Madison Avenue Blackjack

Madison Avenue Blackjack Game Overview

The chip sizes available in Madison Avenue Blackjack start from £1.

How To Play

Madison Avenue Blackjack is a live casino card game hosted by a live dealer.

The game objective is to finish the round with a higher number of cards than the dealer, and for the sum of your cards to be closer to the total of 21 than the dealer. 

To get 'Blackjack' means getting the best possible hand - i.e. when the first two cards you are dealt add up to exactly 21.

Game Rules

A maximum of seven players can play this game at any one time.

The game is played with eight standard card decks, each one containing 52 cards. 

The values of the cards are laid out below:

• Cards numbered 2-10 are valued at face value
• Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are each worth 10 
• Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 (whichever is more favourable to your hand)

Once the betting time is over, the dealer will deal one card to each player, starting from their left-hand side and moving clockwise. 

The initial cards dealt to players will be placed face up.

Players will then receive a second card face up, however the dealer's second card will be placed face down.

The value of your hand will be shown on the screen, next to your cards.

Insurance

You can choose to buy an Insurance bet to reduce the odds of the dealer having blackjack - this works even if you have blackjack yourself.

You can buy Insurance for half the amount of your main bet when the dealer's face up card is an Ace.

If the dealer reveals that they have blackjack and you have insurance, odds are paid out 2:1, compared to if you do NOT have insurance, in which case odds are paid out 3:2.

The round will continue if the dealer does not have blackjack. 

If they do have blackjack and you don't, then the dealer wins. 

If you and the dealer both have blackjack, the round will end in a 'push' (a tie) and your bet will be returned.

It is not possible to buy an Insurance bet when the dealer's face up card is a face card or a 10.

Double Down

You can opt to Double Down on your first two cards. 

This will allow you to double your bet, however you will only be able to receive one card thereafter.

You cannot Double Down after splitting (see below).

Hit 

'Hit' asks the dealer to deal you another card. 

There is no limit on how many times you can use this feature, so long as your hand value does not exceed 21.

Stand

Selecting 'Stand' signals to the dealer that you are happy with your hand and do not wish to be dealt a card. 

Split

If the first two cards you are dealt have the same value, you can choose to split them into two separate hands.

After this, the dealer will then deal you a second card for each hand.

Both hands will then be classed as separate bets, each one holding the same value as your main bet.

You can use the Hit feature for both hands.

If the pair of cards you Split are aces however, you cannot use the Hit feature - you can only receive one more card per hand.

You can use Split once per hand only.

Outcome

If the value of your cards exceeds 21, you will lost your bet. 

This is known as a 'bust'

When all players have had their turn, the dealer will reveal their down-card, leading to one of two outcomes:

• If they have a Soft 17 or higher, they must stand
• If the value of their cards is less than 16, they must hit

If you have a hand closer to 21 than the dealer, or if the dealer busts, you win the round.

If you tie with the dealer, resulting in a 'push', your bet will be returned.

Blackjack (Ace and 10) beats a hand of 21 comprising three or more cards or a hand of 21 resulting from a split pair.

Side Bets

There are two side bets available in this game: 21 + 3 and Perfect Pairs.

Side bets can be combined with your main bet.

It is possible to win a side bet even if you don't win your blackjack bet.

21+3

This bet pays out if your first two cards, along with the dealer's face-up card, form one of the combinations below:

• Suited Trips: three identical cards, e.g. 4x 7 of Spades
• Straight Flush – three cards of the same suit in numerical sequence, e.g. a six, seven and eight of Hearts
• Three of a Kind – three cards of different suits with the same value, e.g. Jack of Clubs, Jack of Hearts and Jack of Diamonds
• Straight – three cards in numerical sequence but in different suits, e.g. a two of Spades, three of Clubs and four of Hearts
• Flush – any cards of the same suit, e.g. a six, a nine and a King of Clubs

The above combinations will pay out as follows:

• Suited Trips 100:1
• Straight Flush 40:1
• Three of a Kind 30:1
• Straight 10:1
• Flush 5:1

Any malfunctions void the game round and all payouts for the round.

Perfect Pairs

This bet pays out if your initial two cards are a pair. 

There are three different types of pairs for this bit, each with a different payout: 

• Perfect Pair – two identical cards, e.g. two sixes of Clubs
• Coloured Pair – different suits of the same colour, e.g. a three of Hearts and a three of Diamonds
• Mixed Pair – two cards with the same number, in different suits, e.g. a seven of Clubs and a seven of Hearts

The pay out for the different pairs pay out as follows:

• Perfect Pair 25:1
• Coloured Pair 12:1
• Mixed Pair 6:1

Bet Behind

The Bet Behind feature allows you to bet on another player's hand. 

If you win, you share the pay out of the player's hand with the player.

This wager pays out the same as ordinary bets. 

You can place this bet in any activated Bet Behind spot, so long as betting is open. 

The nickname shown on each seat is the person in charge of the decision making for that hand.

If the player who's hand you have chosen to bet on does not play the round, you will be refunded immediately. 

It is not possible to Bet Behind on your own hand. 

You can however stop other players from betting behind you.

Hot Player

The Hot Player feature shows a gold medal with a number inside, representing the number of consecutive hands a player has won. 

This feature is designed to help you identify the player with the longest winning streak.