| Updated: September 30, 2024Online casinos today offer their patrons a wide variety of blackjack games and some of the best titles today are creations of Microgaming, a true pioneer in the online gambling industry. The company has produced more than 40 variations of blackjack from standard, traditional games to exciting versions with side bets that pay up to 500 times the stake.
Launching the world’s first online casino in 1994, Microgaming was one of the few companies that revolutionized the gambling industry. Since then, it has created a huge number of online slots, virtual card and table games, bingo, scratch cards, and live dealer games. Its online poker network continues to be a preferred platform for thousands of players, while its progressive slots have paid record-high jackpots over the years. With total payouts of more than €1 billion, Microgaming’s progressive jackpot network is the largest one in the world.
Today, the Isle of Man-based company has one of the biggest and most diverse collections of online games. Its award-winning software is used by hundreds of web-based gambling operators and adored by thousands of casino players. As one of the most successful and respected developers of online casino software today, Microgaming has set the standards for fairness and responsible gaming. Its blackjack variations are no exception – they offer clear, straightforward rules, high RTPs, and fair results that cannot be manipulated by anyone.
Variety of Blackjack Games
Over the years, Microgaming has released many variations of blackjack, each played under a specific set of rules. As we have mentioned above, its full collection includes more than 40 titles, and along with the classic blackjack games, there are also plenty of interesting and unique variations.
They come in two major categories, namely Standard and Gold. The standard games feature beautiful, classic layouts, smooth gameplay and some of them, the Quick Deal and Auto Rebet options. The green table felt, the appearance of the chips, and the cards create a unique atmosphere as if the player is standing in a real, brick-and-mortar casino. Most of the games are also offered in single and multi-hand mode, which allows betting on up to five hands at a time.
The betting limits vary across casinos but in most cases, the standard blackjack allows bets from $1 to $4 or from $1 to $200 per hand. The payouts are standard – 3:2 for player blackjack, 2:1 for Insurance, and even money for a regular win against the dealer. Here are some of Microgaming’s most popular variations of blackjack:
- Classic Blackjack
- European Blackjack Gold
- Atlantic City Blackjack
- Vegas Single Deck Gold
- Super Fun 21
- Big 5 Gold
- Premier Hi Lo 13 European
Gold Series Blackjack
Multi-Hand Blackjack Live Dealer BlackjackGold Series Blackjack
Compared to the standard offerings by many other software providers, the Standard blackjack games by Microgaming are, in many respects, much better. But those released as part of the Gold Series are even more impressive. They feature enhanced graphics, realistic viewing angle, and faster gameplay. With the Gold Series, the studio has managed to improve not only the aesthetics of the games but their mechanics, as well.
The blackjack variations within this category have better performance, clearer graphics, and useful features such as the Quick Deal and the Auto Rebet, which make the game even faster. Players can also choose whether losing hands should be removed automatically or not and to switch on and off win sounds, background sounds, or various advanced sounds. The design of thee tables are more convenient – the most important rules are displayed on the layout and players do not need to open a separate window to check them. The betting limits are raised and players can bet from $5 to $500 per hand.
Multi-Hand Blackjack
Microgaming also offers several multi-hand versions of the Standard and Gold Series blackjack. In these games, players can place wagers on up to 5 hands simultaneously. The table limits vary from $1-$5 per hand to $1-$50. The majority of these variations feature additional settings and customization options – Auto Rebet, Turbo Mode, an option to remove losing hands, as well as various card styles.
Players can also switch on the Strategy Tips and Hit/Stand warnings, which are very useful for beginners. However, this is a default basic strategy, which can be edited in Expert Mode. The Strategy Display is a wonderful option, which also helps for the Autoplay Feature. Players are given the option to launch from 5 to 500 Auto rounds and choose the conditions for stopping the Autoplay. The multi-hand versions include Blackjack Multi-Hand, Atlantic City and Atlantic City Gold, Premier Bonus MH Blackjack, Perfect pairs Gold, Classic Blackjack Gold, Premier Multi-Hand, Vegas Downtown Gold, and European Gold.
Live Dealer Blackjack
In addition to the wide range of virtual forms of blackjack where you play against computer software, Microgaming has developed several live blackjack variations. They are streamed from the company’s live studio in Canada and players can enjoy video feeds in high-definition quality. Each game is recorded for future playback and players have access to detailed statistics. The games are available in several languages and in either Casino or Game views.
The live blackjack, offered by more than a hundred casino brands right now, comes with several advanced features. The virtual interface includes the Auto Bet functionality, PlayCheck, and My Waiting List. Multi-table play and the Bet Behind option are also available. The games use 8-deck shoes and players are given a 15-second bet placement period for every hand. Since 2013, Microgaming has added the branded Playboy Live Dealer section, which makes playing blackjack even more exciting.
- Multi Hand Blackjack
- Atlantic City Blackjack
- European Blackjack
- Blackjack: Introduction to the World’s Most Popular Casino Game
- How to Play Blackjack
- Blackjack Hands
- Blackjack: The Good and the Bad Rules
- Mathematics of Blackjack
- Blackjack Strategy: The Best Way to Win Consistently
- Blackjack Side Bets
- Blackjack Variations
- Blackjack: Tips for Beginners
- Advantage Play in Blackjack
- How to Count Cards at the Blackjack Table
- Money Management in Blackjack
- Edward Thorpe and the Ten Count System
- The Zen Count System
- The Advanced Omega II Card Counting System
- The Uston SS Card Counting System
- The Ace/5 Card Counting System
- The Knock Out Card Counting System
- The Red 7 Card Counting System
- The Wong Halves System for Card Counting
- Choosing the Best Blackjack Game Online
- How to Play Live Dealer Blackjack
- RTG Blackjack
- NetEnt Blackjack
- Mobile Blackjack Apps
Unconventional Blackjack Games
As we can see, most of the blackjack variations developed by Microgaming follow the standard rules of American or European blackjack. But the studio has added several games, which come with a range of side bets, bonus payouts, and even a progressive jackpot that is unique in the world of online blackjack.
Bonus Games Progressive BlackjackBonus Games
One of the games that offer bonus payouts for having a specific combination of cards is Premier Multi-Hand Bonus Blackjack, which is played with 2 decks of cards and offers a good RTP of 99.62%. It features a classic layout and authentic casino appearance, as well as multiple customization options, Turbo mode, and Autoplay. There is an optional side bet, which wins when the player’s two initial cards are either of the same suit (5:2), a Jack and an Ace (25:1), or a Jack and an Ace of Spades (50:1).
Another game with higher payouts is the Premier High Streak Blackjack, which is a classic-looking, single-hand variation of no-hole card blackjack. It uses 2 decks and has side bets, which are mandatory, however. Players are eligible for bonus payouts if they win at least two times in a row – the more times they win, the more they receive. When they win a second hand in a row, they are paid even money. For the third streak, the payout is 2:1, for the fourth streak, it is 5:1, and for the fifth streak, they receive a bonus payout of 10:1.
One of the most interesting blackjack versions in Microgaming’s gaming portfolio is Super Fun 21, which follows quite unconventional rules, indeed. It is a hole-card game that is played with only one deck and there are no restrictions regarding split Aces – players are allowed to draw more cards on them, Double Down, or Re-Split them. The bonus payouts here are for specific hand combinations but none of them applies if the player Doubles Down. Those who collect 6 cards totaling 20 or less receive a 1:1 payout, while for a total of 21 with at least 5 cards, players are paid 2:1. The bonus payout for diamond blackjack is the same (2:1).
Last, but not least, Microgaming has released its version of Spanish 21 and it is called Spanish Blackjack. It uses 8 decks of 48 cards each – the standard decks with all 10 removed. There are many interesting rules in this game, including the so-called Double Down Rescue, which allows players to Surrender after they have Doubled Down. There are a total of 10 bonus payouts for different hand combinations but the top payout of 50:1 is given for having three 7s of the same suit while the dealer’s upcard is also a 7.
Progressive Blackjack
One of the most popular blackjack games by Microgaming remains Triple 7s, one of the few existing blackjack variations with a progressive jackpot. Winning it, however, does not require any strategy or counting techniques – to trigger the jackpot, players hope that their first 3 cards will be 7s of diamonds. Of course, there are other bonus payouts for hands consisting of one or more 7s and the payouts here range between 5:1 and 1,000:1. A mandatory side bet equal to half of the original bet is also made.
Apart from the progressive jackpot, Triple 7s is a wonderful blackjack game that could be played by anyone with some knowledge of the basic strategy for this classic game. The game is played with 5 decks of cards and the dealer must stand on all 17s. Players are allowed to Double only on totals of 9, 10, or 11 but cannot Double Down after Split. If they have a pair, they can Split only once per round to receive two hands.