LastEnd Blackjack for Windows

LastEnd's Blackjack lets you hone your skills at 21 without risk since "bets" involve no money, though glory can be yours if you earn and share a high score. You play against a dealer and bet against the house. You can press "Deal" to start a new hand, "Hit" for more cards, "Stand" to bet your current hand, and "Double" to double the bet. Blackjack requires up-to-date DirectX controls as well as Microsoft XNA Framework, but the game's installer can also install or update those features, too.

Between our firewall, antivirus software, and DirectX and XNA downloads (not to mention other optional downloads we declined), it took some clicking to get to Blackjack's card tale green interface displaying the Dealer's hand above the player's hand alongside a high score list (one player "won" $143,560!) and sandwiched between toolbars. There's a fullscreen view and handy checkbox to show or hide hot keys.

We set our bet level on the sliding scale and pressed "Deal." If you're unfamiliar with 21, also known as Blackjack, the object is to draw cards totaling 21 (or close to it) without going over. Tying the Dealer returns your bet. It's entirely too easy, which is why we like playing it at home on our PC rather than at a casino! But we had a blast practicing our skills with LastEnd's Blackjack, including the satisfaction of pulling a lucky 2 card on a risky bet we'd never make with real money. For a risk-free Blackjack fix, steer clear of Lost Wages and try this free game.

• Added more card image settings (3 more Options).
• Added deck count setting (1-5).