Real Money Blackjack

Are you ready to win cash playing real money blackjack? Maybe you have learned the basic rules of blackjack. Perhaps you’ve played at a live casino table or maybe you’ve even studied a blackjack strategy card. At this point in your evolution as a blackjack player, you may have played a routine game for fun with friends and family, or even dabbled with playing for real money online.

Perhaps your level of play has improved to the point where you feel comfortable and confident enough to set up a bankroll and play live casino blackjack. However, before you jump all the way in as a real money blackjack player, there are a number of important factors to consider.

This guide will help you to get the best action when playing real money blackjack apps on your phone or online casino games on your computer. Whether you are planning on playing at a land-based, brick and mortar establishment or an online casino, there are a number of important factors you must consider before putting your hard-earned cash on the blackjack table.

Online Blackjack Reviews

When it comes to wagering your hard-earned money playing blackjack with at land-based casinos, you will want to stay away from the dubious, back-alley “dives”. Similar concepts apply to online casinos, although it may be more difficult to tell a reputable online gaming platform from a shady one on the web.

When playing real money blackjack online, spending a little extra time conducting due-diligence in researching a casino will pay off handsomely. Remember, your personal and financial information hangs in the balance, so investing some extra time is well worth the protection it will afford you.

Knowing the difference between a legitimate online gambling operation and a scam can be difficult, because even a bogus online casino can have a professional-looking website, and that can be misleading. The bottom line is this—choose to play at a reliable and reputable casino.
So, how do you find legitimate and fair blackjack games online? Use the following guidelines to help inform your choice of where to play real money blackjack online.

Real Money Blackjack Apps

Most of the well-established online casinos will be affiliated with leading software providers. After all, reliable gameplay is what keeps these casinos in business.

These software providers develop casino game packages that they license to many different casinos. Their business model revolves entirely around selling their games to as many parties as possible, so the reputable “big names” in the industry have no real incentive to collude with any one particular casino to run a rigged game.

So who are these big names? Among the largest and most trustworthy of the blackjack game developers are:

• Amaya
• BetSoft
• Everymatrix
• Evolution Gaming
• IGT
• Microgaming
• NetEnt
• PlayTech
• Realtime Gaming
• SG Interactive

How to Find the Best Blackjack Apps

Most casinos now make blackjack tables available through mobile apps. These apps are the best way to play blackjack on mobile devices such as Android and Apple phones and tablets.

“What devices are real money blackjack apps available for?”

Nearly every casino that offers a mobile app supports Android, and most also support Apple iOS as well. A good range of them also have Windows mobile apps.

In addition to having the right device type, you’ll need hardware that is recent enough. Basic online casino games like blackjack don’t take much in the way of horsepower to run, but most casinos require a fairly recent version of the mobile operating system to be installed for security and stability purposes. Older devices are sometimes not capable of upgrading to a new enough version of the OS to run the casino apps.

This will vary by casino, but general rules of thumb for minimum OS versions needed to run real money blackjack apps are:

• Android: KitKat (4.4)
• iOS: Version 6
• Windows: Windows Phone 8 or Windows 10 Mobile

If your device is not compatible, you’re not completely out of the game yet. You may be able to use the casino’s “no download” function to play real money blackjack. This means you play their games through a web browser instead of downloading an app. This can work on older devices, but the downside is that this method usually has the smallest range of games and the most limited features.

“How do I fund my real money blackjack account with a mobile app?”

It mostly depends on your method of payment and withdrawal.

If you’re using a credit card, bank transfer or online banking transaction, the casino will usually build this interface directly into their app. Players who have banks that restrict transactions with online gaming sites can get around this by purchasing certain types of pre-paid credit card.

Casino apps may also have a direct interface for e-wallet services like Skrill and Neteller, but some will ask you to go into the e-wallet app and simply make a transfer to them using contact information they give you through their app or site.

There are also usually minimums and maximums for deposits and withdrawals on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Each casino has different terms.

“Is it safe to play real money blackjack using a mobile app?”

There are two overall steps to making sure any real money casino app is reputable: checking on the reputation and operations of the casino in question, and making sure your own hardware and connection are secure.

The biggest factor in online security is the jurisdiction in which it is located. Some countries are much more strict in their regulation of online gambling than others. The best territories include the United Kingdom (and its whitelisted protectorates), the legal casinos operating online in the United States (in states like New Jersey and Delaware), and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission based in Canada.

In addition to checking on the gambling commission that regulates the casino, check on the reputation of the company that supplies their blackjack software. See if they have independent third-party testing of the fairness of their blackjack games from a reputable agency like eCOGRA.

That covers the casino’s end. You also need to secure your end of the connection. The first aspect is using a mobile device that has a modern and secure operating system. For example, as the KRACK WPA2 exploit of 2017 revealed, mobile devices running older versions of Android are particularly vulnerable and cannot really be secured outside of upgrading the operating system to a more secure version.

KRACK also made clear that you need to be very careful about the connection you play on, especially on shared connections. Your home wired connection, or a home WiFi system secured with a good password that only family has access to, is unlikely to be penetrated by attackers. Public WiFi at Starbucks or the airport is a completely different story. It is always a good idea to avoid transmitting any personal or financial information over such public networks.

“What Kind of Odds Does Real Money Mobile Blackjack Offer?”

There is usually no odds difference between a casino’s mobile and desktop games, and online casinos tend to offer much more favorable blackjack games than their offline counterparts.

Most brick and mortar casinos have transitioned to standard unfavorable rules like 6:5 payouts for blackjack, having the dealer hit on a soft 17, and tight restrictions on splitting and doubling. It’s now much easier to find favorable tables online. Most online casinos that feature blackjack have an array of tables that keep the house edge to somewhere between a mere 0.5 to 0.2%.

“What Kind of Payouts Can You Expect?”

As mentioned before, classic 3:2 blackjack payouts are the rule rather than the exception at online tables. That means you’ll win significantly more money over your blackjack career.

“Are There Special Bonuses for Mobile Blackjack Players?”

Yes, there are. Mobile is the hottest sector in the online gaming industry right now, and a number of casinos are offering added incentives to players who opt to use their mobile apps.

Real Money Blackjack on the iPhone and iPad

The iPhone and iPad are always top of the line technologically when they are released, and you can expect mobile casino apps on iOS to have the highest-quality interfaces and graphics.

iPad and iPhone players can expect to get the same blackjack options that they would find on a desktop or laptop computer. Live streaming blackjack is also no problem with these powerful devices.

One important tip is to look for apps that are specific to your device type. Many casinos have both an iPhone and an iPad app; they are different in that they are tailored to best present the game on each set of hardware, for example taking advantage of the larger screen space on the iPad.

You’ll have to go through iTunes to install casino apps to your Apple device. However, searching iTunes for real money gambling apps can be messy and frustrating. It’s often easier to simply visit the web pages of different casinos that look interesting. You’ll be able to see their blackjack rules and payouts before following a link to download their app from iTunes.

Real Money Blackjack on Android Devices

Android has become the world’s most commonly used operating system, and you can bet online casinos have taken notice. It’s extremely rare to find a casino that doesn’t offer real money blackjack through an Android app.

Usually, you’ll get online casino apps through the Google Play Store. However, in territories where online gambling is illegal, it is Google’s policy to not host real money wagering apps. If the Play Store is not an option, you’ll have to get the app directly from the casino’s website. The casino will usually provide detailed installation instructions, but this involves enabling the installation of “unsigned” apps in your Android settings menu.

PayPal for Online Blackjack

PayPal is the king of the e-wallet options. It’s the largest, the longest running, and provides the greatest level of safety and security.

If you’re new to PayPal and e-wallet services, they are basically an online account from which you can send and receive funds instantly. You can fund your account with direct deposits from your bank, or by accepting credit card payments or direct PayPal fund transfers from other people. You can then transfer funds from Paypal to your online casino account at no charge, or you can link a credit card to your PayPal account to make payments through it with an added layer of security.

The problem for players in the United States, Canada and Australia (and regions with similar online gambling laws) is in finding a casino that they can use PayPal at. PayPal complies with the laws and banking regulations of their host countries, so if you try to make a transaction to a known online casino, odds are it will be blocked.

Of course, if you’re outside of these territories, there are no worries. For example, players in the United Kingdom can fund their online casino accounts with PayPal and are strongly encouraged to do so. Many other countries throughout Europe also allow PayPal transactions with casinos.

Live Blackjack Online

Want to play blackjack with an actual dealer, but retain the advantages of online games? Live streaming blackjack is for you.

A live dealer is set up in a remote location and deals cards to the table; the gaming software converts the actual cards dealt at their end to virtual cards at your end. Aside from a live human dealer dealing from a shoe of cards, everything goes as it does in the standard online blackjack game.

People are sometimes hesitant to play live blackjack due to privacy concerns, but there’s nothing to worry about. The dealer is the only one who is ever on camera. The dealer can’t see or hear you, and most tables don’t allow players to interact with each other. If you want to ask the dealer a question or make a comment, you can enter it into a text chat window. You can also use this to call a pit boss, who will appear on camera to address any concerns.

Live dealers help to make the sometimes tedious grind of playing long hours of blackjack much more pleasant. They’ll chat with players, and you can also pick from a range of attire – anything from standard conservative casino uniforms to attractive dealers in more revealing outfits.

Live dealer games do tend to have higher table limits since their cost of operation is much higher than the standard video blackjack game. Expect these tables to usually start at about $5 per hand. However, you’ll enjoy the same favorable table rules that you do at the standard forms of online casino blackjack.

Places to Play Real Money Mobile Blackjack

Lucky Creek Online Casino

Lucky Creek’s blackjack action is powered by Saucify, who currently make four types of table available. Of these, the most favorable to the player is their single deck game, which at a 99.77% theoretical expected return is one of the best blackjack games you can find anywhere. Lucky Creek sweetens the pot with a 100% initial deposit bonus match (up to $500) as well as 25 free spins to use at one of their slot machines.

BoVegas Casino

BoVegas is a new casino that looks to provide a Vegas experience from the comfort of your home. The blackjack they offer is much better than anything you’ll ever find on the Strip, however – five different games have a theoretical return of over 99%. They also offer daily and monthly matching bonuses to blackjack players that usually range from 125% to 200% and throw some free slot spins in as well. Work your way up through the ranks of their VIP program and you’ll also move from 10% to 20% cash back on all deposits each week.

Royal Ace Casino

Royal Ace Casino’s blackjack tables are powered by RealTime Gaming, which gives you a good range of tables that have theoretical returns starting at 99.46%. This casino is also in rare company in offering a welcome deposit matching bonus of 100% that has no upper limit. A variety of daily deposit bonuses also keep things interesting, though some are ineligible for blackjack play.

Ignition Casino

Though Ignition is often thought of as a European casino, it is actually based in the Kahnawake Gaming Commission territory in Canada, and thus welcomes players from the United States and Canada. The blackjack offerings are more limited here than at other places, but Ignition also tends to have some of the most generous signup bonuses and ongoing promotions.

Bovada

Bovada uses a variety of software providers but is unusual among online casinos in striking deals to adjust the games and create their own special branded versions of them. At the moment, their best games are standard and Perfect Pairs blackjack, but nearly every game they offer has a theoretical return of over 99%. As one of the “big dogs” of the online gaming world, Bovada can afford to make some pretty generous bonus offers, and they’re making a particular push as of late to acquire players who like to use Bitcoin.

Blackjack App Developers

This is not a comprehensive list of electronic real money blackjack apps and their game developers; there are other software providers who run good blackjack games, but these are the biggest companies in the industry and the names you will see most often.

You can count on any casino who contracts with these companies to have a range of fair and well-programmed blackjack tables that offer rules and payouts comparable to those found at the best brick and mortar casinos. They differ from each other in the creative “enhanced” blackjack games they’ve developed to get a leg up in the industry, however. Some examples include:

Amaya: Their Micro Limit Blackjack manages to add some unique wrinkles, like a double bonus for a five-card 21 and 3x payment for drawing three sevens, without significantly increasing the house edge as compared to other 6:5 payout blackjack variants.

BetSoft: 21 Burn Blackjack gives the player the option of replacing their second card from the original deal, at the cost of a side bet of half their original wager.

Microgaming: Microgaming’s Double Exposure boasts the lowest house edge of any online blackjack game. The unique wrinkle here is that the player can see both of the dealer’s cards, something never previously seen at any blackjack game. Of course, the casino does compensate for this by giving the dealer the win on any push that’s not a blackjack. Even with that concession, however, the expected house edge on tables where the dealer stands on soft 17 is 0.39%, a little lower than the 0.40% and up that the best games from other developers offer.

NetEnt: NetEnt’s Blackjack Pro is perhaps the most popular standard variant of the game among serious players, allowing a player with perfect strategy to run three hands at a time with an expected house edge of only 0.40%.

PlayTech: Double Attack Blackjack has a whole variety of unusual rules. Eight decks are used, but the tens are removed. The flow of play is also a little different. Each hand opens with the dealer being dealt one visible card, and the player is then given the option to double their bet. The player may also place a side bet that pays out if the dealer busts on their third card, and it pays out an added bonus if the dealer busts with three eights.

One final consideration about software providers is whether or not they allow casinos to individually change payouts and rules. When it comes to blackjack, the vast majority of them have standard payouts that can’t be changed, but may allow casinos to tweak rules when it comes to certain games. These rule changes can make a big difference: for example, the aforementioned Double Exposure Blackjack can go from being the most favorable possible blackjack game all the way to a 1.5% advantage for the house depending on how the optional rules are set up by the casino.

Online Blackjack Rules

The basic rules of blackjack are very simple. 21 is the highest hand, and being dealt a natural 21 is a blackjack.

Get a blackjack on the initial deal and you win automatically (and usually get some extra money to boot). Failing that, you’ve got to conclude with a higher hand than the dealer (without going over 21), or get the dealer to bust out.

Value of an Ace

One thing that sometimes confuses new players is the fluid value of the Ace. The Ace is worth either one or 11 points, depending on what is most advantageous to the player in the current situation.

So if the player is dealt an Ace and a Queen, the Ace will be worth 11, because that gives the player a blackjack. Alternately, if the player is dealt a hand worth 17 points and then hits and receives an Ace, the value of the Ace must be one as otherwise, the player would bust out.

Insurance

In just about all variants of the game, you only see one of the dealer’s two initial cards. You have to make all your decisions for the hand on the basis of that card’s value. If the dealer is showing an ace, it means they may potentially be holding a blackjack, and the player will be offered “insurance.”

Insurance is basically a side bet that pays you double the amount of money, should the dealer indeed be holding a blackjack. So if the side bet was equal to your original wager, you’d lose the wager, but you’d win the side bet and thus end up breaking even. The dealer normally doesn’t look at their hole card prior to the player concluding their actions, but if they have an ace showing they are allowed to peek at most tables and will reveal the blackjack immediately after the insurance decision so as not to waste the player’s time.

There are a couple of other special conditions. The player can opt to “double down”, which means they double their original wager but receive only one more card. The player may “split” if they are dealt either a pair or any two of the cards that have a value of 10.

This basically breaks up the original hand into two separate hands, both of which the player plays out against whatever the dealer is holding (hands can also be re-split up to four total at most tables). They may also “surrender” after seeing their initial hand, losing only half their original wager.

Blackjack Sites

The main difference between casinos and their individual tables is going to be little tweaks to these rules. Small changes can make a big difference in the expected house edge.

For example, casinos often opt to not allow players to surrender, to double after splitting, or to re-split aces. All of these things improve their advantage over the player.

What casinos pay out for a blackjack also makes a significant difference in the player’s expected return over time. “Full pay” blackjack pays out 3:2 when the player is dealt a blackjack.

Unfortunately, 6:5 tables are becoming increasingly common, even at online casinos. This gives you less of a bonus for hitting a blackjack, which makes the table less favorable to you over time.

Live Casino Blackjack

Blackjack at an online casino really isn’t any different from playing at a live casino table. These games are designed to look like an actual table and are much more sophisticated than the video blackjack you see on casino floors on the Game King machines.

Many people prefer playing blackjack online because there’s no pressure. You don’t have to know the hand symbols used at live tables, nor do you have to worry about taking too much time and irritating other players.

Each company’s online blackjack table design is a little different. At most, however, you’ll see chips of different denominations lined up on the corner of the table. You either drag these chips to the table to make your wager or click on them to get a dialog box that asks how many of each denomination you want to wager.

When you’re ready, there is usually a “deal” button near the bottom of the screen. The buttons for all of the other activities during the game (like hitting and doubling down) will appear near the deal button as the game goes on. There is also usually a re-bet button that appears after your first wager, so you can quickly make the same wager again without having to fool around with the virtual chips.

There is also the option of playing at “live tables.” These tables are manned by an actual dealer, who you see and interact with over streaming video. You can see and hear the dealer, but you remain invisible to them and to other players at the table. You interact with the game with the same virtual chips and icons, but the dealer will actually shuffle and deal a real deck from their location.

Blackjack Bonuses

Many online casinos offer attractive promotions and weekly welcome bonuses. It’s in your best interest to be wary of these bonus offers and take the time to read the fine print, however.

Less than reputable casino operators seek to draw players in with clever sign ups but make it difficult if not impossible to actually withdraw any real money.

Always check the terms and conditions carefully for sign-up bonuses, free cash, deposit-matching bonuses, and other marketing gimmicks. These sales promotions will sometimes be contingent upon a play-through requirement.

Real Money Blackjack Reviews

Imagine winning big after accepting one of these seemingly lucrative promotional gimmicks only to learn after the fact that there is a playthrough requirement.

In other words, you may have to stake your bet multiple times before you are permitted to withdraw the winnings earned with the deposit, bonus, or bonus plus deposit amount before you are permitted to cash out. Sometimes these wagering requirements are so high that you’ll wind up in the hole after trying to meet them, which is of course exactly what the casino wants to happen.

While these types of bonuses are not something you would encounter at a physical casino, and they may seem like a fantastic way to give your bankroll a boost, it is important to note that the terms and conditions attached to these promotions may severely limit how much of the bonus can be used on blackjack.

Some casinos exclude blackjack entirely, as it offers some of the thinnest house advantages of all casino games.They may also limit when and how you will be able to withdraw winnings that originate from these bonuses.

Long story short: always read the terms before accepting the bonus!

Online Casino Safety

Legit online gambling operations will often be certified by a reputable, independent third party testing agency, such as the eCommerce and OnlineGaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) or Technical Systems Testing (TST).

Companies like eCOGRA and TST perform random and independent checks on the fairness of a casino’s games. They do this by running mathematical probability tests on them, and in some cases can “peek under the hood” to see if casinos have fiddled with their licensed games in some illicit way.

These two agencies maintain central lists of the casinos that they certify, which you can see at the following links:

http://www.ecogra.org/srs/holders_safe_fair_seals.php
http://www.tstglobal.com/industry-links/

One last step is to do a simple Google search for blacklisted casinos. Government agencies and the third-party testing agencies generally don’t keep blacklists, you’ll instead find these at various casino review sites.

Of course, anyone given site may be biased or have simply got something wrong, but if you keep seeing a casino appear on multiple blacklists it usually means they should not be trusted. Also, follow up with forum comments from other casino patrons on any questionable casino, and see what the general sentiment toward it is among serious players.

Online Casino Payouts

Playing at a land-based casino is a pretty straightforward endeavor. You usually just need to pull up a seat, put your cash on the blackjack table, and the dealer will change this into chips.

To play online blackjack for real money at an online casino is obviously different than playing at a physical location.

One major difference is that you will need to set up and then deposit funds into an online casino account, typically via credit or debit card, but there may be various other payment options available to you.

Deposits

The key consideration to check before depositing any of your hard-earned cash with an online casino is the process by which you are allowed to withdraw or transfer funds from your casino account. Again, this is another scenario in which reading the fine print pays big.

Withdrawals

Some online casinos do not process withdrawals back to your credit card and may only offer withdrawals to a bank account. At a brick and mortar casino, you can cash in your chips immediately after winning big and walk out with your money. When playing blackjack at an online casino, processing a withdrawal or transfer may involve a wait of several days before you receive your money.

Online casinos almost always allow you to fund your account with a credit card, which is something you’ll never see happen at a brick and mortar casino. Some even allow you to have the funds you withdraw sent back to your credit card.

However, be aware that these casinos almost always require you to send them a picture of the front of your credit card for security purposes. For your own privacy and security, be sure that the casino handles this by having you upload the image to their servers through a secure https link. This means that the data you are passing is encrypted and cannot be viewed by anyone who might be snooping on the connection (needless to say, try not to transmit personal financial information over the local coffee shop WiFi as well).

Online Blackjack Sites Accept Paypal

E-wallet services (like Skrill and PayPal) are almost always the best option for both deposits and withdrawals. Your transfers will process more quickly than any other method, and they’re usually the only way to get same-day withdrawals of your winnings. Casinos also love these methods because it costs them less in terms of payment processing fees, so they pass some of that savings on to the player in the form of bonuses to encourage using these payment methods.

Ready to Find the Best Online Blackjack?

You’re all set. You have an online blackjack strategy. You read the fine print. You’re ready to bet, but two things you absolutely should not gamble on are your equipment and your connection. If you are playing on an old computer that doesn’t have enough dedicated RAM or you have a poor internet connection, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Make sure your machine is plugged into a surge protector and that you have the bandwidth that you’re willing to bet money on.

If you log on to the site and your connection appears to lag, the safest bet is not to bet.

Another option is looking for casino blackjack games labeled “no download”, those game titles don’t require downloading an app or software and can be played with an internet connection.
The knock against “no download” games is that you generally get the fewest options with this method. Since blackjack is so simple and straightforward, however, you can expect the “no download” versions to be just as good as the ones found in the casino software or apps.

How to Choose a Safe Online Casino

A reputable casino will do their best to protect the personal and financial information of their patrons, but don’t count on them to do all the work.

Online casinos that are licensed and overseen by a reputable government agency (like the United Kingdom Gambling Commission or the New Jersey Casino Control Commission) have to meet certain standards when it comes to storing and transmitting your personal financial information.

However, that doesn’t protect you from slip-ups on your end. As we mentioned above, make sure your connection is secure; it’s not the casino’s fault if you get hacked after sharing personal data through the Starbucks public WiFi or the connection you’re mooching from some unknown neighbor. Also try to avoid sending and storing your documents in your email accounts, as the casino is not responsible for hackers who manage to breach those.

You should treat your login information with the same level of caution you would treat your bank or credit card account logins. Never leave your computer when your account is logged in. It’s probably a good idea to routinely check your computer for spyware and malware, as well.

“Keylogger” software can run silently in the background of your computer, sending everything you punch in (as well as periodic screenshots or videos of your desktop) to some unknown party with bad intentions. This type of malware is most commonly contracted through malicious Flash or Java scripts on web pages, which people are often enticed into visiting by an otherwise legitimate-looking email.

Read the Terms and Conditions

Finally, after you have handled all the nuts and bolts of choosing a casino, reading all the terms, conditions, fine print, and setting up your account—it’s time to play.

You’ve completed the hard part, so now it’s time to have fun. That being said, don’t be in a rush to get started playing the very first blackjack 21 games that you see.

Investigate the wide variety of options available to you. Most casinos offer a large selection of games, and each has its own specific set of rules and strategies. If you have learned how to play classic blackjack, then it is best to start with that.

Spanish 21 & Pontoon

Games such as Spanish 21 and Pontoon have specific rule variations, odds, and strategies, and you would be well-served to do your homework on these variations of the game before diving in and playing them.

The strategies that work best at standard blackjack usually don’t translate well to these unique rule sets.

Online Blackjack Strategy

One of the great advantages of playing online is that you can use “strategy cards.” These concise reference cards tell you what the most mathematically sound play is in any given situation. Some brick and mortar casinos allow the use of these, but other players at the table usually get irritated when someone uses one. At home, you can take each game at your own pace and study your strategy card in privacy.

You can see some examples of strategy cards for popular blackjack variants on the sidebar of this page. Keep in mind that each combination of rules and payout amounts changes the optimal strategy in subtle ways, however, so you need to make sure you have the right card for each table.

Respect Online Gaming Laws

Respect local laws and report any winnings from online casinos. Winning big playing blackjack for real money online sounds like a good time, and it is.

Keeping records may not sound like a ton of fun, but when you compare it to having a sit-down with the tax man, suddenly keeping records doesn’t sound so bad.

Many countries expect you to diligently report all of your gambling income when filing your annual tax return.It’s best to have good records because rolling the dice with the IRS is not a bet most of us want to make.

Betting Strategy for Blackjack Online

You’ll hear people say that blackjack is one of the only beatable games in a casino. Playing with perfect strategy isn’t enough to beat the game, however; even using the perfect strategy card for your game, the house will still always have a small edge over time. The way that blackjack can be beaten is through card counting.

Yes, the technique seen in movies like Rain Man and The Hangover is real, and many blackjack players have made good money at brick and mortar casinos by doing it. To explain it as simply as possible, players keep a mental count of how many high and low cards have come out between shuffles of the deck. The player is basically keeping track of how the house edge is fluctuating over time based on what cards are left in the deck and will adjust their wagering patterns accordingly.

Live Blackjack

It’s a fascinating practice, and one that is much more complicated than that basic description can convey. However, if you’re playing online blackjack, there’s no point in pursuing it. The software virtually “shuffles” the deck with each new hand, rendering card counting techniques pointless.

But what about live video streaming blackjack tables, where the dealer is using an actual deck? It’s technically possible, but most live streaming casinos implement measures that make it very difficult. It’s harder to tell how many decks are actually in use at these games, for starters.

And card counters also rely on being able to wager on the hands of other people at the table when they have an advantage, a practice that most live streaming games don’t allow. A very experienced blackjack card counter might be able to scour many different tables looking for an advantageous situation, but the opportunities are not exactly falling off of trees online.

♠️ What is the best real money blackjack app/site?

This really depends on individual circumstances. Honestly, the blackjack tables inside of most online casinos are pretty similar in terms of the table layout and basic game rules.

Unless it’s one of the unique twists described above in the “Software Providers” section, you can expect table rules, payouts and gameplay to be extremely similar inside of all casinos.

So how do you choose the best real money blackjack option for you? Use the following criteria to decide:

• Is the game fully accessible to your operating system, and does it play smoothly?
• If you want a live dealer, does the casino offer that option (and can your connection handle it)?
• Is the casino’s bonus structure well-suited to your expected level of play?
• Do the games move fast enough for your liking?
• Are the table rules favorable to the player, and does it pay out enough for blackjacks?

♠️ How do I play blackjack online for fun (no real money)?

There are quite a few options for “play money” blackjack if you just want to practice or pass some time.

Most of the online casinos offer a “play money” mode for their blackjack tables. They do usually require you to have a verified account to play them, however, meaning you’ll need to submit identity documents. They may also limit the amount of play money available.

Another online option is “social casinos.” These are game sites and apps that function like online casinos, but all the games are for play money only. Players get an allotment of money per day, and can usually add to this by sharing links and notifications with friends who play the game. One intriguing option is MyVEGAS, which offers a variety of real prizes that can be earned through your “just for fun” blackjack play.

♠️ What are the rules about playing blackjack for real money online in my country?

Real Money Blackjack in the UK

United Kingdom: UK citizens are allowed to freely wager at blackjack on any site that is approved by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

Real Money Blackjack in Australia

Australia: Online wagering on blackjack has technically been illegal in Australia for years, but enforcement of these laws were lax and major sites like 888Casino welcomed players from the country. New laws being introduced in late 2017 are causing casino providers to abandon the country, however, due to the huge fines, they could be levied for operating there.

Real Money Blackjack in Canada

Canada: The government technically has no official stance on online real money blackjack play, but any site operating in the state will likely be based in the sovereign territory of the Kahnawake reserve.

India: Though the wording of the law in India is actually not clear on whether or not online blackjack wagering is legal, it is generally regarded as not being legal outside of the state of Sikkim, which has specifically legalized it.

Malaysia: Malaysia has unusual laws, in which gambling is permitted for those who are not Muslim but forbidden to those who are. Ethnic natural-born Malays are required by law to be Muslim, so gambling is off-limits for most citizens. Visitors to the country may play at online casinos while there, however.

Indonesia: As with Malaysia, Indonesia is a majority Muslim country that forbids all forms of gambling. However, the country has a program in which a limited amount of licenses are distributed for games of chance that involve real money. These are meant for simple lotteries and things of that nature, but some parties have used them to set up real money blackjack games and online casinos. The government is opposed to these, so if any gaming providers do remain temporarily, one should not expect them to be a stable long-term gaming platform.

New Zealand: While New Zealand does allow some specific forms of brick and mortar blackjack, the country’s laws specifically forbid all types of online wagering within the country. Both citizens and visitors are allowed to play at online casinos based in other countries, however!

South Africa: South Africa bans all forms of online gambling, including at sites that are based in other countries. The country can issue licenses to South African gaming providers for certain games, but unfortunately, blackjack is not among them.

♠️ Is CS:GO Blackjack real money?

CS:GO Blackjack is and isn’t a real money blackjack game. It isn’t in that players are technically wagering their character “skins” from the popular game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It is, however, in the fact that skins can be withdrawn and traded for real money.

Basically, it’s a clever workaround to allow players to play a form of real money blackjack that doesn’t violate the online gambling laws of certain countries (like the United States). Of course, these laws are always open to the interpretation of courts to some degree, and new laws can be drafted, so one cannot rely on sites of this nature to be around forever.

Is Real Money Blackjack Legal in the USA?

New Jersey offers the richest array of online blackjack options. Casinos with a brick and mortar presence in the state (such as those in Atlantic City) are also allowed to run online casinos. Anyone within the state of New Jersey can play at them.

Though one might think Nevada of all states would embrace online blackjack, the existing casino industry has actually fiercely resisted real money online wagering of all forms. You can presently play poker and make sports bets online legally in Nevada, but you can’t wager real money on any other casino games (including blackjack).

Delaware has a situation similar to New Jersey; three legal brick and mortar racetrack casinos in the state have also been given the option to run online casinos. Each of these online casinos presently offers online blackjack.

California has a long ongoing effort to legalize online gambling but has not yet been able to come up with legislation everyone is happy with. It is widely expected to be the next state to offer real money blackjack online, however.

Arizona technically has no state law forbidding online gambling. Some entrepreneurs have taken advantage of this to set up “WiFi cafes” that offer real money games like blackjack and slots; however, they have also been raided by local police fairly frequently. Though Arizona’s state law on gambling is unclear, state law does not supersede federal law in this matter, and Arizona residents are still likely to find that their banks will block transactions to or from any online casino.

Maryland and Tennessee are similar to Arizona in that there’s no wording in state law that forbids online gambling, yet online gambling will still usually be blocked (and facilitators of it punished) due to a violation of federal law.

♠️ What is Sodapoppin blackjack?

Sodapoppin is the screen name of popular video gamer Chance Morris, who streams his gameplay through sites like Twitch and Youtube. He’s primarily known for playing games like World of Warcraft, but he also periodically streams his exploits playing high-limit online blackjack for real money. He’s made national news for losing $5,000 in one hand during one of his streams, but then winning $10,000 in two hands just a couple of weeks later.

♠️ How do real money blackjack tournaments work?

You can find quite a few online casinos offering real money blackjack tournaments. In most of these tournaments, a group of players is put together at a table and plays against the dealer until either only one is left standing or until a set amount of hands have been reached. The player who is still standing with the largest stack wins and moves on to a group of other table winners in the style of the World Series of Poker.

You’ll also sometimes see head-to-head tournaments offered. In these, players actually play directly against each other rather than a dealer.

♠️ Ready to Play Online Blackjack?

Nothing beats the thrill and excitement of playing blackjack for real money, and there is money to be made if you play with a plan. The reality is that most gamblers lose their money because they don’t stick with the plan or follow the rules and strategies.

In the heat of play, they instead opt for luck and a gut feel. Taking uncalculated risks may be exciting but will ultimately lead to losses, and the house coming out on top. In fact, gamblers who fall for the fallacy of the “hot streak” are the casino’s main source of income.

Don’t be that person. Be the smart player who is in it to win it, focused on their plan, and sticks to their chosen strategy. Successful blackjack is about skill, focus, discipline, and keeping a clear head in the heat of battle.