Online Blackjack FAQ
One of the most in-demand online casino games, second to video slots, is blackjack. It is one of the oldest card games to have made it to the casino floors and one of the first to make it to the iGaming circuit as an online table game back in 1994 when Microgaming brought out the first online casino.
Since then, numerous versions of blackjack have hit the table gaming sections of online casinos, while the latest trendsetter for this card game is the ever-growing popular live casino blackjack played via webcam in real-time.
In this Blackjack FAQ guide, we will look at frequently asked questions about the game so you can join millions of others and become a card shark at the blackjack tables at your online casino.
Can I play online blackjack using real money global currencies?
Yes. Blackjack is available in many currencies, such as GBP, CAD, ZAR, USD, and MXN. All you need to do is join an online casino that offers a deposit method that suits you. When you have a casino balance, you can head over to virtual blackjack or live dealer blackjack tables and place real money bets on the felt using virtual chips. Some tables offer bets as low as 0.50 EUR and some as high as 25,000 EUR.
Can I win real money playing online blackjack?
As online blackjack is available for real money bets, yes, you will win real money if your hand total is higher than the dealer's and your hand didn't bust. You can also lose real money, so always be sure to choose bet limits that suit your budget. Experts recommend you put only 5% of your bankroll into a session. You will then need to divide this into bet sizing. The smaller the bet size, the longer you will play. It is also worth noting that on top of winning real money, you can also bet and win by playing blackjack with cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin.
What is the best online blackjack game for placing real money bets?
Vegas Single Deck Blackjack Gold Series is a virtual table produced by Microgaming, and it comes with a house edge of just 0.31% (99.69% RTP). This is because of a mix of liberal rules and a single deck of cards in play. Evolution’s Power Blackjack is one of the best live dealer blackjack tables, as it only has a house edge of 0.23% (99.77% RTP).
Blackjack tables with the lowest house edge are the best online blackjack tables for money. Conversely, most players consider tables with the highest RTPs to be the best. These are just two ways of saying the same thing.
- House edge determines the profit the house (casino) will make over many hands.
- RTP is the ‘return to player’, so the amount the player can expect in return over many hands.
Is blackjack a game of skill or luck?
Blackjack is a game of luck, but there is also an element of skill involved. The skill is knowing when to use the game moves available to you, such as 'hit', 'stand', 'double', 'split', or 'surrender'. Each move has a mathematical percentage of you winning, and choosing the right one is key to minimizing losses and maximizing your wins. Sounds complicated, but don't worry, there are basic blackjack strategies charts out there with every hand total Vs. the dealer's face-up card. These charts will tell you the best decision to make according to the highest percentage of you winning the hand.
What is the highest-ranking blackjack hand?
A natural blackjack is the strongest hand. This is a 10-card value (10, J, Q or K) plus an Ace, which makes 21. You can never lose with this hand. Ultimately, the idea of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand total with a higher hand total of 21 or under.
What is the best blackjack strategy?
The best blackjack strategy to use is the 'basic strategy'. This is a mathematical chart created by experts. It considers all hand totals Vs. the dealer's face-up card and tells you the best move to make. I.e., 'Hit', 'Stand', 'Split', 'Double' and 'Surrender'. Essentially, it helps to minimize your losses and maximize your winnings.
- Minimizing your losses: If the chances are you will win 22% of the time if you 'hit' versus 28% if you 'stand', even though the odds are heavily weighed against you, by using the 'stand' option provided by the basic strategy chart, by choosing this option, you are effectively minimizing your losses.
- Maximizing your winnings: Basic strategy charts will also help you win more often and win more when you do. In an opposite scenario to the above, you could have a 74% chance of winning if you 'hit' or a 67% chance of winning if you stand. The chart will give you the best option according to the 75% winning chance.
All you need to do is learn the basic strategy chart, which over time, it will become second nature to you the more you play. Also, as you are playing online, you can have the chart in front of you or on a second screen for easy reference. Something that is not so easy if you play blackjack in a brick-and-mortar gambling establishment.
Does a 21-hand total mean I automatically win?
No. Sometimes a hand total of 21 will cause a 'push' versus the dealer's 21-hand. Some blackjack tables will let you win with a natural blackjack (A 10) hand, even if the dealer has a natural blackjack. Others will push if you and the dealer both have a natural blackjack. However, if you have a 3-card or 4-card 21-hand total versus the dealer's natural blackjack hand or vice versa, the natural blackjack beats all hands.
What should I avoid when playing blackjack?
There are quite a few moves in blackjack that you should avoid, even though they seem like the right thing to do. For example, you should never take insurance because the chance of the dealer having a 10 card with an Ace is 33.33%, so the expected rate for the dealer on this bet is 66.33%.
Here are some more moves to avoid:
- Never take insurance
- Never split 10s
- Never ‘hit’ or ‘stand’ on 8-8 or A-A
- Never card count on RNG tables
- Avoid side bets
- Never hit a hand total of 17
- Avoid tables that pay 6-5 blackjack
Where can I play Blackjack online?
You will find almost all online casinos offer blackjack tables. You will find virtual RNG blackjack tables in the table games lobby and live blackjack in the live casino lobby. However, before you choose a casino to play at, make sure you research what it offers.
- Can I play blackjack tables using casino bonuses?
- Do the blackjack games offer bet limits that suit my budget?
- Does the casino allow me to deposit and play using my preferred currency?
- How many variations of blackjack does the casino host?
- Does the casino hold a reputable iGaming license that offers player protection?
Which online blackjack tables offer the best odds?
Blackjack tables with the best odds are those that offer the most liberal rules. For example, when the casino adds more decks of cards to the shoe, the house edge will increase. An 8-deck game will add 0.57% to the house edge, so the rule of thumb here is the fewer decks in play, the lower the house edge. Besides this, there is a combination of other rules that will decrease or increase the house edge. For instance, if the dealer hits on soft 17, the house edge increases by 0.22% or if the table rules forbid splitting Aces, the house gains a 0.45% edge. Also, if you find a table that offers the early surrender rule, you gain 0.61%.
Here are some other rules that offer the best house edge:
- Dealer must stand on all 17s
- Players can double on any total
- Players can double after split
- Players can split multiple times
- Spitting Aces allowed
- 5-card Charlie rule
- Early Surrender
Finding the right blackjack table for you!
Blackjack comes in many variants and some you may enjoy more than others. The gameplay is mostly the same, with subtle twists.
For example, Double Exposure begins with you seeing both the dealer's cards, while there is only a 1:1 (even odds) payout on natural blackjack hands. Or maybe you prefer to play games like Evolution's Power Blackjack with all cards with a value of 10 removed from the deck. Then there's Free Bets Blackjack, which is a hard game to ignore because this title gives you free double-down and split bets. Or maybe you prefer traditional blackjack with 6 decks on tables where the dealer must stand on 'any 17' instead of standing on 'hard 17s'.
On top of this, you have the choice to play live blackjack with real-life dealers and multi-hand blackjack, so you can play many seats at once at the same table, or you may prefer the privacy of RNG blackjack tables where you get to play your own private virtual table.
Whichever you choose, the key is to learn the mathematics of the game you prefer to play. Understand the rules and then use a basic strategy chart to guide you through each hand. By doing this, you'll minimize your losses and maximize your chances of coming out ahead.
