European BJ Rules

[Keith Smith]

Under US rules the dealer gets both her up card and her down card, in turn, along with the initial deal and before its the First Base player's turn to play his hand.

Under European rules, the dealer deals only her up card until all the players have played their hands. Then she deals herself her second card and plays her hand.

There really isn't much difference but European rules have a disadvantage and an advantage over US rules.

First the disadvantage:

In clumped cards the players cannot get a good "read" on the dealer's hole card because it has not yet been dealt when they must make their play. So no hole card read is possible.

The Advantage:

However offsetting the disadvantage is the fact that under European rules the third base player has far more control over the dealer's hand and can use his position to break the dealer.

For instance: Suppose the dealer's up card is a ten. The third base player does not want to feed her another ten so he wants to stop hitting when lows are running and "feed" her a low to make her stiff.

But if she has a low up card the third base player wants to feed her tens.

Another advantage is in first base play the last card of the prior round can fall anywhere and the First base player must keep track of it. But in European rules the last card in the prior round ALWAYS falls to the dealer and makes the first base player's decision more convenient.

I've played both rules and I really can't say I prefer one over the other. The advantages and disadvantages are slight and wash out about even in my opinion.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Keith Smith

[sonnyrico]

can you explain with more details how to play the 1-base strategy with the european no hole card, because here the pit indicator doesn t work, so instead it have to be the secondary indicator , our primary indicator, it is correct this or not

[ECD]

can you explain with more details how to play the 1-base strategy with the european no hole card, because here the pit indicator doesn t work, so instead it have to be the secondary indicator , our primary indicator, it is correct this or not

If I understand your question right Sonny, you play exactly the same way using the final cards in the last round as your high or low bet indicator. The only difference is purely mechanical. The last card always goes to the dealer in European rules. In Vegas rules, the last card can land anywhere and you need to be alert to this. Some prefer European rules for first base because its a little easier to track the final cards.

I've played both the same day in the Bahamas. Nassau is Vegas rules. Over the bridge in Paradise Island it Euro rules.

I like them both about the same.