when it gets a soft 17 and natural blackjacks always pay in the ratio of 3:2. Late surrenders are allowed ad doubling down even after splitting the cards which can again be split to a maximum of 4 cards are also allowed. However, split Aces will receive just one more card each.
The biggest difference in the Free Bet Blackjack is the way the additional wagering takes place. First up, the player is offered with the “Free Doubles” option for counts of 9, 10 or 11. Another exciting feature offered by the Free Bet Blackjack is the “Free Split” which is offered for all pairs, except for 10s. Additional Free Doubles and Free Splits can also be chosen as the hands play themselves out. However, if the dealer busts with a total of 22, all hands are pushed, irrespective of their value. This rule also applies to the natural blackjacks as well as hands where players hold a total of 21 or lesser.
Players playing Free Bet Blackjack can afford to play more aggressively than their original wager hands. Free bets should never be surrendered when playing Free Bet Blackjack, but make sure that you surrender when you’re holding anything between 15 – 17 when the dealer has an open Ace or less than 15 when the dealer has an open Ten. Since a split costs nothing, the liability becomes limited to the original bet. The ideal strategy would be to split the pair against any card that is opened by the dealer, excepting for 5 or 10. You should also ensure that you take a Free Double on a pair of 5s that get treated as a total count of 10.
It also helps to always choose the Free Double option when having counts of 9, 10 or 11. Furthermore, remember to hit on hard counts of 5 – 8 or soft counts of 12 – 15, irrespective of the dealer’s cards. Always stand the moment you get anything between 18 – 21.
The Free Bet Blackjack is most likely to offer you with a number of chances to win free money without having to risk too much of your own. This works to your advantage as the ultimate difference between and losing in Blackjack boils down to splits and double downs.