An Introduction to Double Attack Blackjack

How to Play Double Attack Blackjack

Double Attack Blackjack is usually played with either 6 or 8 decks of cards. Each deck has only 48 cards, meaning either 288 or 384 cards are found in the shoe. In essence, Double Attack Blackjack follows the same rules as standard blackjack. That means the player must try and get as close to 21 as possible, without exceeding 21 and going bust. When either the player or dealer goes bust, they automatically lose. If the player’s hand is stronger than the dealer’s, they win.

In Double Attack Blackjack, all Aces are worth either 1 or 11 whilst picture cards (Jack, Queen or King) are worth 10. Every other card value is worth its face value. In order to form Blackjack, a player must combine a picture card and an Ace. Blackjack is the strongest hand in the game.

A Round of Double Attack Blackjack

In Double Attack Blackjack, the round starts with all players placing their bet on the positions they sit at, with the option of a side bet. Once the stakes have been set, the dealer serves a face-up card to the player and takes a face-up card themselves. It is at this moment when the player can use the Double Attack feature. After seeing their initial card and the dealer’s face-up card, the player can choose to place a second bet and double the amount of their stake and therefore, their potential winnings.

Once the Double Attack bets have been placed, the player receives their second face-up card, and the dealer receives their face-down card. If the dealer reveals an Ace, the player can choose to place an Insurance Bet. This costs half the player’s stake and pays 5:2 – which is slightly above the average 2:1 offered in other blackjack games, due to the lack of 10s in a deck. The Insurance Bet pays off if the dealer has Blackjack.

Likewise, the dealer will also check for Blackjack if their face-up card is a picture card. However, in this scenario, insurance betting is not offered. If the dealer has Blackjack, the player hand loses, unless the player also has Blackjack, in which case, the round ends as a push. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the round continues as usual. The player will have the following options:

• Hit – The player requests another card. The player can hit as much as they like but should be cautious about exceeding 21 and automatically losing.
• Stand – The player is happy with their hand and does not take any further action.
• Double Down – The player doubles their bet but only receives one more card. In Double Attack Blackjack, a player can Double Down at any time, not only after taking their first two cards.
• Surrender – The player can Surrender at any time, even after Doubling Down. This allows the player to abandon their hand and receive back half their bet.
• Split – The player can split a pair of cards that have the same value. In doing so, the player doubles their bet and receives additional cards on each hand. Split hands can be both Doubled and Surrendered.

Double Attack Blackjack Dealer Rules

Once the player has completed their actions, the dealer must reveal their face-down card. The dealer will always stand if their hand is worth 17 or higher. In addition, if the dealer has 16 or lower, they will always hit, until they reach at least 17.

Double Attack Blackjack Payouts

In Double Attack Blackjack, winning hands always payout at 1:1, even in the case of blackjack. The only other form of payout that is different is 5:2 for placing a successful Insurance Bet, which costs half the player’s stake.

Double Attack Blackjack Side Bets

Most forms of Double Attack Blackjack will offer a variety of side bets. The most common side bet available in Double Attack Blackjack is the Bust It side bet. It wins if the dealer busts on the third card. Here is what you need to know:

• If the third card is a ten, the player receives a 3:1 payout.
• If the third card is a nine, the player receives a 6:1 payout.
• If the third card is an eight, the player receives an 8:1 payout.
• If the third card is a seven, the player receives a 10:1 payout.
• If the third card is a six, the player receives a 15:1 payout.

In addition, the Bust It side bet also offers larger pay-outs if the dealer has an 8 and receives another 8 of the same colour or suit. This only pays if the dealer busts in doing so. Here is what it pays:

• If the dealer busts on a same colour 8, the player receives a 50:1 pay-out.
• If the dealer busts on a same suit 8, the player receives a 200:1 pay-out.

Double Attack Blackjack Strategy

Essentially, Double Attack Blackjack becomes a lot more fun to play when you know basic strategy. There are many charts used for different types of blackjack, but in Double Attack Blackjack, it is a little easier.

All you have to do is remember this rule: Always double your bet with the Double Attack feature if the dealer’s face-up card is anything from a 2 to an 8. You then need to learn how to play your hand depending upon the cards that you are dealt. This can be separated into three sections, whether you are dealt a hard hand, soft hand or pairs.

Hard Hands

A Hard hand is a hand that does not contain an Ace. If you have a hard hand, you should follow this strategy:

• Always Hit if your hand is worth 4 to 8.
• Double Down if your hand is worth 9 and the dealer is showing a 9, otherwise Hit.
• Double Down if your hand is worth 10 and the dealer is showing a 2 to 8, otherwise Hit.
• Always Double Down on 11.
• Always Hit if your hand is either 12 or 13.
• Stand if your hand is 14 and the dealer reveals a 4, 5 or 6, otherwise, Hit.
• Stand if your hand is worth 15 or 16 and the dealer reveals a 2 to 6, otherwise Hit.
• Surrender if your hand is 17 and the dealer shows an Ace, otherwise, Hit.
• Always Stand if your hand is worth 18 or more.

Soft Hands

If you hand contains an Ace, it is considered soft. This is because the Ace can be either 1 or 11. Do the following if you have a soft hand:

• Always Hit if your soft hand is worth 13, 14 or 15.
• Double Down if your soft hand is worth 16 and the dealer reveals a 6, otherwise, Hit.
• Double Down if your soft hand is worth 17 and the dealer reveals anything from 4 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
• Double Down if your soft hand is worth 18 and the dealer reveals a 5 or 6, Hit if the dealer shows a 9, 10 or Ace, otherwise, Stand.
• Always Stand if your soft hand is worth 19 or 20.

Pairs

If you are dealt a pair, you will have the option to split them – doubling your bet in doing so – and play with two hands. Do the following if you have a pair:

• Always Split a pair of 2s if the dealer reveals anything from 3 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
• Always Split a pair of 3s if the dealer reveals anything from 3 to 8, otherwise, Hit.
• Always Hit a pair of 4s.
• Double Down a pair of 5s if the dealer shows a 2 to 8, otherwise Hit.
• Always Split a pair of 6s if the dealer reveals anything from 4 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
• Always Split a pair of 7s if the dealer reveals anything from 2 to 7, otherwise, Hit.
• Always Split a pair of 8s.
• Always Split a pair of 9s if the dealer reveals a 4, 5, 6, 8 or 9, otherwise, Stand.
• Always Stand on a pair of picture cards.
• Always Split a pair of Aces.