Blackjack has one of the shortest rule sets in any casino, which is part of why the game of 21 has branched into so many forms. Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going bust, and that idea holds at every table.

What changes between variations is the detail around it, and that is where the arithmetic lives. Irish players will find a dozen or more versions side by side in one lobby, so knowing what separates them turns picking a table into a decision.

What changes from table to table

Almost every variation adjusts one of five things: how many decks sit in the shoe, whether the dealer takes a hole card (dealt face-down and hidden from other players), when doubling and splitting are allowed, whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17, and what a Blackjack pays. That last one matters most. A table paying 6:5 rather than the standard 3:2 costs more across a session than most of the rule tweaks advertised alongside it.

Where the variety sits in Ireland

Ireland has no conventional licensed casino sector. Land-based gaming runs through private members’ clubs, concentrated in Dublin, whose floors usually carry one or two tables on classic rules. Oversight of the wider sector falls to the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), set up under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. The breadth sits online instead, where an online blackjack lobby stocks software versions and live studio tables at once.

European blackjack

The default across Irish-facing lobbies, and the sensible starting point. Two decks, the dealer stands on soft 17, and doubling is usually restricted to hard totals of nine, 10 or 11.

The defining feature is the missing hole card: the dealer draws a second card only once every player has acted, so a doubled or split stake is lost in full if the dealer then completes a Blackjack. Played with the basic strategy tables, the house edge sits under 0.5%, among the lowest figures in the casino, though no method removes it.

Blackjack Switch

Two hands are dealt and you may swap the second card of each. Turning 10-6 and 5-10 into 10-10 and 5-6 is a real gift, so the game takes that value back elsewhere: a dealer total of 22 pushes instead of busting, and a blackjack pays 1:1 rather than 3:2. Swap only when both hands improve.

Spanish 21

Played with 48-card decks, all four 10-spot cards removed from each. In exchange the player rules are unusually generous: late surrender, doubling after a split, a bonus for reaching 21 with five cards or more, and a player 21 that always beats a dealer 21. The missing 10s pay for that, because good totals get harder to reach.

Live dealer formats

Studio tables are where the newer ideas appear. Infinite Blackjack seats any number of players on one hand, so nobody waits for a place.

Speed Blackjack deals to whoever acts fastest, which suits players who already know the tables. Power Blackjack allows doubling, tripling or quadrupling on any two cards, with all nines and 10s stripped from the shoe. Free Bet Blackjack covers certain doubles and splits, offset again by a dealer push on 22. Lightning Blackjack charges a fee on every hand and applies a random multiplier to winning ones.

Side bets and the house edge

Perfect Pairs pays when your first two cards match, more when the pair is suited. 21+3 pays when your two cards and the dealer’s up-card form a poker hand. Both are optional extras rather than games in their own right, and both carry a house edge several times higher than the hand they attach to. Treat them as decoration.

Choosing a table

Read the rules panel first. Every reputable operator publishes one. Stay with European or classic rules until basic strategy is second nature, then take on one variation at a time so each rule change is visible. Set a deposit limit and a session length before you sit down, use the reality checks your operator offers, and keep in mind that no variation is beatable over the long run. Gaming is for over-18s only.

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Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has also sold his stake, meaning Clearlake – led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano – have now acquired full control of the club.

Boehly, Walter and Wyss each had a 12.8% stake, with Clearlake previously owning 61.5% of the Blues.

American Boehly will leave his role as chairman, a position he has held since 2022, when the consortium bought the club for £2.3bn from Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 over alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin – something he has denied.

BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were exploring selling their stakes.

Multiple sources said talks started within Chelsea‘s ownership group after a rift, first apparent in 2024, led both sides to explore buying each other out.

Boehly, who is a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, said it had been an “honour” to serve as Chelsea chairman.

“I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans,” he added.

“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

Since the takeover in 2022, Chelsea‘s highest Premier League finish is fourth in 2024-25, with the club also winning the Uefa Conference League and Fifa Club World Cup that season.

The club have also had a remarkably high turnover of players over the past four years, with the initial strategy focusing on signing young players to long-term contracts.

Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as their manager in the summer.

Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, saying he will “always be a part of the Chelsea story and family”.

They added their focus is to “continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters”.

Chelsea have ongoing plans either to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, which sources say had created tension at times between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake.

A club statement said there will be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club” as a result of Clearlake assuming full control.

Walter, the co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Guggenheim Partners, where Boehly also began his financial career, last month sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5bn (£9.23bn) – a year after buying a majority stake in the NBA franchise.

Separately, US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating companies in Walter’s business empire.

Medallists at the 2026 Asian Games will receive a direct route to the 2027 World Boxing Championships as part of the Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) selection policy for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification cycle.

The Asian Games medallists will be the main entries in their respective weight categories for the World Championships in Kazakhstan, which will serve as the first qualifying event for the 2028 Olympics.

The BFI’s four-stage pathway will then move through the Asian Qualifier in China and two World Qualifying Tournaments in 2028. The policy is aimed at creating a structured selection process while giving Indian boxers multiple opportunities to secure Olympic quotas.

Asian Games medallists get priority

Under the selection criteria announced by the BFI, a medallist at the 2026 Asian Games will be selected as the main entry in the corresponding weight category for the 2027 World Boxing Championships.

The gold medallist from the 10th Elite National Championships will serve as the reserve in that category. This gives Asian Games medallists a clear advantage in the first stage of India’s qualification pathway for Los Angeles 2028.

The BFI said the selection policy has been framed to maintain fairness and transparency while ensuring that performances at major international competitions are given due importance.

World Championships first step towards LA 2028

The 2027 World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan will be the first qualifying event in the four-stage pathway established under the qualification system developed by World Boxing and approved by the International Olympic Committee.

The Asian Qualifier in China will follow the World Championships, while two further World Qualifying Tournaments are scheduled to be held in 2028 in Italy and Hungary.

The BFI has said the selection criteria for 2027-28 are a continuation of the framework issued on December 8, 2025, and have been aligned with the Olympic qualification system.

The federation’s approach also provides a pathway for boxers who come close to securing an Olympic quota at the World Championships.

Boxers get further opportunities after Worlds

Boxers who reach the quota-bout round at the World Championships but fail to secure an Olympic quota will receive direct entry to the Asian Qualifier.

The remaining places will be decided through a Ranking Selection Trial among elite national campers after the boxers enter the National Coaching Camp through the prescribed selection pathways.

A similar mechanism will be used for the two World Qualifying Tournaments in 2028, giving boxers who remain in contention additional opportunities to compete for Olympic quotas.

BFI president Ajay Singh said the policy was designed to give Indian boxers a clear route to Los Angeles while placing emphasis on sustained performances at the National Coaching Camp and World Boxing qualification events.

“This policy has been framed to give our boxers a clear and structured route to Los Angeles 2028, built around consistent performance at the National Coaching Camp and at World Boxing’s qualification events,” Singh said.

National camp to include multiple pathways

The National Coaching Camp will initially include the medallists of the 10th Elite National Championships, Asian Games medallists and wild-card selections made by the BFI Selection Committee, in accordance with the provisions of the policy.

The selection structure also covers non-Olympic weight categories. In those categories, the gold medallist from the 10th Elite National Championships will be the main entry for the 2027 World Championships, while the silver medallist will serve as the reserve.

The BFI’s selection framework therefore links performances at the Asian Games and national championships with subsequent international qualification opportunities, with the 2027 World Championships marking the first major step on India’s road to the Los Angeles Olympics.

After watching the Dallas Cowboys start off the 2026 NFL season with a loss to the New York Giants, one former “America’s Team” star is taking shots at team owner Jerry Jones.

Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens, who spent two of his 15 years in the NFL with Dallas, took time on his newly launched “Get To The Point” podcast to speak on the 83-year-old Jones, whom he believes is too worried about headlines and keeping his franchise relevant than actually winning a Super Bowl like he says he wants.

In fact, he invoked President Donald Trump while discussing Jones’ mindset.

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

“At the end of the day, he’s not worried about wins and losses,” Owens said of Jones. “Fans out there, it’s not about wins and losses for him. It’s about the bottom line and the bottom dollar. As long as you guys keep buying Dallas Cowboy merch, he’s raking in dollars. As long as he’s putting a decent product on the field and giving you guys hope that every year is the year, you guys keep buying it.

“He’s just like Donald Trump – he’ll just say anything, and a lot of people are eating it up and think it’s going to be true. Stop it.”

Owens continued by saying that Jones is selling Cowboys fans “a fantasy,” and even claimed that the longtime owner is showing signs of “narcissism” as he has noted many times he won’t ever relinquish his power atop the Cowboys’ organizational chart.

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“Jerry Jones is really selling all these Cowboy fans. He’s selling them a fantasy. He’s selling them a dream,” Owens said. “Jerry, I cannot deny, he is a great salesman. He needs to relinquish some of the control that he has with the team and allow some other people to step in place.”

To Owens’ point, Jones has taken the Cowboys to new heights since purchasing the team for $140 million in February 1989. Success quickly followed, as the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1993, 1994 and 1996, which restored the team’s previous glory after Dallas won Super Bowl VI (1972) and Super Bowl XII (1978) prior to Jones’ ownership.

Former wide receiver Terrell Owens gestures to the crowd before the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Dec. 6, 2021. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)

But the Cowboys have not made it back to the Super Bowl since that 1996 win, and the supporters of “America’s Team” are desperate to see it happen. Each season, it feels the Cowboys have the chance to do so, but they’ve either fallen short in the playoffs, or worse, missed the postseason entirely.

However, the Cowboys remain one of the most valued teams in all of American sports since Jones purchased the club. According to Sportico, the team is valued at an estimated $15.5 billion if he were to sell it today. Forbes recently valued the franchise higher at $17 billion.

Either way, it’s the most valuable team in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on before the game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)

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But is Jones too worried about that bottom line, as Owens mentioned, instead of winning? He did admit disappointment about how the season began in Week 1, but he said that the team remains “optimistic” for its playoff and Super Bowl chances in 2026.

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Michael Carrick labelled Manchester United’s historic collapse against Brighton & Hove Albion “unacceptable” as he took the blame their elimination from the Carabao Cup.

For the first time since 1976, United lost at Old Trafford after going 2-0 up as Brighton staged a remarkable comeback to win 3-2.

Carrick said he did not feel under pressure after United’s poor start to the season but admitted there were no excuses for their capitulation against Fabian Hurzeler’s side.

He said: “We can’t accept that as a group. I take responsibility for it. The game today for what it is, if we fully accept it, I totally take responsibility. We can’t put ourselves in that position after being ahead in the game and the game finishing like it did.

“The feeling at the start of the game to the feeling at the end of the game couldn’t have been further apart. So we’ve got to accept that the game can’t go in that direction from where we were.”

There is increased scrutiny on Carrick, who was given the head coach’s job in the summer, but only on a two-year contract. He insisted: “I don’t feel under pressure. Either way, that doesn’t bother me one bit. When we win, people say I’m doing a good job, and if we don’t win or we don’t get results, then a lot of it’s on me. So I accept that, I’m not hiding away from any of that. That is what it is.”

Carrick accepted United’s problems have spiralled in the last couple of weeks, as they conceded a 96th-minute equaliser to Everton and then lost a Manchester derby.

He explained: “A couple of smallish things end up accumulating into, it feels bigger. It’s happened over a period of a couple of weeks where there’s a lot of frustration and disappointment around and we need to flip that and start winning games again.”

Carrick admitted United, who travel to Fulham next, need a response as soon as possible but is confident he can get improved results.

“We have to find the answers for Sunday,” he said. “Of course we can turn it around. We’ve got some really good players and it feels bad at the moment because we haven’t had a great week, you know, or two or three weeks. But it doesn’t mean you can’t win another game of football quickly.”

The ex-Manchester United star’s career really hasn’t hit the heights since he left – and things looked very bleak for him on Wednesday night as Aston Villa sailed through in the Carabao Cup

Former Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho has been told he’s ‘finished’ and isn’t fancied by Unai Emery after being left on the bench during Aston Villa’s comfortable Carabao Cup win on Wednesday night. The clash against Coventry City was highlighted as a chance for the forward to impress, but he was an unused substitute, leaving fans baffled by his exclusion.

Garnacho knew he wouldn’t get on the pitch with around 15 minutes of the match remaining when Emery used all five of his changes available. He joined Villa on loan from Chelsea in the summer, but has barely played for his new club.

He has, in fact, been an unused substitute for the last three games in all competitions. And that has not been lost on fans on social media, who fear Garnacho’s career may be declining already.

“Garnacho is really finished, still can’t start a cup game?” One said. A second added: “Is Garnacho finished here already?” Others aimed jibes at the 22-year-old, highlighting similarities with Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who endured a torrid loan spell at Villa last season.

“Garnacho is 100% Harvey Elliott Mk II,” a third said, referring to Elliott’s unsuccessful loan at Villa Park from Liverpool last season. A fourth added: “Garnacho must really be doing something wrong.”

Former Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore wrote: “No Garnacho at all tonight. That last chance saloon closing time is edging ever near.”

The decision not to put Garnacho on the pitch was made despite Villa leading 3-1 for most of the second half. Emery instead opted to turn to Emiliano Buendia, Nicolas Jackson, Johan Manzambi and Alysson.

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Garnacho completed a £40 million move from United to Chelsea in the summer of 2025. He has struggled to make an impact since his exit from Old Trafford.

Last season, he made 43 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. However, most of those appearances came from the bench, leading to him moving to Villa on loan in search of more regular game time.

The 22-year-old came up through the youth teams at United after moving from Atletico Madrid in 2020. During his time at Old Trafford, he played 144 first-team games, scoring 26 goals and providing 22 assists before falling out of favour and pushing a move away from the club.

Despite suspicions that Emery doesn’t rate him, the Villa boss insisted there is a long-term plan after admitting the forward needs to improve. “We want him at the same level he was for Chelsea in the first part of last season and in Manchester two years ago,” he said.

“He is a player we have signed for a long time, and we will help him to feel comfortable and confident to get his quality,” said Unai Emery, Aston Villa manager.

“First is positive – his attitude. His attitude is very important, he is getting the commitment we need to achieve it.”

Claim the latest FanDuel promo code to get up to $350 in bonus bets when you bet $5+ for seven days, with options available for sports like the NFL, college football, MLB, golf, soccer and more. While baseball and soccer own the day on Wednesday, the NFL returns on Thursday with Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions, followed by Week 3 college football action with big matchups like Houston vs. Texas Tech and LSU vs. Ole Miss. According to the latest NFL odds at FanDuel, the Bills are favored by 4.5 points at home against the Lions. Click here to get started at FanDuel and get up to $350 in bonus bets:

Go to the FanDuel promo code review page for a full breakdown of the terms and conditions of this offer. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every college football, NFL and MLB game 10,000 times, can help bettors make well-informed picks. Anybody following its advice when making plays on the best betting apps could have seen strong returns. 

Best bets at FanDuel for Wednesday

• Bills vs. Lions Over 54.5 (-114)
• Ole Miss +3.5 vs. LSU (-122)

Bills vs. Lions Over 54.5 (-114)

Thursday Night Football has the makings of a fantastic game in Week 2 as the Buffalo Bills host the Detroit Lions in the first contest at the new Highmark Stadium. Both teams enter Week 2 at 1-0 after Buffalo defeated the Houston Texans 36-31 and Detroit survived a 31-30 scare from the New Orleans Saints. Between the new stadium opening up and the arrival of new top wideout DJ Moore, expectations are high in Buffalo this season with fans growing anxious to see Josh Allen finally reach a Super Bowl. For the Lions, head coach Dan Campbell will be eager to improve on last season’s disappointing 9-8 mark. The SportsLine model has the Over hitting 57% of the time. Bet on the NFL and more with the FanDuel promo code and get $350 in bonus bets:

Ole Miss +3.5 vs. LSU (-122)

“It just means more” is the common refrain about the SEC, but there will be all kinds of meaning attached to Saturday’s No. 7 LSU vs. No. 8 Ole Miss game. The primetime showcase marks the return of former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin to Oxford after Kiffin defected to Baton Rouge just before the Rebs’ College Football Playoff run last season. Ole Miss managed to make the semifinals without him, and Kiffin hasn’t exactly grown more popular on the national stage since his tenure with the Tigers began. Between Kiffin’s return and the expected battle between Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks in LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, this could be one of the best games of the season. The Rebels cover a 3-point spread in 61% of the model’s simulations and win outright in 53%. Bet on college football and more with the FanDuel promo code and get $350 in bonus bets:

Want more picks for Wednesday?

You’ve seen some of the model’s and SportsLine team of experts’ best bets. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for all games, including NFL, MLB, college football, and more, all from the SportsLine Projection Model, which has simulated every game 10,000 times. 

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Quordle Answers (September 17, 2026): Struggling to solve today’s Quordle? No worries. We have today’s Quordle hints and answers for you to solve it on your own!

If you’re a fan of word puzzles, you probably already know that Quordle is a more challenging version of Wordle. Instead of guessing just one word, Quordle requires you to guess four five-letter words simultaneously within nine attempts.

We’ll offer a few hints to nudge you in the right direction for solving today’s Quordle (September 17, 2026) on your own. If you’re still struggling, we’ll reveal the Quordle answers as well.

Oh, and yes, we also have today’s answers for Quordle Chill and Quordle Extreme modes. And if you still want more, we have the answers for Quordle Sequence and the Quordle Weekly Challenge.

Ready to tackle today’s Quordle? Let’s dive in!

WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Only read on if you want to know today’s Quordle answers.

PS: We’re revealing the Quordle answers for Thursday, September 17, 2026. If you’re looking for yesterday’s answers, find Quordle answers for Wednesday, September 16, 2026 here .

Today’s Daily Quordle Hints

Let’s start with the Daily Quordle. Here are a few hints to help you solve the puzzles:

Daily Quordle Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

• The first word (top-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
• The second word (top-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
• The third word (bottom-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!

Daily Quordle Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

• The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
• The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
• The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters

Daily Quordle Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

• The first word (top-left) starts with “”.
• The second word (top-right) starts with “”.
• The third word (bottom-left) starts with “”.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “”.

If you still need help with today’s Quordle Answer, you can try our Wordle Solver. Although it was built for Wordle, it can still help you narrow down the possible answers for Quordle as well.

Today’s Daily Quordle Answers

Spoiler alert: The Daily Quordle answers for today are provided below.

Are you ready?

Today’s Quordle answers for Thursday, September 17, 2026, are:

If you managed to crack all four, great job! If not, don’t sweat it—there’s always another chance with tomorrow’s puzzles. If you can’t wait till tomorrow, the Quordle game has many modes that you can try today. And yes, we have the answers and hints to help you out here as well.

Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Hints

The Daily: Chill mode gives you 12 tries to get the 4 words. Here are some Quordle hints to help you get started.

Quordle Chill Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

• The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
• The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
• The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.

Quordle Chill Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

• The first word (top-left) has 1 letter repeated twice
• The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
• The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice

Quordle Chill Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

• The first word (top-left) starts with “P”.
• The second word (top-right) starts with “W”.
• The third word (bottom-left) starts with “E”.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “H”.

Those are today’s Quordle hints for the Daily: Chill mode.

Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Answers

If you haven’t solved it yet, we have the Quordle answers for the Chill mode right here.

Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Chill mode for Thursday, September 17, 2026, are:

Previous Quordle Answers

Looking for the answers to the previous Quordle puzzles? Here is a list of answers for Quordle’s Daily: Classic mode for the last 7 days:

Quordle Answers – 16 September 2026:

Quordle Answers – 15 September 2026:

Quordle Answers – 14 September 2026:

Quordle Answers – 13 September 2026:

Quordle Answers – 12 September 2026:

Quordle Answers – 11 September 2026:

Quordle Answers – 10 September 2026:

If your thirst for word games hasn’t been quenched yet, may I suggest Blossom? It’s available on Merriam-Webster — the same place you’re playing Quordle. If you need help in this game, you can use our Spelling Bee Solver tool. Yes, we made it for a different game but it works for Blossom.

We also have the answers for many word games you can play on NYT Games. Check out today’s Connections Helper or Crossword Answers for NYT Mini.