Playtech Double Attack Online Blackjack

Double Attack Blackjack is an innovative and exciting online blackjack variant that can be played at Playtech online casinos like Omni Casino and Mansion Casino. It offers you a chance to increase your stake after seeing the dealer’s face up card through the Double Attack bet. There is an optional Bust It side bet as well. This article explains the basic game play and the strategy for these two special bets.

Playtech Double Attack Blackjack is played with eight 48-card Spanish decks, which are decks without the tens. You place the ante wager and the dealer’s face up card is dealt. Based on this card you have a choice to make. You can skip the Double Attack bet or wager any amount up to the value of the ante bet as the Double Attack bet. Once you exercise this choice your initial two cards are dealt face up, the dealer’s second card is dealt face down and the game proceeds in the normal blackjack manner. The detailed Playtech Double Attack Blackjack rules are given in the Help file that can be accessed from within the game.

Some of the rules specific to Double Attack blackjack are explained here. The bet amount of split hands equals both the ante and the Double Attack bet. However, in the case of double down, you have the choice of doubling only the ante bet or both the ante and the Double Attack bet. The dealer checks for blackjack as in a regular hole card online blackjack variant. The Insurance option is available and pays 5 to 2. The Surrender option is also available and can be exercised after having hit several times. The Double Attack bet gives the player significant advantage and hence blackjack pays at only even money.

The Bust It side bet is optional, but has to be placed upfront along with the ante bet. In order for the Bust It bet to win, the dealer must bust with exactly three cards. Therefore the dealer draws a third card even if the player has bust or has a blackjack just to settle this bet. The Bust It pays out according to the given pay table depending on the card with which the dealer busts. There are special payouts if the dealer has three suited 8s or 8s of the same color.

The optimum blackjack strategy for the special bets is simple. Raise to the maximum in the Double attack bet for all dealer cards, except ace, nine and ten. Never place the Bust It side bet because it has a house edge of over 8%.