Rules of European Blackjack Redeal

21 Stats & Strats: How to integrate European Blackjack Redeal strategy to achieve the highest return.

Sometimes, we all wish life came with a re-do button. Imagine if we could rewind, even if only for a few seconds? So many situations we could right, like taking back that scathing remark you thought was said under your breath. Of course that’s not an option, but in this unique variant of 21, it is. The game is called European Blackjack Redeal, and you can find it at any online casino employing the world-class software of Microgaming.

Today, we’ll detail the rules of European Blackjack with Redeal, along with a perfect strategy to deliver the most favorable return to player of 99.6%. At that RTP, it’s not the best 21 variant on the market, but it falls easily within the range of the internet’s top paying blackjack games, and the Redeal option makes this version more interesting, and far less monotonous, than your standard blackjack rules.

How to Play European Blackjack with Redeal

If you’re familiar with Microgaming’s other blackjack games, this one will be easy to pick up. It follows the exact same set of rules, and basic strategy and RTP, as their European Blackjack Gold. The only difference is the integration of…

The Redeal Feature

Redeal is a perfectly fair rule; not something casino games are known for. Being fair means its use will not effect the RTP of the game, so long as you know when to use it, and when not to.

Players are given up to three options for redealing all or part of a blackjack hand:

• #1 Redeal Player’s Hand: This option will remove the player’s first two cards and replace them with new ones. It is available only before acting on the player’s first two cards.
• #2 Redeal the Dealer’s Card: This option allows the player to eliminate the dealer’s face-up card, then replace it with a new one. It is available only before the player acts on their own hand.
• #3 Redeal Player’s Last Card: This action is only available after the player has hit or doubled down on their own hand (i.e. the hand has 3 or more cards), but not after a split. It will replace the last card dealt to the player’s hand with a new one.

Don’t get too excited, now. These may all sound like fascinating options, but pressing the proverbial re-do button at a beneficial moment will come with a price. When redealing is to the player’s advantage, it will cost you to use this feature. The more advantageous it is, the more it will cost. If the redeal option is likely to make the player’s hand worse, it won’t cost anything to use it.

All in all, the Redeal feature is more fair than any side bet. See our Blackjack Redeal Strategy below for more information.

Next up are the exact player and dealer hand rules for European Blackjack Redeal, as they are promoted by Microgaming-powered online casinos.

Specific Rules of Play

• Decks: 2
• Soft 17: Dealer Stands
• Doubling: Yes, on 9 to 11 only
• Splitting: Yes, 1x
• Double after Split: No
• Resplit Aces: No
• Draw to Split Aces: No
• Surrender: No
• Dealer Checks for Blackjack: No
• Blackjack Pays: 3 to 2

Strategy for European Blackjack Redeal

There are two distinctly different strategies to be employed when playing this unique 21 game. First is the decision to Redeal or not, and next is how to play the hand you choose to keep.

The Redeal Strategy

In my experience, the cost of invoking the Redeal is always within 1% of fair; sometimes to the casino’s advantage, and sometimes to the player’s. Microgaming clearly tried to make this option as fair as possible by rounding the cost as closely to 0% edge-effect as possible. Of course, small bets can only be divided so far. Therefore the higher you wager, the more fair it becomes.

As for strategizing the option, this is one area in which you really can “go with your gut”, so to speak. The Redeal doesn’t effect the RTP enough to change the basic strategy for each hand. As such, no matter what you do, you’re met wit the same 99.6% RTP, and that means redealing a bad hand will cost you just enough money to wipe away the advantage it might have brought you – assuming you are, indeed, dealt a better card/hand.

If the cost of redealing the hand is free, don’t do it. This only means that Microgaming has determined redealing will not increase your odds of winning; more likely it will make them worse.

As for basic game strategy, the next three charts will advise you how to move forward with a hand that you’re keeping, whether it’s a hard hand, soft hand, or pairs.

How to Decide a Hard Hand

A hard hand total includes any hand that does not contain an Ace worth 11 points. One hit can bust a hard total of 12 or more, calling for stricter basic strategy.

How to Decide a Soft Hand

A soft hand total includes any hand that does contain an Ace worth 11 points. One cannot bust the hand with a single hit, therefore the strategy is more liberal.

Conditions for Splitting Pairs

Finally, this last chart details how to play European Blackjack Redeal when given the option to split a pair.