Blackjack Online and All About It

There are many online casinos across the world, but how do you know which to choose? Below you’ll find the top casinos to play blackjack online for real money as recommended by our industry experts.

Blackjack online has more options to choose from than a land-based casino. There are often more types of bets for the players as well, which makes it a little extra fun to play online. Another difference is that you also have games of free Blackjack online and that the rules are different for the different variants so you can continue to play and see what works for you.

The Rules in Summary:

• In Blackjack, you only play against the house
• You should aim to get as close to 21 as possible to win, but not over 21
• If you are closer to 21 than the house, you win

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to play blackjack online:

1. Choose a casino and a game to play
2. The game begins with you getting two open cards and the house either an open card or an open and a face down.
3. This may differ between the variants.
4. Depending on which cards have come up, you decide whether you want to stay (Stand) or take a new card (Hit).
5. If you choose to stay, you win if the house card is lower or over 21, otherwise, you lose if you go over 21.

It’s important to get as close to the sum of 21 as possible and to have a higher hand than the house, without getting bust. Getting bust means that the sum of the cards exceeds 21 and is counted as a loss for both the house and the player. The player receives two cards and can choose whether he is happy with them or wants more cards.

Online blackjack is relatively easy to learn. We recommend playing blackjack free before trying with real money.

When you make a deposit, you can sometimes be rewarded with a bonus penny to play with. It’s usually a bonus that matches your deposit up to a certain amount. Unfortunately, table games rarely contribute much to the turnover and often they can not be used at live casinos.

If you can play classic casino games like blackjack, you usually have a very low maximum limit on your bets. Always read the terms and conditions before accepting a bonus so that you are sure that you can play online blackjack with it or scout for blackjack-specific bonuses.

In blackjack, you should always calculate probabilities or odds. What are the chances that you’ll get a certain card versus what the dealer or house might get? There are tables for what the odds look like for winning at hit/stand for different cards against the dealer’s face-up starting card.

Probability to bust on an extra card

The probability of getting a bust naturally increases the higher the value you have on your cards. If you already have 21, you should definitely not take another card. If you are at 11 or below on your hand, it is impossible to get fat, ie 0%.

It’s the numbers between these that are interesting and that should be evaluated before you decide to stay, hit, or surrender. If the odds look very good compared to what the dealer has, it may be time to double.

The dealer's probability to bust

You have to take the dealer's face-up cards into account when calculating the odds for the end of the hand. Here it gets a little more difficult as the rules change in the different variants of Blackjack. For example, you need to think about whether the dealer must stop or can take a card on a 17 to get a correct picture of the odds.

As with other card games, you can learn different strategies to increase your chances of winning. Playing blackjack online is no exception. Below we go through strategies that you can try when playing free online blackjack and when playing with real money.

Don't Split a Pair of 5s or Tens

A pair of fives is also a hard ten so both pairs of fives and tens are therefore more favorable to keep than to divide.

Double Down On a Hard 11

A profitable strategic exception is played with several decks of cards and if the rules of the game say that the dealer must stay on soft 17.

Stand on Hard 16 Against a Dealer’s 10 Upcard

If the dealer has a 5 or 6, you can choose to stay, but if it is higher, it is recommended to fold if it’s allowed.

Double Down on 8 Against Dealer’s 5 or 6 Upcard in Single Deck

If you are holding an 8, you should double up because 5 and 6 are low for a dealer to hold.

Split a Pair of 8s and Aces

You should always split pairs into 8s and Aces no matter what the dealer's card shows, your chances of winning increase with playing two hands.

Hit a Hard 12 against the Dealer’s 2 or 3 Upcard

Most people go to hit if it is allowed, we say take cards, you lose less in the long run even if you get a bust sometimes.

Hit Ace-7 (Soft 18) When the Dealer’s Upcard Is 9, 10, Or Ace

You should hit at a soft 18 only if the dealer has upcards of a 9, 10, or Ace. It will increase your chances of winning.

Online blackjack is slightly different from how it’s played at a land-based casino. Most blackjack games are also available to play for free. Below we briefly go through the most popular variants.

European Blackjack

• This version of blackjack is similar to the classic version
• The difference comes in when it comes to dealing the cards. In the general scenario, 6 decks of cards are used (some variants use 4-8 though)
• If the dealer hits blackjack first, the player will lose the bet entirely

Progressive Blackjack

• The progressive variant is the classic variant with a twist
• Instead of just the usual 2-3 x payout, the player has the option to place a side bet
• When a player takes home the entire pot, there’s an amount left from the side bet so it does not restart from zero
• This version of blackjack is not available for free play

American Blackjack

• The dealer gets two cards here instead of one, one visible and one hidden
• If the dealer's first inverted card is an ace, there is a possibility that it got 21 and is then allowed to look at his facedown card
• The player has the opportunity to give up which is not allowed in all variants

Live Dealer Blackjack

• Casinos usually offer blackjack in the form of regular table games, free blackjack, and with a live dealer in the live lobby
• Different variants of the game are also offered as live table games
• When playing live, you can interact and converse with the dealer in real-time
• Every version of live blackjack varies, so always check the rules for the game you are playing

Online Blackjack: RTP & House Edge

Below you will find a table that reports the games' RTP (Return To Player) and the house advantage for each version and variety of online blackjack.