Live Blackjack Online Casinos Guide

Live Blackjack puts you in the real casino environment against a real dealer, all from the comfort of your home. 

In this guide, we will run through all there is to know about playing live blackjack. Here, you will learn the rules, how to play the game, the various versions, tips, and the best live dealer blackjack online casinos in the UK. Read on, and you will be a blackjack pro, ready to immerse yourself in the world of live dealer gaming.  

Once you have picked the best online casino for Blackjack, you will be ready to enter the live blackjack action. The live blackjack options are plentiful, with many variations to explore. These blackjack games come with different themes, bet limits, rules, side bets, and more, with some offering the standard gameplay and some offering something more unique. Here are some of the most popular live blackjack variations to check out.

• Lightning Blackjack: Set in a stunning casino studio, this popular version of the game from Evolution Gaming uses the standard blackjack rules. However, this game features an RNG-based lightning card multiplier in every round, providing an additional chance to hit some bigger wins.
• Infinite Blackjack: Infinite Blackjack is another title from Evolution Gaming. This version of live Blackjack allows an infinite number of players to join the game, so you can always enter the table and play.
• Free Bet Blackjack: This version of live Blackjack adds an extra element of fun to the game by allowing players to split or double down for free on selected hands. This game uses eight decks of cards and is set in an opulent casino studio with in-game chat and other features.
• VIP Blackjack: VIP Blackjack is set in a sophisticated studio that adds some allure to the game. The Evolution Gaming table is designed for high rollers looking for a bit of luxury. The game has higher table limits and a distinctively VIP environment.
• Blackjack Party: Evolutions Blackjack Party game is the party-themed version that is geared towards low-stakes play. This game has a scalable bet behind the feature and features a host as well as a dealer to make things more fun. An unlimited number of players can join, but only seven seats are at the table, hence the bet behind extra.
• Power Blackjack: Another version from Evolution, Power Blackjack, removes all the nines and tens from the decks, making the game a little more interesting. After the first cards are served, the game allows doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling your bet.  

Picking the best online casino for live blackjack can be a challenge when there are so many options. We conducted extension research and found some of the best casinos for live dealer tables. These gaming sites have a full portfolio of games, including many live blackjack choices. The casinos also offer a range of bonuses and promotions, and you can rest assured that the best security and regulations are in place, too.  

Blackjack is one of the most popular games in casinos. The table favourite draws in players from all over the world. The simple rule, excellent odds, and thrilling gameplay make this a perfect casino game. Below are the rules and a breakdown of how to play Blackjack.

How to play Live Blackjack

If you’re new to playing live blackjack, you can follow the steps below. First, you need to pick the live dealer blackjack table for you. There are many options, including classic versions, and some offer special side bets, unique themes, and nifty extras.

1. Set your wager amount and place a bet on the blackjack hand.
2. The other players will then place their bets, and then the dealer will deal two cards to each player and the dealer.
3. Then, you need to hit for another card or stick with the cards you have. Once all players have made their decisions, the dealer will take additional cards to beat the best hand on the table.
4. Once the hand is over, the next round of betting begins.

Types of Bets

Blackjack has three main bets, but many versions have additional side bets. Here are the most common types of bets in Blackjack.

Insurance: This is a bet that is available when the dealer is showing an ace. This will pay out 2:1 if the dealer has Blackjack.  
 
Perfect Pairs: This bet pays out when the player is dealt two of a kind:

• Mixed Pair: pays 5:1
• Coloured Pair: 12:1
• Perfect Pair: 25:1

21+3 Blackjack: This side bet relates to the player's two cards and the dealer's face card. The bet pays out if the three cards form one of the following hands:

• Flush: Pays 5:1
• Straight: Pays 10:1
• Three of a Kind: Pays 30:1
• Straight Flush: Pays 40:1
• Suited Triple: Pays 100:1

Bet Behind: This is a bet where other players not at the table can bet on other players' hands. 

Terminology/useful terms 

• Bust: This is when the hand goes over the value of 21. 
• Cut Cards: This is when a plastic card is used to cut the decks.
• Double Down: This is when you double your bet and receive only one additional card. 
• Early Surrender: This is when you surrender your cards before the dealer has checked the hole card. This sacrifices half of your bet amount. 
• Face Cards: A card with a picture, like a Jack, Queen or King.
• Hit: To take another card from the dealer.
• Hole Card: The dealer's card that is face down.
• Stand: This is to stick with your cards, not take any extra cards.

Live Blackjack Rules

The rules of blackjack are very simple. You need to beat the dealer's hand. The aim of the game is to get closer to the value of 21 than the dealer without going over. Each player and the dealer are dealt two cards each, and then there is the option to take additional cards. If you go over the value of 21, you lose the hand.

Additionally, the dealer only shows a face card until all players have completed their hands. The dealer will take any additional cards after all the players, but the dealer must stick to 17. This means that any value landed by the dealer that is 17 or over must stand.

All bets are placed before any cards are even drawn. There are side bets that can be placed when your cards are served, such as doubling down or perfect pairs. You can also take the insurance side bet if the dealer is showing an Ace card.

Payout Table

The payouts in blackjack are very straightforward due to the limited number of bets available.

Live Blackjack Features 

The live blackjack table has some top-notch features to make gameplay easy and offer a great gambling experience. You can select from multiple camera angles and even chat with other players using the in-game chat feature. These games also have audio options and include the rules and pay tables of the blackjack games. Here are some other actions you can take while playing live blackjack.

• Bet: Place a bet to start the round
• Split Pairs: Split a matching pair of cards into two hands
• Double Down: Double your bet amount
• Insurance: Take insurance against blackjack 

Before you start playing real money live blackjack, there are some things to know to give you the best chances of winning. We have covered the benefits of playing live blackjack and some useful tips and strategies to boost your odds and get the most enjoyment out of the game.

Advantages of playing Live Blackjack

Playing live Blackjack offers a superior experience to your regular RNG Blackjack games. Here are some of the advantages to betting on live dealer blackjack. 
 
- The casino experience is more immersive and authentic. 
- You can play with other players and enjoy a more social gaming environment.  
- The games do not use an RNG engine, so all the results are determined in real-time via a card shuffler. This means the results cannot be tampered with.

Live Blackjack Tips and Strategies

Blackjack is one of the few games that have a strategy that has been proven to work. The basic blackjack strategy is something all players should learn. This strategy tells you whether to hit or stick based on what cards the player and dealer have. Many apps, sites, and tables make it easy to learn the basic blackjack strategy. This strategy brings the house edge down to just 0.5% and should be implemented every time you hit the blackjack tables. Here are the top tips for playing blackjack in the live casino.

1. Always double down when your first two cards total 11 in value.
2. Always split a pair of aces and eights.
3. Never split 10s or 5s.
4. Never take blackjack insurance.
5. Set a win or lose amount to walk away.
6. Learn the basic blackjack strategy.

Live Blackjack for Real Money

Playing live blackjack for real money is an easy task. First, you need to pick an online casino and create an account. Then, you will need to fund your balance with a real money deposit. Once you have money in your account, you can place real bets. Here’s a breakdown of playing live dealer blackjack for real.

1. Pick and enter a live dealer blackjack game.
2. Set your bet amount and place a bet on the next hand.
3. The dealer will then serve the cards to all players.
4. Pick whether to hit for another card or stick with the cards you have.
5. If you hit for another card, you could bust, and the round will move to the next player.
6. After the betting, the dealer will reveal their second card and play to determine the winners.
7. If the dealer busts, the remaining players win the hand, and the winnings are paid out.  

There is no shortage of blackjack tables at the best online casinos. The game comes in virtual and live dealer form. Here are some of the differences between the two versions.  

The best online casino sites have a range of bonus offers to take advantage of. These casino bonuses can be used to play live dealer games, but the wagering contribution will not be the same as slot games. Before committing to a bonus, You should always check the bonus terms and conditions. Here are some of the live dealer bonuses you can claim:

• Welcome Bonus: The casino welcome is the most generous bonus in the casino. This offer can only be claimed on your first deposit and can come in many forms, such as a match bonus, cashback, and more.
• Cashback Bonus: The cashback bonus gives you a percentage of your weekly losses. This bonus is usually wager-free or with very low wagering requirements. This is a great bonus for playing live dealer games.
• Free Chip Bonus: The free chip bonus can be found as a no deposit offer. This gives you a set amount of chips to play table games. No deposit bonuses come with higher wagering requirements and stricter bonus terms.
• Reload Bonus: The reload bonus is the most popular offer in the casino. This gives you a percentage of your deposit back into bonus funds. You will need to wager the bonus amount a certain amount of times before any bonus funds can be cashed out as real money. 

Live gaming has become a popular part of online gambling. These games are designed to replicate the true-to-life casino experience from your screen. The live blackjack games are set up in a professional casino studio with a highly proficient dealer at the helm to serve the cards. Multiple cameras are set up around the tables, with best-in-class broadcast technology streaming the blackjack action to the online casino in real-time. This allows players worldwide to join the same game, and a chat feature, camera selection, and other features make the experience even more immersive. As the live dealer games take place in a real casino in real-time, the game is played just as it is in a casino, so the results are natural and not determined by a random number engine, like slot games and virtual tables. The high-quality technology streams everything in crisp, high definition, and all you need to enjoy the games is access to your online casino site.

Software Providers

There are many gaming companies in the UK  that produce casino content, but only a few develop live dealer games. This is because the provider needs to have a full land-based casino set up and many dealers and hosts to run the games, not to mention the tech equipment and tech teams. The industry has some notable live dealer providers that produce the best live blackjack tables.

• Evolution Gaming: Evolution Gaming is the number one supplier of live dealer games. This provider has every type of casino game in live form, with many blackjack options. Many games offer a unique take on the original rules, too, like Blackjack Party and Power Blackjack.
• Pragmatic Play: Pragmatic Play is a prolific provider of casino games, creating slots, tables, and live dealer titles. The studio has built up an impressive array of live games, with titles like ONE Blackjack and Blackjack Azure.
• NetEnt: NetEnt may be recognised for its awesome slot games, but the studio has built up some first-class live dealer games, including some good live blackjack options. 

The process of getting money in and out of your real money balance is easy, thanks to a choice of convenient payment services. The best casinos are backed by robust SSL encryption technology, so you can make online transactions with peace of mind. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about paying transaction processing fees. Here are some of the most popular payment options available to UK players.

• Debit Card - The Visa and Mastercard payment options are the most popular choices in the UK. You will need to enter your banking details to complete the transactions. Furthermore, the withdrawal times can be timely, taking up to five working days.
• PayPal - The PayPal eWallet allows you to connect to your bank account and make payments by logging in. This method adds an extra layer of security, and you don’t need to enter any sensitive banking details. It also offers faster withdrawal times, with winnings returned on the same day.
• Apple Pay / Google Pay - These payment services link to your bank account and allow you to confirm the transactions using biometric technology. This means you don’t have to type in any sensitive banking information. This option is not available for withdrawals.
• Paysafecard - Paysafecard is a prepaid voucher option that requires you to purchase the deposit amount in-store and then use a voucher code to make the transaction online. The option is not available for withdrawals.
• Bank Transfer - The traditional bank transfer option is still available at many casinos. The transaction times take longer, with deposits taking up to five days and withdrawals taking up to seven days.