One of the relatively recent variants that has already gained a fair amount of popularity is a Big Five Blackjack Gold. This version is also subdivided into a single and a multi-hand version. Unlike Vegas Strip and Atlantic City Blackjack that use four or eight card decks respectively, Big Five is played on five decks with an available Early Surrender option conditioned by the dealer's upcard.
As with many other versions, splitting your cards is allowed, assuming that they have the same denomination. Should that be the case, the player can divide the hand and play each card separately, with extra cards being dealt and additional bets of the same value submitted. If the player would like to follow up on the original stake and double down, this can only happen after the first pair of cards is dealt or after splitting. Giving an extra edge to Big Five Blackjack is the insurance feature, where you place an extra wager that the dealer will end up with a Blackjack. The amount a player needs to stake is half of the original bet and can be placed if the dealer has an Ace card. When the player's hand does not look favourable, they are given an alternative to forfeit the round or surrender. This feature of course comes with the price - a percentage of your bet. In Big Five, dealer hits on soft 17.
Each of the hand combination comes with a different ratio. Blackjack for example comes with a 3:2 while a basic win has 1:1 ratio. In the first case scenario, a stake of $10 would gain a profit of $15, while in the second, a player would win $10 for a standard hand. Insurance has a 2:1 payout, making a profit of $20 on a $10 investment. The house edge for Big 5 Gold is calculated at 0.47% with the minimum bet of $1 and max bet of $1000.
Experienced Blackjack players are already familiar with the most common Blackjack strategies and probably have their favourite. If you are a beginner, a few tips may be in order. Knowing when to surrender is one of the tactics that the player usually learns first. A hard 16 with a dealer's 10 or 9 is a certain sign for the player to forfeit a hand. The same strategy would apply for a hard 14 or 15. For combinations below 12, player should be hit. Hard 17 should be followed up with the same routine, if the dealer is not showing 3-6 cards. Otherwise doubling down or standing would be a much better course.
As a relatively new addition to Blackjack variations, Big 5 Gold has quickly become a part of a standard casino offer. With the familiar rules applied, the player can just dive in the game, without any need for an extensive game structure analysis. The regulations applied are the ones best suited for the players, enabling them to enjoy the game with only the basing strategic knowledge required.