Three-card Black Jack: Rules and Specifics

You probably know the classical blackjack basics. In this article, we’ll explore how three-card blackjack is different from standard blackjack and what makes it special. Three-card blackjack has the same objective which is to form hand of 21 points or closest to 21. The game is played with a single 52-card deck. Each time after the cards are dealt, the deck is shuffled by the dealer.

The name says it all

As its name suggests, three-card blackjack is played with three cards. Dealer gives Player and themselves three cards. One of Dealer’s cards is dealt face up. A blackjack hand can be completed using two or all three cards. A player can either double their bet and continue playing, or surrender and lose their bet. Optional A+ bet is what makes three-card blackjack different from other blackjack variations. Ace Plus bet only pays if Player’s hand contains an Ace.

Cards have the same value as in the classical blackjack version. Jack, Queen, and King are worth 10 points each. Numerical cards (2 through 10) are worth their face value. Ace is counted as 1 or 11 points, depending on your hand.

Three-card blackjack features some limitations. For example, you cannot Surrender and take additional cards. Furthermore, you cannot split and double your hand. Dealer is dealt one card face up. After estimating their hand, a player can choose to surrender or increase their initial bet.

If both Dealer and Player have a blackjack, Player wins and payouts are 1:1. If the game ends in a draw, everybody get their bets back.

Special bonuses

We already mentioned the А+ bet above. You need to place A+ bet if your’re hoping to have at least one Ace in your three-card hand. Here is how Ace Plus bet pays:

Three Aces –100 to 1

Two Aces and 10-point card – 25 to 1

Two Aces and any other card – 15 to 1

One Ace and two 10-point cards – 6 to 1

One Ace, one 10-point cards, and any other card– 3 to 1

One Ace and any two cards – 1 to 1.