Blackjack is the jewel of online casinos and having the opportunity to play it with live dealers is something you don’t want to pass on. If many years ago you had to travel to land-based casinos to play Live Blackjack, nowadays these games are only a click away and they have more to offer than you can imagine.
There are countless advantages to playing at online casinos, starting with the huge number of tables and games variations and all the way to special offers to boost your bankroll. This article will walk you through the most popular live dealer blackjack sites and tell you how to make the most of your gaming experience.
Software Platforms and the Different Settings and Features
As I mentioned earlier, there are certain notable differences between live dealer blackjack tables powered by Evolution Gaming, Playtech, NetEnt, and Microgaming. Some tables will allow you to split up to 3 times, double on any two cards and you can even receive half of your bet in certain situations. Here is an overview of the different rules, settings and sidebets:
Evolution Gaming Blackjack – I already mentioned about the bet behind, but what you should know about this feature is that there are also pre-decision setting that will help you predefine the options in case the player you are betting behind decides to split or double down. This will save you and the other players a lot of time. Other interesting features are the 21 + 3 and the Perfect Pair sidebets. The 21 + 3 will bring you some pretty generous payouts if your two cards plus the dealer’s upcard form any of the following winning combinations: Suited Trips, Straight Flush, Three of a Kind, Straight or Flush. Perfect Pairs will pay for your first two cards, in case they are the same value, value and colour, or value, colour and suit – which pays 25 to 1. As far as the rules are concerned, dealers stand on all 17s, you can double on any two cards, except when you split and you can place insurance if the dealer’s upcard is an ace.
Playtech Blackjack – The interesting variation at casinos powered by Playtech is Unlimited Blackjack, where an unlimited number of users can play in the same time. As a result, there are certain pre-set rules, such as automatically splitting your hand. In such cases, you can choose to split or simply fold your hand and receive your bet back minus 20% of it. What I personally like about Playtech Live Blackjack tables is that you will get half of your bet back, in case the dealer is showing a 10 and gets a blackjack. Playtech power Ladbrokes Casino’s live dealer platform.
NetEnt Blackjack – Played with 6 decks of cards, NetEnt live blackjack features the even money option, which means that if you have a blackjack and the dealer is showing an ace, you can receive an instant payment of 1 to 1 or you can wait until de end of the hand. NetEnt also offers Common Draw Blackjack, where all users play the same hand. The dealer deals one card faced up for himself and turn two cards from the common set of cards. However, the actions on the dealt cards are individual, so even if you decide to stand or your hands busts, the dealer will continue to turn cards until the last player on the table has made a decision. You can try these games at BetVictor Casino’s Victor Royal.
Microgaming Blackjack – Microgaming tables offer the Autobet option and you can take several cards when you split aces, but the other rules are much more restrictive than at games powered by the other providers. For example, you can only double on 9, 10 and 11, you can split only once and you cannot double after splitting. Players also have the option of betting behind, with the pre-decision settings, where the option to place insurance or not has been added.
The RTP (return to player) of most live online blackjack games are somewhere around 95%. Although the house edge is not the smallest one when compared to some RNG tables, players prefer it because of the human factor and the fact that they can also chat with the dealers.
Hit, Double, Split on the Go
Nowadays, we spend a lot of time on the road, waiting for the train or the bus, travelling to and from work. So having a good mobile app is imperative for Internet casinos, so that players can have the options of playing anytime, anywhere. Live mobile blackjack games are a part of almost all casino apps that cater to Brits. There are two ways of playing on the go: through the web-based app, in your device’s browser and by downloading apps from the official store, for the iOS users, or from the casino site, for Android devices. There are usually over 10 different tables in the downloadable apps, but 888 Casino’s app includes no less than 25 tables, Party Blackjack included.
Bonus Offers and Perks of Playing Live Dealer Blackjack Games
Bonuses are a great way to start your adventure and cashing in on such deposit offers and promotions might be just what you need to tip the scale in your favour. After all, that’s the best part of playing live online blackjack, so why not take advantage? Whether you decide to take Ladbrokes Casino up on their offer and claim £50 instant cash or claim the £200 deposit bonus at BetVictor, you will have more capital to play with and that’s always a good thing.
888 Casino, on the other hand, extend a special promotion during which you can receive a bonus card and get instant cash. You just have to play between 1pm and 1am on the 888Xtra Live Blackjack table or the 888VIP Blackjack and you can get one of the 12 bonus cards hidden in the shoes. These will grant you instant cash – between £50 and £150 on the VIP table and between £25 and £100 on the 888Xtra table.
Strategies and Tips for a Rewarding Experience
If you play live online blackjack, you get the chance to put your card counting skills to test, since the cards are shuffled at the end of the shoe, once the cutting card appears, instead of after every hand, as is the case at RNG tables. And to let you in on a little secret, as opposed to land based casinos, this method is not illegal, so you are free to try it out. There are also strategy cards which can help you make optimal decisions in every situation. The only thing you need to consider is the fact that different variations and rules call for different strategies, so make sure you find the appropriate strategy card.
Also, keep in mind that if you want to win at blackjack, you better skip the sidebets, because no matter how appealing their payouts are, they actually raise the house edge, which will harm your bankroll in the long run.