Mauritz Altikardes

PokerListings Author

August 25, 2022 · 11 minutes to read

Blackjack Online

Blackjack table mid hand. Player 19 vs Dealer 5. Hit or stand?

Blackjack is the most popular card game at every live or online casino, by far. The reason for this being that is an easy game to learn. It has a “perfect” strategy script you can follow and it pays out one of the highest rates in the casino.

Also known as “21”, the basic rules of Blackjack couldn’t be much simpler. Get cards that add up to 21 or as close to it as possible without going over (bust). Beat the dealer’s hand (or have the dealer bust) and you win. Get a Blackjack (21) and get paid even more. Dig deeper and Blackjack unfolds into one of the most satisfying games of both luck AND skill in any casino.

Blackjack Online

Blackjack table ongoing hand. Player 16(double 8s) vs dealer 9. Hit, Stand, or Split.

If you play Blackjack live you’ll likely only come across a couple of standard variations of the game (American, European), but that seems to meet the needs of most blackjack players -- particularly those that know blackjack has one of the smallest house edges in the casino.

With perfect Blackjack strategy you can reduce the house edge even further, which makes it even more appealing.

If you play Blackjack online there are literally 20+ Blackjack variations you can find that take the best parts of conventional Blackjack and tweak them slightly to add even more fun and intrigue to the game.

If we had to bet on it, we’d guess Blackjack will still be the most popular casino card game 20 years from now. And Blackjack will be an even bigger part of every online casino.

Advantages to Playing Blackjack Online

Wider range of table limits
More side bets offered
Massive amount of Blackjack variants offered
Can keep strategy charts on hand to use at table
Games available 24/7, 365

Play Blackjack Online for Free

Without sounding too much like a broken record, the advantages of playing Blackjack (or any casino game) online are numerous.

Better game variety, lower minimum bets, higher payout rates, games available at all times, no tipping … all of these are viable reasons in their own right to choose blackjack online.

Another great advantage, of course, is you can play real blackjack online for FREE to learn the best strategies before you ever put a dime of your own money on the table.

Sure, you can do that with a deck of cards at your own house, too. But learning online on a free demo version of the game you’ll then play for real money makes for a smooth and seamless transition and helps get you perfectly comfortable with making the right decision when the pressure is on.

If you’re just starting to learn optimal Blackjack strategy (which of course you should, since it reduces the house edge down under 1%), free online blackjack games are a godsend.

Hit deal over and over and over again until the right move in every situation becomes second nature. The risk is none and the rewards are (potentially) great.

Free blackjack online is also a great avenue for learning the tweaks and twists of different Blackjack variations like Blackjack Switch or Spanish 21. You might not ever come across that variation at a live casino, but if you do you’ll be well prepared to take advantage.

To find the free online Blackjack games at any casino, navigate to the Blackjack games section and look for the “instant play” or “demo version” links under the name of the game. Also check out our online casino reviews to easier know where to play.

No Download

Another nice perk of those free online blackjack trainers? They don’t require you to create an actual account at the online casino or download any software.

Most are accessible right in your Internet Browser (as long as you’ve updated your browser and Flash player) and come with a companion FAQ on how to make your bets, how to double down and so on. A lot of casinos will even provide you with a trainer to practice card counting!

It really is the perfect Blackjack educational tool and a fantastic way to get comfortable at the controls before your real money gets put on the table. And you’re smart to take advantage of it.

Real Money

The real thrill of playing Blackjack online comes when there’s real money on the table in front of you and real money you can win and cash out.

With an actual bet now in front of you, you need to be confident you can make that crucial choice to stand, hit or split and know you’ve made the right play to maximize your odds of winning.

Once you’ve done your training on the free blackjack game, real money blackjack is where it’ll pay off. When picking an online casino for your real money blackjack play you want to a few factors into consideration:

Blackjack game variety
Side bets offered
Table limits
Live dealers offered
Blackjack bonuses/wagering requirement status

Blackjack Online in USA

Blackjack aficionados in the USA can now play real money online blackjack on licensed and regulated casinos in 4 states – Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania (soon to be launched).

As long as you are a resident or visiting the state and within the geographic borders you can log on and play Blackjack (or any casino game) at a certified casino.

All online casinos have an official live casino partner so you can make deposits to your account at the cage of that casino or through a number of standard deposit methods (Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, bank transfer, Neteller etc). You must be of legal age and provide the proper identification when creating your online account.

Blackjack game offerings vary depending on the casino. Some offer live dealers and some do not.

Minimum blackjack bets at the major US online casinos are usually $1 (much lower than the $5 or $10 minimums live) but can go as low as 10 cents!

PokerStars NJ Casino, partypoker NJ and 888 Casino are just a few of the online operators that offer online blackjack in New Jersey, for example.

Mobile Blackjack Online

Most online casinos now offer a mobile app for iPhone and iPad and some offer native Android apps as well.

That means you can download the app from the casino or an app store and play mobile casino games on your phone or tablet like you would from your home computer.

These can be both free casino games or real money games. (Note: this is different from a free Blackjack app that only offers free play or play-money chips you can buy within the app)

Due to their simplicity and perfect fit for the mobile format slots are by far the most popular mobile casino games but Blackjack is often spread in mobile form too.

You won’t find the same number of Blackjack variations you would with the full software, though. Expect just a couple classic Blackjack games you can choose from for mobile play – although that will likely expand in the future, too.

A lot of casino apps do offer live dealer options so if you have the proper device that can stream in high quality you can access live dealer Blackjack games.

Game Variations

As mentioned the real variety of Blackjack shows itself online where online casinos have added dozens of variations to keep players interested and offer new ways to make money in-game.

Game variations like Blackjack Switch, for example, give players two dealt hands and the chance to switch the second card dealt to each hand.

Two equal bets must be made and a dealer 22 is now a push with any player hand that’s not a Blackjack, but if you play optimal strategy your payout percentage is just slightly under 100%.

Online Blackjack table playing Blackjack Switch game variation.

Blackjack Switch is just the tip of the Blackjack iceberg, though. Popular Blackjack variations you can find online include:

Classic Blackjack
Crazy Blackjack
Progressive Blackjack
Atlantic City Blackjack
Spanish 21
Vegas Strip Blackjack
Pontoon
Super Fun 21
Double Exposure Blackjack
Perfect Blackjack
Blackjack Surrender
Single Deck Blackjack
21 Duel Blackjack
Buster Blackjack
Double Attack Blackjack

There are more, but you get the idea. Each has subtle (or in some cases not-so-subtle) twists of the game rules and payout rates. This also changes the optimal strategy for each game, too.

These variations also work in a bunch of new side bets (21+3, perfect pairs, etc) than can pay out big sums.

Already with the lowest house edge of any casino card game, these variations can cut the house edge even more – you just need to know how. That information you can find online and, as is also great with online Blackjack, you can keep them open beside you as you play online.

Micro Table Limits

If you’ve ever stepped up to a Blackjack table in a live casino and immediately stepped back because the minimum bet was way too high, that’s not an issue online. Table stakes much lower can be found so you’ll never not be able to find an online Blackjack game in your budget range.

One small note of caution: Blackjack games tend to count for a lower percentage when it comes to bonus clearing so be sure to check how much a casino offers for Blackjack play before you try and clear your bonus.

Live Dealers

If you’re a casino player that can’t imagine playing Blackjack without at least a hint of the live casino buzz, the advent of modern casino software and streaming technology has proven to be a game changer.

All of the top online casinos now offer Blackjack games with live dealers you can stream from your home computer or mobile device.

Just like at a live casino you get a virtual seat facing a real person who then proceeds to deal the Blackjack hands right in front of you. You still make your play by clicking buttons on your computer but the dealer will put the actual cards and bets in play for you. Winnings are credited to your online account.

If you like to see a face across from you at the Blackjack table, this will give you that fix – although be forewarned live dealer tables have limits on the amount of players they can seat and are not necessarily available 24/7 like a virtual Blackjack table is. Check our full information page here:

Tournaments

Another increasingly popular twist on Blackjack (although not a variation of the game itself, is the Blackjack tournament). You’ll occasionally see these at live casinos but the general gist is each player pays an entry fee and receives an equal amount of chips. The goal is to build as big a stack as possible.

After a set number of deals the players with the top chip stacks move on to a new table with top accumulators from other tables. In an Elimination Blackjack tournament the lowest chip stack gets eliminated after a certain time frame or point has been passed.

Optimal strategy for Blackjack tournaments differs from standard Blackjack but they’re a fun way to mix up your Blackjack action. If you play well and get lucky, you’ll add a significant win to your bankroll.

Multiplayer

Yet another twist on blackjack offered online is Multi-Player Blackjack, both for free and real money. Unlike Classic Blackjack (and most variations), where you play against the dealer alone, in multi-player blackjack you play against the other players at the table.

Much like a blackjack tournament you all start with the same number of chips. The player who then accumulates the most chips by a certain time will be the winner.

Again, optimal strategy will differ for multi-player blackjack and depend on who’s playing against you so we recommend trying out one of the free versions before diving in for real-money play.

Card Counting

You can’t talk about Blackjack – and especially online blackjack, where you’re away from the stares of casino floor security – without talking about card counting.

A LOT of casino players are drawn to the idea of card counting, which is basically keeping track of all the cards that have been dealt out to narrow down the odds of the cards to come.

This gives you an advantage in the sense that if you know a certain card is much more likely to come you can change your bets accordingly.

Card counting has been romanticized heavily in books and movies about blackjack and, truth be told, has been used successfully by some to make pretty good profits.

In online Blackjack, however, card counting isn’t really a very profitable option. For one it’s very, very hard work and difficult to do. But also, online casinos employ continuous shuffle machines which make card counting useless.

What about at a live dealer table online? That’s a no again.

Live dealers for online casinos shuffle the cards frequently which makes card counting ineffective. Because of the time it takes for players to click buttons to make their plays, live dealers games online are also quite slow, meaning you just don’t get a big enough edge to card count even if it worked.

So the answer is no: Card Counting is not an effective tool for online Blackjack. We wouldn’t recommend it anyway. Playing a perfect strategy is the best way to minimize the house edge.

Blackjack Online FAQs

What Blackjack Games can I Play Online?

Online Blackjack offers a huge number of game variations to choose from. Some of the popular variations you can find online include:
* Spanish 21
* Pontoon
* Crazy Blackjack
* Blackjack Switch
There are a lot more and they are all variations of the core game of Blackjack.
What Online Blackjack Stakes can I play?

Mostly the casinos will have a minimum bet of $1, but there exceptions where you are allowed to bet even less. In standard games the maximum bet limit is somewhere between $300-$500 per hand.

If you happen to be a high roller there could be special tables for you to be seated at. If not, you can always talk to customer support at your casino to try and facilitate increased betting limits.
Can I play Blackjack Online in USA?

Yes, in licensed and regulated states. These states are Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. As long as you are a resident or visiting the state and within the geographic borders you can log on and play Blackjack (or any casino game) at a certified casino.

Make sure that you double check this with the casino customer support if you are uncertain.
Can you Count Cards in Online Blackjack?

No, it is not possible at the slightest in virtual Blackjack games. This since the decks are shuffled randomly, using a RNG(Random Number Generator) software, after every hand.

To give yourself the best possible chance to win, it is much better to learn basic Blackjack strategies to know when to Hit, Stand, Split, or Double your hand.