How to Play ‘Sette e Mezzo’: Blackjack’s Italian Variant

If you’re looking to try something a little different when enjoying some online casino time, Sette e Mezzo just might become your new favourite. 

It’s an Italian game where the strategy resembles Blackjack. In fact, the title literally translates as  ‘seven and a half’, as the main goal is to beat the dealer without going over a hand of seven and a half points. That being said, Sette e Mezzo has its differences, including rules, side bets, payouts and even card suits. 

Making Sense of the Deck

Sette e Mezzo doesn’t use the standard 52-card deck you’re probably familiar with. Instead, it plays with a 40-card Italian deck that might take a little getting used to. The suits are completely different, too. In the traditional version, you’ll see Denari (Coins), Coppe (Cups), Bastoni (Clubs), and Spade (Swords) — these are the classic Neapolitan suits.

Each suit comes with its own unique ranking system. The Asso (Ace) is worth one point, while the Re (King), Cavallo (Cavalier), and Fante (Jack) are each worth half a point.

As for the numbered cards from 2 to 7, those are nice and straightforward—they’re worth their face value in points.

Now, here’s where things get a bit more interesting: in the Coins suit, the King is actually a wild card. That means it can stand in for any number between 1 and 7, depending on what you need. And finally, if you’re aiming for the top hand, you’ll want a Sette e Mezzo Royal — that’s when you hit exactly seven and a half points, and one of your cards is the King of Coins.

Getting Started With Sette e Mezzo

So, now you’ve been familiarised with the deck, let’s move on and learn a bit about the basics. A game of Sette e Mezzo starts with players making their initial bets. This wager can be a main bet or one of two side bets. From here, the dealer places one card face up to the player and one face up to themselves. If the player gets a card that’s less than the dealer’s, the player will get another card. This will keep happening until the player’s card is higher in value. When the player gets to this point, they have to make the classic blackjack decision – do they hit or stand? 

Available Side Bets

So what are the side bets in a game of Sette e Mezzo? Well, there’s two types, Partita Perfetta (Perfect Pairs) or Mano di Poker (poker hand), which resembles 21+3. The first side bet is pretty simple — you’re betting that the player’s and dealer’s first cards will be a matching pair.

The second one’s a bit more like poker: it’s based on the player’s first two cards plus the dealer’s first card forming a classic poker hand. And yep, just like in poker, the Royal Flush is the best of the best — nothing beats it.

Playing Online or Live — Which Is Better?

Sette e Mezzo is actually a very popular game, and can be played with both RNG casino game format as well as with a live dealer. The regular online casino version is perfect for casual players who like to dip into games when they get the itch. 

Those who enjoy the casino experience sway towards the live casino games. Here, dealers use authentic Italian decks, which definitely adds to the atmosphere. 

Where to Play Online Sette e Mezzo

When people think of online card games, blackjack and poker typically come to mind. But many of the top online casinos offer RNG  Sette e Mezzo, as well as live dealer games. When choosing the platform to try your luck, however, make sure you use a licensed and trusted site, which prioritises fair gaming and payouts. Let’s face it, playing isn’t so fun if you’re worried you’re being cheated.