Multi-hand Blackjack, as the name suggests, is a version of virtual blackjack that lets you play multiple hands at once. There are games out there that go all of the way up to half a dozen hands, which means you can simulate an entire night at the blackjack tables in just an hour or so.
Anyone who suggests that offline blackjack is better than online blackjack needs to look into Multi-hand Blackjack. The speed, variety, and sheer volume of this variant is something you can only get online. You will not find games of Multi-hand Blackjack in offline casinos, they are reserved for the virtual market, and that’s something that all online gamblers can rejoice in.
What is Multi-hand Blackjack?
Multi-hand Blackjack is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a game of blackjack that lets you play multiple hands at once. As far as we know, it’s not like video poker and you won’t find games that allow you to play as many as 100 hands at once. And why would you? It’s hard enough keeping track of just a few hands, never mind 100 of them!
Typically, you can choose to play as few or as many of these as you want, but it is important to watch your budget. It is very easy to lose a lot of money quickly playing Multi-hand Blackjack. It only takes a couple of major clean-sweep losses and all of your money disappears.
How to Play Multi-hand Blackjack
The basic strategies used in games of blackjack apply when you are playing Multi-hand Blackjack. You need to focus on the dealer’s cards, you need to take risks when they are beneficial and play it safe when they are not, and you need to make sure you bankroll properly as this game moves quickly and can get very expensive.
Can you Beat Multi-hand Blackjack?
Yes, of course. But there are a few basic rules to consider if you are going to get ahead playing this game:
- Look for the Edge: All games have a house edge and the house edge in blackjack can vary quite significantly from one game to the next. This is displayed as a percentage and it is just as important in games of Multi-hand Blackjack as it is in games that let you play one hand at a time. Look for a variant that has a house edge 0.5% or less.
- Bonuses: If you playing many hands at once then you will earn yourself a lot of loyalty points. However, not all casinos have loyalty schemes, which means you could be playing for nothing. You always need to make sure that your chosen casino has a loyalty scheme, as this can pick you up when you are on a losing streak and if you ever play throughout the course of the night and find that you have the same money as when you started, the loyalty scheme will ensure that night of play wasn’t wasted.
- Strategy: Basic Blackjack Strategy should be used on all forms of blackjack, whether you are playing one hand or five hands. This strategy focuses on probabilities, and essentially entrusts you to make moves that will lead to wins more often than they will lead to losses, such as never taking insurance, avoiding all side bets, and playing with a greater element of risk when the dealer is showing a 10 card.
Benefits of Multi-hand Blackjack
The main benefit of Multi-hand Blackjack is that you can get a lot done in a very short space of time. If you are the sort of player that gets very frustrated when watching other people play, the sort of player who doesn’t play in real casinos simply because you don’t like the slow pace, then Multi-hand Blackjack will be right up your street.
There is no extended waiting periods, it’s all on you. You make all the moves, you have as much or as little time as you want, and you always have a hand to play. It can be very fast paced if that is what you want, but if you like some thinking time then you can also slow it down and take it easy.
As mentioned above, Multi-hand Blackjack also makes it easy to earn a lot of loyalty points in a very short space of time, which means it is a good pick for loyalty clubs that have a happy hour, or for those times when you are trying to eat into a play-through rate in order to unlock a bonus.
Downsides of Multi-hand Blackjack
The main downside of Multi-hand Blackjack is the fact that it is very easy to get carried away and to start losing a lot of money. Let’s say that you usually deposit £50 and play £1 per hand. In such cases you would need to go on an extend losing streak in order to have a session of less than 50 games.
If, however, you are playing 4 hands at once, then you could lose it all in a few short games. Let’s say that you double down a couple hands, split a couple more hands, and do that for two deals in a row, losing all of them. Your £50 just became £34 and you’re edging dangerously close to defeat.
If you have a tendency to get annoyed and gamble more then these games could be a very bad idea and you could see large sums of money disappear very quickly, something which doesn’t usually happen when it comes to other games of blackjack.
Best Places to Find Multi-hand Blackjack
You can find Multi-hand Blackjack on the best online casinos. It is even starting to make appearances on Live Dealer casinos. Microgaming and Playtech both have versions of this and a few other, smaller developers also have versions of this game.
You should be able to find it on most top online casinos out there, just make sure you follow our guidelines above to find the very best ones and the ones that give you the best chance of success.