Zappit is a blackjack variant that, for the most part, follows the rules of the classic game but also features certain tweaks to standard gameplay to spice things up quite a bit.
The game was invented by Geoff Hall and is now distributed by Scientific Games. It can be found both at multiple online casinos and land-based gambling establishments around North America.
Those familiar with the biggest accomplishments of the casino games inventing industry over the past two decades have certainly come across Geoff Hall’s name. He’s the inventor of the highly popular Blackjack Switch variant and a handful of other renditions of the beloved casino classic.
Best Online Blackjack Bonuses
HarrahsCasino.com
100% up to
$100
+ 100 Spins
Sloto'Cash Casino
100% up to
$500
Uptown Aces
150% up to
$750
Lucky Tiger Casino
No Deposit Bonus
$ 55
Shazam Casino
Exclusive No Deposit Bonus
$ 50
Vegas Casino Online
No Deposit Bonus
$ 20
If you want to learn more about Hall and how he came up with his creations, we highly recommend this interview that Michael “Wizard of Odds” Shackleford has taken with the man himself for our sister site BlackjackInfo.com.
And if you want to learn more about Zappit, we suggest that your read on our guide for information, tips, and tricks that will help you master this variant and unlock the maximum benefits and potential it offers.
What Makes Zappit Different from the Traditional Game?
The game is based on standard blackjack rules. A player’s main goal is to beat the dealer by getting cards to make a total of 21 or as close to that score as possible without going over it.
Zappit differs from the original game in two main aspects. It enables players to discard a potentially poor hand and be dealt a new one, and the dealer to push on what is typically considered a bust hand.
With this variant, if the player’s hand total falls within a certain range, they can “zap” it and get a new one. At online casinos, hands totaling 15, 16, or 17 can be zapped. Players can also discard hands that total 18 at some brick-and-mortar gaming venues.
Every single blackjack rendition ever invented…
… has its own unique catches that are designed to offset the aspects of the game that favor the player. The catch in the version that is the subject of this article is the so-called Push 22 rule. It was devised by Hall and can be found in most of his inventions.
According to this rule, the dealer pushes all live hands if he or she makes a 22. Players whose original hands make a blackjack keep their win while players who bust before the dealer makes a 22 still lose.
How to Play Zappit?
This variant is played with six decks which are reshuffled between each game. As with any other game in the blackjack family, this one, too, starts with players placing their original bet. The dealer then deals each player two cards and two to themselves (one of the dealer’s cards is dealt face up, the other faces down). If the dealer’s up-card is an Ace, players are offered an insurance – a side bet that pays 2:1 if the dealer gets a blackjack.
At live casinos, if the dealer holds an Ace, they may peek to check if their hole card is a 10. If they have a blackjack, play stops. Player blackjack pushes, while the rest lose. Insurance bets are paid.
However, if play continues and a player’s hand totals 15, 16, or 17 (or 18 at a live casino), they will be presented with the option to zap, that is to say to be dealt two new cards. Once the old hand is discarded, play continues as in a traditional blackjack game.
If no hand is zapped, the options before players are to:
- Hit
- Stand
- Double down
- Split
- Surrender
At an online casino, each of these options is displayed as a separate button on the screen. There is also a special Zap button for those who want to exchange their 15-, 16-, or 17-valued hands.
If the player wants an additional card, the right action is to hit. They may want to stand, if they don’t want any more cards. If a player is dealt a pair, they are allowed to split and turn their original pair into two separate hands.
Players may only split a hand as the first action on the hand. They are not allowed to re-split hands. Players can split Aces, but are not allowed to take any further action on the two new hands.
Doubling down is an action that sees the player double their original wager and be dealt one more card. It can be done after splitting. And finally, online Zappit allows players to surrender and give the dealer half their initial bet. Players can fold after a zap.
Once players have made up their mind and have performed any of the above actions, the dealer shows their hole card.
If the dealer’s hand totals 18 or higher, it stands. If it totals 16 or lower, the dealer hits. They also hit on a soft 17 (a 17 that includes an ace), but stand on a hard 17.
If the dealer draws a card and goes over 22, they lose. If the dealer’s hand totals 22, the Push 22 rule applies and all hands still in play are pushed. Player blackjacks win, while those who had busted before the dealer made a 22 lose.
Players whose hands have a higher score than the dealers but aren’t a blackjack win. However, if the score is lower than the dealer’s, or if the player’s hand goes over 22, they lose. When a tie occurs (the player’s hand equals the dealer’s), the player’s wager pushes.
Payouts and House Edge
Zappit payouts don’t differ from the ones in the original game. A blackjack before a zap is paid at 3:2 at online casinos and at 6:5 at land-based casinos. A blackjack after zapping the original hand is an immediate winner at online casinos and pays even money. An insurance pays 2:1.
By now you have probably noticed…
… that playing this blackjack variant online is slightly different from playing it at a brick-and-mortar casino. In the first place, at a land-based venue you can zap an 18, while online casinos don’t offer that option.
In addition, digital venues pay 3:2 on a blackjack, while their physical counterparts offer a 6:5 payout on such a hand.
The house edge for this game sits at 1.15% at online casinos and is even higher at land-based gaming facilities. But we guess that’s the price we have to pay for the opportunity to zap an 18-point hand.
Additional Blackjack Rules and Variations
Universal Strategy for Blackjack
Choosing the Best Blackjack Conditions
When to Zap?
Due to its deviations from the standard game, the basic strategy for Zappit differs slightly. We recommend studying the charts presented by the Wizard of Odds that show how best to play your hand after you have zapped the original two cards.
And as to when to zap your hands, here’s Mike Shackleford’s view on this:
- Zap on a hard 15, 16, or 16
- If dealt a pair of 8s, split vs dealer 6 or 7 or zap vs dealer 2-5 and 8-A
- Stand on a hard 18 vs dealer 2-8, and zap, if allowed, vs dealer 9, 10, or Ace (otherwise stand)
- If dealt a pair of 9s, stand vs dealer 2, 3, and 7, split vs dealer 4,5,6, and 8, zap, if allowed, vs dealer 9 (otherwise split), and zap, if allowed, vs dealer 10, Ace (otherwise stand)
How Often Do Players Zap?
Using optimal strategy at an online casino, players zap 20.7% of all hands. In a Zappit Blackjack version premiered by Scientific Games’s Shuffle Master studio at the 2015 edition of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the use of optimal strategy resulted in players zapping 19.7% of the time.
The difference stems from the fact that in the online version of the game, players can zap against a dealer’s blackjack, which was not an option in the G2E version.
Players should keep in mind that the dealer will get a 22 on 7.26% on all their initial hands and on 7.62% of the hands where they don’t have a blackjack. This means that the dealer will be forced to play out each and every card, even if all players bust or opt to surrender.
Where to Play Zappit Blackjack?
This variant was originally launched at Bovada and soon became available at Bodog. It can now be played at a multitude of digital venues, including Ignition Casino, CasinoCasino, Caesars Casino, Golden Nugget Casino, and more. A number of Canada- and UK-facing gaming websites also offer this blackjack variant.
It can also be found at multiple land-based casinos, most notably in Las Vegas. However, given the fact that the house edge at physical facilities is higher, it is probably better to play the game online.
Final Thoughts
Zappit Blackjack is certainly an entertaining version of the original table game classic. As already mentioned above, it is one of those variants that are better to be played at an online casino rather than at a land-based one, especially when it comes to paybacks.
However…
… its house edge is significantly higher than many other blackjack renditions offered at both digital and physical casinos. And while many players would certainly find it to be a nice diversion from their usual preferences, playing the game for a longer time or at a more serious level will thin your bankroll faster than other versions, regardless of how well you play it.
