Gambler Slot Machines

The 21 Gambler slot machine is another IGT slot machine game, this one designed and launched by their Barcrest USA division. 21 Gambler slots play like traditional three reel slot machines until you hit one of the bonus rounds. That’s where the blackjack gameplay comes in.

This is a three reel slot machine game with a single payline. So following the slot machine action in the initial stages of the game is easy enough. You only have a single payline to keep up with, after all.

But there’s a bonus game. The 21 Gambler icon triggers a bonus round whenever you’ve wagered the maximum amount. (But it has to come up on the third reel.)

When the bonus game is triggered, you’re presented with a deck of cards, all fanned out. You get to pick a card. Standard blackjack card values are used, so your card will be worth between 2 and 11 points. A score card will show your score in the game.

If your hand reaches a value of 12 or higher, you win money. The closer you get to 21, the more money you win. If you bust, you don’t win any money, but you do get 10 bonus credits on the game.

There are several bonuses depending on what kind of blackjack hand you wind up with:

• If you get three sevens, you win 1000 credits.
• A five card Charlie (which is a five card hand that doesn’t bust) is worth between 200 and 250 bonus credits.
• There’s a bonus pot for a natural ace plus kind, which is a total of 21.

The game also features a 5 Times Pay symbol, which multiplies the amount of your winnings. (See our article about 5 Times Pay slot machines.)

21 Gambler Slots Game Strategies

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’ll be really good at this game if you’re really good at blackjack. I haven’t seen any indication that the odds of getting cards in the bonus game reflect actual deck of card probabilities, although they may do that.

Even if that’s the case, there’s no guarantee that you’d get to put your blackjack expertise to use often enough during a 21 Gambler Slot machine game to improve your odds significantly anyway.

The best strategy to use when playing 21 Gambler is to have fun, and let the wins come your way randomly. That’s the only way gambling wins on slot machines come anyway.

21 Gambler slot machines are a fun way to kill some time if you’re not a serious gambler. And if you like blackjack, then that’s a bonus. But it’s not a game where a skilled blackjack player can put those skills to use winning money on any kind of consistent basis.

If you’re looking for a slot machine style game where skill plays an element in how much you win or lose, consider trying video poker. If you can find the right video poker machines with the right payout tables, you can play with an advantage, especially if you take into account your slots club comp points.