Live Dealer Blackjack
FACT: The only Blackjack solution you should consider for playing online, is Live Dealer Blackjack at an online Live Casino.
In my opinion, there is no viable alternative.
Blackjack is designed to be played with Real Cards that are shuffled and dealt by a dealer at a real table.
So why would you not play with someone that you can interact with in real-time?
It's a no-brainer. Online live casino blackjack with a live dealer is almost as good as playing in a real bricks-and mortar-casino.
Before you go off and play live blackjack, there are some subtle differences between the live dealer solutions that you should really know about. They can make a big difference in where you choose to play.
Neil’s Top Recommendations for Live Blackjack
Difference Between Online Blackjack and Live Dealer Blackjack
Live casino blackjack is designed to give you a similar experience to playing the classic card game at a physical casino, and these days, thanks to improved internet technologies, it's more real than ever.
The House Rules are EVERYTHING when it comes to Blackjack. Every Blackjack game is not the same. Understanding the differences will save you money, increase your enjoyment, and give you a better chance of beating the casino.
Features like the number of decks in play (6 or 8). Vegas or European Rules, and restrictions on Doubling and Splitting all contribute to the house edge. Make sure you understand them all and why they are important.
My perfect game online is 8 deck, played to Vegas Rules, with no restrictions on Doubles, the Dealer peeks for Blackjack, and Splits are allowed. I like to double on splits but I can't play Ezugi Blackjack due to country restrictions, so I play at Evolution & Playtech Live Casinos.
How To Play Blackjack
Once you've learned the basics Blackjack is a great card game. It's the only card game at Live Casinos where you are in control of the decision making process to play your hand. My playing guide will have you up and running in no time.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
One of the most important skills to learn when playing live Blackjack is Basic Playing Strategy. It will help you extend the life of your bankroll and teach you decision making based on the cards you've been dealt. I explain how and provide some cheat sheets.
Best Blackjack Casinos
What constitutes The Best Blackjack Casinos will vary depending on your playing preferences. I believe the 6 casinos I've listed are the best in terms of game choice, reliability, fast withdrawals and the range of on table promotions.
Blackjack Rules & Features
Blackjack is not the same across every live casino software provider.
Check out my comparison of game rules and features by software type and a choice of casinos where you can play.
General Information on Live Blackjack
As I’ve mentioned above, not all live blackjack games are the same.
There are some common elements. All online live dealer Blackjacks pays 3:2 for a BJ and Insurance pays 2:1.
That’s pretty much where the common element's end as each of the Live Casino platform providers has developed their own playing rules.
There are a full rundown and comparison of each of the rules on my Blackjack Features page. It also contains a complete list of the casinos where you can play that particular software.
Two Main Versions of Live Dealer Blackjack
If you're not sure how to play live blackjack, the first thing you need to know is that, generally, there are three versions of live casino blackjack - 7 Seat Blackjack, Unlimited Blackjack, and different variations of Blackjack.
Here, we're going to look at them in detail.
7 Seat Blackjack
This is the more traditional game, where there are seven playing positions on a table.
You play with other people, and it’s essentially the same game you’ll find in land-based casinos.
You place your initial bet and the live dealer deals everyone two cards. Depending on the rules (European or Vegas), the dealer will take one or two cards.
Each player takes it, in turn, to play their hand, until they either stand or bust out.
The dealer is the last to play his hand. When his hand is completed, it’s compared to all the players’ hands and those beating him will be paid out.
4 Things to know about 7 Seat Blackjack
There are some obvious issues with 7 seat Blackjack, especially when you're offering it to an almost unlimited number of players over the internet.
The Seven seats fill up quickly, so the live casino operators have four options at their disposal to enable players to play:
- They put on more tables – this becomes expensive as the tables need space and more dealers. Some of the solution providers, like Evolution, have hundreds of tables across a number of studios to meet the player demand. These tables are shared between casinos and are often very busy during the evenings.
- They get the online casino to purchase dedicated tables for their players. The environments are branded for the casino, and only their players can use the tables. This is very effective from a player’s point of view, as you can normally get a seat at one of these tables. Obviously, it’s more costly for the casino.
- The Bet Behind functionality allows players without a seat the opportunity to place a bet behind one of the seat positions on the table. The hand is played by the seated player. You take no part in the playing of the hand. It’s a risky thing to do, and if you’re tempted to play this, you should pick a player who seems to be having luck and is using a standard, basic strategy. (Some suppliers have added a number next to the player to show the number of consecutive winning hands, to help you decide who to bet behind).
- Provide an alternative version of Blackjack that solves the problem of volume - meet Unlimited or Common Draw Blackjack.
Unlimited Blackjack & Infinite Blackjack
This is a game where only one player's hand is dealt. This allows the casino to offer blackjack to an unlimited number of players. Each player plays the hand as if it was his own. When all players have completed their hand the dealer will complete his and payout those players that beat him. There are a few differences with this version over 7 Seat Blackjack:
- When a split occurs you'll be given two options.
- To split the hand - doubles the bet and you play two hands.
- If you don't want to Split then you must Fold the hand - with this option you'll get a portion of your original stake back.
- The Dealer does not check for Blackjack.
- They may be one or more player positions - an unlimited number of players can play each position.
- Playtech calls their version Unlimited Blackjack and All Bets Blackjack
- Evolution has Infinite Blackjack (with 5 Side bets).
- Pragmatic Play has ONE Blackjack.
- Ezugi has Blackjack with Auto Splits.
Different Variations of Blackjack
The third category of live Blackjack is the variation games
These are games based on Blackjack but have been modified in some way to provide a slightly different playing experience.
Typically these varieties have rule changes, additional features, and changes in the card decks used.
Let's take a look at some of them.
Quantum Blackjack Plus (Blackjack with Multipliers)
A new trend for live casino games has been the introduction of win Multipliers, where a feature in the game boosts the payout.
Playtech is the first to introduce multipliers for Blackjack, with its Quantum Blackjack Plus. It's possible to get a payout of 50x your initial bet.
The game rules have been changed slightly, so the dealer now pushes on a 3 card bust, which may not sound much but does have an impact on your hand.
The rule change and multipliers also challenge the way you play some hands. It's quite likely you'll not follow the basic strategy if you have a multiplier card in your hand.
Power Blackjack
Power Blackjack has a different set of playing rules from regular Blackjack.
- Firstly, it is a one-to-many Game - like Infinite and Free Bet Blackjack.
- Secondly, all the nines and tens have been removed from the playing decks. JQK's remain.
- Thirdly, you can Double, Triple, or Quadruple your initial bet after your first two cards are dealt.
Power Blackjack also has four optional side bets.
Free Bet Blackjack
It's always nice to get something for nothing, and with Free Bet Blackjack you get Free Doubles and Splits.
Nothing is ever free though, and you pay for these with a rule change for this game. When the dealer Busts on 22 all winning player bets are "pushed" and not paid as wins.
This reduces the overall RTP for the game to 98.45%, whereas normal Blackjack pays 99.28%.
Free bet Blackjack has been created as a one to many game and is only available at Evolution Live Dealer Casinos.
Lightning Blackjack
If you want to play a standard game of Blackjack, but get Multipliers from 2x up to 25x on each winning hand, then Lightning Blackjack is the game for you.
With an RTP of 99.59%, this really is one of the better paying Blackjacks.
The game is played exactly the same as normal Blackjack, but you'll need to pay a Lightning fee equal to the amount of the main bet before each game round.
There are no side bets, but play is on an unlimited table, so everyone gets to play.
Majority Rules Speed Blackjack
Majority Rules Speed Blackjack is a two-handed unlimited game of blackjack, with a difference.
Playing decisions are made by either following Blackjack Basic Strategy or by the Majority Vote of players playing a hand.
A Majority vote can only happen if the hand is being played by more than three players, otherwise, decisions revert to basic strategy.
It's a lightning-quick game, so you need to keep your wits about you.
Majority Decisions are not necessarily the best decisions - the more players playing the hand the greater the chances of a good decision being made.
Not really suited to beginners this game will plug a game in the market.
CashBack Blackjack
Cashback Blackjack is an innovation from Playtech where players can cash out or surrender their hand at any point during the game before the dealer plays his hand.
The cash-in value changes, depending on the visible cards on the table and can change as players take more cards.
The game can be played by an unlimited number of players and is unique in online live casinos.
Unlike Blackjack Surrender where you can only surrender your hand if the dealer is showing an Ace, Cashback Blackjack offers greater flexibility.
It's played with eight decks to Vegas rules, with 6 optional side bets.
The RTP is pretty good at 99.59%.
Blackjack Switch
Blackjack Switch Live is only available from one live casino provider, Betconstruct.
It's a variant of Live Blackjack, where the player is dealt two hands. He is able to switch the second cards on each hand if he wants and go on to play them as separate hands.
The rules have been adjusted slightly to accommodate this feature.
The dealer will Push any player wins if he busts with 22 in his hand, while Blackjack payouts have been modified to pay 1:1 rather than the expected 3:2.
There are two side bets - Super Match and Perfect 4, with each using all four player cards in their calculations.
Blackjack Switch has an RTP of 99.80%.
Fun Fun 21 Blackjack
Infinite Fun Fun 21 is a variant of Blackjack from Evolution.
It plays the same as regular Blackjack, but a few rule changes make the game more interesting. Firstly, all the 10s have been removed from the dealing shoe.
You can double down any time, even after you've taken an extra card. You can double on Splits, too. Cashout is available before you complete your hand, and a 21 in your hand always wins, regardless of what the dealer has - even Blackjack!
There are free boosted payouts for 21s with certain cards, which can payout up to 50:1.
There are four side bets: Hot3, 21+3, Match, and Bust It.
The RTP is 99.37%.
Infinite Bet Stacker Blackjack
Infinite Bet Stacker Blackjack has a mandatory bonus element that costs 10% of your main bet. It aims to boost your main bet by 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% when the bonus card matches one of your first two cards.
The rest of the game of Blackjack is played in the usual way and includes three novel options.
Cashout is available if you don't like the look of your hand. The Six Card Charlie rule operates, and all player hands automatically stand on seventeen or more.
Moreover, there are four optional side bets if you want extra action.
This is a good game by Evolution and is worth a few hands of your time.
The RTP in this version of Blackjack is 99.47%, which is excellent.
Infinite Bet Stacker Blackjack
Easy Blackjack is a game based on Blackjack, but only one hand, the dealer, is played.
The dealer plays to a specific set of rules, which includes standing on hard and soft 17.
Players bet on five different betting positions. Each contains a hand "Total". If the total equals the dealer's hand, you get a push, and your stake is returned. If the total is more than the dealer, you win and get the payout specific for that hand total. If the dealer busts, you win your bet.
There's an additional optional side bet, BustIT, which you can ply for the dealer busting. This is the part of the game that has the biggest payouts.
Otherwise, the best you'll get is 2.45:1 for 16, which means it pays when the dealer goes bust.
The RTP is 97.00%, so it's not great compared to other Blackjack games.
On Table Options
Multi-Seat Blackjack
This is where you’re allowed to play multiple seats/hands at the same seven-seat table.
You’re often restricted to the number of hands you can play. At busy times, the casinos will switch off this function.
Multi-Table Blackjack
You’re able to play multiple tables at the same casino at the same time.
A number of the game interfaces have a multi-table capability where you can display up to four tables at one time on your screen.
Playing at multiple tables can be an acquired taste, so I suggest you try using the layout before committing yourself. I find it too stressful and only play one table at a time.
Special Bets
Special side bets can be played alongside the main hand and are offered by most, if not all, the software providers.
The reason not everyone has them is down to licensing, as it’s costly for the casinos.
Live Dealer Blackjack RTP (Return to Player)
The RTP for standard Live Blackjack is 99.5%. As games go this has the best RTP of any casino game out there.
Remember, though, that this figure relates to games played from over 100,000 hands.
You should not use this as an indicator that if you have £100 and play 10 hands at £10, you’ll end up with £99.50 after those 10 hands. It just doesn’t work like that.
Live Casino Blackjack Dealers
One of the great things about playing live dealer blackjack and what makes the difference between an average playing session and a good one is the Dealer. You can choose to play at casinos that have:
- European Live Dealers - Who speak in English or their native language: can be found at Evolution, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Media Live, Lucky Streak, Playtech, and Ezugi Casinos.
- Latin Live Dealers - Who speak in Spanish and English: can be found at Ezugi, Vivo Gaming, Xpro Gaming, and Visionary iGaming Casinos.
- Asian Live Dealers - who speak in English and Chinese: can mainly be found at Playtech casinos.
You can't underestimate the dealer's role in providing a great playing experience.
I've spoken to a number who work at live casinos (check out my Inside Live Casinos section for my interviews with live dealers). All of them mention the players and the on-screen relationships they build with people, many of them refer to players as their "friends".
Summary
I love live dealer blackjack; it’s my favourite table game. I’ve learned through trial and error that there are many things that make up a great game:
- The software.
- The game rules.
- The dealer.
- The casino that hosts the games.
I've also learned that I like to change where I play depending on my mood.
I’ve collected a lot of information that you can use to make an informed choice of where to play.
If you don’t want to play, then hopefully you’ve learned something that you didn’t already know.
You can check out my live casino reviews or my individual Blackjack reviews for Playtech, Evolution & Pragmatic for more information.
If this is all too much and you just want to play at a great live casino then Leo Vegas and VBet Casino are my picks.
You can also play live blackjack for free to practice your skills.