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What I call the "original" blackjack rules are as follows:
- 6 decks
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Player may double on any first two cards
- Player may double after splitting
- Player may only split once
- There is a mixture of U.S. and European rules on what happens if the dealer gets a blackjack. Here is what happens if the dealer gets a blackjack according to the situation.
- Dealer has ace up, player doubles and/or splits: entire bet lost.
- Dealer has 10 up, player splits: entire bet lost.
- Dealer has 10 up, player doubles: only original bet lost.
- Dealer has 10 up, player splits and doubles: additional bets from splitting lost but doubling returned.
- No surrender
- Otherwise standard rules
The house edge under these rules is 0.52%. Blackjack surrender offers the same or better rules on all points. So there is no reason a player should play the regular blackjack game, except if the better games are excluded for bonus purpoes. Following is the basic strategy under these rules.

Playtech Original Blackjack
| Your hand |
Dealer's Card |
| 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
| 5-8 |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 9 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 10 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 11 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
| 12 |
H |
H |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 13 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 14 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 15 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 16 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 17-21 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| A,2 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,3 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,4 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,5 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,6 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,7 |
Ds |
Ds |
Ds |
Ds |
Ds |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
| A,8 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
Ds |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| 2,2 |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 3,3 |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 4,4 |
H |
H |
H |
P |
P |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 5,5 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 6,6 |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 7,7 |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 8,8 |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
| 9,9 |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
S |
P |
P |
S |
S |
| 10,10 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| A,A |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
P |
Key to basic strategy:
H = Hit
S = Stand
D = Double
Ds = Double if allowed, otherwise stand
P = Split
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