5 Best Online Blackjack Casinos to Play for Real Money

Online blackjack is a fast and relatively simple casino game to learn, but difficult to master. Whether you choose to play it at a Las Vegas casino or the virtual tables online, blackjack is an extremely popular and adaptive game. The game continues to evolve with each passing day mostly because of the attention it gets from players.

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But this game isn’t as simple and straightforward to all players. To some it’s shrouded in mystery. If you are such a player, then you are in the right place. Continue reading and learn how to:

  • Identify the best real money online blackjack casinos
  • Play real money blackjack online
  • The different types of blackjack games commonly played online
  • Use different strategies in winning blackjack games

How We Rate Best Online Casino for Blackjack Games

Ranking and rating real money blackjack casinos is not a one step process. It is not as simple as looking at the welcome bonus, banking options, games and other features before coming up with a conclusion. The approach that we take here at Max Casinos USA is much more involving.

While we look at aspects such as licensing, banking options, and welcome bonus, we also tend to look at features such as the reputation of the brand and security measures put in place. Our top priority is knowing that our readers are safe at all times while playing blackjack online.

After thorough testing, we then proceed to recommend blackjack sites. As you read through this page, these are the sites that we found to satisfy our criteria of ranking blackjack sites.

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Ignition Casino Logo
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Ignition Online Casino has been operational since 2016. The brand is under the ownership of Lynton Limited, who are also the operators of other renowned brands such as Slots.lv, and Café Casino. Ignition brings something extraordinary to the industry.

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Cafe Casino Logo
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Although Café Casino has technically only been active since 2016, their roots under different names go back to the early 2000s. We’ve also been active members at the site since their launch, which is why we’ve decided to prepare this expansive review on the brand.

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El Royale online casinos is without doubt one of the leading operators in the newly regulated USA online casino industry. Since its launch in 2020, the El Royale brand has aimed at replicating the success of its competitors, combining the best of land based casino gaming and a leading technological website.

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Online Blackjack Glossary

The advantage of playing real money blackjack online is that there are a variety of games to pick from. Most of these games are easy to play, but they can easily be as complicated. This is especially true if you don’t speak or understand the language used at the table. To help you overcome this, we’ve prepared a list of some of the commonly used real money blackjack terms.

Term
Definition
Action
Also referred to as ‘Play’. Refers to the action of spinning the reels
Anchor
Also referred to as “Third Base”. This is the position nearest the dealer’s right hand side. It’s usually the last position to be played after one round
Ante
A feature commonly featured in video slots. It lets you re-spin the reels automatically for a given number of times
Blackjack
Blackjack is a popular card game played at the online casino. It’s also a term used to refer to a hand in blackjack with an Ace and a 10 value card. This gives you a hand value of 21 after the first deal
Bust
When you ‘bust’ while playing real money blackjack, your hand has scored over 21
Button
Anyone holding the button is the last to be dealt with cards at the table. The term is commonly used in live dealer blackjack games
Card Counting
One of the most misunderstood strategies in blackjack. As a blackjack strategy, it is used to keep track of cards dealt at the table
Capping A Bet
This simply means adding chips to your bet once the dealer has started dealing
Carte
French word that you use to request for another card from the dealer
Cut
This is a division of the blackjack deck with the bottom section put at the top, after a shuffle
Double Down
This is one of the plays at the blackjack table. When you double down, you double the original bet and receive an extra card
Even Money
If the dealer’s hole card results into a blackjack (insurance bet), you get a payout of 1:1 (even money payout)
First Base
This is the opposite of the ‘Anchor’. Refers to the player sitting at the dealer’s left hand side and is the first one to receive cards
Face Cards
These are the Jack, King and Queen cards. They are all usually valued at 10
Fold
This is also one the plays you make at the blackjack table. When you fold, you are simply giving up your cards because you have a poor hand
Hard Hand
When you have a hard hand, you simply don’t have an Ace. If the Ace is present, you are playing it as 1 instead of 11
Heads Up
A game of live dealer blackjack where there’s only one player and the dealer
Hit
When you ‘Hit’, you are simply requesting to be dealt another card
Hole Card
This refers to the dealer’s face down card
Insurance Bet
This is a type of bet you place at the table. You are simply wagering that if the dealer’s hole card is an Ace, the resulting hand will be a blackjack.
Pat
A blackjack hand that’s valued at 17 points and you cannot take any more cards
Penetration
Refers to the minimum number of cards that have to dealt out from the shoe before reshuffling is done
Push
A push in blackjack is simply a tie. It’s a situation where the player and the house’s hands are equal in value
Shoe
This is the show holding all the undealt cards at the live dealer table
Soft Hand
Opposite of a hard hand. When your hand has an Ace valued at 11, it results into a soft hand
Split
When you are dealt a hand with two similar cards, you can ‘split’ it so that you have two new hands
Stand
If you are satisfied with the selection of your hand, you can choose not to take any more cards. In blackjack, this is referred to as standing
Stand-Off
Stiff Hand
A stiff hand is one that’s valued between 12 and 16.
Surrender
When you surrender, it simply means that you’ve folded because of a bad hand. The result is you are reimbursed half your cash
Up card
The Up Card is the dealer’s card that’s visible

What is Blackjack?

What is Blackjack?

Blackjack is a popular online casino game based on the card game Twenty-one, or Vingt-et-Un. Vingt-et-Un was originally played in France in the 17th century. This is why France is considered as the cradle of blackjack. Vingt-et-Un was finally introduced by immigrants to the United States, where it was secretly played in backstreet establishments.

However, it was only after legalization of Las Vegas casinos in 1931 when the game saw a growth in popularity. During this era, Las Vegas casinos started offering special odds to attract would-be players on Vingt-et-Un.

The special odds on Twenty-one ensured players received a 10:1 (ten-to-one) payout. To receive the payout, one had to get an Ace of Spades and either the Jack of Spades or Jack of Clubs. The special combination of odds gave birth to the term ‘Blackjack’.

Though the brick and mortar casinos phased out the ‘special odds’ the name stuck and that’s how modern day blackjack was born.

Over the years, real money blackjack has become a popular game among players due to its low house edge. It has been estimated that the casino’s chances of winning (house edge) are slightly 1% higher than the player’s.

Blackjack has evolved over the years and as we write this real money blackjack guide, there are several versions of the game. Some of the games you can play include Vegas Strip, Blackjack Switch, Progressive Blackjack, Pontoon and many more. While they use the same blackjack rules for gameplay, they have subtle differences that set them apart from each other.

How Do You Play Real Money Blackjack? Rules

Blackjack Rules

Blackjack isn’t your typical card game. Unlike poker where you play against other players, in real money blackjack, you are playing against the dealer. To win, you have to get a hand value that’s worth as much as 21 without going over this number.

Before you start playing real money games, you have to buy chips. At the brick and mortar casinos, you’ll have to do this at the cage. You give the dealer money and in exchange you get chips equivalent to the cash given. Online blackjack gaming doesn’t involve such complicated procedures.

You simply need to sign up at our recommended US casino sites, pick from the list of banking options, deposit your preferred amount and start playing for real money. Every table has its maximum and minimum bets per hand indicated. To place the bet, click on the respective chips until you have the amount you wish to wager.

The Play

Once you’ve placed your bet, the dealer will proceed and deal a card to each player, face-up. The dealer/software will then deal one card to him/herself – face-down. He’ll then proceed and deal the second card face-up to each player as well as him/herself.

Once every player has had a look at their cards, they are required to perform any one of the actions listed in the table below.

Play
Definition
Hit
When you click on the hit button, you are asking for more cards. You can hit for as many times as you wish. The only condition is that you don’t exceed 21
Stand
When you stand, you are simply turning down any offer of receiving extra cards
Split
This option is only available if your first two cards are a pair of similar cards. When you split, you now have two new hands. Consequently, you are expected to place a bet equal in value to the original one
Double Down
Doubling down lets you place a bet that’s ‘double’ the original one in exchange for one extra card. After that, you are expected to stand
Take Insurance
The option to take an insurance bet is only available if the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace. For this, you are betting that the hole card will result in a blackjack.
Surrender
If your initial two cards are very poor and would like to forfeit the hand, there’s the option to surrender. The option lets you forfeit half the value of your bet before making any move. However, it’s an option that’s not available across all casino sites

If you are playing live dealer blackjack, every player has to make his move before the dealer’s play. If you are playing software based real money blackjack, it becomes the dealer’s turn to play.

Dealer’s Play in Real Money Blackjack

One of the significant advantages of playing real money blackjack is the low house edge. The low house edge results from the fact that you have the freedom to play your hand as you wish.

But this is usually not the case for the dealer. He/she is confined to a certain set of rules that he/she must follow. Therefore, when playing against the live dealer or house, this is what is expected from the live dealer:

  • The dealer is required to hit on a soft 17
  • The live dealer has to stand on a hard 17
  • If the hand value is less than 16, the dealer is expected to hit
  • If the dealer has an Ace, he/she must count it 11 if the hand value is 17 and not above 21
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Winning in Real Money Blackjack

As you play blackjack online, there are three ways in which you can win.

Dealer Busting

If the dealer’s hand value exceeds the 21 mark and your hand is below 21, you automatically win. However, if your hand value is above 21, you lose regardless of the dealer’s hand value

Higher Hand Value

If you have a hand value that’s better than the dealer’s and is below the 21 mark, you automatically win.

When You Have a Blackjack

In real money blackjack, the term ‘Blackjack’ is used to refer to a scenario where you have an Ace and a 10 value card as your first two cards. In the event you have a blackjack, the online casino automatically pays out at odds of 3:2.

Tie/Push

If you have the same hand value as the dealer, the result is a push/tie. In this case, the online casino refunds your bet in full amount

Why Play Real Money Blackjack Games Online?

Playing blackjack online or at the brick and mortar casinos…which is the best option for you? At the end of the day, it all comes down to one’s preferences. However, the online casino version offers players a significant advantage over the traditional version. Below are some of the notable advantages that playing real money blackjack online offers.

Blackjack Games
A Wide Variety of Games

Land based casinos tend to offer a handful of games (usually a maximum of 100 titles). The online casinos on the other hand offer more than 500 varieties of roulette. This variety introduces aspects such as flexible bet limits, different themes and other beneficial aspects

Why blackjack is covenience?
Convenience

There are players who prefer to play blackjack online to in-person because they have families and jobs that cannot allow one to visit the brick and mortar casinos. Plus, the aspect of speed, which is introduced by smartphones, makes it very fun for them to play blackjack online. You can also conveniently play blackjack from your bedroom, which means no need for wearing special clothes or planning expensive trips.

Blackjack Limits
Friendly Bet Limits

As you play blackjack online, you’ll realize the bet limits are much lower when compared to the land based establishments. This makes it possible for players with all sorts of budgets to experience the fun that comes with real money blackjack gaming.

Blackjack Live Dealer Games
Live Dealer Games

If you wish to interact with croupiers and players from the comfort of your home, live blackjack is the solution. Software developers such as Vivo and Evolution Gaming stream live dealer games to your mobile or PC in real time. With additional features such as the ‘Chat’ feature, you can talk with other players and dealers in real time.

Popular Online Blackjack Games

Blackjack casino sites offer more than 400 real money games. This may confuse you, especially if you are a new player, on the best game to play. To help you, we’ve highlighted the most popular games among US players.

Vegas Strip Blackjack

Vegas Strip

Vegas Strip is a popular blackjack game played with four standard decks of cards. Your main objective is to form a hand that’s better than that of the dealer’s without exceeding 21. It also has special rules such as:

  • Players can only split Aces once
  • When a player get a 21 on split Aces, it is not considered as a natural
  • Players are allowed to split contrasting 10-value cards e.g. Q-K
  • Dealers are expected to peak for a natural
  • Dealer should stand on a soft 17

Progressive Blackjack

Progressive Blackjack

Progressive blackjack game is a classic casino title with a little juice of excitement. One of the factors that elicit excitement is the progressive jackpot attached to the game.

Players can also play the game in different modes, including single and multiplayer mode. There is also the private group mode and five-hand mode. Regardless of how you play progressive jackpot, your objective is the same; beat the dealer without busting.

Pontoon

Pontoon Blackjack

Like progressive blackjack, pontoon is very similar to the classic blackjack casino game. However, unlike the classic blackjack game, pontoon lets you bet up to five hands at a go. This offers you plenty of winning opportunities. Other subtle differences include:

  • It doesn’t have the insurance option
  • There’s no option of a tie in blackjack pontoon. If you have the same hand value as the dealer, the house automatically wins
  • You can draw as many cards as you wish then double up your bet
  • The only time you can stand is after getting a hand value of 15
  • During gameplay, all the cards remain face down until you decide to stand or burst
  • You can win through two ways; when you execute the five card trick or have a pontoon. Pontoon simply means holding a picture of a ten value card and an Ace. Five card trick is when you hold five cards without exceeding 21

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch has gained a cult following as it has taken the popular classic game and introduced a unique twist. If you are looking for a game where the element of timing and skill is required to cash in, this is the game for you.

While playing real money blackjack, you can switch the last cards dealt. For example, if you have one hand with a 5-9 and the other 6-10, you can switch the 5 and 6 to get hand values of 11 and 19 points. There are plenty of other features for this game, which vary from one brand to the other. Go through the blackjack rules before playing the game.

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Real Money Online Blackjack Strategy

Like most of the other casino games, online blackjack relies greatly on luck. However, as it has been said before, luck favours those who are well prepared. In line with the last statement, we have complied several strategies that every blackjack player should know. Whether you are playing live dealer blackjack, regular blackjack or mobile blackjack, memorize them all.

How to Find the Best Blackjack Online Casinos

We want you to have peace of mind that the blackjack casinos you are visiting are safe, secure and regulated. To help you find the best blackjack casinos, we’ve highlighted some of the features you need to consider. A top rated real money online blackjack casino should:

  • Hold a license issued by either The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement or the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
  • Offer you a variety of real money online blackjack games
  • Feature fresh bonuses and promotions. These offers should also have friendly terms and conditions
  • Enable you to play blackjack across multiple platforms, including mobile casinos

Online Blackjack Tips

One point has stood out so far; blackjack game is fun to play. However, it can be a little daunting, especially for new players. To ensure you enjoy playing online blackjack, read our five practicable tips below.

Bet Conservatively

As you play blackjack online, remember that you are not in a race. Therefore, start small and build your bankroll gradually. Don’t max your debit card or dump all the blackjack chips on a single hand. It may look cool in movies, but not in real life. Most importantly, play at the right table. Don’t rush to the busiest table if you are playing live blackjack.

Stick to the Basics

This is especially applicable to new players. Do not try out sophisticated strategies that you’ve just read online. Save the experiment for when you are a pro. For starters, use basic strategies that you’ve just read above. Play conservatively, gain experience and then progress to the strategies.

Ignore Taking Insurance Bet

Don’t let the dealer’s Ace card scare you! The worst that can happen to you is loose the bet. It’s not worth taking the insurance bet as your house edge jumps to 7%. Even if you win, you only get to recover your initial bet.

Stay Grounded At All Times

Do not let a winning streak excite you! Stay calm at all times and stick to your initial plan. If your bankroll management plan dictates you spend $100 per hand, don’t change from that. This is still applicable even if you enter into a losing streak.

Practice Makes Perfect

All real money blackjack casinos offer free to play games. It’s advisable that each player uses this option before committing real money. Don’t worry about not being able to win real money, because you are winning in terms of experience.

You’ll be able to gauge whether the game fits your preference, come up with a bankroll management plan and in some cases practice your basic strategy. Once you’ve got all these areas covered, you’ll realize that your real money gaming experience will be smooth.

Conclusion

If you’ve read this far and feel confident enough to start playing online blackjack, we recommend you visit some of our top rated sites. You should be able to play European Blackjack, American Blackjack and other variations of real money blackjack games in safe and secure environments. These games are offered in both software based and live dealer formats so that everyone can pick a game that fits their playing styles.