Blackjack

**Blackjack** is a casino minigame found in a number of *Trails*-series games. It resembles the real world card game, blackjack.

## Cards

*Main article: Playing cards*
All games are played with a single shuffled deck of 52 standard playing cards. Card art represents callbacks to various different Falcom games.

## Values

In blackjack, each card has a **value**, and the sum of the values on each side produces the hand's **sum**. In all variants, the goal is to have a higher sum than the dealer without exceeding 21 (a **bust**). The dealer will also bust by exceeding 21, and they are forced to follow rules that may make them liable to bust in some situations, so the player should pay attention to their opponent's sum as well.

The 2- through 10-numbered cards have the value of their number. The Jack, Queen, and King also have the value 10. The Ace has the value of 1 or 11, whichever is higher but does not make the sum exceed 21 (when possible). Card suits (marks) have no relevance to the value of cards, but are assessed for bonuses from specific hands.

## Hands

While most variants do not have a concept of **hands**, the *Trails in the Sky SC* variant assesses hands when deciding the medal **rate** value that is multiplied by the bet medals to make the **prize medal** amount.

## Lavantar

In *Trails in the Sky SC*, the player may play blackjack with Gunter in the Lavantar Casino & Bar casino room. This is a standard game of blackjack with the player against the dealer.

The player is dealt one face up card and one face down card, followed by the dealer their own face up and face down card. The player then places a **bet** between **1** and **100 medals**, given this knowledge of two of the four cards. The medals are now the **prize medal** value, which will be multiplied for the payout.

The player now has placed their bet and it is now their turn to play. They flip their face down card and the sum is now known. If it is 21, it is a **"BLACKJACK"** and the player's turn will end and the dealer will have the chance to only match it.

The player can choose one of four commands:

* **"HIT"**: Deal another card. The player can do this as many times as they like while their sum is less than 21.
* **"STAND"**: End the player turn. No further cards will be drawn for the player.
* **"DOUBLE DOWN"**: Only available first command. Deal one more card and then end the player turn. The prize medals will be doubled in exchange.
* **"SURRENDER"**: Only available first command. End the player turn and lose the round. In exchange, half the prize medals (rounded down) will be returned.

If "HIT" or "DOUBLE DOWN" is chosen and the dealt card causes the sum to exceed 21, the player will lose the round regardless of the dealer's sum. This is a **"BUST"**.

When the player's turn ends with a "BUST", "STAND", or "SURRENDER" condition, it is then the dealer's turn to play.

The dealer will then:

* HIT: The dealer will continue to choose this if their sum is 16 or lower.
* STAND: The dealer will choose this if their sum is 17 or above.

The dealer will always do these and will not DOUBLE DOWN or SURRENDER, and BUSTs if they exceed 21.

The sum closest to 21 without exceeding wins. If the sums are the same, it is a **"DRAW"** and all prize medals are returned.

Should the dealer deal themself six or more cards before reaching 21, the player automatically wins. If the sums are the same and both hands have "BLACKJACK" (exactly 21), the winner is based on the **hand**, where Pure Blackjack is better than Queenjack is better than any other Blackjack. If the tier of blackjack is still the same, it is a **"DRAW"**. Should the player get any higher hand bonus (Three-Seven, Six Card, or Seven Card), the player automatically wins.

In summary, the ending conditions of this round are:

* "BUSTED": If the player exceeds a sum of 21. Prize medals are lost.
* "LOSE": If the dealer's sum is greater than the player's sum, or the dealer has a better blackjack than the player (Pure Blackjack is better than Queenjack is better than any other Blackjack). Prize medals are lost.
* "SURRENDER": If the player chose to surrender as their first action. Half (rounded down) prize medals are returned.
* "DRAW": If the dealer's sum is the same as the player's sum, or the dealer has the same blackjack as the player. Prize medals are returned.
* "WIN": If the player's sum is greater than the dealer's sum, or the player has a better blackjack. Prize medals are multiplied by the **rate** and winnings are returned.

Bets do not stack across rounds and the player is only asked to play again or to stop.

## Gambler Jack

*Main article: The Casino -Gambler Jack-*
    In *Trails in the Sky the 3rd*, the player may play blackjack against Halle in Sun Door 4: "The Casino -Gambler Jack-". The player is not playing for medals, and instead is playing rounds against Halle in a very similar way as the Lavantar variant. The seven **stars** shown on the top represent round wins, and start out all empty (gray). They are filled from the left for wins by Halle (red) and by the player (blue). If either player reaches four stars (wins), the game ends with them as the victor.

The player and Halle are dealt the same as the Lavantar variant as if Halle is the dealer, but no bets are placed.

The player's cards are immediately revealed and the player has only two commands this time:

* **"HIT"**: Deal another card. The player can do this as many times as they like while their sum is less than 21.
* **"STAND"**: End the player turn. No further cards will be drawn for the player.

The other two commands relied on the mechanics of bets, and are not present.

Halle then has the same choices and will behave in the same way as the Lavantar dealer, only using "HIT" if 16 or lower, then "STAND" (if she didn't bust).

As before, the sum closest to 21 without exceeding wins. The winner gains a star. If the sums are the same, or both Halle and the player bust, nobody gains a star.

There are only the special hands **Blackjack** and **Seven Cards**. Seven Cards (getting dealt seven cards without exceeding 21) beats Blackjack (getting dealt two cards: any Ace and any 10-valued card) beats any other hand, regardless of their sum.

The goal is to gain four stars with successive rounds without Halle gaining four. If the player loses to Halle, the door allows you to retry.

## Barca

    In *Trails from/to Zero* and *Azure*, the player may play blackjack against Galletti in the Barca Casino. This is a standard game of blackjack with the player against the dealer. The five **stars** shown on the top represent the **round number**, which affects the payout. To play, the game always deducts **5 medals** from the inventory as a bet.

The player is dealt one face up card and one face down card, followed by the dealer their own face up and face down card. It is then the player's turn. They flip their face down card and the sum is now known. If it is 21, it is a **"BLACKJACK"** and the player's turn will end and the dealer will have the chance to only match it.

The player can choose one of three commands:

* **"HIT"**: Deal another card. The player can do this as many times as they like while their sum is less than 21.
* **"STAND"**: End the player turn. No further cards will be drawn for the player.
* Surrender: Available by trying to cancel out of the game. End the player turn and lose the round and all medals bet, and the streak.

If "HIT" is chosen and the dealt card causes the sum to exceed 21, the player will lose the round regardless of the dealer's sum. This is a **"BUST"**.

When the player's turn ends with a "BUST", "STAND", or "SURRENDER" condition, it is then the dealer's turn to play.

The dealer will then:

* HIT: The dealer will continue to choose this if their sum is 16 or lower.
* STAND: The dealer will choose this if their sum is 17 or above.

The dealer will always do these and will not SURRENDER, and BUSTs if they exceed 21.

The sum closest to 21 without exceeding wins. If the sums are the same, the round is a draw.

There are only the special hands **Blackjack** and **Seven Cards**. Seven Cards (getting dealt seven cards without exceeding 21) beats Blackjack (getting dealt two cards: any Ace and any 10-valued card) beats any other hand, regardless of their sum.

* If the player won the round, the player is asked whether to continue with the next round. If they choose not to continue, the round payout is given out immediately. If they successfully win **round 5**, they get the final round payout and the game ends.
* If it was a draw or both sides busted, the round stays the same and the dealer deals again.
* If the dealer won the round, the game ends and all prize medals are lost.

The payouts are as follows.

 2
 3
 4
 5