Live Blackjack Online Vs Real Dealers

Live blackjack is the most popular casino table game played versus house!

In almost every land-based casino it is the centre of attention usually with multiple tables taking up prime floor space. Blackjack is also an immensely popular online casino game; especially the live dealer version whereby players pitch their card skills against a real-life dealer on a live table with live cards via a live webcam stream.

The entire experience of live dealer blackjack is there to give players an authentic gameplay experience that is as close to playing the game in a land-based casino as possible without having to visit one.

It is also an amazingly easy game to learn. Players bet real money or crypto with the aim of beating the dealer’s hand without going bust. The best hands to go up against the dealer with are those as close to 21 as possible which is why you will also see some people refer to Blackjack as ‘21’. During your journey into playing the world’s most popular casino card game, you discover more about which hand totals fair up bets versus the dealer’s card by becoming a connoisseur of basic strategy.

Play Blackjack using your domestic currency: If you  choose a live casino that targets citizens from your country, you can play Blackjack using your local currency. On the best live dealer sites page here, you will find platforms that accept GBP, NZD, CAD, ZAR, INR, EUR, AUD and/or cryptocurrency.

Blackjack card values guide

One of the first and easiest aspects of learning blackjack is understanding the value of each card and the total of each hand. It is amazingly simple. The 10 picture cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are all worth 10 points. All other cards are worth the points printed on the card, i.e. 2 = 2 points, 5 = 5 points, and 8 = 8 points. Therefore, if the dealer deals your hand with a K-4, your hand total is 14, or a K-10 has a total of 20.

Special Rule: The Ace is worth either 1 or 11 which entirely depends on your blackjack hand total

Explanation of blackjack card values

• All cards from 2 to 10 use the total according to the displayed value
• Picture cards i.e. Jack, Queen and King are each worth 10 points
• An ace is worth 1 or 11 points, depending on your blackjack hand

An A-4 would be either 5 or 15. You will always hit a 15 hand and if a 6 comes up, you have 21. However, if a 10 comes out after you hit, then you will have 25, and so you would count the Ace as a 1-total instead making the hand total 11 to which you will hit again looking for a 10 to make 21.

Blackjack: If you have an Ace-10, then the Ace always counts as 11 as this gives you the highest hand in blackjack which is ironically enough called ‘Blackjack’

Live Blackjack – Hard Vs Soft Hands

You will often hear blackjack players refer to hard hands and soft hands. Understanding the difference is important for when the time comes to use ‘basic strategy’ as part of your blackjack gaming.

• Soft Hand: A soft hand can never go bust when you hit the next card. All hands with an Ace are soft because even with A-9 you cannot bust. Likewise, a 5-6 is a soft hand because no cards can bust this total. It is also important to understand the ‘soft hand’ concept because you will often hear the rule, ‘Dealer Stands on Soft 17’. That means if the house hand shows A-6, A-3-3, or A-2-4, the dealer must stand–also referred to as S17 tables.
• Hard Hand: A hard hand is the exact opposite of a soft hand. If you hit, then you risk the hand busting out. For example, a hand that totals 12 or more without an Ace is a ‘hard hand’. A single 10-card could bust this total. As only ‘10’ busts this total, it is a low-risk hard hand. Therefore, the higher the total of the hard hand, the higher the chances of your hand going over 21 and bust. For example, the dreaded ‘16’ total is a ‘hard hand’ has a high risk of busting out and that you will nearly always ‘hit’ this total.

Number of decks on a blackjack table

Each blackjack table uses a set number of decks depending on the casino or software provider hosting the blackjack table. The higher the number of decks, the higher the house advantage, which means the higher the house edge and the lower your RTP. For this reason, most blackjack tables will use 6-deck or 8-deck shoes these days, however, you can still find single-deck and double-deck games as they are popular by demand.

With single-deck games, you gain a percentage advantage over the house edge, but you may find the casino pulls back some of the house edge by changing other rules on the table such as double down and split rules. This is why 6-deck and 8-deck games are still often preferred by blackjack players because they offer more liberal rules, while games with a lower number of decks generally offer less than liberal rules in order to bring the house edge back in their favour.

Worth Knowing: Single deck and double deck games often restrict splits and double downs to gain an advantage back over the player to make up for house edge lost by using a low number of decks. On the other hand, 6-deck and 8-deck tables tend to offer more flexibility!

The process of playing blackjack

When you sit at a blackjack table, the first step is to choose your bet size according to the min/max bets allowed. Each player places his/her bet, and the dealer deals 2 faceup cards to each player starting with dealer’s left most seat (your rightmost seat). The dealer finally deals 1 faceup and 1 facedown card (except for variants such as ‘Double Exposure’ where the dealer shows both faceup cards).

Each seat takes a turn getting their card as close to 21 as possible. The most common options are to ‘hit’ or ‘stand’, while additional rules on the table may allow you to ‘split’, ‘double down’, ‘surrender’, or take ‘insurance’. You should always use a ‘basic strategy’ chart to help decide your next move. Once your move is over and the other players’ finish their turn to act, the dealer will then reveal the facedown card.

Dealer ‘Hit or Stand’ Rules: The dealer can only ‘hit’ or ‘stand’ and there are 2 different rules that dictate the dealer’s move. These are (H17) and (S17). The ‘S17’ rules means the dealer must stand even if the ‘17’ is a ‘soft 17’ hand – this means ‘Dealer Stands on All 17s’. The ‘H17’ rule means the dealer hits ‘soft 17’ by counting the Ace as a 1.

Bet behind feature on live dealer blackjack tables

On live dealer blackjack tables online, you will rarely find it difficult to find a seat at a blackjack table, plus you will have multiple variants of blackjack available to play. However, some players prefer to play on a table with their ‘lucky dealer’ or they just prefer a particular dealer. If the table is full, then you can click to queue for the next available seat. Meanwhile you can bet on the outcome of other player’s hands at the table by using a ‘Bet Behind’ feature to keep you busy while you wait.

Getting paid playing blackjack

On almost all blackjack table variants the reward for a winning hand is ‘even odds’ and for blackjack the reward is ‘3-2’. If you bust your hand or the dealer beats your hand with a higher total, the house wins your bet. If the dealer busts and your hand did not, you automatically win while you also win if the dealer cannot beat your hand total.

Even odds mean that if you bet £/€/$ 10.00 and win, you get your £/€/$ 10.00 returned plus an additional £/€/$ 10.00 totalling £/€/$ 20.00. If you bet £/€/$ 10.00 and land blackjack 21, then you receive your £/€/$ 10.00 bet plus an additional £/€/$ 15.00 totalling £/€/$ 25.00 returned.

Some tables variants of blackjack have different payouts. The worst is the Blackjack pays ‘6-5’. Avoid these tables at all costs because the house edge increases by 2%! On the other hand, tables such as ‘Double Exposure’ pay even odds on blackjack because you gain a considerable advantage by seeing both the dealer’s cards from the offset.

Dealer Checking for Blackjack (‘Peek’ Vs ‘No Peek’): If the dealer has an Ace up card, there are 2 rules that could apply. ‘No Peek’ means the dealer asks players if they want to take ‘insurance’ and players continue as normal. ‘Peek’ rules mean the house automatically wins if the house hand has blackjack. Surprisingly, the ‘No Peek’ rule gives the house a 0.62% edge!

• If the dealer busts and your hand is in play you win 1-1
• If you beat the house total after the dealer hand ends, you win 1-1
• If you hit blackjack, you receive 3-2
• If you bust, the house auto wins without playing
• Avoid tables with Blackjack pays 6-5

Table limits on live dealer blackjack tables online

You can easily find low to high stake live dealer blackjack games from Evolution, Ezugi, Playtech, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Microgaming, and other live dealer platform providers. The lowest stakes you will find are £/€/$ 0.50 while commonly most tables prefer to set the minimum for Blackjack at around £/€/$ 1.00 per bet. For high rollers, the stakes can go as high as £/€/$ 100,000 per bet which are generally available on private and/or VIP tables. The Evolution Salon Privé Blackjack tables have a reputation for their huge min-max bet ranges with 4 to 5 digit bet limits.

A brief guide to using blackjack basic strategy

The only way to play winning blackjack is to use ‘Basic Strategy’. There are numerous basic strategy charts available that apply to different variants of the game which we will explain. Basic strategy is a set of charts that tell you whether you should ‘hit’, ‘stand’, ‘double’, ‘split’, or ‘surrender’ according to your hand total versus the dealer’s 1 up card. There are 2 key points you should take note of when choosing to play blackjack using basic strategy.

• Mathematics/House Edge: Basic strategy is a mathematically proven approach to playing certain hands versus the dealer’s up card. If you do not play blackjack using basic strategy, then you will likely giveaway around 2% of the house edge to the house without realising. Even the famous MIT card counting team used basic strategy to filter millions of dollars from casinos globally – that is how important it is!
• Correct Basic Strategy: You should always choose the correct basic strategy charts or once again, you could end up giving away house edge. Choosing the correct chart depends on 3 main factors. How many decks are in the shoe, can you double down after you split, and does the dealer ‘hit’ or ‘stand’ on soft 17. To identify the correct basic strategy charts for the live blackjack table you are playing, you will need to check the rules.

Live Dealer Blackjack players online have an advantage: Most blackjack players in land-based casinos need to memorise basic strategy but online live blackjack players can simply print it out for referral or use a dual screen set up to display basic strategy charts on another screen!

Want to know more about basic strategy and playing with blackjack bonuses? Learning basic strategy using demo mode games is the best way to start for beginners. The next step is then learning how to use bonuses to get the max value out of playing blackjack with basic strategy. You can read more on this topic here via the Livecasinocentral Why Claim Blackjack Bonuses and Promotions? guide.

Split rules playing blackjack

Depending on how liberal a blackjack table’s split rules are, you can gain an advantage over the house. There are several ways a table will allow you to implement splits from liberal to non-liberal. Generally, the more decks in the show, the more liberal the split rules become. Below, we list some of the split rules you may come across and how each of these rules affects the house edge.

• Splitting Pairs Not Allowed: This is not a good rule and takes some of the fun out of playing blackjack. If you cannot split pairs, then the house gains a 0.45% advantage over the player.
• Splitting Aces Not Allowed: Some tables allow you to split any pair but not Aces, which is common. The house will gain a 0.16% advantage over the player with this rule in action.
• Re-split up to Two hands: When you split, you may find yourself with another pair when you hit. Some tables will allow you to Re-split again which gives you an added 0.1% advantage over the house.
• Re-split up to Three Hands: This is the same rule as above, and rare. However, when you happen to get a third opportunity to split and the house permits it, then you gain a 0.11% edge over the house.
• Re-split Aces Not Allowed: Some tables may allow you to Re-split multiple times, but the rule may restrict you from re-splitting Aces which gives the house a slight 0.1% advantage over the player.

Note: Splits are not free. When you split your hand, you will need to add another bet equal to the amount of your original bet. That is unless you are playing ‘Free Bet’ Blackjack where splits are free!

Different Variants of Live Blackjack Tables & their RTP

Live casinos are without a doubt the best place to learn about and play multiple variants of blackjack. There are 20+ live casino software providers all producing multiple blackjack variants with a mixture of different rules and gameplay.

Live casino manufacturers do have the same restrictions as land-based casinos have with their floor space. As such, live game providers such Evolution, Ezugi, Microgaming, and Playtech have multiple live dealer studios around the globe and they can fit in an array of blackjack table styles giving live casino players a diverse gaming experience.

• Infinite Blackjack: You never need to queue for a seat to sit at an Infinite Blackjack table. The unlimited tech means multiple players will all play the same hand but no one can see the decisions each player makes. If you ‘stand’ others playing the hand may ‘hit’. When there are no more active player hands, the dealer will then play and you get see whether your hand won or lost.
• Perfect Blackjack: This table allows you to automate some of your betting options, so you play according to basic strategy. Auto split and auto double downs. The dealer also helps you to play non-split and double games according to basic strategy, so you always make the right move. As such, this table comes with a 0.34% house edge which is a 99.66% RTP – surprisingly good!
• Power Blackjack: Power Blackjack is another brilliant Evolution variant. This is an 8-deck game with no 9s or 10s in the deck changing the game’s dynamics completely. You will need to find a whole new set of basic strategy tables for this game! This table also offers side bets. The game is incredibly fun and has a super low 0.23% house edge which is a 99.77% RTP.
• Free bet Blackjack: This blackjack game is part of Evolution’s collection and is an S17 NDAS game. It gives you free double down bets even after splits on 9, 10, 11 hands while also giving you real money double downs on all other totals. There are a couple of notes to make here. First, you can double down on any total, but for the free double down, the total must be 9, 10, or 11. Second, you get free splits up to 3 times. If you win your free bets, the house still pays you even though you did not place any money on the double down or split. Another noteworthy point to make is how Evolution covers the free bets. When the dealer busts with a 22, all winning hands will be ‘pushed’. As a result of these reasonably liberal rules, this popular live blackjack game gives you an RTP of 99.28% so the house edge is still high at 0.72%.
• Pragmatic Play Live Blackjack: This is an 8-deck game that gives you 2 decks worth of cards to card count in theory. Once the dealer reaches halfway through the shoe, he/she will reshuffle. It may be a small window for card counters, but it is a window! This is a ‘S17 DAS’ table and players can split pairs, aces, and double down on any total!

The best tips and tricks for playing live blackjack online

With this guide, you should now have a good idea of the different variations of rules, how the house edge is affected by different variations of these rules, and how important basic strategy is when playing blackjack. If you are new to blackjack, you should already have a good grounding on how each round of blackjack plays out. Below we quickly recap some of the points covered in this guide, while we will also continue to improve this guide as time goes on by adding new information.

12 of the best tips for blackjack players

• Always play blackjack using basic strategy charts
• Learn which basic strategy charts apply to the table(s) you want to play
• Understand how different rules affect the house edge
• Never split 10s i.e. except 10, Jack, Queen and King
• Do not take insurance bets – this is known as the ‘fools bet’
• Avoid side bets or do not include the in your blackjack calculations
• Play S17 table where it is possible
• Never play Blackjack pays 6-5 tables
• Play tables with double down on any rules
• Play on DAS tables where it is possible
• Play on tables with ‘early’ or ‘late’ surrender rule
• Take full advantage of single deck tables with liberal rules

Individual Betting Terms Used on Blackjack Tables

Live Blackjack Bonuses: Some live dealer iGaming platforms will offer bonuses for live blackjack games. Check our live casino reviews section here, where you’ll find that each of the establishments listed here come with a full live casino bonus breakdown.