Zappit Blackjack is an online blackjack variant that you can play at Australian online casinos like Joe Fortune and Ignition Casino. For the large part it is played like a normal online blackjack game so you will not have any problem in picking up the game. There are two material differences. You are given an additional move that you can choose to execute when the occasion arises or let it be. In exchange for this option you have to cede one of the rules in the dealer’s favour.
When you are dealt a hard total of 15, 16 or 17, you can hit the zap button and watch lightning strike and change your cards. A hard total is one in which the ace necessarily takes the value 1. If it takes the value 11, the hand busts. A hard total is considered weak. Standing is a poor option because in most cases because the dealer can get more. Hitting is a poorer option because you are likely to bust. So in this situation you are between a rock and a hard place. Therefore the zap option is a relief. You can ignore the zap option when it is presented. But it would not be a good idea to do so. The optimum Zappit Blackjack requires you to exercise this option every time, irrespective of the dealer’s face up card.
There is no such thing as a free lunch so you have to pay a price. Otherwise the zap option would push the average return to the player over 100% and make the blackjack variant unviable for online casinos. After you stand on a valid hand, the dealer draws his cards. In normal online blackjack games, if the dealer ends up with a hand value of 22 he busts and you win the game. If this happens in Zappit Blackjack then it is deemed a tie and the bet pushes. You get your wagered amount back.
The important rules of Zappit Blackjack are given below. The game is played using six standard decks. The dealer will hit on a soft 17. The player may split up to three hands. The minimum amount to bet is AU$1 while the maximum is AU$500. The blackjack game is suited for both low rollers and high rollers. Blackjack pays 3 to 2, providing that the dealer does not also have Blackjack. Any other winning hand is paid 1 to 1. The usual surrender and insurance options are available.