Live Blackjack for US Players

Unfortunately, the land of the free isn’t so free after all. Though the US would ertainly make up the larger slice of the blackjack marketplace, there are in fact, far fewer options for US palyers than if you were based anywhere else, including Antartica. This is thanks to a continuingly hostile enviroment against gambling that has manifested itself since the passing of the UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) of 2006. Though thisact doesn’t make gambling a crime across the whole US, it does mean that online casinos are only allowed in some states, namely New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Microgaming, a company who supply the software for online live dealer games says that they are unable to accept live dealer games from most US states. If you want to see where you can play live dealer blackjack in the US, then you’ll need to visit the individual sites and see which are able to offer this. ave a look through our list of the best online live dealer blackjack casino reviews and ratings to find a casino you’re comfortable with.

Because of this, the live dealer blackjack market in the US is extremely competitive. We suggest that you are very careful when checking out any live dealer site you come across. We recomend that you only play on a site run by a well known provider as they have both the experience and the up to date technology to give you the best bang for your dollar. Each platform being run by different casinos has a different style. There are any number of game variations, with some offering beter odds and more interesting player rules. These rules can include the option to double after splitting and the option to double on any two cards. The dealer can stand on a soft 17, which, of course, favors the player. You’ll find the house edge on some online gambling sites for live dealer blackjack as low as 0.41%. But keep in mind this is for those who can play by following a perfect basic strategy.

Live Blackjack in Other Countries

When it comes to online gambling, every country has adiiferent set of rules and laws. And that’s why you’ll need to look as to whether you can play live dealer blackack in your location. If you do find a site offering this service, then the way to check if you an play is to see if you are able to make an online deposit. If they take your money, then you can play live games where you live. eep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s legal to play, just that you don’t have to be worried about criminal prosecution. Law enforcement are more interested in the web site operators and not the players. All we can say is that you should do some due diligance before playing.

Game Variations

If you were playing at a bricks and mortar casino, the rules are the rules and there’s little, if any, variation from those rules which govern every game of blackjack. But the story is very different with live dealer online blackjack. With this you can enjoy a wide range of different options and rules. It’s similar to a number of land based casinos which all fall under one company being able to offer something different. Below is a brief list of some of the options normally availiable in the best online casinos to play live dealer blackjack games:

The number of decks – Many online games use 6 or 8 decks, but you can also find 7 deck games occasionally. These are put in play mainly to prevent card counting, but they can have a knock-on effect other on rules, such as when to Surrender for example.
Stand or hit a soft 17 – Just like at your local casino, the dealers will hit or stand on a soft 17 based on the house rules.
Regional rules – Although blackjack is generally the same in every country, there are some differences between European and American blackjack. These reflect the options you have in-play. As well as this, there may even be slightly different rules when playing at Vegas Strip and Atlantic City tables too. That’s why we suggest that you read up on the rules before you start playing.
Other rules – Other rules include the ability to double on any two cards or just on certain totals, how many times you can split if you can hit split aces and whether or not doubling down is allowed.

Betting Limits

You’ll find that all casinos, whether land based or online, have betting limits in place. These are based on a number of factors. In land based casinos you can see the limits as they are posted on each table. Soetimes there s some flexibility, but only if you’re a high-roller. If you’re playing online, you can ask the dealer for a raise in betting limits, but in truth your chances of success are pretty poor. We suggest that if you’re looking to play with higher amounts, that you actively seek out a casino that accepts higher bets from the get go. European casinos on the whole offer much higher betting limits than their US counterparts. It’s commn to find $2,000 single bet imits and some evn go as high as $10,000 per bet. Just keep in mind that playing blackjack is not a long drawn out process and on the whole you’ll be going through around 50 hands per hour. Now, with these top betting limits that can translate as $100,000 per hour. Or $2,000 per hand. Or a eye watering $500,000 per hand at $10,000 per hand. So this form of beting is only availiable for a select few.

Software Providers of Live Blackjack with Real Dealers

As you look through the games from any online casino, you’l notice that there are anumber of software providers who are responsible for the casino’s games. It’s the same story for blackjack live dealer games. We’ve compiled a short list of the main industry players with some relevant information.

Evolution Gaming

Evolution are on eof the world’s best known software providers. They are currently running four different types of blackjack tables including a couple of VIP rooms. They also have their own variation of the rules and include double on 9 to 11, double on any, private table, ability to hit split aces, ability to re-split hands and surrender, with some casinos offering side bets too.

Microgaming

This company, along with Evolution, are the big daddy’s of the live dealer playing field. They offer thier own take on the classic game of blackjack, including a 7 seat multiplayer game which uses and 8 shoe deck. The rules are that the dealer stands on a soft 17, and players are not allowed to double after splitting. But they can double with totals of 9, 10 and 11. They are also allowed to hit split aces.

Playtech

Playtech offer five different live dealer blackjack games. Thier standard offering has an 8 deck shoe, with 7 seats and a Perfect Pairs side bet, though it allows players to split just once. Then there’s the option to double any two cards and you can even double down after you’ve split. There’s also a game called “Ultimate Blackjack”, which deals from an 8 deck shoe. It offer a seat to as many players that come into the game, instead of having a set number of players at the table.

Live Dealer Blackjack versus RNG

Playing blackjack online, whether via a computer program or a live dealer, is going to give you much the same experience. many of the rules, betting limits and game play are more or less similar. But with a computer running the ae virtually, then the RNG comes into play. This is the Random Number Generator and is used to determine the next card to be played. Essentially, each card in a shoe is assigned a number and these numbers are placed in a unique order thanks to the RNG. A dealer has the cards shuffled by an automatic shuffling machine at the end of each hand. By mixing the cards this way, it introduces a level of randomness, in the same way the RNG does. So is there a difference? The answer is no, not really. From a purely mathematical perspective, then probably the RNG is more effective. But the results, in the long run would be pratically equal. Also, it should be noted that using an RNG allows for more hands to be played per hour. On the whole, playing with a live dealer with the same bankroll and bets, you’l play for longer than playing against a computer. If you imagine that against the former you get to play 50 hands per hour and against the latter, 100. If the house edge is 1%, and you’re playing $100 per hand, then with one you lose $50 per hour and with the other $100.

Card Counting

The only way to beat the odds in blackjack is via card counting. But these days this method works less and less of the time. At the real casino, the owners know every trick you might want to bring to the table. They can counteract your efforts by simply introducing more decks of cards and shuffling them after each hand. Well, in the online live dealer blackjack game, it’s the same story. Card counting had it’s golden age some years ago, but in todays technologcal enviroment, it’s just not going to work. By shufling the cards more often they create a level of deck penetration that’s impossible to overcome.

Computer Games Versus Live Dealer

It ight sound trivail, and even sexist, but these live dealers tend to be very attractive. Not only that, but they all have impeccable manners and are happy to help with explaining everything about the game, as well as indulging in some chit chat. So comparinga cold computer game of blackjack with a live dealer game is like comparing chalk and cheese. One point worth mentioning is that with a live dealer game, there’s sometimes the chance that another player can enter the room and take a seat at the same table as you. Now for some players this is a nice change and makes the live dealer game feel even more like the casino. But for other players, it can be a source of irratation becuase it may slow the game down. But on the face f it, live dealer blackjack beats any computer game hands down.

Free Live Dealer Blackjack

Of course it goes without saying that the best way to enjoy blackac is when playing with real money. It adds a certain thrill to the game. But if you’re curious and want to expereince live dealer blackjack, then there are some casinos which will et you take a seat for a limited time demonstration. Becuase live casinos are extremely popular and employ only a limited number of dealers, unless you’re playing for real money then you are just using resources that culd be beter put to use with a paying customer. If you want to know whether a casino offers free games, then you’ll need to log in to your account and see if it’s listed. You need to keep in mind, that blackjack already has a very low house edge. So if games were offered for free, then it would reduce he house edge even further. If you’re just looking to maybe improve your game, then there are plenty of free blackjack games online, though you will not have the benefits of a real live dealer.

Bitcoin Live Dealer Blackjack

What at first seemed like a passing fad or fashion, bitcin looks like it’s here to stay. Youll see some casinos offer live dealer blackjack but using Bitcoin as the currency of choice. Most casinos accept Bitcoin as a method of payment, so it’s really no surprise to see some blackjack games build around the currency. After depositing your funds, the live dealer game is exactly the same. The Bitcoin is converted into whatever currency you play in. For example, a US site that supports the USD would convert your Bitcoin deposit into dollars for the game. If you want to both deposit, play and cash out all in Bitcoin, you can find some newer casinos online, build for just that purpose.

Summary

Live dealer blackjack may not be for everyone. Some people are happier playing with a machine and without the interactions from another person. But at Blackjack Champ we think that live dealer blackjack games are the best thing since sliced bread. You have all the advantages of the real life casino, yet you can reach all the options from your sofa. We feel sure that this is the future of many online casino table games. And with the industry focussing more and more on the live dealer set up, we are sure that this is the new way forwards. Once you’ve expereinced a live dealer blackjack game, there’s very little chance of going back to either the land based casino or to just playing against a cold hearted computer game. After all, playing games is also about the interaction with others, either dealer or other players. This offers those possibilities streaming to your phone or PC. What’s not to love.

Live Dealer Blackjack FAQ

How Can I Play Live Blackjack Online?

These days playing live dealer blackjack online couldn’t be simpler. A quick search of the internet will bring up countless online casino, with all of them offering blackjack. Depending on where you’re located in the world you’ll have acess to live dealer games. Take a look through our pick of the best online casinos to play live dealer blackjack games to find the one best suited to your needs.

Can You Count Cards In Online Live Blackjack?

In the movies, yes. In the real world, no you can’t. If you’re playing at home then there’s no reason you might not be running some form of counting software. So the casinos have “anti-counting” software of their own to combat this. Of course people have differing ideas as to whether counting cards is cheating or not. But the system doesn’t really work today, as the decks are being constanly shuffled and you never know when the shoe is changed out for a new one. We suggest that you focus on improving you game play strategy rather than a system to try and game the casino.

Can You Play Blackjack For A Living?

Yes, there are payers wh manage to make a living playing blackjack. but it’s probably not for you. It takes ahead for math, and we mean super fast math, and also years of practice. To that mixture you’ll be needing to add a large dollop of luck. We certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone leving their job and looking to make a desent living by playing live dealer blackjack. Bottom line, yes it’s possible, but very hard indeed.

Can You Make a Living Playing Blackjack Online?

Playing blackjack online is much more difficult than playing at the real life casino. Even the online live dealer blackjack involves much more shuffling. yes, there are people who claim to make a living doing so, but we are a little more scepticle, and would love to see their real win/lose ratios along with the various courses and gambling publications they are trying to push. So, as above don’t quit your day job.

Is Online Live Blackjack rigged?

No it’s not. Think about this logically for a moment. What bisiness, with al those miilions of dollars in set up and running cost are going to risk everything for some sillyness. These days everything that’s streamed is also recorded and could be used as eveidence. And why would any casino do such a thing when they make good maney anyways. There are any number of officia agencies and gaming authorities which supply the gaming licences needed to opporate, that the possibility or ned to cheat the players is nil.