One of the first things you’ll see at most casino sites these days is a live blackjack selection. Live casinos are the latest online innovation. While that’s brand new, the allure of blackjack isn’t. This simple but multidimensional game is a longstanding favourite in all sorts of settings from Vegas to your tablet.
But what do you need to know before you start playing live blackjack online?
Is this site safe?
Because gambling involves the transfer of money, and because gambling can attract vulnerable people who are very desperate to get their hands on money, it is possible to make victims of these people.
The vast majority of gambling online is safe, legal, and licensed but you need to be sure. So before you sit at a blackjack table make sure it’s one with a licence from the UK Gambling Commission and that there is a link on the front page of the website that takes you to the up-to-date record of that licence.
Is this site good?
Once you know you’re at a safe, legal site, why not look for a bit more. And if you’re playing blackjack sensibly – ie, for fun, rather than to make money – you won’t be blinded by a big welcome offer to sign up at a site that doesn’t offer you a good, long-term experience.
With that in mind, take a look around before you sign up.
Is there enough to keep you entertained for a while?
Is there a good variety of games?
Are there good support services?
Will the site keep giving me promotions and offers, as a loyalty club, to reward me for spending my money with them?
Is this game good?
There is a growing number of live casino games providers. But the big two are NetEnt and Evolution Gaming. These are the games you are most likely to see at your online blackjack site. You can trust these games for the quality of their experience and gameplay.
Is this the game I want to play?
Blackjack is kind of simple: you try to get a score that is higher than the dealers but less than, or as close to, 21 as possible.
That’s just about all you need to know to get started. But no gambling game is quite as simple as it seems.
Blackjack comes in a number of varieties, and you need to know which one you are playing and what that means for the way the game is played.
The main differences between games are these:
The number of decks of cards that are used by the dealer.
How the dealer behaves. Dealers always follow a set of instructions on how they handle their hand. The most important score is usually 17. In some games the dealer will be instructed to stand – stop taking cards – and in others they have a choice.
The odds of blackjack. A blackjack is a two-card hand totalling 21. Check the odds that are awarded for hitting this most valuable hand.
Who wins a tie? What happens if the dealer and the player both have a blackjack? You need to know!
Doubling is an option to allow you to double your first bet. In return for this you trade in the right to have more than one more card.
Splitting. Splitting allows a player to convert a pair of cards dealt to them as their first two cards into two hands. You have to double your bet to do this usually.
Surrendering allows you to give up as soon as you see the cards dealt and get half of your bet back.
There are more options too, and a fair few completely different versions of the game, so check them out before you start playing.
Is this the style of table I want?
As well as game rule variants, you can also play live blackjack at different style tables.
Common options are high speed games, and party games with an up-beat action and lots of chat.
Make sure the game suits your mood.
Is this game safe for me to play?
We’re happy to have found a site that is safe and licensed. Great!
But is it safe for you to play? Now?
This means you need to know that you can afford to lose – or spend – all of the money that you plan to play with.
Hopefully you have a decent idea of safe gambling practices – please see our guides if you don’t – and you should always monitor how you’re doing financially and how you’re doing emotionally when you gamble.
Have I played this game before?
Because live games are played, well, live they are more expensive to run. The tables require a real live person, and labour is almost always the biggest cost in any business. That means that you can’t very often play live games for free (grab the chance if you can). There are casino games you can play in demo mode though. Check these out before you start playing live games.
Is this the table for me?
Blackjack comes in all shapes and sizes, and that includes betting limits. Make sure you’re at a table that you’re comfortable with.
Live casino games are staffed. You might want to play at a table with staff that you think you will like. We always ask our readers to remember to treat casino staff with the upmost respect no matter what happens in the game. But making decisions based on how staff look is not a good, safe or sustainable way to decide how to play games.
Do You Feel Lucky?
That might sound silly, but there’s no strategy that will guarantee you a win at blackjack. Though the game is the most amenable to technical skills like card counting, that is made a lot harder in the online games, some of which run on infinite shoes of cards that are harder to predict.
So, if you feel lucky that’s your best hope of winning, and the best way to play blackjack isn’t to win money but because you enjoy the game, so check that you’re going to have fun before you sit down to play live blackjack.
