OBJECTIVE OF CHINESE BLACKJACK : The final aim of the game is to create a hand with the value closest to 21, but not over.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS : 1 to 7 players
MATERIALS : A standard deck of 52 cards, casino chips or cash, and a blackjack table.
TYPE OF GAME : Card Draw Game
AUDIENCE : Adult
OVERVIEW OF CHINESE BLACKJACK
The game is a play on the original concepts of blackjack, with some differing rules. Mostly played during the Chinese New Year in parts of the world where the Chinese are a substantial majority, this game is believed to usher in good luck. The game can be played by 1-7 players at a time and uses a standard 52-card deck. All bets are final and can’t be amended during an active round. keonhacai
SETUP
The dealer is chosen at random to shuffle and deal the cards. A selected player will be asked to cut the deck, after which the dealer proceeds to deal the cards. Cards are dealt to players first, starting from the dealer’s left. The first round of cards are dealt face down. The second round of cards are dealt face up. Numbered cards are valued at their face digits.
GAMEPLAY
The round starts with the dealer accepting bets all around. Each player is allowed to take cards as they need from the cut deck. After all players are satisfied with their cards, the dealer hits or stands, depending on his face cards. The croupier then requests for all players to reveal their cards and any hand that beats that of the dealer wins. Court cards are valued at 10, each. Aces are taken for 1, 10, or 11, whichever works in favor of the player. Players with a hand total of 21 or more than the hand of the dealer, wins.
HIT RULES
There are special rules for when players decide to hit or stand :
- Hand total < 16, hit.
- Hand total between 16 – 21, hit or stand.
- Hand total = 21, stand.
SPECIAL COMBINATIONS
The following combinations trigger special payouts or bet multiplication.
BAN-BAN
The Ban-Ban, or double Aces, is considered an immediate win, unless the opposing party (player or dealer) holds a Ban-Ban or a free hand.
BAN-LUCK
A hand with an Ace and a court card is considered an immediate win, unless the opposing party (player or dealer) holds a Ban-Ban or a free hand. A player with Ban-Luck can immediately reveal their hand to be paid.
15 POINTS
A hand with a total of 15 points is also known as No Man’s Land. A dealer with this hand can choose whether they’d like to continue by hitting or forfeit the round. Should the dealer choose to forgo the current round, the cards will be recollected, reshuffled, and re-dealt.
7-7-7
A player with a 7 pair face cards who hits another 7 card wins his bet, unless the dealer also has a 21.
ADDITIONAL PAYOUT RULES
Below are payout rules for players and dealers.
5-DRAGON
Anyone with 5 cards collects a win from the opposing party (player or dealer) and doubles the bet.
HOUSE RULES
Anyone with 5 cards totaling 21 wins and the bets triple.
VARIATIONS
This game also comes with a single variation, played in Malaysia.
KAMPUNG BLACKJACK
Kampung Blackjack, or Village Blackjack, is played extensively in rural areas of Malaysia. The game is played similarly to Chinese Blackjack, save for a few rule variations :
- Any hand with 15 points is considered a ‘license’ or ‘passport’. Anyone with a hand value of fewer than 15 points will have to pay a fine to all players, which is a sum determined at the start of the game or the round.
- Each player is allowed to hit up to a maximum of 5 cards.
- Players with face cards totaling to 15 can choose to burn their cards. This means that they can either forfeit the bet or hit from a new deck, at double their bet. When a dealer burns, bets double for all players.
- A 21 with one Ace and one court card is paid 1:2.
- 21s within 5 cards are paid 1:2.
- Any five-card hand with totals between “license” and 21 is paid 1:2.
- A five-card hand with 21 pays 1:3, at house discretion.
- A triple 7 hand pays between ratios 1:5 to 1:21, at house discretion
- Pairs are not counted as wins.
- Players automatically reveal bust cards.
- The dealer always moves last.
- Dealers can selectively reveal player cards and choose to hit later in the game.
END OF GAME
Players, including dealers, win if their hands total 21. For players, they may also win if their hands are between 16 – 21, with a value that trumps the dealer’s hand.
