About the game
Blackjack is a very popular casino game and whether it is land-based, online casino, or live casino — you’ll find blackjack to be listed among the most popular games. With the virtual launch of the first online casinos, players were able to try their blackjack luck at blackjack anytime and the online version even offered innovative variants to play. Despite the obvious advantages of online blackjack, there was still one important drawback – the lack of the real casino atmosphere. The introduction of Live Blackjack caused a major revolution in the online casino industry as it managed to combine convenience and live action.
Live blackjack lets players enjoy all the live dealer action from a live studio or land based casino as the game is streamed straight to the screens of players at home. The playing cards are dealt by professional dealers who often converse with patrons in their native language. Live blackjack has since been launched by a wide range of game providers, but Evolution is known for its revolutionary role in the game’s launch and distribution. Other notable providers of live dealer blackjack include Authentic Gaming, Vivo Gaming, Playtech, Extreme Live Gaming, Visionary iGaming, Pragmatic Play, and Ezugi. In our live blackjack review we take you through the game rules, tips and the best live dealer blackjack casinos.
Where to play it
Our site recommends a small selection of online casinos that are both worthwhile and offer Live Blackjack. These casinos are carefully selected by our casino experts and checked by our most experienced blackjack players to make sure we present you with nothing but the very best options. All of the casinos below are trustworthy, licenced and offer live blackjack:
C$1000
+ 50 Free spins
Welcome Bonus: 100% up to C$500 +Free Spins!
C$1000
+ 200 cash Free Spins
The rules
The goal of blackjack is simple: to get as close to 21 points as possible. As a player it is crucial not to exceed 21 points. With 22 points or more, the player loses to the bank. The bank also wins if it has a higher score than the player without necessarily reaching 21 points.
How to win
We’re a big fan of everything that concerns live casinos and all of our casino professionals have at least a few years of blackjack experience. In order to write this game review we have teamed up to give you a few important tips on how to win Live Blackjack. Any blackjack player can use these tips to increase the chances of winning at blackjack. This holds for live blackjack as well as the main rules don’t differ from traditional blackjack.
1: Use a basic strategy and stick to it
You should always assume that the next card in the deck will be a 10. Statistically, the probability of a 10 is the greatest. If you’re not sure what to do while playing, use a basic blackjack betting system and stick to it. Standing, doubling or splitting: every next step in every hand of cards has already been thought out for you if you have found yourself a strategy to apply and stick to it. Do note that this doesn’t mean you always win when using one, but it does increase your winning chances if you stick to it in the long run. The internet is full of blackjack betting systems so take a look online and we’re sure you’ll find a few.
2: Never split cards with a value of 10 or two fives
Two identical cards that are worth 10 points? Make sure to never split. The same is true if you have two fives. Since we expect the next card to be a 10, as mentioned above, the chances of 15 (which is an awfully annoying number) are very high. Therefore, always play two fives as if they were 10 points. This will increase your chances of reaching 20 points.
3: Double down with 11 points and split with a pair with 8’s or aces
Always double your bet if you have 11 points on your first two cards. Are the first two cards two eights or two aces? Go ahead and split. Your blackjack strategy should assume that the next card will be a ten.
4: In the winning mood? Raise your bet!
If you win 3 times or more in a row, you have a winning streak. It is advised to increase your bet if this is the case. This way you make a maximum profit as long as the winning streak continues. If you lose, you should immediately lower your bet.
5: Know when to stop
It’s always tempting to continue playing but make sure you get off the live dealer table in time. Stick to a predefined profit target and stop playing when you make it that far.
How to play
In order to give you more info on how to play live blackjack we will need to distinguish two steps: accessing the game via the live lobby and playing the game itself.
The lobby
First visit the Live Lobby, which you will find on a separate page of your favourite casino. You’ll either find a separate Live Blackjack Lobby where Live Blackjack games (often including its variants) are listed or you can go for the main variant. This should be rather self explanatory and we recommend you to decide for yourself which option you enjoy best. Not all casinos offer separate Live Blackjack lobbies, but if they do, you will have some more choice to find a table that offers the stakes you wish to play for or the language of your preference. All live casino blackjack games are available across different devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Both Android and iOS users can play live blackjack.
Live blackjack
Learning how to play live blackjack isn’t very complicated and just requires some extra attention until you get the full picture. Generally, you should be able to play the game by following these steps:
- Place the bet
In a live casino, you will need to have money on your account as there is no demo version available for live dealer games. Once you have deposited your funds and decided the bet range you want to play with, you will need to place your bet before the dealer starts the game. A clock usually indicates how much time is left before placing a bet.
- The dealer deals the cards
Blackjack is a game that is played with multiple players at one table. Everyone plays individually against the dealer. When everyone has placed his or her bet, each player is dealt two cards. The dealer hands out the cards in a clockwise direction, so from left to right. Each player is dealt two cards face up. These cards have different values, from 1 to 11. The cards with the numbers 2 to 10 on them have the same value as the numbers on them. The jack, queen and king are worth 10 points. An ace is a special card, because its value can be either 1 or 11 points — adapting its value to help the player get the best score. We’ll explain this.
- Take a look and make a decision
The goal is to get as close to the maximum number of points of 21 as possible. As a card player you always play against the dealer, also known as the bank. The player wins if the cards have a higher value than the dealer’s. Whoever manages to get 21 points out of the first two cards immediately wins the blackjack round. If not, the game continues.
- It’s the dealers turn
After you have made a choice as a player, the dealer also shares his or her hand. There are some fixed rules that apply to the bank:
- If the dealer has 16 points or less, the dealer must always take an extra card.
- If the dealer has 17 points or more, the dealer will ‘stand’ meaning no more extra cards are dealt.
Regardless of what values your own cards have, the dealer will always follow the two rules above. Let’s say you have 19 points, then the bank will still stand at 17 points. Do you have 15 and does the bank come to 16? Then another card is drawn. This can turn out to be extremely beneficial for you as a player: with that next card the dealer can exceed 21 points and ‘bust’, giving you the win!
4. Play on or pay out
The payout follows after each round. Has the player managed to score more points than the dealer? Then the stake is doubled. When the player has as many points as the bank, the player gets the stake back, so there is no profit or loss. With less points than the bank or more than 21 points, the player will lose and the dealer wins the bet.
The features
The standard version of Live Blackjack is the most played live dealer blackjack game available online. Live Blackjack is optimised for the best possible live casino experience on desktop, tablet and smartphone. The separate blackjack variants meet the needs of both skilled and novice players. Most blackjack tables are based on a standard seven-seat blackjack and work with HD live streams from either live dealer studios or land based casinos. Most providers offer multiple camera angles making sure their players won’t miss any of the live action. The same holds for different tables with different betting limits and private tables for high rollers. Live Blackjack is always available in English but is also offered in other languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish, and Arabic.
RTP
Live Blackjack is actually the game with the best RTP of all live dealer games. As you’re only playing the dealer and won’t have to deal with other players seated at the same live table, there is a lot less competition going on. In general, card games are always more profitable than other games of chance, because training and skills do make a difference here. Blackjack’s Return to Player (RTP) is 99.43% on average. This means the house edge in Blackjack is around 0.57%. However, the exact RTP vs. house edge is determined by the player’s strategy and can change based on how well it is executed. While experienced players can reduce the house edge, players without a strategy will give the bank a higher house edge.
