With Microgaming's Blackjack releases growing in popularity, the developer introduced a multi-hand Euro version in their Gold series, following the pattern of standard European set of blackjack rules. Played with two decks, the maximum number of simultaneous hands is five, increasing both the level of excitement and the potential profit.
The player starts with selecting the chip value and the number of active hands. After clicking on the deal button, the player is presented with the option to stand, get an extra card or double the stake if the hand total is 9 to 11. Same cards within a pair can be split only once and played as extra hands, however this move cannot be followed by double down move. If on the other hand you are qualified to select the double down option, you will immediately get an extra card and stand until the dealer's cards are revealed. Feature limited to Microgaming releases is the Expert Mode, where the players can adjust the strategies in accordance to their personal style and preferences.
Theoretical return to player is 99.6%, with the minimum bet of 5$ per hand. The maximum amount one can stake is $5,000 or $1,000 per hand. Expected return is 1x bet increase for a regular pair of cards, 1.5x for a blackjack and 2x for the insurance bet. This is a standard paytable, applicable to pretty much all variations of Blackjack.
Most of your moves will depend on whether or not you have been dealt with a hard or a soft hand. An equally important indication is the dealer's upcard. Anything from 7 to 10 or an Ace on the dealer's side would prompt the player to draw. Whenever there is a chance that your next draw would lead to a bust, you should stand. If you are tempted to double the bet, do so if you have 11, 10 or 9 and the dealer's upcard is on the lower side. Certain pairs, such as 10s should never be separated, while 8s and Aces should definitely be divided and played as independent hands. There is no Surrender feature in this blackjack release.
Multi-hand blackjack may not be for everybody as you run the risk of draining your budget sooner. On the other hand, if you don't mind an extra dose of adrenaline and an opportunity to test your strategic skills, European Multi-Hand Gold has everything one will want from a game of blackjack – great graphics, satisfactory RTP and advanced settings mode, all contributing to a flawless gameplay.