Blackjack (A Free Game for Kindle)

by Amazon Digital Services

Product Description

Blackjack - one of the most popular casino card games of all time is now available on Kindle.

The Kindle version features all of the most common aspects of the game including splits, double down, surrender and insurance, as well as multiple options for customization that allow you to play the style of Blackjack that you want to play. For example, you can configure the game to match specific structures like 'Dealer must hit soft 17' - a common rule variation in many Las Vegas casinos.

The built-in advice feature, which you can turn on and off at any time, applies basic strategy and will recommend the best course of action to maximize your chances of winning.

Along with providing hours of fun, this realistic casino-style blackjack simulator will help you improve your understanding of the strategy of this ever-popular game.

Try Blackjack today!

Product Details

• Version: 1.1 (What's new in version 1.1)
• Release Date: January 16, 2012
• File Size: 651 kB
• Language: English
• Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• ASIN: B004DWLGGS
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher License: Read
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (368 customer reviews)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

142 of 147 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Designed for the Kindle December 8, 2010

By Robin L. McLaughlin

Amazon Verified Purchase

This new game offering from Amazon is very nicely designed to function on the Kindle devices. For context for this review, I'm not a hardcore blackjack player, which might affect my opinion of the app. I mostly just occasionally dabble with it on my computer, and almost never in real life. Also for context, I'm playing this on my K2.

One of the things that has struck me, especially with this game, is how responsive the e-Ink screen can be for games that require a quickly changing screen. It's not something I ever expected in terms of performance. It's not really that much slower than card games on my computer, because of all the animations they use.

Kindle Blackjack is designed so that you can plunge right into playing a game, or you can spend some time reading up on the game in general and learning some strategy. One of the Menu options is Instructions, which gives you 18 pages of information about the game of blackjack. When you open the game for the first time the screen displays basic info on how the Kindle version functions and it's enough to get started.

The game is designed to make excellent use of the keyboard (via shortcuts) as an alternate to having to use the 5-way for everything. This makes playing go a bit faster, since there's no 5-way maneuvering needed, and it helps save wear and tear on one of the most used Kindle buttons.

On the Menu is an Options section which allows you to set four different game settings, including game advice settings. If you have game advice set to only when wrong or hidden, you can hit the space bar at any time and play advice will pop up at the top of your screen. Another item on the Menu is Stats. This section gives a fairly comprehensive list of your current game stats. You can also start a new game from the Menu.

Game status such as your stake, current bet, and current play options are all at the bottom of the screen. The large middle part of the screen shows your cards and the dealer cards on a virtual card table. Near the bottom right corner are up and down arrows. Highlight and click one to increase or decrease your current bet.

The list of play options are little boxes, with the most likely play highlighted. So all you have to do to select it is click. If you want to choose a different play you can use the 5-way to move to highlight a different play box, or you can use the underlined shortcut letter, like H for Hit.

The game only allows you to play as a single player against the house. There are no multi-player options and there's no option to have other virtual players seated at the table and playing with you. Some may see this as a drawback, but for casual play it's perfectly fine.

There is no option to choose how many decks to play with. For casual play again this is fine. But a lot of people will consider this a shortcoming.

The only other real drawback is that for people with vision problems it would be difficult to see the game options and read the stats and such. The print is very small. You'd have to play with some sort of magnifying device. This might be alleviated somewhat on the larger DX screen, but since I don't have a DX I can't say. It would be nice if there was a "large print" option offered as part of the game for those who need it.

Overall this is yet another fun Kindle time waster released by Amazon. Perfect for when you have a little time to kill and may not be able to get absorbed in reading a good book.

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Little Game December 7, 2010

By Michael Gallagher HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm an hour into playing this game, and just now realized an hour has passed. That part concerns me, as the last thing I need is another addictive game to play!

This is a good, basic game of blackjack for your Kindle and the price was certainly right - Free! I did briefly try out the customizations, with the one touted in the game description to make the dealer hit on a soft 17, and will have to see what else it will let me do.

Why not give it a shot and download it to your Kindle? After all, it *is* free!

90 of 100 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Atari of Blackjack December 10, 2010

By George Angus

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you own a Kindle, you know it is a great device for reading books. It also displays some diversity in terms of some of the word games and such that have become available in the recent months. See my review for EveryWord.

While it is a little fun to do something on the Kindle other than just plain ol' reading, the bottom line is that in these early versions, the Kindle is not the best device in the world to play these kinds of games.

The 2nd generation's 5 way controller is just too finicky for these games. Also, every "deal" is accompanied by several flashes as parts of the screen refresh. Distracting at first, annoying after 20 minutes or so of play.

As a free download it is an okay thing to have on my Kindle. I wouldn't pay to download it though.