European Blackjack (6 Decks)
The six-deck shoe game of European casinos — no hole card, but doubling on any two cards and after splits.
About European Blackjack (6 Decks)
This is the European game as it is dealt in land-based casinos across Europe, the UK and elsewhere: a six-deck shoe, the dealer stands on soft 17, and — the rule that defines it — there is no hole card. The dealer takes one face-up card and draws the second only after every player has finished.
Compared with our European Blackjack page, which covers the stricter two-deck version, the rules are more generous: you may double on any first two cards, double after splitting and split up to four hands. Compared with American blackjack, two things are missing: the dealer's peek for blackjack, and surrender.
The missing peek is what changes your play. If the dealer's second card makes a blackjack, it takes your doubled and split bets too, not only the original bet — so a handful of doubles and splits against a dealer 10 or Ace that are right in the American game are wrong here.
Rules at a glance
| Decks | 6 |
|---|---|
| Dealer on soft 17 | Stands (S17) |
| Hole card | None — the dealer takes one card, and the second only after all players finish |
| Double down | Any first two cards |
| Double after split | Allowed (DAS) |
| Splitting | Up to 4 hands; aces cannot be re-split and receive one card each |
| Surrender | Not offered |
| Blackjack pays | 3:2 |
| Insurance | Offered when the dealer shows an Ace |
| Dealer blackjack takes | Your original bet plus doubled and split bets |
Rules vary between casinos. Always check the blackjack payout and the dealer's soft 17 rule; they move the house edge more than anything else on this page.
What makes it different
No hole card
As in the two-deck European game: you risk doubled and split bets against a blackjack the dealer has not drawn yet.
Double on any two cards
Unlike the two-deck version (hard 10 and 11 only), you may double any starting hand, soft hands included.
Double after split, up to four hands
Also missing from the two-deck game. Only aces are not re-split, and each split ace gets one card.
No surrender
As in the two-deck European game, and unlike many American tables: the worst hands, such as 16 against a 10, have to be played out.
How basic strategy changes
These are the main decisions that differ from the standard chart. The full chart for each game is on its strategy page.
vs
Hard 11 vs dealer 10 or Ace
Standard: Double European 6-Deck: Hit
There is no peek: if the dealer's second card makes a blackjack, it takes the doubled bet as well.
vsPair of 8s vs dealer 10
Standard: Split European 6-Deck: Hit
Splitting puts a second bet against a blackjack the dealer has not drawn yet. One hand of 16 is the cheaper loss.
vs
Pair of 8s vs dealer Ace
Standard: Surrender (otherwise split) European 6-Deck: Hit
There is no surrender to fall back on, and splitting would double what a dealer blackjack takes.
vsPair of Aces vs dealer Ace
Standard: Split European 6-Deck: Hit
Same reasoning — do not put a second bet at risk against an Ace whose second card is still to come.
vsHard 15 and 16 vs dealer 10 or Ace
Standard: Surrender European 6-Deck: Hit
Surrender is not offered, so these hands are played out. Hit them — and hit 16 against a 9 as well.
vsHard 17 vs dealer Ace
Standard: Surrender European 6-Deck: Stand
Without surrender, 17 stands against an Ace.
vs
Soft 18 (A,7) vs dealer 2
Standard: Double (otherwise stand) European 6-Deck: Stand
The dealer stands on soft 17 here, and this double only pays against a dealer who hits it.
vs
Soft 19 (A,8) vs dealer 6
Standard: Double (otherwise stand) European 6-Deck: Stand
Same reason: this soft 19 double is only correct when the dealer hits soft 17.
What it means for card counting
Hi-Lo works normally: the count follows the cards that have left the shoe, not the moment the dealer draws, and you convert to a true count by dividing by the decks left, as usual. Two kinds of decision behave differently without a hole card: insurance, which is settled only after your hand has been played, and doubling or splitting against a dealer 10 or Ace, where a dealer blackjack also takes the extra bet. The count-play tips on this site are worked out for peek games, so do not apply them unchanged here.
Practise on a matching shoe in the card counting trainer.
Where you will find it
The usual game in land-based casinos across much of Europe and the UK, and dealt elsewhere too. Details vary between casinos, so check the doubling rules, double after split and what a dealer blackjack takes before you sit down.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from European Blackjack with two decks?
The two-deck game on our European Blackjack page is stricter: doubling on hard 10 and 11 only, usually no double after split, and one split per hand. Here you may double on any first two cards, double after splitting and split up to four hands. Both games have no hole card and no surrender.
Do I lose doubled and split bets to a dealer blackjack?
Yes. The dealer draws the second card only after you have played, and a blackjack takes your original bet plus any doubled and split bets. That is why 11 against a 10 or an Ace is a hit here, not a double.
Can I use an American basic strategy chart?
For most hands, yes. The main differences are the ones above: no doubling 11 or splitting 8s against a 10 or Ace, no splitting Aces against an Ace, hands you would surrender are played out, and the soft doubles that only pay against a dealer who hits soft 17 become stands.
Sources
Other blackjack variants
- European BlackjackThe no-hole-card game — the dealer takes a second card only after you have finished acting.
- American BlackjackThe hole-card game that every standard basic strategy chart is written for.
- Atlantic City BlackjackEight decks, but one of the most player-friendly rule sets you will find.
- Vegas Strip BlackjackFour decks, dealer stands on soft 17, and no surrender to fall back on.
- Single Deck BlackjackThe best odds in blackjack — or the worst, depending entirely on the payout.
- Spanish 21Every ten removed from the deck, and a pile of player bonuses to make up for it.
- Blackjack SwitchTwo hands at once — and the right to swap their second cards before you play them.
- Free Bet BlackjackDouble on 9, 10 and 11 and split your pairs on the house's money — but a dealer 22 is a push.
- Double Exposure BlackjackBoth of the dealer's cards dealt face up — in exchange for even-money blackjacks and losing every tie.
- Double Attack BlackjackSee the dealer's up-card first, then decide whether to double your bet.
- Super Fun 21Double on any number of cards and win automatically with six cards totalling 20 or less — but a blackjack pays only even money.
- PontoonThe British cousin of blackjack: twist, stick, buy — and a five card trick that beats a 21.
- 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.