Blackjack Games
Multiple Action Blackjack
Multiple Action Blackjack (MAB for short), is an imaginative innovation on the game Blackjack. The game was invented by a casino executive at the Four Queens in Las Vegas, and is now licensed to many casinos nationwide and online.Blackjack has been such a good game for both players and House alike for so many years that the temptation of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” has kept the game virtually unchanged for decades (other than rule alterations, but that didn’t change the game itself). But not any longer.
Multiple Action Blackjack is an innovation which allows the player to play up to three hands with the same set of cards. The rules are the same as for regular Blackjack, with the exception of how the dealer plays (and whatever other rules for Blackjack happen to apply in the casino where you play).
The game of MAB begins when the player places bets. In the case of regular Blackjack, the player can only make one bet, then stand, double, split or hit as the cards dictate (unless he plays more than one hand, but then to do so the player must play additional spots, thereby preventing other players from being able to join in the game; in addition, playing more than one hand on a standard Blackjack game often requires that each bet is a multiple of the other, so that on, say, a $5 minimum table, a player who wishes to bet three hands will have to bet $15, or more, on each of the three spots).
In Multiple Action Blackjack, the player can make three bets on the same hand, prior to receiving his first two cards. And – in most casinos – these bets do not have to be the same amount. Players can bet $5 on the first hand $50 on the second and, say, $20 on the third.
Once the bets are set, the dealer deals two cards to each player, just like in regular blackjack, and then only one card, face up, to himself. On an MAB table, the dealer has three boxes in front of him marked: 1, 2, 3.
On the first hand the dealer will place his one up-card in the #1 box, signifying that Hand Number One will now be played. The dealer’s first card it is kept and will be used for all three hands.
After the dealer deals the players their cards, and then deals himself his up-card, the players go through their normal choices: stand, double, split or hit (there is no “surrender” on most MAB tables). After the players have made their choices, the dealer then deals himself a second card, or third etc., as the House rules dictate. Depending on what cards the dealer gets, he will either stand or bust, according to House rules.
Whatever the outcome, the dealer will then pay winning hands and collect losing bets on the first hand only. Then the dealer will discard all his cards except the original first up-card. He will move that card to box #2, draw a set of new cards for his hand, pay and take winners and losers for have two, then move the original up-card to the #3 position and repeat the process. After all three hands are played, a new game begins.
Throughout this process, the player keeps his original cards, however the player has a choice to stand, hit, double or split ONLY on the FIRST hand. Whatever value hand the player achieved on the first hand remains the same for hands #2 and #3. If the player busts, he loses all three bets. If he makes, say, 19, and stands, his 19 will play for all three hands against the three hands made by the dealer.
Because the players can lose all three hands if they bust on the first hand, the tendency among players is not to hit bad percentage. Of course the advantage for the player is that he can win three times the amount on one hand, and even if dealt a bad hand, may in fact win one or two of the three hands because the dealer may bust on dealer’s hands #2 and #3.
Splits, double-downs, re-splits and all the other player options (as House rules apply) are determined by the player for all three hands prior to the dealer completing his first hand. Whatever decisions the player has made for this first hand also stand for all three hands.
You will find that in many online casinos like Goldenpalace.com and Onlinecasino.com you can play a version of Multiple Action Blackjack called Multihanded Blackjack. The game play is essentially the same except of a few minor differences. The first noticeable difference is that the dealer only deals one hand to themselves and that hand is played against all three player hands at the same time. The dealer does not play multiple hands. The next difference is that the player can bust on the first hand and still go on to win on the second and third hands.
Multihanded Blackjack is a pleasant and exciting variation for those looking for something a little different and maybe a little more exciting.
