Live Dealers – Online roulette is way more fun with an experienced and entertaining croupier running the game so we only recommend sites that have an all-star line-up of live dealers. Big Bonuses – One of the big perks of picking a new site is being able to shop around for the biggest casino bonus. Info: If you want to do sports betting then an online casino like 188bet is the place for sports bets. 188bet is an online casino that started back in 2006 whose main offering is sports bets. The list of the best live dealer sites wouldn’t be complete without Grand Mondial Casino. Owned by the Casino Rewards Group, the casino is definitely something that you should check out.
How to Play Live Dealer Casino Games?
Once you have accessed the live dealer app or window in your browser-based casino, playing the live dealer games is easy.
You select a table and will see the dealer in action. If a hand is in progress, then you’ll need to wait for the next one to begin. Table games are in two broad categories. Some blackjack tables have 6 seats. Individuals decide on the action for their own hand, and the hand is completed once everyone has acted. Other games like baccarat and casino hold’em are played one to many. This means all the active players get the same hand. You can elect to fold (in casino hold’em) and the action will continue for players who have not folded.
It is possible to interact with both the dealer and the other players in these games. This is via a text-based chat. Depending on the crowd when you join, some games can get lively. When the hand is over you will see a list of all the winners scrolling up the screen on some software clients.
One important factor to keep in mind for all live dealer games is that it is easy to time out.
Players are given 15 or 20 seconds to bet between hands, and a similar time to act on decision points. If you time out, your hand may be folded – or you may miss that roulette bet just as your numbers come up. There is a repeat bet button on most types of software to make betting again smoother.
Live dealer blackjack is nowadays one of the most popular online casino games. It has the same feel and look of the real blackjack found in land-based casinos, but it’s played through a live stream with a professional dealer sitting in front of the camera.
There are literally hundreds of different websites on which you can enjoy live dealer blackjack these days such as Wild Casino. Apart from websites being different, the games aren’t always the same either. Although some blackjack games might have the same rules, there can be quite a gap in the video and sound quality, interface, and the overall aesthetics of the game.
My article will focus on several key factors of choosing the finest live blackjack game and playing blackjack in general:
Read the following text carefully, and you will certainly pick the best live blackjack games on the web!
Top US Live Dealer Blackjack Casinos
Best Sports Gambling Sites
Picking the best live blackjack casinos was not an easy task. I have put myself into the player’s perspective and taken into account many things in order to come up with the ultimate list of the finest blackjack casino operators.
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When it comes to choosing where to play libe blackjack for real money you should not venture on your own, especially if you don’t have that much experience with online gambling to begin with. You will at least need some basic guidance, and that’s where I come in.
By reading my article, you will be able to learn all about the best casino sites that offer top-shelf live blackjack games. I selected these websites according to certain criteria that ensure you will enjoy fair and legit casino games with the best possible gaming experience.
How We Choose Our Live Blackjack Casinos
Just in case you were wondering what is so important when choosing the right blackjack game and website, here are several key factors that played a role in the creation of this list.
Licensing and safety
Checking whether the casino operator is licensed by a legit regulatory body and whether their services provide users with all necessary safety measures in terms of monetary transactions and the security of personal details.Top Online Gambling Sites
Game Variety
There are several variants of live blackjack games that you can try online. The majority of the sites on my list will have more than one game at your disposal so you can switch between them easily.Streaming quality
Top online casinos offer the best video and sound quality for streaming their live dealer blackjack games. However, you still need to have a stable Internet connection in order to experience the game in HD.Live blackjack bonuses
The websites you can find here offer great welcome bonuses that can be used for playing live blackjack, among other casino games.Mobile Compatibility
Playing on the move is what online gambling is all about. The most convenient way of playing live blackjack these days is by streaming the game on your mobile phone or a tablet. All the casinos on my list are mobile-friendly.Banking Options
Money transactions on a casino site should go as smoothly as possible. By choosing one of my favorite sites, you would be able to enjoy quick deposits and withdraws with minimum fees.Live Dealer Blackjack Versus Land-Based Blackjack
While blackjack in a land-based casino can never be truly replaced, live online blackjack is at least the best possible way to mimic the experience of playing on a real blackjack table.
What’s more, you can enjoy live dealer blackjack from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere else you see fit. Bonuses and promotions that are associated with playing live dealer games are yet another thing that is exclusive to online casinos.
In other words, playing blackjack online is simply more convenient and comes with more perks compared to the land-based version of the game.
As far as the rules go, they will be the same regardless of the manner of playing the game. However, online operators usually offer several different variations of blackjack, while you might find only one or two blackjack tables at your local casino.
How Does Live Blackjack Work
If you load a game of live blackjack on your desktop, smartphone, or tablet, you will see a virtual gaming table, which you can use to place bets. At the same time, the gaming screen includes a video box through which the live gaming action is continuously streamed to your device. In the live video, you can see a real croupier operating the live blackjack game.
Hypalinx
You must understand that the video you see is not per-recorded and the game you are playing is not generated by computer software. You are viewing a game that is really being played either at a gaming studio or at a land-based casino. You are also placing bets on that game. If you still feel that this cannot be possible, you can interact with the croupier running the game through a chat box on your gaming screen.
Since live blackjack is a game that is actually being played at a physical location, it takes you as close to the land-based casino gaming experience as possible.
Live Blackjack in the US
Since the US is a grey jurisdiction, US players cannot enjoy a wide choice of live blackjack games. Ever since the US federal government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, a large number of operators, payment processors, and software providers withdrew from the US market, leaving residents with very few gambling options.
For example, Microgaming, the casino gaming software giant, has developed the largest number of live games, but doesn’t offer its services to US residents.
In spite of this, US residents can play at live casinos powered by US friendly software providers such as Visionary iGaming and Global Gaming Labs. The latter has been in the US for a long time and has partnered with well-known online casinos that offer live games such as Wild Casino.
Live Dealer Blackjack Casinos
You can rest assured that live blackjack games are 100% fair and random.
A live blackjack game can just not be rigged by the casino authorities because its results are based on actual gaming activity.
To start playing live blackjack, you only have to register any of our recommended live blackjack casinos.
How to Play Live Blackjack: Step by Step Guide
I will take the liberty of assuming that you’re not a very experienced online gambler (that’s probably why you’re reading this article in the first place), but don’t worry, we all have to start somewhere. I didn’t know much about live blackjack not so many years ago, and now I feel I’m capable of guiding other people on how to play it.
So, without further ado, here are a few necessary steps that you need to take in order to start playing live blackjack.
Choosing Casino Operators and Game Providers
First thing’s first, and that’s picking the online casino with quality live blackjack games. I’ve already done that part of the homework for you, so you can simply check my list above, but that’s not enough.You also need to consider the type of game you’re looking to play. If you enjoy common draw blackjack, I suggest you try NetEnt’s version of the game.
For players who prefer a low-stake game with communicative dealers, Evolution Gaming’s Live Blackjack Party should do the trick.
Best Sports Gambling Sites
In any case, choose your operators and providers wisely so you can have the best possible live blackjack experience.
Setting up an Account and Depositing
If you wish to play for real money, you first must set up an account on your desired online casino site. The registration process is usually quite straightforward and requires a few easy steps that include entering your personal details.Unless you are using a live blackjack no deposit bonus that some online casinos offer, you will be required to fund your account. The minimum deposit amount depends on the operator’s rules, but it’s usually around $10. Simply choose your banking method and wait for a couple of minutes before the deposit goes through.
There are also in-game deposits that allow you to refund your account without losing a seat at the table.
Finding Live Blackjack Games
While you’re on the operator’s homepage, try to locate a section that includes all the casino’s live dealer games. Here, you will be able to find live blackjack among other popular live games such as roulette, casino Hold’em, baccarat, and others.Click on the game of your choice and wait for it to load. Once the current round of betting ends and the next one begins, you will be included in the game.
Live Blackjack Betting
The digital interface of the game will help you keep track of the betting. To bet, simply click on one of the differently-sized chips.The timer will clearly state how many seconds you have left until the bets are closed, but this will also be stated by the dealer sitting in front of the camera.
Once the action starts and the cards are dealt, you will have several options on how to play your hand.
- Hit or receive another card
- Stand or stop receiving any more cards
- Double their bets in case of a favorable hand
- Split pairs and play two hands simultaneously
The resulting hand is then compared to the dealers and players will either win or lose their bets. After the winning hands are revealed, your winning bets will be paid according to the paytable that you can check inside the game. For example if a player gets blackjack or a hand that equals point value 21, they will receive a payout of 3 to 2. If players do not win anything, they can place another bet and play again.Any lost bets are automatically deducted from your balance.
Depending on the rules of the live blackjack game they are playing, players can also purchase insurance against a possible dealer blackjack or surrender bad hands and get back half their bets.
Each live blackjack game has a separate set of rules for dealers and players. If players need to interact with the live croupier or fellow players anytime during the game, they can do so using the chat box in their gaming screen. However, chat rules are very strict at live casinos. Players are not allowed to make rude or offensive remarks. If they do, the live casino will prevent them from using the chat functionality. In order to protect live dealers from such unpleasant experiences, some casinos do not offer the chat functionality, but this takes all the fun away from the live dealer game.
Withdrawals
You can choose to end the game of live blackjack in between any two hands. All winnings will be credited to your casino account, after which you can request a withdrawal to your banking method of choice.Navigate to the casino’s cashier page and request a cash-out. Depending on the payment method, you might wait between 48 hours and several business days for the payment to go through. Of course, you can always choose to keep the money in your account and use it to play more live blackjack.
Live Blackjack on Mobile
All modern live blackjack games are mobile-compatible, meaning that you can enjoy playing them on your personal smartphone or tablet. Most of all, mobile players have all the same options as desktop users.
Enjoying live blackjack on mobile is really convenient and allows you to play on the move — something that’s simply not possible when playing on PC.
Depending on the casino site, you can play live blackjack either by entering a mobile-friendly website directly through your browser or by downloading their dedicated mobile app. The majority of sites from my list have live blackjack available to both iOS and Android users.
Live Blackjack Tips & Strategies
The game of blackjack is more about luck than it is about skill, but you should nevertheless be familiar with some betting strategies if you wish to raise your chances of winning.
So, before you even create an online casino account and load your first live blackjack game, you should come up with an effective game plan. Luckily, you won’t have to overheat your brain and learn all the mathematical possibilities on your own. All you need is a few betting charts that I will share with you below and that are relatively easy to follow.
Live Blackjack Rules
Live blackjack is similar to online blackjack and the blackjack played at land-based casinos. The game has a number of variants, each of which stands in a class of its own although based on standard blackjack rules.Here are some of those rule variations:
- Live blackjack games may use six, seven, or eight decks of playing cards.
- Live casinos may offer either one-to-one blackjack tables the way it is done at land-based casinos or one-to-many tables.
- Croupiers running one-to-many tables receive bets from as many players as possible and deal the same hand to each player.
- The dealer will either stand or hit on soft 17.
- Rules related to doubling the wager, splitting card pairs, the number of times pairs can be split, surrendering, purchasing insurance, and so on vary from one live blackjack game to the other.
- The betting limits vary from variant to variant and casino to casino. If you are a high roller who wants to play high-limit live blackjack, you only have to contact customer care. Depending on the online casino you are playing at, you can bet up to $5,000 at a time.
When to Hit and When to Stand
Naturally, the decision of whether to hit or stand should come once you are familiar with the dealer’s up-card and your own cards. The table below shows a mathematically proven strategy that will always give you the best chances of winning in every possible situation.The best thing about this table is that you won’t be required to memorize it. Simply keep the printed version of the table near you when you’re playing the game. Of course, you won’t be allowed to do this while playing blackjack in a land-based casino, but since the live blackjack dealer cannot see what you are doing, having this kind of a cheat-sheet is completely legal
Splitting Pairs
Splitting Pairs allows you to split two cards of the same value and play them as two separate hands. Of course, this also means that you need to make another bet equal to the original one.Many novice players think that splitting any two identical cards is favorable, but that’s far from the truth. You should only split your hand on certain card values while also paying attention to the dealer’s up-card.
Doubling Down
Doubling down in live blackjack means that you can double your bet once the cards have been dealt to you. However, a general rule states that you are only able to receive one extra card after doubling down, so be careful when you choose to do this.Again, you should consider the dealer’s up-card as well, and check the table’s rules, as some games have extra restrictions when it comes to doubling down.
Things to Consider When Playing Live Blackjack
Apart from the general rules of the game and its strategies, there are also a few technical things you need to consider before stepping into the world of live blackjack.
Stakes
One of the first things you need to do before playing any online gambling game is to decide on your gambling budget. Think about how much money you are willing to risk while playing live blackjack, which will then help you decide on the stake limits.Some live blackjack games are played with relatively low stakes, making them ideal for beginners. Others, like VIP live blackjack, are reserved for high-rollers that can spend up to several hundred dollars per betting round.
Hardware
Live casino games are a little more demanding than regular ones. Make sure that the device you are playing on is capable of supporting these games so you can play without any technical issues.If you’re playing on a relatively new PC or mobile device, you shouldn’t encounter any problems, but inform yourself on the minimum system requirements just in case.
Internet Connection
Internet connection is important for two reasons. First, you would want to avoid being cut out of the game because of the lost or slow internet connection. All technical errors on your part will result in an immediate loss relating to a current betting round.Also, a stable internet connection will allow you to enjoy live blackjack in crystal clear HD picture quality, which is the whole point of playing the game with a live dealer. Low video and sound quality mean that you probably have a slow internet connection.
Final Thoughts
Live blackjack is the most popular live dealer game in the US and beyond. It offers a perfect combination of strategy and luck, and can make you rich incredibly quickly, but only if you play your cards right.
In order to have the best possible experience when playing live blackjack, you need to choose the best operators with high-quality games in their libraries. The list I provided above includes some of the most renowned online casinos that host thousands of players on a daily basis.
I had a really good time writing this extensive live blackjack guide, and I hope you did too while reading it. If you want to ask me a question or wish to add something to this subject, feel free to leave a comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
With Live Dealer Blackjack offering the same human touch, rules, and gambling experience you can find in the best of land-based casinos, there are little excuses not to give this popular casino game a try. And if you’re still unable to make up your mind, here are the most frequent concerns about Live Dealer Blackjack addressed, to help you on your way.
How to play live blackjack?
What are the best live dealer blackjack casinos?
Where can I find the best live blackjack games for US players?
How does live dealer blackjack work?
Can I make a living by playing live blackjack?
How to beat live blackjack?
Is Live Blackjack Fixed?
The simple answer to this question is that casinos don’t need to fix their games to earn money. Blackjack has an inherent house edge that ensures casinos turn a profit with each hand and have fewer reasons to cheat. Also, most players who join a table are rarely skillful enough to increase their advantage significantly, thus giving the casino an even bigger house edge and fewer reasons to pull tricks.
And even if a casino dared to fix their games, the news will spread so fast around the online community that it will be impossible to prevent leaks. This will, in turn, get the casino blacklisted and lead to millions in loses, which is not something worth risking over an already profitable game.
Can I play live dealer blackjack on mobile?
Can You Count Cards in Live Blackjack?
Even though it seems like the perfect opportunity, since Live Dealer Blackjack doesn’t rely on RNGs, the reality is that card counting in live games is impossible. Not only do live dealer games use 6 to 8 decks, which complicates the matter by itself, but they also only go up to 50% penetration. This means that you’ll never get past half the deck, thus making your counting skills entirely useless.
What is the House Edge in Live Blackjack?
There is no simple answer to this question. With Blackjack, the house edge depends both on the variation of the game but also you as a player. The more skillful and optimal your play is, the lower your house edge will be.
The average theoretical house edge is often said to be 1%, but with the right rules and style of play it can go even lower, sometimes even as low as 0.48%. However, it can also get higher, especially if you have little knowledge of the game.
Is Strategy Important?
Yes it is. Blackjack is a game of using simple math and planning, and as such requires a sound knowledge of basic strategy. If you’re only playing it haphazardly, you will only waste your money away.
Do Other Players at the Table Affect my Outcomes?
As logical as this common myth sounds, it is very far from the truth. While it’s true that a player before you might have some effect on the next outcome, mathematically speaking this doesn’t affect your odds at any significant level.
What’s the Difference between Live Blackjack and Blackjack in Land-Based Casinos?
There’s little to zero difference between both games, except for the personal experience. Both offline and online live Blackjack games have a human dealer, follow the same rules, and pay out the same.
There might be some games that offer a different rule or two, but the same can be said about land-based casinos.
How Many Decks are used in Live Blackjack?
Since Live Dealer tables can be abused with the help of software and card counting algorithms within the comfort of your home, live dealer games are usually played with 6 to 8 decks. Eight decks is the most common variety, as it allows for longer play before the cards are reshuffled. It’s always important to note the number of decks used, so that you can adjust your strategy.
Should I Accept “Even Money”?
Live dealer games now offer the same insurance that you can find in land-based casinos. The “even money” bet is normally offered when a dealer’s hole card can end up being a 10 value card, thus giving the dealer Blackjack. The wager pays 2 to 1, meaning you can end up with half your money back, should the dealer win.
But as lucrative as this sounds, it’s highly advised that you don’t take insurance, since statistics have shown that the probability of dealer Blackjack is lower than the probability of busting. Namely, you have a 69% chance of winning that bet, i.e. you have the upper hand.
Can I Play Live Blackjack for Free?
No. While there are some casinos that let you watch a Live Blackjack game for free, you can’t actually interact in any way with the game. Thus, if you want to practice your strategies, you can use the free demo versions of regular Blackjack games offered at most online casinos.
How Fast Does My Internet Connection Have to Be When I Play Live Dealer Blackjack?
Since live games are streamed in HD, it is better if you have a fast optical or ADSL connection for best experience. Lower connections speeds will lead to glitches and lags, which can end up causing mistakes from your side. That’s why you should always check your connection speed before you join a table.