Blackjack Games

By Ken Tucker (Kendall Saville) · Updated 23 October 2026 by the OnlineBlackjack.com editorial team

blackjack game cards Blackjack is an old game that today operates under fairly standardized rules. Sure, you might find games with different numbers of decks, different surrender rules, or different rules for how the dealer decides when to stand and when to hit. However, the basics of the game of blackjack are always the same, and you can walk into any casino in the world and have a pretty good idea about what’s going on.

But great games inspire imitators, and blackjack is no exception. There are probably dozens of other “21” games that take the main ideas of blackjack and add twists to make the game more exciting, more challenging, or just plain different. Here’s a rundown of some of the other major blackjack games you might find in your favorite casinos.

Blackjack Games & Variations

Blackjack Sidebets

More Blackjack Variations

Blackjack X-Change

In Blackjack X-Change you can pay extra to swap a card for a better one, or get paid to give up a good card, a little like Blackjack Switch. It is dealt from an infinite deck: the dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3:2, you can double on any two cards and after splitting, and split once. According to the Wizard of Odds the house edge is 0.37% if you never exchange. Exchanges are priced about 2.5% in the casino’s favor in both directions, so the best strategy is to avoid them.

Spread-Bet Blackjack

Spread-Bet Blackjack is standard blackjack with three optional side bets paying 50:1, 21:1 and 5:1, which can be placed with your main wager. The Wizard of Odds puts the house edge on these bets between 7.69% and 10.44% in the basic version, and between 4.13% and 6.88% in the version where a royal blackjack is a push.

Triple Win 20

Triple Win 20, which started in Deadwood, South Dakota, plays to 20 instead of 21: any total over 20, including 21, is a bust. It uses six decks, offers no insurance, and the dealer hits to 16. An ace as your first card or a two-card 20 wins immediately at 1:1, and a two-card 20 made of suited kings, queens or jacks pays 3:2. Equal totals push.

Rooster Blackjack

Rooster Blackjack was a seasonal game created at Morongo Casino in California for the Chinese New Year. It plays like standard six-deck blackjack, but two rooster cards are added to the shoe, and being dealt one is an automatic win. The catch is that blackjack pays only 6:5.

Caribbean 21

Caribbean 21 adds many extra player options, but ties go to the dealer instead of pushing. Full rules are in our Caribbean 21 guide.

Match Play 21

Like Spanish 21, Match Play 21 is dealt from six decks with the 10s removed, with bonus payouts to make up for it. See our Match Play 21 guide.

For how the game has changed over the centuries, see blackjack variations worldwide. New games still appear, such as Iconic21’s Blackjack 360.

Which variants you’ll find online depends on the casino’s software platform.

Learn standard blackjack first in our free blackjack game, then see our real-money blackjack guide for what to check before you play any of these variants for money.