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How to Play Real Money Blackjack Online

Blackjack is easily one of the most-popular table games in the casino. Many people love playing this game due to its low house edge and skill element.

The nice thing about blackjack is that it can be played in a variety of formats, including land-based casinos, online casinos, and live dealer casinos (also online).

Many people are used to playing at brick-and-mortar casinos, where one visits a physical location and exchanges chips for cash. They then bet these chips during the game.

Anybody who solely plays land-based blackjack may be intimidated by gaming sites. But the truth is that online blackjack is even more convenient than the land-based version when you get used to it.

Keep reading to find out how you can play internet blackjack, including where to play, how to sign up, depositing, using strategy, and more.

Find a Good Online Casino

Hundreds of internet casinos offer blackjack. And while this is great from a variety perspective, it makes finding a quality gaming site more difficult. See this list with best online casinos

Luckily, you can cut down on this confusion by focusing on a few different aspects. Here are the main points you want to remember when looking for a good online blackjack casino.

Read Online Casino Reviews

Internet casino affiliates offer reviews as a way to draw more visitors. You should definitely take advantage of these resources, because they can save you time in finding a blackjack site. Example Betsafe Review

These reviews cover broad categories, such as game selection, bonuses, promotions, customer service, banking options, and overall reputation. Knowing how a casino rates in all these aspects will improve your chances of selecting a good site.

The key, though, is making sure that affiliates offer unbiased reviews. After all, the affiliates make more money when they get you to sign up and deposit at a casino. It's preferable to read reviews from affiliates that are the most concerned about presenting unbiased information versus getting more commissions.

You can often tell when reviews are unbiased if they're willing to cover the downsides of casinos along with the positive aspects.

Look at the Blackjack Game Variety – Including Tournaments

If you're focused on playing online blackjack, then you want to make sure that a casino offers plenty of variations. The internet blackjack world is filled with different games, and it's fun to try new versions when you get tired of standard 21.

Here are some different online blackjack variations that are available:

In addition to these different blackjack games, many internet casinos also offer tournaments. You can look forward to blackjack freerolls and buy-in tourneys.

A freeroll gives you the opportunity to win money without paying an entry fee. The drawback, though, is that numerous players enter these events, which lowers your chances of winning. Nevertheless, blackjack freerolls offer a chance to build your bankroll without risk.

Blackjack tournaments with entry fees normally offer bigger prize pools and a greater chance to win than freerolls. Buy-in events can sometimes feature prize pools worth thousands of dollars.

What are the Blackjack Games’ House Edges?

Online blackjack generally gives you a much better chance to win than the brick-and-mortar version. Gaming sites don’t have as many overhead costs, thus allowing them to offer superior odds. Even still, internet blackjack house edges vary from casino to casino.

The main thing you want to consider is the blackjack software that a casino uses. Each software provider offers their own set of blackjack rules across all the sites they supply.

Here are the industry’s best blackjack games/providers in terms of house advantage:

0.31% house edge – Microgaming’s single deck blackjack (a.k.a. Vegas Downtown)
0.35% house edge – Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender
0.35% house edge – Ace Gaming’s single deck
0.38% house edge – Betsoft’s single deck

Is Live Dealer Blackjack Offered?

The two main types of internet blackjack include the virtual and live dealer versions. Virtual online blackjack is generated by software, meaning the table, cards, chips, and everything else are based on virtual graphics.

Live dealer blackjack is also played at an internet casino. But the key difference is that the live casino atmosphere is real. Gaming sites stream blackjack action from a brick-and-mortar casino or studio, which makes it feel like you're playing the game live — even though you're actually using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

You may be perfectly fine with playing virtual blackjack games. But if you long for the land-based experience from home, then make sure that your gaming site also has a live dealer casino.

Check Out Forum and Website Comments on a Casino

Aside from reading reviews, another thing that you can do to check a casino's reputability is browse forums and third-party website comments.

Forums give you a chance to see the unfiltered comments from a casino's customers. Comments left on affiliate sites give you the same opportunities to see players' unbiased opinions.

Keep in mind that every site is going to have disgruntled customers no matter how good they are. But if you find one casino that has far more negative comments than good, then you should probably avoid them. Likewise, a number of positive comments regarding a certain casino gives you confidence in playing there.

Make Sure that Your Country Is Accepted at a Blackjack Site

Online casino licensing jurisdictions prevent their licensees from accepting players from certain nations. Therefore, you must choose blackjack sites that actually allow you to play with them.

Checking for restricted countries is actually one of the first things you should do to avoid wasting time on a site that you can't use. You should find what countries and territories an online casino restricts in their general terms and conditions.

Scroll down to the bottom of their homepage to find the terms and conditions link. Assuming the information isn’t found here, then contact customer support through live chat. The support department can give you a quick answer on whether or not your country/territory is accepted.

Review the Casino's Banking Options

The last thing you want to do is find a great blackjack casino, only to discover that they don't have a banking option you can use. Check out a casino's cashier/banking section to see what deposit and withdrawal methods they have available. More options improve the chances that you'll be able to deposit and withdraw money from a casino.

Gaming sites that offer multiple options for credit cards, debit cards, eWallets, cryptocurrencies, and prepaid cards can cater to a larger variety of players.

Once you find an available banking option, make sure your available method is funded and proceed to depositing. Also, be sure that you can actually use one of the cashout methods before depositing.

Other aspects that you want to consider include minimum and maximum transactions, cashout fees, and withdrawal verification.

The latter refers to emailing/faxing copies of your photo ID and a recent utility bill to the casino. To this practice ensures that somebody else isn’t trying to impersonate you just to withdraw your funds. Note that some sites are stricter than others in this department, which makes it more time-consuming to get your money.

Sign Up at the Casino

Assuming everything checks out, you can precede to signing up at an online blackjack site. Most casinos make it easy to join, because you only have to enter a few simple details.

You'll also be asked to agree to the casino's terms and conditions. Once you agree to the T&Cs;, you'll be sent an email for verification. Simply visit your inbox, open the email, and click the verification link to officially complete account registration.

Play Free Online Blackjack

Joining an online casino enables you to play their games for free. Playing free internet blackjack is great from the perspective that you can try a casino before depositing. Try our free Blackjack games.

All you need to do is select any available online blackjack game to get started. The casino will supply you with free chips, which simulates the experience of real money betting.

The only downside is that you can’t actually win any money from these games. However, they still make for good practice when you do feel like risking real funds.

Make a Deposit to Play Real Money Blackjack

The signup process is only the first act towards playing real money internet blackjack. You also have to deposit funds onto the site with an eligible banking method.

Earlier we covered the importance of looking over banking options while reviewing a casino. You shouldn’t have any trouble depositing money onto the site provided there's an option you can use.

As long as you understand the deposit process, then you won't have much trouble making withdrawals. Keep in mind, though, that the gaming site may want to verify your identity before approving a cashout.

Withdrawal verification involves emailing or faxing copies of your driver's license (or other photo ID) and one or more recent utility bills.

Also note that different sites take varying amounts of time to approve your cashouts. Faster approval is preferable, because this allows you to get your money sooner. You should find out how quickly an online casino processes withdrawals when looking at reviews.

Learn Online Blackjack Strategy

No rule states that you have to learn strategy before playing internet blackjack. However, doing so improves your odds of winning. And the best part is that it doesn't take much time to learn blackjack strategy.

The easiest way to get started is by finding a blackjack strategy chart and following the advice. You can find these charts by running a quick Google search, then navigating to the “Images” section. Here you'll find a variety of blackjack strategy charts.

These tools show exactly what moves you should make based on your score and the dealer's upcard. For example, if your score is 14 and the dealer's upcard is 6, then you should stay.

Just be sure to find a chart that fits the actual game you're playing. For example, you don't want to use Atlantic City strategy for a Vegas Strip game.

What's nice about online blackjack is that you can take all the time you need to refer to your chart. This is invaluable as a beginner, because you don't have a dealer and other players hurrying you along.

Another way to work on your blackjack strategy is by using a trainer. These are free programs that you can find at various internet sites.

A trainer sees you play online blackjack like normal. However, the key difference is that it points out when you make correct and incorrect strategy decisions.

If you hit a hard 17 when the dealer has a 9, for example, the trainer will show that you should've stood in this situation instead. The nice thing about blackjack trainers is that they simulate playing the game and help you get better through repetition.

One more thing you can do to improve your odds of beating online blackjack involves finding games with the best rules. The exact rules in place affect the house edge and, subsequently, your chances of making money.

Earlier we covered the best online blackjack games in terms of house edge, such as Microgaming’s single deck and Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender. These variations have player-friendly rules, which is why they also feature low house advantages.

But you can spot good games yourself without referring to other resources just by knowing the different rules. Here's a quick synopsis of the many blackjack rules and how they can alter the house edge:

Natural blackjack payouts – You want 3:2 payouts for natural blackjacks (21 on first two cards), rather than 6:5 payouts. The 3:2 payoffs lower the house edge by 1.40%.
Deck number – Single deck blackjack is the best as long as there are other favorable rules present. The house edge increases by 0.59% when moving to eight-deck blackjack.
Double down – Being able to double down on any total decreases the house advantage by 0.25%.
Dealer stands on soft 17 – The dealer standing on a soft 17 lowers the house edge by 0.20%.
Double down after splitting (DAS) – Being able to double down after splitting drops the house edge by 0.17%.
Re-splitting aces – Having the ability to re-split aces lowers the house advantage by 0.08%.
Late surrender – Late surrender, which involves surrendering a hand after the dealer checks for a natural blackjack, lowers the house edge by 0.07%.

Pros and Cons of Playing Online Blackjack

Online and land-based blackjack certainly have their differences. And these differences can alter how you think of one version or the other. Check out the following pros and cons to help determine if you like internet blackjack or the land-based version better.

Pros

Convenience – Online blackjack allows you to play from anywhere via a mobile device or PC. Furthermore, you don’t have to travel to a brick-and-mortar destination.
Low house edges – Internet blackjack games offer a lower house edge than the average land-based table.
Game variety – Most online casinos feature a large blackjack game variety.
Mobility – You can switch blackjack games with a few swipes of your phone. This beats walking around a casino to find different variations.
Solitary play – Online blackjack is the perfect option if you prefer playing the game by yourself.
Signup bonuses – Most internet casinos offer a signup bonus when you join and make a deposit.
Lower stakes – You can normally play online blackjack for as little as $1 per hand. Minimum land-based bets range from $5 to $25.

Cons

Lack of atmosphere – Virtual blackjack can’t compete with land-based casinos in terms of atmosphere. But live dealer blackjack can come close.
Little social interaction – You also can’t enjoy fellow players sitting next to you at internet casinos. The closest thing to online social interaction is chatting with the dealer in live blackjack.
• Speed of play – Online blackjack moves faster than the land-based version. Therefore, it can be hard to minimize losses if you’re making $5 bets or more.
Comps are less cool – The main loyalty reward at internet casinos is cashback. But many players prefer the free drinks, meals, and hotel stays available at land-based casinos.

Conclusion

Playing internet blackjack may seem daunting if you’re new to the matter. But you can see from this guide that it’s not overly difficult to start playing online.

Everything begins with finding an online casino that rates high in blackjack variety, reputability, bonuses, and low house edges. You don’t necessarily have to search for the world’s most-perfect casino. But you should at least find a quality site with good blackjack games.

After finding a solid casino, the next step is to sign up and try the free games. Playing free blackjack is a great way to test out a site. If the casino passes your test, proceed to making a deposit and playing for real money.

You might also consider studying strategy before playing for real money. The combination of good strategy and favorable blackjack rules can help push the house edge under 0.5%.

Above all, the key is to have fun while playing online. Doing so is much easier when you know how to play internet blackjack and make more money in the process.