What Is Multi Hand Blackjack?
By
Kevin Lentz
Writer at Casinos.US Updated: 10/23/2024
Kevin has been involved in the gambling industry since the ‘80s. From winning tournaments to casino management, he’s ultimately done it all. Throughout the years, he’s written for various iGaming publications on topics such as the legal landscape of online casinos and strategies behind winning. His favorite game is blackjack.
Multi Hand Blackjack
Multi-hand blackjack is any of dozens of online blackjack game variations where you can play more than one POV hand against the dealer’s hand. You can also find similar electronic table games at land-based casinos that allow you to do basically the same thing.
By playing more than one hand, and in some cases up to five, you spread your risk. You are very unlikely to win all five hands, but you are just as unlikely to lose all five. However, when the dealer turns over blackjack, which will be about one hand in twenty on average, you will definitely feel your heart sink as every hand is swept away.
Let’s talk about the various games, where you can find them, and if they need to be played any differently than the traditional one-on-one online blackjack game, and then look to see what new variations might soon be available.
- ♠️ How to Play Multi Hand Blackjack Online?
- ♠️ How to Use a Multi-Hand Blackjack Strategy?
- ♠️ The Multi Hand Blackjack Rules
- ♠️ Where to Play Multi-Hand Online Blackjack Free
- ♠️ Conclusion
How to Play Multi Hand Blackjack Online?
When it comes time to play blackjack online, the most important thing to pay attention to is the rule set. We can easily find the basic strategy for any game and play it perfectly. But the rule set itself determines the house edge against us.
The first question is whether we should play multi-hand vs. single-hand. As we mentioned, the multi-hand blackjack approach lessons our volatility but doesn’t change the house advantage. There was a time when you could find single-hand blackjack online that was dealt from a single deck of 52 cards, paying 3 to 2 on blackjack.
Even if the dealer hits soft seventeen, as long as we can double after split and double any two cards, the house edge is a measly .15%. Should they stand on soft seventeen, it basically becomes a coin flip with the house edge at .03%.
Those days are mostly long gone now, and most single-hand games pay 6/5, with some using eight desks as well, thus adding insult to injury. The 6/5 rule makes this game 1.55% HA; if they add the eight decks, it goes over 2% HA.
But for some reason, most multi-hand blackjack online games have not been gutted to that extent. At least not yet. So, depending on the online casino, it is common to find multi-hand games dealt from 8 decks. With a stand on all 17’s rule for the dealer, the house edge is about .44%, and if the dealer hits soft 17, it is about .66%. Of course we need to use the correct multi hand blackjack strategy for the rules of the game.
You can often find Surrender as an option on multi-hand blackjack online games as well. The late surrender option doesn’t help as much as most people think, with an eight-deck game lopping less than a tenth of a percent off house advantage. The house rule in the 17’s is much more valuable. If given the option of either dealer stands on 17 or Surrender, always pick stand on 17.
Once we have located the best multi-hand blackjack game, you will find the game plays just as the single-player does. Place bets on the number of hands you would like to play and then make playing decisions on them from your right to left. Make sure and print out a basic strategy card that tells you exactly how to play each hand, and make sure it is the correct strategy card for the rule set you have found.
How to Use a Multi Hand Blackjack Strategy?
Should we be betting on two hands or more, to begin with? If we are just taking our normal average bet and then betting that times 5x, the answer is most certainly no. The house edge hasn’t changed. And we will lose quicker by playing much more money at many more hands per hour. But if we take our normal average bet and divide it by the number of hands we intend to play, we will still lose at the same average rate, but we will see fewer large fluctuations in the loss per hour.
In the old days with a single deck game, you could depth charge or play the first few hands for a small amount and the last few hands at larger amounts, hoping that the count would go high enough for you to change your basic strategy playand thus gain an edge using the higher count, which seemed desperate then, and even more so now with 6 to 5 payouts.
But where playing multiple hands might shine in online blackjack games is meeting a certain amount of playthrough to earn a bonus. We could rest more assured that we would lose much closer to the predicted rate playing that bonus money through on five hands instead of one due to lessened volatility, and we can get more money out on the table to quickly meet that bonus without any higher loss rates.
Regardless, blackjack is a solved game. We know exactly what play we should make with any given hand against the dealer up card. These rules change slightly based on the house rules, but as long as we play precisely the multi hand blackjack strategy laid out in our basic strategy chart, we will be playing at the lowest house advantage that we can reach mathematically.
The Multi Hand Blackjack Rules
The multi-hand blackjack rules are the same as those of single-hand blackjack; you will just have the chance to play more than one hand against the dealer’s up card. Remember you need to come as close to twenty-one as you can without busting. You win if you have more than the dealer without going over.
All the usual rules will apply; you can split pairs, double down on any first two cards, and even split aces once. Make sure the version you are playing pays 3/2 when you hit blackjack. As discussed earlier, looking for games where the dealer stands on soft seventeen is important if you can find it.
Once you are done with your first hand, either hitting or standing, the program will take you to your next hand. Obviously, these hands must be played in order. Once you are done with your final hand, the dealer will then commence to play their hand.
Take a minute to look over the info page when you first start. That way, you know the rules before you start, and the online casino doesn’t get anything sneaky past you after you’ve already been playing for hours.
Where to Play Multi Hand Blackjack Online Free
Many online casinos will allow you to play the games in what they call demo mode. This is especially true of licensed legal online casinos in the US. Playing these games in demo mode allows you to practice and learn new games.
So, if you are just starting with a blackjack strategy chart and want to learn to play quickly without consulting it all the time, then playing multi-hand blackjack online for free is probably the way to go.
You aren’t putting money at risk, but you are getting five separate hands to practice with. This should quickly build your basic strategy knowledge to the point where you only need to consult the chart under rare circumstances.
Conclusion
Multi-hand blackjack online can be a great option. It can be a great game to learn or practice on. It lowers volatility when clearing bonuses and gives more bang for the buck by letting you play up to five separate hands against the dealer instead of just one.
Currently it can be very expensive to play on a live dealer game that offers multi-hand blackjack online, but that should soon change as more and more live dealer games are offered by more and more online casinos.
Remember to use your basic multi-hand blackjack strategy chart to keep the lowest house edge possible and stay away from those side bets no matter what. This will help you play much longer and have more winning sessions.
