This variant was first developed in 2011 in downtown Las Vegas. Burn 20 Blackjack quickly became the “hottest” blackjack game around. It is of course based on standard blackjack with a few fascinating twists.
The name comes from the fact that the dealer will discard, or “burn,” any 2-card, 10-value, hand that totals 20. The dealer also burns suited blackjacks. This leaves the player stress-free about having to play against a dealer’s hard 20 (or suited blackjack). The give-back on that is that if the dealer busts with a 22 total, all remaining players push, instead of win.
RULES OF THE GAME
Burn 20 Blackjack follows standard blackjack rules, with the following exceptions or additions:
- Six 52-card decks are used
- Blackjack pays 3-2
- Insurance pays 2-1
- No surrender
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Can split pairs
- Split aces get only 1 card each
- Can double on any number of cards, except after splitting aces
- If dealer has a 10 up, he will check the hole card and if it is a 10, he will discard both cards and take two new cards
- If dealer has a 10 up, he will check the hole card and if it is a suited-Ace, he will discard both cards and take two new cards
- If the dealer busts with a total of 22, all remaining players push, instead of win
PLAY OF THE GAME
When the dealer discards a suited blackjack, and the replacement cards form a blackjack (suited or not) those cards are discarded as well.
After discarding, the dealer will continue to draw cards until he doesn’t have a hard 20 or blackjack.
STRATEGY
Fortunately, you should be able to use basic blackjack strategy when playing Burn 20 Blackjack. However, because you know the dealer won’t have a 20 with 2 cards, you should split 2’s, 3’s, 7’s, and 9’s, against a 10 up.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is understandable how this became a hot variant to standard blackjack. The rule changes are not that hard to grasp, as a matter of fact, the changes make it seem that the game is more favorable to the player. While the house edge is slightly higher in this variant, it creates a fun atmosphere and challenge for players looking for a change. If you’re a bit bored with standard blackjack, this can be a fun break from that!
