free bet blackjack

Discover Blackjack Free Bets Online In Canadian Casinos

If you head to any land-based or online casino in Canada, you’ll be met with a huge variety of different blackjack games. On the whole, you’ll find that they each share the same basic foundations. This means that the game play will be, more or less, the same between them all. One more recent version of the game are the blackjack free bets online. Thanks to its low house edge, along with the possibility of multiplying your wagers, then it’s no surprise it’s become increasingly popular at Canadian casinos.

Blackjack Free Bets Online In Canada

As a Canadian blackjack player, you’re probably aware that there are several different varieties of the classic game. You can thank the introduction of online casinos for the evolution of blackjack today. The software companies that produce games for online casinos like 20Bet Casino each try to stamp their mark on this popular table game.

But if you go to a land-based casino in Canada, then, on the whole, the game remains true to its classic roots. Having said that, around 25 years ago, a game inventor called Geoff Hall came up with a new version of blackjack. This is the famous Free Bet blackjack.

So What Is Free Bet Blackjack?

Essentially there’s no need for the player to risk his own money when he decides to split or double. It’s a bit like you have a playing partner at your elbow. One who makes all the supplementary bets for you. And doing so, allows you to keep on winning.

free bet blackjack
Picture Source: Pixabay

 

So you might ask, what’s the catch? Well, just like the other variation of blackjack that Geoff Hall invented, Blackjack Switch, if the dealer has a 22, then all wagers left standing will push.

A Short History Of Blackjack Free Bets Online

The game was first played out in 2012 at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. And it became an instant hit at the gaming tables. A little later it made its way over the border into Canada. One of the main points that people enjoy is that it offers more doubles and splits than you’d find in a regular game of blackjack.

Also, many gamblers find learning the perfect blackjack strategy to be an uphill struggle. Yet with Free Bet blackjack, there are no complicated formulas and strategies to memorize. So let’s have a look at the Free Bet blackjack rules.

Blackjack Free Bets Online Rules

Since its inception and its migration to Canadian casinos, the game has changed slightly. Below we’ve listed the main basic blackjack rules you’ll find with Free Bet blackjack.

  • It uses 6 decks of cards
  • The dealer must hit on a soft 17’s
  • All blackjacks payout at 3 to 2
  • You can double after a split 
  • Only double on 2 cards
  • re-split pairs up to four hands, including any aces
  • There’s no surrender

Free Bet Blackjack Game Play 

With a “free double,” then the original wager from the player is matched with a “free bet.” At this point, the player will receive one additional card.

free bet blackjack
Picture Source: Flickr

Now, these free doubles are for hard totals of two cards which are 9, 10, and 11. When it comes to regular doubles, they still allow them on all other two-card hands.

  1. Keep in mind that if the dealer wins, then the player only loses his original wager.
  2. If the hand results in a push, then you’ll receive back your original wager.
  3. In all other circumstances if the player wins then they get back their original wager plus winnings equal to double that same bet.

Splitting And Free Bet Buttons

There are free splits on all pairs except 10s. The player’s two cards are divided into 2x one-card hands. Your original bet is put on the first hand. A free bet button is put on on the second. Now you must play out each hand one at a time. You’ll be able to a free split or a free double on each of these hands. For the winning hand, each free bet button is replaced with real chips equalling the initial wager. But on the hands that result in a loss or push, then the dealer simply takes back the free bet button.

Finally, we should mention that the dealer will always push on 22. This means that if the player has 21 or less, and the dealer goes bust with 22, then the player’s wager is a push.

Blackjack Free Bets Online: Basic Strategy

When playing Free Bet blackjack in Canada, much of your strategies will depend on whether you’re playing with a free bet or with real money. That’s because there’s going to be a difference. Because a push is going to leave you in the same situation as a loss on a free bet.

free bet blackjack
Picture Source: Pixabay

 

Here at Blackjackchamp.com, we suggest you adopt a more aggressive strategy. One thing that is important to keep in mind about a free bet blackjack strategy is you should accept every free split and free double opportunity that comes along.

The Free Bet Blackjack House Edge

Under the standard rules of Free Bet Blackjack, you’ll find that the house edge is around 1.04%. This is on par with most casino blackjack which has a house edge of around 1%. In real terms, this means that the casino stands to make $1 per $100 wagered. This makes the game of blackjack one of the best in the whole casino for making your bankroll last the longest. At 20Bet Casino, they offer free bet blackjack as one of the best live dealer blackjack games. And you get started they give all new players a 100% up to 120 for the first deposit. 

Newer Free Bet Rule Variants

With the game continuously evolving between different Canadian casinos, you’ll find that new rules produce new variances in the game. Nevertheless, to a larger degree, all these changes tend to affect the player’s expectation to return. Below you find our estimate of the odds. These affect various aspects of the game.

One thing you’ll notice straight away is that the greater the number of card decks, then the better the odds will be for the player. Interestingly enough, this is exactly the opposite of what you’ll find in conventional blackjack. We think this is because there is going to be more splitting happening with more decks.

The Free bet Blackjack Odds Depending On The Rules

  • Free doubles with three or more cards: +0.66%.
  • Dealer stands on soft 17: +0.31%.
  • Late surrender allowed: +0.21%.
  • One deck: -0.14%.
  • Two decks: -0.06%.
  • Eight decks: +0.01%.
  • No re-splitting aces: -0.08%.
  • No free re-splits on a pair of fours: -0.27%.
  • Re-splitting 2-9 is not allowed: -0.32%.
  • No double or free-double after a split: -0.70%.
  • Blackjack pays 6 to 5: -1.36%.

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Blackjack Free Bets Online: The Pot of Gold

You may find that some casinos in Canada offer another blackjack special side bet apart from the free bet blackjack bet. This is the “Pot of Gold.” Essentially, it revolves around the number of free bet tokens that a player has accumulated with their initial hand.

If you take a look at the blackjack pay table, then you may well find Pot of Gold listed. This offers a house edge of 5.77% This may seem extraordinarily high, but the player can lower this by splitting fives instead of doubling. But do keep in mind, that this will be to the detriment of your initial hand.

Simple maths tells us that if the player splits fives, then the house edge on a Pot of Gold will drop to 2.75%. Keep in mind that splitting fives instead of doubling them will increase the house edge on your initial wager by 0.15%. We suggest that you find an online casino for free blackjack practice before setting off to a land-based casino in Toronto, Montreal, or Ottawa. After all, it’s better to be feeling confident about the rules and the game play before you start betting with real money.