The software provider WagerWorks has a number of innovative blackjack variants in its portfolio. These include Power Blackjack, 21+3 Blackjack and Blackjack with Hot Streak Bonus. However the most exciting of these is Double Attack Blackjack.

Double Attack Blackjack has two material differences from the normal variant. It is played with eight Spanish decks. A Spanish deck is obtained from a standard deck by removing the four tens. The game begins by dealing the dealer’s face up card. Then before the player is dealt his two cards he has to decide whether or not to double his wager. If the dealer’s face up card is an ace then the player can take insurance. The insurance bet is half of the player’s initial wager and pays 3 to 1 if the dealer goes on to get a blackjack.

Then the dealer’s face down card is dealt along with the player’s initial face up cards. The dealer first checks for blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack the game is over. The normal and Double Attack bets of the player lose and the insurance bet wins. If the dealer does not have a blackjack then the hand is played out in the normal manner. The player’s rules are as follows. The player can double on any two or more cards, even after a split, except in the case of split aces. When aces are split, each hand receives only one additional card. In the case of splits or doubles the player must match his original wager and Double Attack bet, if he made one. The player can surrender a given hand on two or more cards, even after a double. If the player surrenders, he will be refunded half his original and Double Attack bet. The player can draw a maximum of eight cards for any hand. An eight-card hand whose value does not exceed 21 beats all dealer hands except for blackjack. After the player has finished his hand either by going bust or standing on some value, the dealer plays his hand according to set rules. The dealer will stand on soft 17. The Double Attack bet gives the player a tremendous advantage. This is neutralized by player blackjack paying even money instead of 3 to 2.

The additional strategy question before the player in WagerWorks Double Attack Blackjack is when to place the Double Attack bet. When the dealer’s face up card is from 2 to 8 the player is at an advantage and should place the Double Attack bet. For any other card the player is at a disadvantage and should refrain from placing the Double Attack bet. When the dealer’s face up card is from 2 to 8 the player will win only a few more times than he loses. However, for the other dealer’s face up cards he will lose many more times than he will win. Apart from the Double Attack bet strategy, the player will need to apply optimum strategy for the other moves of hit, stand, double, split and surrender. He will need to select the appropriate blackjack strategy card for this. He must ensure that the strategy card factors in the Spanish deck variation. When the tens are removed from the deck, then the basic strategy changes.