Felt Gaming Blackjack

Decks

Felt’s blackjack is dealt from a virtual shoe that contains six full decks. The cards are shuffled by the Random Number Generator before each round begins, so advantage play is obviously not an option. The best you can do is follow perfect basic strategy to reduce the house edge to a manageable level. The use of six decks adds 0.02% to the casino’s advantage.

Dealer Rules

The dealer rules are identical across all Felt blackjack variations. The dealer hits to 16 and always stands on soft 17, which is great for the player because the S17 rule decreases the house advantage by 0.22%.

Felt Gaming has yet to release a European-style version of the classic game. Hole cards are in play in all current variants, meaning the virtual dealer receives one face-up and one face-down card. The hole card is revealed only after the players have completed their hands. For the peek rule, Felt’s virtual dealers check for blackjacks whenever their upcard is a ten or an ace.

Odds

The blackjack odds are the same in all variations. When the player’s starting hand consists of an ace and a ten-value card, they receive a bonus payout of 3 to 2, which means you get 1.5x your stake. However, if you split pairs and then draw a ten or an ace, the hand is counted as a regular 21 rather than a blackjack.

Splitting Rules

The splitting rules in Felt’s games are not as liberal as those in some other online blackjack variations, but the provider compensates with one special rule. Players can draw after splitting aces, a feature rarely available in other online versions of the game. Aside from this, you can split only once because resplitting is unavailable. Doubling down after a split is permitted.

Doubling Down Rules

The doubling down rules are not as flexible as in some other online blackjack variants. Here, players can double down only when their first two cards total 9, 10, or 11. These restrictions are unfavorable from the player’s perspective because they increase the house edge by 0.09%.

Insurance

Insurance against dealer blackjacks is offered when the dealer’s first card is an ace. Winning insurance bets pay at the standard odds of 2 to 1. When playing three betting spots simultaneously, players can decline or accept insurance for all three hands with a single mouse click, something we find particularly useful.

Nevertheless, we suggest you avoid this side wager because it carries a very high house edge and barely improves your winning odds. The software lets you turn off insurance prompts entirely, so the virtual dealer will never offer this annoying and disadvantageous bet.

Surrender

Neither late nor early surrender is available in the blackjack variations Felt Gaming has released so far. This omission works to the players’ detriment because it prevents them from folding bad hands like 16 or 15 against the dealer’s 10 and saving half of their original stakes.

Caribbean Blackjack

Caribbean Blackjack is a noteworthy achievement for Felt Gaming because it is an innovative and unorthodox variation that completely changes traditional blackjack gameplay. The variant borrows heavily from Caribbean Stud Poker, and, more importantly, it is linked to a progressive jackpot, a feature found in only a few blackjack games.

The interface is available in eight languages, catering to an international audience. The game is fully cross-compatible and runs smoothly on a wide range of portable devices. Another highlight is the extensive set of side wagers that give you a chance to win a portion of the progressive pool or even the entire jackpot.

To win the side bets, you must form a qualifying five-card poker hand. You play two hands each round, so the poker hand consists of the first two cards from each hand and the dealer’s face-up card. There is also a Five Card Bonus. Consult the table below for the exact payouts.

Caribbean Blackjack Paytables for the Progressive and Five Card Bonus Side Bets

Blackjack Plus

Blackjack Plus is one of the studio’s latest blackjack releases and introduces unique features that are absent from most other games. The headline addition is the Autoplay feature, which lets the virtual dealer automatically play a set number of hands according to perfect basic strategy.

The game also offers a new customization option that allows you to change the color of the virtual felt, with several choices, including less traditional shades like gray. The gameplay speed is fully adjustable, with three settings: slow, medium, and high. Activating the Speed Pay feature further accelerates the action.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack

Perfect Pairs is a classic in the Felt blackjack canon because this group includes the most popular side wagers in the game of 21. These bets win whenever the player’s first two cards form a pair, with the top payout of 25 to 1 awarded for two suited cards of the same rank.

The game allows you to place up to three side bets alongside three main-game wagers. The minimum stake for the side bets is only $0.10, so placing them occasionally is not expensive. Perfect Pairs features a blue table felt and all the enhancements mentioned earlier, including a tutorial, Speed Pay, and the option to turn off insurance completely.

Buster Blackjack

Buster Blackjack gives you another reason to celebrate when the virtual dealer goes over 21. The game includes a range of proposition bets in which you essentially wager that the dealer will bust. The number of cards the dealer draws to bust, and in some cases their exact value, determines the payout.

The top bonus payout (2,000 to 1) is awarded when you have a blackjack and the dealer busts with eight or more cards. Otherwise, the game adheres to the standard Felt rules discussed earlier, yielding a house edge of just 0.37%. Although it lacks the extensive customization options of Blackjack Plus, Buster Blackjack still offers Speed Pay and the ability to control dealer and background sounds.

Suit ‘Em Up Blackjack

Suit ‘Em Up Blackjack is another standout title from Felt Gaming, impressing with its design, playability, and authentic sound effects. You can even hear the swish of the cards as they are dealt.

The Suit ‘Em Up side bets debuted on the Las Vegas Strip in 2013 and quickly spread to North America’s land-based casinos before Felt brought them online. The top prize is 50 to 1 for a pair of suited Aces. Suit ‘Em Up Blackjack delivers a life-like casino experience, an intuitive interface, and an ultra-modern design.