Blackjack, also known as 21, is a popular casino game that combines intuition, luck and skills. Live blackjack is a fairly recent innovation that bridges the gap between online and brick-and-mortar, enhancing the online experience and giving an immersed feeling of a real casino.

Live blackjack: How it works

Close your eyes and imagine yourself at a crowded casino that is full of buzz, jingle-jangle of champagne glasses, a patter of chips on the tables, croupiers, gorgeous furniture and a non-stop party atmosphere. Now open your eyes and take a look at a live blackjack game on your computer or smartphone – you are sure to see that a live blackjack is so far the best and most accessible alternative to a physical blackjack table which is located miles and miles away from you.

In live blackjack, a flesh-and-blood dealer deals cards, communicates with players at the table, announces results and welcomes those who have just joined in. Tables are usually situated in a studio that is designed to resemble a real casino; the game play is continually videoed with one or more cameras and the footage is broadcasted in real time allowing remote players like you to place bets and see all details of the game as if sitting a few feet away from the dealer. As most providers of live casino software make their games compatible with iOS/Android mobile devices, live blackjack has a set of user-adjustable video options to make playing more comfortable on smaller screens. To start playing and betting real money, you need to deposit funds to the casino account.

Live blackjack features

The objective of live blackjack is to score higher than the dealer without exceeding the total of 21. There are normally 7 seats at a table but some variations (to be described in the section below) accept more or less number of players. On getting dealt the first two cards, each player makes a decision on whether to take another card, take no more cards, split the cards or double the initial bet.

Most developers equip their online live blackjack games with numerous features that enable the player to change video quality or enlarge the screen, chat to the dealer, control casino sound and view personal betting history. Another great feature is information panels indicating dealer’s and player’s last winning hands. Game rules with a detailed description of player’s decisions, scoring, card values and side bets, if any, are readily accessible in most live blackjack games, which will help new players to quickly grasp the basics. Knowing rules of a specific game is important even for seasoned players since every game has some minor rule variations that may necessitate changes in player’s decisions.

Variations of online live blackjack

Live blackjack has several dozen rule variations that affect a player’s return and need to be factored in when making a right decision according to the basic strategy. Typically, live blackjack is played with 8 card decks or 6 decks in some varieties, with less decks being more beneficial for the player’s expected return. The key differences in rule variations are:

• doubling down may be allowed on any number of cards or on 9-11 only. In some games, the player may double after splitting a pair of Aces
• player is entitled to split any 10-value cards (e.g., 10+K) or a pair of identical 10-value cards (e.g., K+K). In most cases, resplitting is not allowed
• some games offer an Early Surrender option if the dealer has an Ace
• dealer can stand or hit on soft 17. The latter applied reduces a player’s edge.

The list of rule variations could go on and on. Besides, some live blackjack table feature side bets that are placed optionally and include Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Rummy and more. If the player opts to make any side bet, they have the chance of winning up to 100 times of what is wagered.

Key developers of live dealer blackjack

Today, live blackjack games are provided by over a dozen software developing companies. Some of them like Extreme Gaming are specialized only in live games while others such as NetEnt have a wide range of interests, including pokies, RNG table games and more. We at Livedealer.co.nz provide users with the most prominent blackjack variations that are widely popular in Australia and other countries. If you tend to visit online casinos on your iOS/Android device, consider playing live blackjack from Extreme Gaming or Evolution Gaming that have flawless mobile compatibility. High-rollers are welcome to place real-money bets of up to $5000 per round on high-limit tables offered by Vivo Gaming and NetEnt. All platforms have their strengths and shortcomings, and no game is the acme of perfection; however, different blackjack developers offer versatile and one-of-a-kind experience that is worth giving a try if you are an ardent fan of blackjack.