Atlantic City Blackjack - How To Play, Tips, & Best Casinos 2025

Atlantic City Blackjack is one of the most popular games at online casinos in Canada. It’s not different from traditional blackjack though. This page will tell you about the differences and everything else you need to know about playing Atlantic City Blackjack in Canada.

Unlike other variations of blackjack, the standout features of  Atlantic City Blackjack are not super right away. You have to start playing for a bit before you see them.

This is because the goal and table layout of Atlantic City Blackjack is exactly the same as traditional blackjack. You want to have a higher combined hand than the dealer without going over 21.

However, the dealer is slightly more limited in Atlantic City Blackjack than regular blackjack. In Atlantic City Blackjack, they have to stand on a soft 17. In other variations, the dealer only has to stand on a hard 17. A soft 17 is a 17 with an Ace. It is “soft” because the Ace can be a 7 or 11.

This main difference results in Atlantic City Blackjack having a slightly lower house edge (0.22%) than classic blackjack. A lower house edge means that you are more likely to win.

If you have ever played classic blackjack, you know how to play Atlantic City Blackjack. If you’re not confident yet though, don’t worry, we’ll explain how to play Atlantic City Blackjack in detail here. Let’s start with the deal.

Once you place your bet, the dealer will deal two cards to you and to themselves. Both your cards will be face up, while the dealer will have one card face up and one face down.

If the dealer’s face up card is an Ace or a 10-value card, you can place an insurance bet to win back half your wager if the dealer has a blackjack. You also have the option to early surrender if you want to cut your losses. After you make your decision on whether you want to place an insurance bet or surrender, the dealer will check their hand for a blackjack. If they have a blackjack, you lose and the hand is over. If they don’t, the hand keeps going.

You have four options with your cards:

• Hit: Request another card.
• Double down: Double your wager in exchange for one card. You can double down just once.
• Split: If you are dealt two cards of equal value, you can split the hand into two separate hands.
• Late Surrender: Forfeit your hand and lose half of your bet.

If you haven’t bust (gone over 21) and are happy with your hand, you should stand. Then, the dealer will have the option to hit or stand on their own hand.

Dealers must hit on anything under 17. If they have a 17, they must stand. This includes “soft” 17 hands where one of the cards is an Ace. In classic blackjack, dealers must hit on soft 17 hands. This difference puts the dealer at a greater disadvantage in Atlantic City Blackjack, which decreases the house edge.

If the dealer busts or if your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s, you win! Payouts are 1:1 ratio for standard wins in Atlantic City Blackjack, so you will get back whatever you wagered. If you win via blackjack, you will get a 3:2 payout.

Side bets relating to your hand are also ways you can win playing Atlantic City Blackjack. Here are the popular side bets and their respective payout ratios:

• Perfect pair (same rank and suit - 25:1
• Coloured pair (same rank, different suit) - 12:1
• Mixed pair (same rank) - 5:1

Tips and strategies

Our best tip for playing Atlantic City Blackjack online is to take your time and don’t be afraid to start slow. For example, if a site offers Atlantic City Blackjack in a free-play or demo mode, take advantage of it. This will allow you to get a feel for Atlantic City Blackjack rules and for how a typical game flows in a low-stakes environment.

With this being said, don’t get too comfortable. One of the benefits of Atlantic City Blackjack is the late surrender feature. Some players like to rely on this tool and cut their losses frequently. In the long-run, this is not a successful strategy. We don’t recommend doing it unless you really can’t see a way to win.

Speaking of ways to win, you should check out blackjack strategy sheets. These obviously won’t guarantee that you win, but they will tell you the most mathematically sound move to make based on the value of your hand compared to the dealer’s.

Atlantic City Blackjack’s similar feel to classic blackjack and higher house edge makes it an attractive option for online blackjack players in Canada. It does have some weaknesses though. Here are the biggest pros and cons of Atlantic City Blackjack.

What We Like:

• Simple gameplay: Atlantic City Blackjack is almost exactly the same as the classic blackjack most players are familiar with.
• Lower house edge: With the dealer having to stand on a soft 17, you have a slightly higher chance of winning on average compared to classic blackjack.
• Widely available: Atlantic City Blackjack is one of the most popular blackjack variations. You will find it at all the top casino sites and live casinos in Canada.

What Could Be Better:

• Too similar: When most people look for blackjack variations, they typically want something different. Atlantic City Blackjack is not that different from classic blackjack.
• Late surrender crutch: Some players lean on the late surrender option in Atlantic City Blackjack, which devalues the lower house edge.
• Better for experienced players: The more you know about online blackjack, the more you will be able to take advantage of the differences between Atlantic City Blackjack and classic blackjack. This makes some other variations better for casual players.

Now that you know the strengths and weaknesses of Atlantic City Blackjack, let’s take a closer look at some of the differences between Atlantic City Blackjack and classic blackjack.

• Insurance bets: Many classic blackjack tables do not allow for insurance side bets. In Atlantic City Blackjack, you can place an insurance bet that pays out 2:1 whenever the dealer shows an Ace or 10-value card.
• Surrender options: Atlantic City Blackjack has both an early and late surrender option, which allow you to forfeit your hand and redeem half of your wager.
• Soft 17 Stand: Dealers in Atlantic City Blackjack must stand on soft 17 hands. They must hit on soft 17s in classic blackjack.
• Split limits: Many classic blackjack tables allow you to split as many times as you want (provided you get the right cards). You can split a maximum of three times in Atlantic City Blackjack.

We hope this page has gotten you excited to play Atlantic City Blackjack in Canada. Once you’re ready, check out our top Atlantic City Blackjack casinos to start playing today. You will find dozens of tables and live casino games at all the top sites.