Playing blackjack in landbased casinos is intimidating for many fans of the game. There is a table etiquette to follow, not to mention not all patrons are sympathetic to newcomers. Then again, not everyone has landbased casinos conveniently located in their vicinity – some players have to drive for hours to gain access to the blackjack tables.
On the bright side, there are countless online casinos where you can play the game for real money and potentially earn yourself a nice payout. Blackjack fans are facing an immense diversity of online variations.
Some follow the conventional rules and are more suitable for blackjack rookies. Others offer interesting twists to pique the interest of long-time blackjack players. However, finding the best online blackjack variations is no picnic.
Not only is there a huge choice of options but there are many other factors to consider including theoretical return percentages, rules, and fairness. It is impossible to win at blackjack if the games are rigged, right?
Choosing where to play can be an equally cumbersome task since there are thousands upon thousands of websites that offer online blackjack for real money. This is where SuperCasinoSites’ article on picking the best online blackjack variations can prove handy.
We tackle the main criteria of choosing a trusted online casino for blackjack and introduce you to some of the most favorable rules your choice of online blackjack games should be based on. Also featured are tips on money management along with brief overviews of the most enticing blackjack variations you can play online.
How to Pick a Good Online Casino for Blackjack
As of 2020, there are over 14,000 websites that offer the game of 21 for real money. However, most of those have a shady reputation and see their customers as potential cash cows. Such operators are only after players’ deposits. They care nothing about fair play and the safety of your personal information and money.
That is why, it is of utmost importance to choose a trusted online blackjack site from the get-go rather than learning your lesson the hard way after being cheated out of your money. Here are some aspects that bear consideration when picking an online casino for blackjack.
Licensing
Bonuses and Promotions
Banking
Table Limits
Mobile Compatibility
Blackjack Variations
Licensing
The online casino’s licensing is one of the first things a blackjack player must check before dishing out their sensitive personal information. Joining a properly licensed and regulated website ensures the blackjack games are not rigged. The blackjack suites of licensed casinos are regularly audited for fairness.
A license from the jurisdictions of Malta, Gibraltar, Alderney or the UK also guarantees you will be able to cash out the money you have won in a timely manner. It makes sense you need to check whether the casino accepts players from your country or else you will not be able to play blackjack for real money.
Bonuses and Promotions
All online casinos offer welcome bonuses and other promotional incentives that can help you extend your gaming sessions. When picking an online blackjack casino, go through its bonuses’ terms to get acquainted with the wagering requirements, the maximum bet restrictions, the games’ contribution toward the playthrough, and the potential country restrictions, among other important conditions. Some online casinos cater to fans of 21 with special bonuses reserved specifically for free blackjack play.
Banking
Fast payouts are equally important if you want to enjoy your online blackjack experience to the fullest. Nobody likes to wait around for their money if they hit a big win at the online blackjack tables. Compare the banking sections of several online casinos to check their average payout processing timeframes. A good blackjack casino would offer speedy withdrawals within two to three working days.
Table Limits
The next thing to check are the table limits, especially if you are just starting with online blackjack and have a small bankroll to play with. At some casinos, you can play the popular card game for as little as $0.10 per hand. Large-scale players with bigger bankrolls are catered to with variations that support bets of up to $500 or $1,000, sometimes even more.
Mobile Compatibility
Mobile compatibility is of utmost importance for players who are looking to enjoy more flexibility. Most modern online casinos rely on HTML5 for the mobile games, sparing you the hassles of having to install additional apps to play mobile blackjack. Look for iOS/Android compatibility, fast loading times on mobile, and full touchscreen capabilities.
Blackjack Variations
The rich choice of blackjack variations is just as important, especially for long-time blackjack fans who have grown tired of playing the conventional version of the game. The game of 21 has inspired a plethora of original variations with innovative twists that would keep you on the edge of your seat for hours on end.
Some even give you the chance to win life-changing progressive jackpots. Be sure to check whether or not your casinos of interest offer live-dealer blackjack games, which are great for players yearning for a more realistic and social experience.
Favorable Rules to Consider
Like all other casino games, online blackjack favors the house and has a built-in casino advantage, which varies from one blackjack variant to the next. This house edge inherently results from the fact players must act on their hands before the virtual dealer.
Additionally, certain rules favor the player and reduce the house edge while others favor the house, yielding a larger casino advantage. Look for the rules listed below if you want to enjoy the highest theoretical return in online blackjack.
Paytable
Double Down Rules
Splitting Rules
Standing Rules
Peek Rules
Late Surrender
Paytable
Look for tables that pay at odds of 3 to 2 for blackjacks. Some blackjack variations pay only 6 to 5 for this valuable hand, which gives the house edge a boost of 1.39%. A $10 bet at 3-to-2 tables earns you net profits of $15 on each blackjack whereas tables that pay at odds of 6 to 5 pay only $12 for the same hand.
Double Down Rules
You should be able to double down on any two-card total rather than playing games where this move is possible only on starting totals of 10 and 11. This restriction increases the house edge by 0.18%.
Splitting Rules
The splitting rules of your chosen online blackjack variation should be as liberal as possible. A good game would allow you to split up to three times to make four separate hands. Also important is to be able to double down after you split a pair. This decreases the casino advantage by 0.14%.
Standing Rules
The fixed standing rules for the dealer also influence the house edge. The rule of thumb is to look for tables where the dealer must stand on all 17s (S17) rather than playing against a virtual dealer who hits soft 17 (H17). In general, 17 is a weak total. When the dealer is allowed to hit soft 17, they could potentially improve their hand and outdraw you. The H17 rule adds 0.22% in favor of the house.
Peek Rules
A dealer who peeks both under tens and aces is always better than one who checks for blackjacks under aces only. This rule improves the game for players, causing a 0.10% drop in the house edge.
If the dealer does not peek when showing a ten, the player loses all wagers made during the round, including those resulting from splits and double downs. When showing an ace, the dealer would peek and immediately reveal their blackjack. Thus, you lose only your initial bet unless you also have a blackjack, in which case the two naturals push.
Late Surrender
Late surrender (LS) is another favorable rule you need to keep your eyes peeled for. Under this rule, the player can bail out on a bad hand and get half of their original bet back immediately after the dealer checks for blackjack when showing an ace.
This cuts the casino edge by 0.07%. There is also the early surrender (ES) rule where you can forfeit your hand before the dealer peeks but we know of no online blackjack variations that support it.
Managing Your Online Blackjack Bankroll
Blackjack is the most popular card game you can play at online casinos but it can be extremely detrimental to your bankroll if you lack adequate money management skills. To play online blackjack, you have to have a bankroll, i.e. an amount of money reserved exclusively for betting on 21.
You definitely do not want to play blackjack with money you need to pay your rent, mortgage or your children’s college tuition fees. You need to set aside a discretionary amount that will not lead to a financial crisis in your life should you lose it. Also recommended is to divide your overall bankroll to smaller session bankrolls. It would be unwise to risk your entire blackjack budget during a single session.
Another important thing is to bet sensibly. How much you need per session depends on the table limits of the game you intend to play. The last thing you should do is overbet your bankroll. If you play a variation with a high minimum limit in respect to your session bankroll, the chances of you going broke are extremely high.
It is essential for you to play in proportion to your bankroll. The golden rule is to have a session bankroll equal to fifty times the minimum bet at the table. So if you choose an online variation where the minimum is $1, you should start the session with at least $50 in your real-money balance.
Improving Your Odds of Winning in Online Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most interesting card games you can play online but it could be very dangerous to your bankroll if you do not make the right playing decisions. The good news is there is a mathematically correct way to play every single hand in blackjack against any dealer upcard.
It is called basic strategy and is not all that difficult to learn. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to learn all the playing decisions by heart. Basic strategy comes in the form of a chart you can conveniently print out and use to your advantage while playing online.
This is a set of rules that have been developed by mathematicians through millions of computer trials and simulations over the past sixty years. You have to follow this set of rules on every single hand of online blackjack you ever play and that’s that. This is the cornerstone for every winning blackjack player. Play without basic strategy and you are doomed to lose.
So how does this strategy aid you? First, it reduces the house edge to as low as 0.50% whereas you are facing a casino advantage of 2%, sometimes even more, without it. Second, it helps you maximize your profits from favorable spots. Third, it helps minimize the damage from certain disadvantageous situations. And fourth, it helps you potentially improve your circumstances when dealt bad hands like 16 or 8/8 against a 10, for example.
Now, it is important to point out that certain basic strategy moves vary from one online blackjack variation to the next due to the different playing conditions. Because of this, you should find a strategy chart that corresponds to the exact rules of play of the online blackjack variation you have chosen.
Some of the rules worth consideration include the number of decks used in the game, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17s, and the doubling and splitting rules. The good news is many blackjack variations you can find online give you prompts about the correct playing decisions. If you make the wrong move, the software would display a reminder about the proper way to play your hand.
Here are some of the most basic moves basic strategy always recommends regardless of varying playing conditions:
- Always split aces and 8s
- Never split 10s and 5s
- Never hit hard totals above 17
- Double down on 10 and 11 against dealer upcards 2 through 9
Classic Blackjack Variations You Can Play Online
Online blackjack players face a broad choice of classic variations of the game which largely play under the conventional rules of 21. We consider such variants more fitting for those who are new to the game. They are usually available in free mode, which gives you the chance to brush up on the rules and improve your basic strategy.
Vegas Strip Blackjack
Atlantic City Blackjack
European Blackjack
Vegas Strip Blackjack
Vegas Strip Blackjack is available across Microgaming-powered casinos. The game plays under the same set of rules as those incorporated by casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Four regular decks are in play, the virtual dealer must stand on all 17s, and checks for blackjacks when showing an ace or a ten.
The rest of the rules are also quite liberal. Players can double down on any two cards including after a split. Splits can be executed up to 3 times to make 4 hands. The only exception is a pair of aces that can be split only once, with only one card dealt next to each split ace. Vegas Strip Blackjack has a theoretical return of 99.35% with basic strategy, which means the house edge is only 0.35%.
Atlantic City Blackjack
The online version of Atlantic City Blackjack follows rather similar rules to Vegas Strip Blackjack but with two chief differences. It uses 8 rather than 4 full decks of cards and offers the favorable Late Surrender rule. The classic Microgaming version is available in single-hand mode only.
The rest of the rules coincide with those of the Vegas Strip variation. Another advantage is that the game offers the standard bonus payout for blackjacks of 3 to 2. The gaming interface is quite easy to work with, which renders the game suitable for online blackjack rookies.
Jazzy piano music plays in the background while the ambient sounds of “patrons” chatting make for a more realistic experience. Of course, you can turn them off if they bother you. The game has the same house edge as Vegas Strip Blackjack.
European Blackjack
European Blackjack by Microgaming is slightly different because it does not use hole cards for the dealer. The main peculiarity of the game is that the dealer receives a single face-up card at the start of each round rather than dealing themselves one upcard and one hole card.
Two decks are in play, with the virtual dealer standing on both hard and soft totals of 17. Since the dealer has only one upcard, the peek rule does not apply here. Doubling rules are restrictive since you can exercise this move only when holding hard two-card totals of 9, 10, and 11.
Splitting is restricted as well. You can split only once to make 2 hands. Unlike ten-value cards like Q/K cannot be split either. On the positive side of things, players can draw to split aces which slightly mitigates the effect of the other restrictive rules.
This is obviously not the most advantageous set of rules you can find in online blackjack but it won’t hurt if you give the game a try with demo credits or bonus money. Its theoretical return percentage stands at 99.60% with basic strategy, which is not too shabby.
Unconventional Online Blackjack Variants
More experienced players probably crave something a little different and more engaging. The great thing about online casinos is that they cater to such players with tons of unique and innovative blackjack variations that have entirely transformed the way the game of 21 plays. For such seasoned players, we suggest the original blackjack variations below.
Blackjack Switch
Double Attack Blackjack
Blackjack with 6 in 1 Side Bets
Blackjack Switch
Blackjack Switch is an innovative take on the classic card game created and patented by Geoff Hall in 2009. You can now play it from the comfort of your home at numerous online casinos thanks to software developer Playtech.
The key thing about Blackjack Switch is that you must play two hands rather than one on each round. Each hand is covered with a bet. And here is the interesting part – the player gets to switch the top cards between hands to potentially improve their winning chances.
Of course, this luxury comes at the expense of poorer playing conditions. The dealer hits soft 17 and you get even money for blackjacks, which is even worse than the odds of 6 to 5 we spoke about earlier.
The dealer checks for blackjacks under aces and tens but pushes with you with 22 rather than busting. Other than that, all doubling and splitting moves are possible. Despite all these unfavorable rules, the game’s average theoretical return is advertised at 99.87%, which is quite decent. Blackjack Switch also offers a set of interesting side Match Play bets that can help you earn bonus payouts.
Double Attack Blackjack
Double Attack Blackjack is another bespoke offering by software provider Playtech. The base game follows the Las Vegas Strip set of rules whereby the dealer stands on all 17s, players can double on any two-card total, and split to up to four hands. The twist here comes in the form of an interesting side bet called Bust It!.
This is made independently from your main bet. It enables the player to wager that the dealer will bust with precisely three cards. Now you have one more reason to rejoice when the dealer breaks a hand. However, the card they bust with also matters because it determines how the winning Bust It! Bet pays. Here are the payouts:
- 200 to 1 when the dealer has suited 888
- 50 to 1 when the dealer has 888 of the same color
- 15 to 1 when the dealer busts with a 6
- 10 to 1 when the dealer bust card is a 7
- 8 to 1 when the dealer busts with an 8
- 6 to 1 when the dealer busts with a 9
- 3 to 1 when the dealer busts with 10, Jack, Queen or King
Blackjack with 6 in 1 Side Bets
On the surface, 6 in 1 Blackjack by Felt Gaming is nothing special. Just your usual six-deck game where the virtual dealer stands on soft 17, you can double after a split and blackjacks pay at odds of 3 to 2. To make things more interesting, Felt’s game designers have decided to introduce a host of side bets, six of them to be precise.
You may remember some of them from some of Felt’s previous releases. These are great if you want to make your session more engaging. We should warn you, though, that said side bets have a significantly lower theoretical return percentage than that in the main game.
The exact figures are presented in the table below along with the payouts for each winning side bet. The return of the base blackjack game is 99.63%.
RTP and Payouts of 6 in 1 Blackjack Side Bets
| Side Bet Name | Return to Player Percentage | Payout |
| Perfect Pairs | 93.89% | Perfect Pairs – 25 to 1 Colored Pairs – 12 to 1 Mixed Pairs – 6 to 1 |
| 21+3 Side Bet | 92.86% | Suited Trips – 100 to 1 Straight Flush – 40 to 1 3 of a Kind – 25 to 1 Straight – 10 to 1 Flush – 5 to 1 |
| Lucky Ladies | 93.78% | Paired Q of Hearts – 100 to 1 Matched 20 – 30 to 1 Suited Twenty – 10 to 1 Any Twenty – 3 to 1 One Queen – 1 to 1 |
| Lucky Lucky | 96.05% | Suited 7/7/7 – 200 to 1 Suited 6/7/8 – 100 to 1 Any 7/7/7 – 50 to 1 Any 6/7/8 – 25 to 1 Suited 21 – 15 to 1 Any 21 – 3 to 1 Any 20 – 2 to 1 Any 19 – 2 to 1 |
| Suit ‘Em Up | 95.35% | Suited Aces – 50 to 1 Suited BJ – 10 to 1 Suited Pairs – 5 to 1 Suited 11 – 3 to 1 Suited Other – 2 to 1 |
| Buster Side Bet | 93.80% | 8+ Cards Dealer Bust when Player has BJ – 2,000 to 1 7-Card Dealer Bust with Player BJ – 800 to 1 8+ Cards Dealer Bust – 250 to 1 6-Card Dealer Bust – 18 to 1 5-Card Dealer Bust – 4 to 1 3 or 4-Card Dealer Bust – 2 to 1 |
