Chinese Blackjack (Ban-Luck)
Southeast Asia's home game of 21 — where an Ace can be worth 10 and a pair of Aces pays 3 to 1.
Home game No fixed house edge; the dealer role usually passes between players.
About Chinese Blackjack (Ban-Luck)
Chinese Blackjack — also known as 21-point, ban-luck (Hokkien), ban-nag (Cantonese) and xì dách (Vietnamese) — is played across Southeast Asia, especially in Singapore and Malaysia, where one version is called Kampung (village) Blackjack.
It grew up as a home game, because casino-rules blackjack is hard to host among friends. It uses one or two 52-card decks and any number of players.
The biggest difference is the Ace. Its value depends on how many cards you hold, and a two-card hand with an Ace can make one of the game's special paying hands.
vs
A pair of Aces is ban-ban, the best hand in the game — it pays 3 to 1.
How a round works
- Everyone places a bet and receives two cards, as does the dealer.
- Each player hits until they reach at least 16 (15 in Kampung Blackjack) and chooses when to stand.
- Once holding at least 16, the dealer may reveal chosen players' hands and settle with them, then draw more cards before revealing the rest.
- Equal hands, and a player and dealer who both bust, are ties.
Rules at a glance
| Decks | 1 or 2 standard 52-card decks |
|---|---|
| Players | Any number |
| Ace in a 2-card hand | 1, 10 or 11 |
| Ace in a 3-card hand | 1 or 10 |
| Ace in 4+ cards | 1 |
| Ban-Ban (pair of Aces) | Pays 3:1 |
| Blackjack pays | Ban-Luck (Ace + ten-value card) pays 2:1 |
| Triple 7s | Typically pays 7:1 |
| Five-dragon | Five cards without busting; pays 2:1 |
| Minimum total | 16 in the standard rules (15 in Kampung Blackjack) |
| Ties | Equal hands, or both bust, is a tie — no money changes hands |
Rule sets vary between casinos and between online operators. Always check the table or the game's rules screen — the blackjack payout and the dealer's soft 17 rule move the house edge more than anything else on this page.
What makes it different
The Ace changes value
1, 10 or 11 in two cards; 1 or 10 in three; only 1 in four or more.
Special hands
Ban-ban pays 3:1, ban-luck 2:1, five-dragon 2:1 and triple 7s typically 7:1.
Dealer reveals selectively
The dealer may reveal chosen players' hands before their own, once they hold at least 16.
Both bust is a tie
Unlike casino blackjack, a player who busts ties with a dealer who also busts.
Frequently asked questions
What is ban-luck?
An Ace with a ten-value card as your first two cards. In Chinese Blackjack it pays 2 to 1.
What is ban-ban?
A pair of Aces as your first two cards. It is the strongest hand and pays 3 to 1.
What is a five-dragon?
Five cards that do not bust. It pays 2 to 1.
How much is an Ace worth in Chinese Blackjack?
It depends on the hand size: 1, 10 or 11 in a two-card hand, 1 or 10 in a three-card hand, and 1 in a hand of four or more cards.
Sources
Rules and figures on this page are taken from Wikipedia:
- Chinese Blackjack — Wikipedia