Mini Blackjack

This handy guide is designed to illustrate how to play the Blackjack mini-game in PKR. To read a comprehensive list of the rules click here.

The Interface
To get started just click on the embedded blackjack button on the top left corner of the screen. When you do, the game will pop up – you can move the window anywhere in the game window you like. To hide blackjack, just click the same button.

Place your bets
The chips at the bottom represent your stack. Just click on them to select your desired betting amount.

Deal 'em up
Your bet amount appears above your chips to the right. To clear a bet click on this button and the chips will be returned to you. When a valid bet has been placed the DEAL CARDS button will be available and you can start to play!

Action!
Click on the deal cards button and your hand will be dealt at the bottom of the screen with both cards face up. The dealer’s hand is on top of the screen and only the first card is face up. The values to the left of the hands show the total of the hands. In this example, ten for the dealer’s King and 2/12 for your two Aces. At this stage you can STAND (to accept the total of your hand), HIT (for each new card you want to receive) or DOUBLE (to double the size of your bet to receive just one more card).

Hit, stand or bust
Once you’ve had as many cards as you like you ‘stand’. Of course if you ‘hit’ 21 you can’t improve and if you ‘bust’ (go over 21) sorry, but the dealer wins.

The dealer’s turn
Once you either ‘hit’ or ‘stand’ the dealer’s second card is turned over. If you haven’t bust the dealer will continue to turn cards over until they have either beaten your hand, made 17 or greater, or gone bust.

You win!
The dealer must stand on 17, so your 21 wins the hand!

Payout
On winning the hand your bet is matched by the dealer and the chips are returned to your stack. The ‘NEW GAME’ button then appears to start the next hand.

Repeat bet?
When you play your next hand you have the option of repeating the same starting bet again. You can increase the amount as you wish or bet a new amount by clicking the chips as before.

Insurance?
When the dealer’s first card is an Ace you have the option of taking insurance against them hitting blackjack. To accept the offer of insurance click the YES button, when you do half the amount of your bet will appear to the right of the dealer’s hand. If the dealer hits blackjack your insurance pays out at 2 to 1, but you lose your original bet – which means that you come out even.

Split?
If your hand is paired, you have the option to ‘split’ it into two separate hands – in this case, each Ace forming the first card of each hand. After splitting, you then continue as normal deciding what to do first with hand one and then with hand two (the arrow to left of the hand indicates which hand you are playing). Note: splitting Aces is permitted, but you only receive one extra card for each hand. Play then moves directly to the dealer.

When is 21 not blackjack?
After splitting your cards you can no longer hit blackjack. If either of your split hands are an Ace and a picture card (or a ten) you have made 21 not blackjack (so, if the dealer hits blackjack, the house wins).

Hand history
You can see the hand number you’re playing by mousing over the card shoe in the top-right corner of the screen. Clicking on the card shoe opens up a webpage where you can view your entire blackjack hand history.