Online Blackjack – Guide to Maximise Your Winnings

Blackjack is the single most popular casino card game to have ever come into existence. The game is entertaining, simple to learn, and is widely available at gambling venues the world over. The immense interest it attracts can also be explained with the fact it is among the few casino games to offer players good odds at beating the house.

Thanks to the technological progress we have witnessed in the last decades, many online casinos have introduced new, enticing blackjack variations, thus further fueling the interest toward this centuries-old game.

Players are now granted the unique opportunity to play blackjack in live dealer casinos from the comfort of their surroundings, without having to drive around for hours to find a landbased casino where the game is available.

And dont worry if you dont have a knack for statistics or math. We, at SuperCasinoSites, have taken the time to lay down all the information you need to master the game of blackjack in a comprehensible and concise manner. If you are an absolute beginner, we suggest you start with the basics.

Unlike other casino games, blackjack does not have a set of fixed rules. There are rule variations depending on where you play. Each rule variation impacts the casino advantage. Below are some of the most common blackjack rule variations you will encounter.

Blackjack can be played with one to eight decks of cards. The house edge of the game increases proportionately to the number of decks. The more decks are in play, the higher the house edge gets, which results from the diluted effect of the cards removal in multiple-deck games.

The dealers fixed standing rules vary between tables. Blackjack dealers do not make any decisions when playing out their hands. Instead, they are required to draw to a fixed hand total as stipulated by the casino that employs them. On the basis of these fixed rules, we can make a distinction between two types of blackjack games:

At some tables, players are permitted to exercise the double down decision only on specific two-card totals. Some games allow you to double down only on starting totals of 9, 10, and 11 while in others, you are even more restricted as this play is allowed only on totals of 11 and 10.

Doubling only on 9 through 11 increases the house edge by 0.09%. Doubling on 10 and 11 only boosts the casinos advantage by 0.18%.

Restrictions are also imposed on splitting. Some games allow you to split only once to form two individual hands. Doubling down after a split (known as DAS) may not be allowed at some tables, which again leads to a house edge increase. Resplitting may be prohibited as well. In the most common scenario, the player cannot resplit or hit split Aces.

This is one of the most important rule variations in blackjack. Some casinos offer you a payout of 3 to 2 for blackjacks. Others pay out at a ratio of 6 to 5 for your naturals. The difference is best explained with examples. Suppose you have a choice from Casino 1 with a 6-to-5 payout and Casino 2 with a 3-to-2 payout. You intend to flat bet with a base unit of $10.

A blackjack in Casino 1 earns you 1.2 times (6/5) your stake, which is to say you get $12 for your $10 bet.

A blackjack in Casino 2 gives your 1.5 times (3/2) your initial wager. Therefore, a blackjack with a $10 bet earns you $15.

It is easy to see which of the two options is the better one. A smart blackjack player would never take a seat at a 6-to-5 table because this payout reduction causes the casino advantage to jump by 1.71%.

Blackjack is presently available in a huge number of online casinos where you get to pick from a variety of games with different table limits and table conditions. These games operate on random number generators which reshuffle the cards after each round of play.

Licensed online casinos have their software audited by accredited testing agencies for the purpose of preserving the integrity of their games. This also ensures you are playing a fair game of blackjack where the results are 100% random.

Major online casinos also give their customers the opportunity to play against live dealers. The blackjack action is streamed directly to their computer or smartphone screens in real time. The tables are serviced by professional dealers you can interact with just like you would in landbased casinos.

The only difference here is you have to use the chat feature instead of addressing the dealer verbally. When the live-dealer tables are full, you can bet behind other players until a vacant seat opens.

Some of the best online and live-dealer blackjack games come from the studios of established software suppliers like Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, Felt, Playtech, Betsoft, and Pragmatic Play.

The biggest advantages of playing online blackjack are:

There are only few disadvantages to playing online blackjack, such as:

Online blackjack players face an unprecedented diversity of variations of their favorite game. There are tons of options you can choose from online. Some games offer better rules and a lower house edge than others. Others give you the opportunity to win a progressive jackpot.

Please note that you need to adjust some of your basic strategy moves in accordance with the rules of the blackjack variation you are playing. Here are the most popular variants you can play online.

Most of the standard rules are in force in this blackjack variant, with a few differences. In Atlantic City Blackjack, there are eight full decks in play although some online casinos offer double-deck variants of the game as well. The objective remains the same beat the dealer with a higher hand total. Atlantic City Blackjack abides by the following rules:

This variation borrows its name from the blackjack games offered across the Las Vegas Strip. You can commonly find it at Microgaming-powered online casinos. The rules of Microgamings online variation of Vegas Strip Blackjack are quite decent (and even better than those in some Strip casinos to be honest), which reduces the house edge to around 0.35%.

This enticing blackjack variation made its debut in October 1979 in the Vegas World casino. The person who came up with it was math expert Richard Epstein. You may encounter it under different names, including Face Up Blackjack, Zweikartenspiel, and Dealer Disclosure Blackjack.

Players will find variations of Double Exposure in online casinos that use software by NetEnt, Microgaming, RealTime Gaming, and Playn GO. The game abides by the following rules:

Invented by Geoff Hall, this is easily one of the coolest blackjack variations ever because you get to play two hands instead of one and have the option to switch their top cards improving their totals. The game also supports a group of side bets called Dealer Match, which award higher payouts.

The online variation of Blackjack Switch we recommend is the one developed by top software supplier Playtech. Here are the key rules you need to remember:

Pontoon is often treated like a blackjack variation but it is so different that some experts consider it a wholly separate game. There are two different variants of pontoon which further adds to the confusion of inexperienced players. The one offered across Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore uses short decks and is more similar to Spanish 21.

The other variant resembles the standard game of blackjack and is more popular in the United Kingdom. Most online pontoon variants follow the rules of the UK version. You can find online variations of pontoon developed by RealTime Gaming, Microgaming, Betsoft, and Playtech. Pontoon is played in accordance with the rules below:

Spanish 21 is one of the most interesting variations of blackjack as there are many modifications and differences in terms of rules. This game is perfect for fans of 21 who have grown tired of standard blackjack and are looking for greater excitement and more thrills.

Online variations of Spanish 21 are offered at casinos running on software provided by Betsoft and Microgaming. These are the most common rules for this blackjack variation:

Some online blackjack variants support the option to play multiple hands simultaneously. The online multi-hand games are equipped with elegant design and extremely realistic animations, providing players with the ultimate casino experience without having to leave their homes.

Players can choose from a number of chip denominations but table limits normally vary between online casinos. The multi-hand variants we recommend are courtesy of suppliers Microgaming, Playn GO, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, and Playtech.

Blackjack fans who transfer their betting action to the internet can hit impressive jackpots in one of the progressive variants of the game. Progressive blackjack varieties are linked to a jackpot network and require players to post an optional side bet (usually of no more than $1) to qualify for winning the pot.

The jackpots are awarded for specific combinations of Aces or 7s, depending on the software supplier. Some of the biggest pots drop in the progressive blackjack games provided by Microgaming, WGS Technology, and Playtech.

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Online Blackjack - Guide to Maximise Your Winnings