Live Blackjack

If the dealer’s up-card is an Ace, you are given the option to purchase insurance to counter the risk that the dealer has blackjack, even when you have blackjack yourself.

The amount of insurance is equal to one-half of your main bet, and the insurance bet is settled independently from the bet on your hand.

The dealer then glances at the value of his down-card to determine if they have blackjack. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the round continues.

If the dealer does have blackjack, and you do not, the dealer’s hand wins the round. If you and the dealer both have blackjack, the game ends in a push and your bet is returned.

It is important to note that when the dealer’s up-card is a 10 or face card, you will not be given an option to purchase insurance, and the dealer will not look at his down-card to determine blackjack.

When the dealer has no blackjack upon examining his two original cards, players are provided the opportunity to raise the values of their hands in turn, as the dealer moves clockwise around the table.

If the sum of your opening hand is not 21, you can choose to Double Down. This basically means you will double your bet and be dealt only one new card to add to your hand.

On the other hand, you can decide to Hit in order to be dealt an extra card to increase the value of your hand.

You can Hit more than once to acquire further cards before you elect to Stand once you are happy with the worth of your hand.

If your original hand is a pair of cards that are of equal value, you can choose to Split the pair into two separate hands, each with a separate bet that is equal in amount to your main bet.

After a second card is distributed to both your hands, you can increase the value of these two new hands by applying the Hit option before you Stand.

However, if you split an introductory pair of Aces, you will get only one extra card per hand without an option to hit.

Live Blackjack game comprises voluntary side bets – Perfect Pairs and 21+3.

You may place side bets combined with your main blackjack bet. You get the opportunity to win on any side bet regardless of whether or not you win on your main blackjack bet.

The Perfect Pairs bet gives you the occasion to win if your first two cards include any pair – such as two Queens, two Aces, or two 10s. There are three types of pairs, each with a different payout:

Perfect Pair – same suit; example, two Aces of Spades.

Coloured Pair – different suits of the same colour; for example, Jack of Diamonds + Jack of Hearts.

Mixed Pair – different suits; example, 9 of Hearts + 9 of Clubs.

The 21+3 bet supplies you with the opportunity to win if your first two cards plus the dealer’s up-card include any of the following winning combinations, each with a different payout:

Suited Trips – an identical triplet, such as 3 Queens of Hearts.

Straight Flush – in numerical sequence and same suit, like 10, Jack and Queen of Diamonds.

Three of a Kind – same value but different suits, for example, any 3 un-matching Kings.

Straight – in numerical sequence but different suits, for example, 2 of Spades + 3 of Clubs + 4 of Hearts.

Flush – same suit, like 2, 6, and 10 of Clubs.

Basically, in live blackjack online, you always can split and thus play with 2 hands if your first 2 cards are identical. This is only interesting if you have a pair of aces or a pair of 8s.

If you split a pair of aces, you have the chance of blackjack with one new card. The two 8s add up to 16, which is the worst hand in blackjack. Why? With two 8s, you are still relatively far away from 21. At the same time, however, there is a high risk that you will exceed 21 with the next card.

If you split the 8s, there is a high probability that you can get to 18 with your next card.

If you get a pair of 10s on the first move, you have 20 points in your hand – an incredibly good value! The probability that the live dealer will get exactly 21 points is very low. Hold it if you have a set of 6 because a split would lead to the worst hand – 16 points.

It is not exactly a trick, but an important basic rule: insurance can only be used in blackjack if the dealer’s up-card is an ace. You are betting that the next card will have a value of 10, resulting in blackjack.

If you choose insurance, you protect yourself in the live dealer blackjack games. The problem is, the insurance stake is half your original stake. With a 2:1 payout ratio with a 33% probability, the risk may not be high enough to justify such a high stake.

Card counting in and of itself is not illegal – even if it is frowned upon in casinos, of course. Today, the operators of large casinos are already using video surveillance to locate the players. Of course, nobody is watching you when you play live blackjack in the online casino, so you can count cards all you want.

Your most important decision in live blackjack online is whether or not to have cards added to you. To not waste a good hand, always compare your card values ​​with those of the dealer.

At least get additional cards (hit) until you have reached a value of 17 or above. If the live dealer has a 10, you shouldn’t add any more at 17 (or higher) (stand), as the risk of getting over 21 is too high.

However, if you have a soft 18 (an 18 where an ace is played as an 11), then go ahead and get a hit.

In the live casino lobby, you will usually find several game variants, including some with modified rules and betting limits. However, before you start playing, it pays first to read the game’s exact rules to find the game variant that best suits your playing style and budget.