How To Play Blackjack Online For Real Money

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On the surface, blackjack may look like a simple card game. That’s partially true, and accessibility is a big reason for blackjack’s widespread popularity. But beneath the baseline rules of the game, learning how to play blackjack is important. It is a nuanced and complex gaming experience that both welcomes beginners and challenges skilled players to continuously improve.

Play Real Money Blackjack vs. While we offer a free version of the game on this page, many players also enjoy real money blackjack. Both free blackjack and real money games are valuable, but they offer you different benefits and experiences. Here’s a quick breakdown of why you might want to play either version of online blackjack. Aug 17, 2021 Playing Live Blackjack for Real Money. There are usually seven seats on every live dealer blackjack game (except for Infinite Blackjack – see below). Select an empty seat, and when the current hand finishes, you decide how much to bet. Click on your chosen chip denomination, then click again on your betting pocket (click multiple times if.

You can play blackjack online for free almost anywhere, for real money online in some jurisdictions, and at casinos and card rooms. No matter where you play, it’s incredibly helpful to have a firm grasp on how blackjack works.

How To Play Blackjack

When you play blackjack, your overarching goal is to beat the dealer. Even though you aren’t trying to beat the other players at your table (whether virtual or real), it’s important to watch what they do. Your decisions can affect their game and vice versa.

To beat the dealer, you want to get a hand worth 21 points or as close to it as possible without going over. If your hand totals more than 21, that’s called a bust and you automatically lose your bet.

Playing Blackjack Step By Step

In blackjack, one round of play is considered a hand. You place a bet on each hand and attempt to beat the dealer. Here’s how a hand plays out.

Step 1: Bets Are Placed Cards Are Dealt

First, each player places bets. The main bet in blackjack is on yourself to beat the dealer. Sometimes side bets are available, but the chances of winning are very low and give more advantage to the house.

Next, the dealer will hand out two cards to each player at the table. All player cards will be face-up, but the dealer will have one card face up and one face down. This gives the casino an edge in the game.

Once you have your cards, add up the points based on each card’s value (we have a table for this below). This will help you determine what action you should take on your turn.

Step 2: Player Action

Once hands are dealt, each player takes a turn deciding what to do next based on the value of their cards. Your options are usually: hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender. We’ll define each of these actions below.

Hit and stand are the two most common actions. If you hit, it means you receive another card in an attempt to get closer to 21. If you stand, it means you keep your hand as is.

Step 3: Dealer Action And Wins Paid

For the final step, the dealer flips his face down card and either hits or stands based on the rules of that specific table. Some tables, for example, require a dealer to draw another card if their hand totals less than 16. These rules vary slightly depending on where you’re playing.

Bets are then paid based on each player’s hand in relation to the dealer’s total. If you’re closer to 21 than the dealer, you win. If you tie, it’s a push, and if you lose, you forfeit your bet.

Blackjack Card Values

In blackjack, each card has a specific point value that you use to calculate the value of your hand. This table lays out the value of each individual card. Suits and colors don’t make a difference; blackjack is purely about the numeric value of each card.

CardBlackjack Point Value
2-92-9
1010
Jack10
Queen10
King10
Ace1 or 11

As you can see, card values are pretty straightforward. 2s through 10s are worth face value, face cards are all worth 10, and aces can be either 1 or 11. When you’re dealt an ace, you choose which value to use, and it can change mid-hand based on new cards you receive.

Blackjack Payouts

A blackjack occurs when you hit 21 points with the two cards the dealer first gave you (one card worth 10 points plus an ace). When you hit blackjack, you automatically get paid the amount of your bet plus a bonus (unless the dealer also hits blackjack, which then results in a push).

Blackjack typically pays 3 to 2, which means that you’ll get paid the amount of your bet plus half, or 1.5 times your bet. As an example, if you bet $10 and get blackjack, you’ll win $15.

Some casinos and sites offer tables that pay 6 to 5 when you hit blackjack. Essentially, this means you get paid less for every blackjack you hit. On a $10 bet where you hit blackjack, you’d receive $12 instead of the $15 a 3:2 table would give you.

To maximize your potential wins, steer clear of 6:5 tables. They feature the exact same game rules but pay you less on a blackjack.

Important Blackjack Terms

TermWhat It Means
HandCan refer to your specific cards as a set or one “round” of play in blackjack.
StandKeep your hand as is and receive no additional card.
HitReceive another card.
SplitIf you are dealt two cards of the same value, you can split them into two separate hands (placing an additional bet in the process) and play them as though you were dealt two hands.
Double downDouble your bet to receive exactly one extra card from the dealer.
Even moneyOffered to a player with blackjack when the dealer’s upcard is an ace. An even money bet means the player is guaranteed a 1:1 payout on blackjack instead of a push (if the dealer has blackjack) or a full payout (if the dealer doesn’t have blackjack).
BustA bust occurs when a hand totals more than 21 points. The dealer or any blackjack player can bust.
UpcardThe dealer’s face-up card.
Hole cardThe dealer’s face-down card.
SurrenderGive up your hand after the initial cards are dealt and receive half of your bet back. This is a rare option offered by few blackjack tables.
InsuranceOffered to a player without blackjack when the dealer’s upcard is an ace. Insurance is a side bet that pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the player loses the side bet.

Five Options When Playing Hands Of Blackjack

When it’s your turn to take action in blackjack, you usually have up to five options, depending on your hand.

Hit

If you hit, it means you’re asking the dealer for another card. Typically this means your two initial cards are fairly low in value and you want to get closer to 21. If your initial hand totals lower than 17, you’ll often want to hit. It’s usually advisable to hit until you have a hand totaling 17-21 to give yourself a chance to beat the dealer. However, there are some scenarios where standing on a total of 12 can be beneficial.

You can hit as many times as you’d like until you’re happy with your hand or you bust.

Stand

When you stand, you keep your hand as is without taking any new cards or additional actions. Standing is usually best when your initial hand totals 17 through 21, especially if the dealer’s upcard is a 2, 3, 4, or 5. Many strategic players like to assume the dealer’s face-down card is a 10 and make choices based on that assumption. If the dealer’s upcard is a low-value card, there’s a higher chance they’ll draw a 10 and bust.

Double Down

If your initial hand totals 9, 10, or 11, then you may choose to Double Down. This means you double your wager (place another bet equal to your first one) to receive exactly one card. You won’t be able to hit again after receiving the extra card.

If you win on a double down hand, you win both bets. If you lose the hand, you lose both bets. It’s a high-risk high reward strategy that’s best used when the dealer’s upcard gives them a chance to bust.

Split

If you receive two cards with the same value (two 8s, two 9s, etc.), you may choose to split. This separates each card into the beginning of a new hand, and you must place another bet equal to your first. You then play each hand one at a time as you normally would, hitting or standing as you see fit. If you hit and receive another card of the same value, you’re allowed to split again.

Each hand is paid individually based on whether or not it beats the dealer’s total.

Surrender

Surrender is a rare option in blackjack. If your table has a surrender option, it means you can sacrifice your initial hand and receive half of your bet back, with the other half going to the casino. Think of it as “folding” your hand.

Blackjack Strategy

Because there are so many possible outcomes in a game of blackjack, there are various scenarios in which a player can win, lose, or push.

You, the player, win if:

  • You hit blackjack and the dealer does not
  • Your final hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s
  • The dealer busts and you do not

You and the dealer push if:

  • Your final hands total the same point value
  • You both hit blackjack

You lose if:

  • The dealer hits blackjack and you do not
  • The dealer’s final hand is closer to 21 than yours
  • You bust

Naturally, blackjack players use a lot of intricate strategies. But there is some conventional wisdom for newcomers or beginning players on what to do and when.

When To Hit Or Stand

Most players like to assume the dealer’s face-down card is always a 10 and work from there. For example, if the dealer’s upcard is an 8, you would assume they have a total of 18. Most blackjack tables require the dealer to hit on anything below a 16, but the dealer doesn’t take action until every player has taken their turn, so assuming a total is necessary for strategic gameplay.

It’s usually smart to hitif:

  • The dealer’s upcard is a 7-10 or an ace and your hand totals lower than 15
  • Your hand total is lower than 17

Your goal is to reach 21 or as close to it as possible, so hit with that in mind.

It’s typically good to stand if:

  • Your initial hand totals 17 or higher
  • The dealer has a solid chance to bust (upcard of 2-5)

In some cases, it makes sense to stand on a low-value hand and hope for the dealer to bust.

For a more detailed strategy overview, head to our Blackjack Strategy guide.

Where To Play Blackjack Online

There are a number of different ways you can play blackjack online.

Free To Play Blackjack

Free blackjack is accessible anywhere you can get an internet connection and is legal across the US. There’s no real money involved in any capacity, and it’s a great way to get more familiar with the game.

Our free blackjack guide has two games right here on our website. The first one is single-player and allows you to play up to three hands at once. You can get a feel for the game and how one player’s choice can affect other players’ hands.

The second game allows you in play with up to two friends, adding a social element to the mix.

Sweepstakes Blackjack

You can play sweepstakes blackjack at any state in the US except for Washington. At sweepstakes sites, you purchase in-game currency and use that to play casino games. Chumba Casino is the most popular sweepstakes casino, and it has a blackjack game. Sweepstakes sites also give you a chance to win cash prizes.

Real Money Casino Blackjack

New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania currently have legal and live real money online blackjack. You can place bets and play against real players. You bet with real money and have a chance to win, too. Real money online blackjack brings the casino experience to the digital space.

Some online casinos even have live dealer blackjack games, where a real dealer doles out cards via live stream and the computer settles hands and bets. Check out the liver dealer games at DraftKings Casino or BetMGM depending on what state you are in. They offer real money online blackjack and live dealer games.

Types Of Blackjack Games

Thanks to its popularity, blackjack has spawned a number of spin-off games and variants that bring fresh concepts into the mix.

Atlantic City Blackjack

In Atlantic City Blackjack, players can double down on any two cards. Plus, the dealer always checks for blackjack if their upcard is an ace. That way, players don’t risk doubling down on a dealer blackjack.

European Blackjack

In standard blackjack, the dealer is dealt two cards: one face-up (upcard) and one face-down (hole card). European blackjack changes that rule; the dealer does not receive a hole card. Instead, the dealer receives a second card only after all players have taken their turns. This is a risky variant because players have a chance to up their bet (by splitting or doubling down) before knowing whether the dealer hits a blackjack.

Blackjack Switch

In Blackjack Switch, each player is dealt two hands instead of one. Players can switch the top card between the hands if they wish. Because of this player advantage, if the dealer hits a 22, all hands push except a natural blackjack (a blackjack dealt before a switch). The switch element adds new strategic layers to the game, making it a great choice for experienced players.

How To Play Blackjack – Common Questions

How old do I have to be to play blackjack in the US?

To play blackjack for real money, either at a legal online site or at a land-based casino, you need to be 21 or older. At some tribal casinos in the US, it is possible to find 18+ casinos. If you’re 18 or above, you can play sweepstakes blackjack. Anyone can play free blackjack because there’s no real money involved.

Where can I learn to play blackjack for free?

We have a full page dedicated to free online blackjack. One game is single-player, and lets you hone your skills by playing up to three hands at once. The other is multi-player, so you can face off against friends to learn the game.

Is it legal to play blackjack online?

This depends on where you’re located. Only Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have legal online real money blackjack.
Every state except Washington allows sweepstakes blackjack, which is completely legal. You can play sweepstakes blackjack online at Chumba Casino.
Free blackjack is accessible to anyone, but you can’t play for real money or win any cash prizes.

Where can I play blackjack for money online?

You can play at legal online casinos in New Jersey, Delaware, or Pennsylvania. A few other states have legislation in the works to allow online blackjack for real money, but they’re not live yet. Check out the online blackjack offerings at DraftKings Online Casino.
To win cash prizes, you can play at a sweepstakes casino.

How much is an Ace worth in blackjack?

In blackjack, an ace is worth either 1 point or 11 points. You assign the value based on whichever number is more advantageous to you. For example, if you have a queen and an ace, the ace would be worth 11 to give you a blackjack. If you have an ace and a 6, your hand is worth either 7 or 17 points, and you could stand with the 17 or hit for a chance at a higher total.

How much are face cards worth in blackjack?

Face cards are all worth 10 points in blackjack. This includes jacks, queens, and kings.
If you receive two face cards, they’re both valued at 10 points, so you could split them for a chance at two winning hands. This is risky, though, because your two face cards are worth 20 points–a solid hand especially if the dealer’s upcard is a 9 or lower.

What is insurance in blackjack?

If the dealer’s upcard is an ace, players have the option of placing an insurance bet. Insurance is a way to mitigate losses if a dealer has blackjack. If you take insurance by placing the side bet and the dealer reveals that they have blackjack, you win 2:1 on the insurance bet. If the dealer doesn’t have blackjack, you lose the side bet.

So if you're ready to hit the tables online and play some blackjack for real money there's a few things I shouldwarn you about.

Because unfortunately it's not that simple.

If you've never gambled online before, ther's a lot of misinformation on the web so this article is going to go overa few topics so you know exactly what to expect and look for.

There are literally many online casinos worldwide launched on a monthly basis offering glitzy bonuses and promotions all vying for your business.

However for every new casino that's launched, another gets closed down due to being unable to sustain their business.

The nature of this competitive industry unfortunately also leads to operations falling to the dark side and going rogue bycommonly tricking customers with unethical practices such as

  • Long delayed payments or non payments altogether
  • Devious terms and conditions that catch the customer off guard
  • Unfair bonus requirements

So let's look into how to go about avoiding these sticky situations and set some guidelines for finding a reputable and faironline casino.

Selecting Where to Play Blackjack Online

While we can make suggestions on where to play, it's good knowledge to know what to look for especially since casinos regularlymodify their promotions and terms and conditions.

Speaking of terms and conditions, this leads us to the very first thing to look at:

Terms and Conditions

This is the main crux in determining whether a casino is trying to be sneaky. Yes these things are boring to read but itcontains vital information that could save you throwing your hard earned cash in the bin

Things to look out for are:

  • Is it poorly written
  • Are there unreasonable wage requirements on promotions/bonuses
  • Does it take a long time to cash out
  • Is there an unreasonable withdrawal limit
  • Do they accept players from the country you reside in

Payment Options

A common issue with most casinos (even the reputable ones) is that even though they might allow you to deposit using a certainmethod, you may not be able to withdraw using that same method.

So make sure you understand the cashing out process and what's involved. Common things to find out include are there any fees involved?How long does it take to process a withdrawal?What currencies are accepted?

Online

The best options tend to be through e-wallets such as Skrill or Neteller or cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereumbecause they are fast with no fees. Paypal is also really good however only UK based online casinos accept it.

If you've never used Bitcoin before, we highly recommend reading our guide to find out how. It is by far the safest and most effective payment method for playing at an onlinecasino for US players.

If you are unsure of any of these items, do not be afraid to ask customer support. This will also give you an opportunityto see how responsive and professional their customer support is as well.

Overall Historical Reputation

Just like anything else online, you can easily find reviews of a casino on the web. So as a last point of judgement you canresearch whether a casino has a historical record of providing a fair and professional service to their customers.

I would be wary of playing at any online casino that hasn't been active over at least 5 years regardless of how lucrativetheir promotions might be. As mentioned earlier, it is certainly not an unusual occurrence for a casino to closeup shop and refuse customers access to their funds.

You should also be wary that many websites (including us) are affiliates of casinos and get paid a commission if you chooseto play there. So you should never take a particular website's review at face value and ignore doing the due diligencein researching further into a casino's credibility.

Ok now on to looking at some actual fun stuff!

Depending on which casino you decide to play at, the software that they are powered by is going to determine what your optionsare. It's also quite common for a casino to be powered by multiple software vendors so that their customers haveplenty of options to choose from.

Real Time Gaming, Microgaming and Betsoft tend to have the most RNG blackjack variations but in my opinion playing against a live dealer is the most fun.

My favourite live dealer software is Evolution Gaming and we'll touch on that later in this article.

Mobile Online Blackjack Apps (iOS/Android)

Another sign of a good casino is can they provide a good mobile experience.

A lot of the smaller non reputable casinos use old technology and can not provide a decent mobile experience (if any at all)and rely on oldschool flash on a desktop browser for their site to function.

And when I mean mobile I mean for both Android and iOS devices. Some casinos, for example LeoVegas, go the extra mile andprovide dedicated iOS/Android apps you can install to your device and play online blackjack with real money through.

However there are certainly many reputable casinos that simply allow you to play from version within the browser that doesn'trequire a dedicated app.

Play blackjack online for real money usa

The future is now!

We have an entire section on live blackjack but I'll touch on it briefly here. Here's a video of what it looks like

Live blackjack is a relatively new thing at casinos and due to technology advancements in internet speeds, we can now playon a multiplayer table against a physical dealer streamed over video.

It genuinely does simulate a real casino vibe and the social interaction between other players and the dealer really makesfor a fun experience and will make you totally forget about ever playing the RNG tables again.

The rules generally tend to be:

  • Blackjack pays 3:2
  • Dealer stands on soft 17
  • Double any card
  • Can not re-split Aces
  • No Surrender
  • Total Decks - 8

Depending on the casino, there are usually up to 8 seats per table with the option to bet behind other players as well.

Not many casinos are able to provide this yet but here are some notable ones that are leading the pack:

  • Bovada - US Only
  • Betonline - US Only
  • LeoVegas
  • William Hill
  • 888
  • Bet365

Be wary though that it takes a lot of data to stream to mobile so it's highly recommended to be connected to wifi

Online Blackjack Bonuses BEWARE!

Get 100% Sign Up Bonus for a Billion Dollars!!

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Ok so I'm exaggeating slightly but EVERY online casino has a sign up bonus of some sort that sounds like they're giving away free cash.

Unfortunately the vast majority of these promotions aren't as lucrative as they sound and even worse, they don't apply verywell to blackjack. That's why it's extremely important to read over the terms and conditions to be clear of thewage requirements

Wage requirements are the amount that you have to wager before being able to cashout on any bonus received.

So let's take for example Royal Vegas has a 100% sign up bonus up to $300 and I deposited $300 to get the maximum $300 bonus.The wage requirement is 50x the bonus which means I will have to wager $15,000 in total before I can withdraw thesebonus funds.

So as you can see, the wage requirement is pretty difficult to meet but here's the worst part, blackjack only contributes2% to the wage requirement!

See https://www.royalvegascasino.com/about-us/terms-and-conditions/

This means that if I were to play blackjack only, I would have to wager a whopping $750,000!

How To Play Blackjack For Real Money

This is because blackjack has a low house edge so the casino would prefer you to play other games (like slots which has 100%contribution to wage requirements) so that your chances of clearing the bonus is significantly less.

Most casinos structure their bonuses like this so if you do choose to play blackjack online do not claim any bonus they offer!

How To Play Blackjack Online For Real Money

Contrary to what some people may say:

No! Nope! Nup!

The rules are just not conducive to allow for card counting to be effective.

The biggest problem is that the decks are shuffled on too regular a basis so the deck penetration will always be too lowto gain any profit.

Online Blackjack Tournaments

It's quite rare but some casinos do offer online blackjack tournaments (in RNG format) and the way they usually work is eachparticipant starts with a certain amount of chips to start with and are given a time limit to play. At the endof the time limit, the player with the highest amount of chips wins.

Visit our tournament monitor to see when the next upcoming tournmanet is on.

In the United States, gambling online is in a legal gray zone so let’s address any concerns before looking into which casinosallow US players.

First of all, if you are from the US there is no federal law that prohibits you from gambling online and it is completely safe.

However:

The only online casinos that are regulated and legally operated in the United States are those that are located in the statesof New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Now due to the UIGEA, it is currently ILLEGAL for banks to process any online gambling transactions so many online casinos have moved theiroperations offshore.

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If you don’t reside in either of the above three states listed then your only option is to play at an offshore online casino.For further clarification, you can read more about US online gambling legislation here.

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Is it Legally Safe to Play at an Offshore Casino?

ABSOLUTELY!

Even if you reside in a state that does have a ban on gambling online, law enforcement has historically shown no interestin prosecuting players. And even if they were to action, they would most likely be targeting establishments ratherthan the players themselves.

However what you certainly do need to be mindful of is the reputation of any offshore casino you choose to play at. Sincethey don’t fall under US jurisdiction, there is no telling how well regulated these operations are and if theyare running a fair and serviceable casino.

You are essentially unprotected if for example they were to just close up shop and disappear with your funds.

An example of a casino like this is Lock Poker who went rogue and closed down in 2015. Unable to pay their customers, it is said they owe over $1,000,000 to at least 400 players.

Recommended Casinos

Online Blackjack for US Residents

In our opinion Bovada is by far the best choice available for US residents at the moment (unless you reside in New Jersey,Nevada or Delaware where there are local legally licensed operators). They have the best live dealers and you havethe option to play on mobile too.

Whilst their withdrawal option via check is horrible, they do offer withdrawing via Bitcoin which is super quick and reliable.

The alternative option is Betonline however their reputation took a bit of a hit in 2017 after being accused of cheating

Online Blackjack for UK Residents

Now you guys are spoiled for choice.

My recommendation would be based off any casino that runs Evolution Gaming software because their blackjack live dealers provide the most entertaining experience andare the best at keeping things lively, energetic and interactive.

Reputable big names include - 888 Casino, William Hill, Bwin

Online Blackjack for Canadian Residents

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Similar to UK options, I'd go with a casino that runs on Evolution Gaming for the live dealer experience.

The only difference with the Canadian casinos is that there are less options in payment methods. For example, Paypal is widelyaccepted in the UK but not accepted at all in Canada.

So be careful if you're from Canada and you visit a casino that says they accept Paypal, they're referring to their UK customersonly.

Reputable big names include - 888 Casino, LeoVegas, Mr. Green