Craps With Cards Oklahoma

Nextshooter is a Craps Dealer on the World Famous Las Vegas Strip. You can find more interesting information if you visit the the Nextshooter site. California Craps with Cards. The Bone Man recently visited the Cache Creek Casino, North of Oakland and North West of Sacramento off of Highway 16 and provides this review of Craps as played with playing cards. Apr 12, 2018 Oklahoma casinos will now be able to offer craps using real dice and roulette with real balls, instead of their homegrown version that uses electronic cards. House-banked games are still banned. Sep 02, 2018 Some of the American Indian casinos right across the Oklahoma line from Arkansas have started offering games of roulette and craps, making them a little more like Las Vegas casinos.

• Craps With Cards
• Craps With Cards Oklahoma
• How To Play Craps With Cards
• Crap Card Game

The game of craps in California casinos doesn’t use dice. This might be confusing to some of my readers, so I thought I’d write a blog post about California craps games.

This post examines how craps in California is played and why the odds aren’t really any different — even though they’re using a different mechanism to arrive at the outcomes.

Also, if you love “shooting dice,” you might want to play craps in a different state.

You can play craps online for free, no matter which state you live in. And when you play for real money, you’ll get a 350% deposit bonus on your first deposit. WildVegasCasino.

Craps in California Is Played with Playing Cards, Not Dice

In some states, it’s illegal to use certain devices for gambling purposes. Until recently, Oklahoma didn’t allow spinning wheels or dice, but it did allow cards. They’ve recently changed their laws regarding that, so now you can shoot dice and play roulette in Oklahoma just like everywhere else.

But California still doesn’t allow casinos to use dice.

They still want to offer craps, though, so they use a deck of cards as a workaround.

You can use a deck of cards to duplicate the odds in a craps game in 2 different ways:

The more intuitive way for most players to understand is to have the ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of one suit represent one of the 2 dice, and to have the same set of cards for another suit represent the 2nd of those 2 dice.

You still have the same probability for each of the 2 “dice” this way — each number comes up 1 out of 6 times.

You also have the same bell curve that you’d see when rolling a pair of dice.

The other way is to have a deck consisting of 36 cards, each of which represents a possible outcome of a die roll. This is the method that the Winstar used until recently.

Why Are There 36 Possible Outcomes in California Craps?

There are 36 possible outcomes in craps of all kinds, not just in California craps. Understanding that is the key to understanding how craps probability works.

You only have 11 possible totals in craps:

1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5
5. 6
6. 7
7. 8
8. 9
9. 10
10. 11
11. 12

But some totals can happen in multiple ways.

For example, a total of 2 can only happen in one way — you have to roll a 1 on the first die and also roll a 1 on the 2nd die.

That’s also true for rolling a 12 — you have to roll a 6 on each die, and there’s only one way to do that.

But look at the probability of rolling a 3. You have 2 ways you can get an outcome of 3:

You can roll a 1 and a 2 OR you can roll a 2 and a 1.

It might not be immediately or intuitively obvious why that’s 2 different ways of accomplishing this, but that’s why you have a bell curve in craps.

The least likely totals are 2 and 12.

The totals of 3 and 11 are the next least likely outcomes.

Then 4 and 10.

And then 5 and 9.

Then 6 and 8.

Finally, the most common outcome is 7 — you have the following ways of getting a 7 on a roll of two dice:

1. 1, 6
2. 2, 5
3. 3, 4
4. 4, 3
5. 5, 2
6. 6, 1

No other combination of dice has that many possibilities.

An Example of California Craps at the Pala Casino

The Pala Casino uses a deck of 36 cards, each one of which is mapped to a combination of 2 dice. The craps dealer deals 2 cards, one in a blue box and one in a red box.

The shooter still gets to roll dice in this version. One of the dice is blue, the other, red.

The blue die has a 2 and a 3 on it — and no other numbers.

The red die has a 1 and a 4 on it — and no other numbers.

The die with the higher number determines which card determines the outcome of the throw.

It’s funny how the casino still uses dice, but they’ve added the cards to randomize the outcome for legal reasons. The Pala Casino’s version of craps probably “feels” more like craps than other versions.

Craps With Cards

You could, in fact, just draw a card from either of those decks and have an outcome in line with the probabilities involved in craps.

But that would make the gameplay so fast that it wouldn’t feel much like craps at all.

Craps at the Viejas Casino

When you play craps at the Viejas Casino, NO dice are used for any reason. This version of craps isn’t even played at a craps table. Instead, it’s played at a table that looks more like a blackjack table.

This version of craps uses 264 playing cards numbered 1 through 6 dealt from a continuous shuffling machine. The cards get put back into the shuffler after every roll.

But there’s a catch with the Viegas Casino craps:

Some of cards remain in the shuffle’s chute after each deal, so multiple rolls are dealt at one time.

What does this mean, probability-wise?

It slightly changes the odds by removing some of the possible outcomes. You just don’t know which outcomes have been removed.

The don’t pass bet becomes a better bet than it already is, so if you ever play at the Viejas Casino, stick with being a wrong bettor.

Why Are California Casinos Like This?

My daughters sometimes ask me, “Dad, why are you like this?”

They’re usually frustrated with me, and I get that. I’m frustrating, as people who are from a different generation often are.

But why are California casinos the way they are?

California passed a constitutional amendment in 2000 legalizing gambling on American Indian land. Each tribe negotiates its own arrangement (a “compact”) with the state government regarding what games and activities they can offer.

Some types of gambling are more acceptable than others.

California law is specific about one thing, though:

You can’t determine game results using dice. This would seem to eliminate craps because this law applies to Indian casinos.

The only way California casinos can offer craps at all is to modify their versions of the game to use playing cards instead of just dice. Even in casinos that allow the players to throw the dice, the outcome of the dice only determines which cards get drawn.

It’s a weird loophole. Casinos can use dice to determine part of the outcome, but the playing cards are like a buffer that keeps the dice from determining the final outcome.

Can You Count Cards in California Craps?

The first question that springs to my mind when I find out about card-game-based craps is whether I can get an edge at the game by counting cards.

This would be possible if you didn’t face a casino that shuffles the deck after every “roll of the dice.”

The way card counting works in blackjack is by keeping track of which cards have been dealt in a general way — high versus low. Aces and 10s in blackjack are considered high cards, and they’re better for the player. When a lot of them have already been played relative to the lower valued cards, you should bet the minimum.

But when a lot of low cards have been played when compared to the high cards, it’s time to raise your bets.

In other words, you don’t keep up with specific cards that have been played or that are left in the deck.

Theoretically, if you found a casino that didn’t shuffle the deck every time a card got played, you might be able to get an edge by betting one way or the other.

Imagine, if you will, a huge deck of cards where most of the cards that resulted in a 7 were already gone from the deck.

Would you know which bet would offer you an advantage in that situation?

That’s what I thought.

What’s the House Edge for Craps in California?

In Oklahoma, the casinos charge an ante for playing table games. That ante increases the house edge dramatically, but it’s based on how much you’re betting on each round. Usually, the bigger your bets are, the less of an effect the ante has on the house edge.

As far as I know, though, California craps doesn’t require an ante.

Since the odds of getting all the various results at a craps game in California are the same as they would be if you were rolling 2 dice, the house edge is the same, too.

In other words, stick with the pass, don’t pass, come, don’t come, and odds bets. All those bets have a house edge of less than 1.5%.

And you also want to avoid the prop bets that are also available in card-game-based craps. Stick with the simple, boring bets because those are the bets offering the best odds for the player.

In fact, the house edge on many of these proposition bets at the craps table is in excess of 10% and closes in on 20% in some instances.

You don’t need to play games with such lousy odds, ever — in California, online, or anywhere else.

Finally

I hope I answered all your questions about craps in California. If I left anything out, or if you have something you’d like to add, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

The easiest game to play with the best chance to beat the house, blackjack is the most popular table game in just about every casino. From online casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan, to landmark land-based casinos in Las Vegas, regional brick-and-mortar casinos all over the US, and Sweepstakes casinos you can play online all across the country, blackjack is king.

Those searching for an in-depth look at online blackjack across the US have come to the right place.

The following is a comprehensive real money blackjack guide, including everything you need to know about online blackjack and live dealer online blackjack. From where you can legally play to which online casinos offer the best blackjack games and the reasons why online blackjack is superior to the live version of the game, you’ll find it all right here.

Play online blackjack for real money at the best US casinos

Playing real money blackjack online

There are three real and truly identifiable advantages to playing blackjack online rather than your local casino.

The obvious first one is convenience. You can play blackjack online from your living room sofa. There’s no need to travel anywhere. Even if there were a casino across the street from your home, playing online blackjack at home would be the more convenient option.

Next is the cost.

By taking advantage of the bonuses available at online casinos or the offers from Sweepstakes casinos you can actually play blackjack for free and possibly build a bankroll out of thin air that allows you to continue playing. Plus, you can’t win every time you play. So, you’re going to want to limit your losses when things don’t work out as planned. Online blackjack games have much lower limits allowing you to do just that.

Finally, there’s the experience. While you can have new experience playing the electronic online version of blackjack, you can also have the same blackjack experience you find in a casino playing from wherever you are with access to the internet.

Craps With Cards Oklahoma

That’s because live dealer online blackjack delivers that experience to you, combining the best aspects of live casino blackjack and online blackjack together.

In fact, it may even be a better version of the live game, since the online betting interface employed by live dealer online blackjack promises quicker and more accurate payouts in what is essentially the same game.

Free blackjack vs real money blackjack

There are all kinds of free-to-play blackjack casino apps and games available on the internet and through various social media outlets. Plus, you can play demo versions of the online blackjack games at most online casinos across the US.

Free online blackjack can be a great learning tool, allowing you to test out different betting patterns and blackjack strategies until you find the ones that work.

The truth is there’s a correct decision to be made in every blackjack situation that leads to maximum profitability and free-to-play-blackjack can help you perfect this optimal playing style without risking any of your own money.

Unfortunately, with no risk comes no reward. In other words, play-money is the only kind of money you’ll ever win with play-money blackjack.

Fortunately, there is one way to win real money playing online blackjack for free. That’s taking advantage of the free bonus money online casinos give you just for signing up or making a deposit. Or, taking advantage of the free virtual currency offers from Sweepstakes casinos.

As we said above, there will be some wagering requirements attached to the online casino bonuses. Clearing these playing blackjack can be tough, but it will most definitely allow you to play blackjack for free and could help you turn nothing into something substantial.

Blackjack casino apps

US online casinos all have mobile casino apps that’ll practically turn your mobile phone or tablet into a mobile casino.

Download and install these apps to any iOS or Android device and you’ll be able to play blackjack online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever you are with access to the internet inside a state where online casinos are legal.

Some Sweepstakes casinos have mobile apps as well, or at the very least, you can play the games they offer through your device’s mobile browser anywhere you are in the US.

To limit size, mobile casino apps generally offer fewer games, but you can rest assured you’ll find blackjack on every single one. Even if it’s just one simple version of the game optimized for mobile devices.

Online casino bonuses and blackjack

Whether it’s free bonus money online casinos give you just for signing up, or a percentage match of your first deposit, most the bonus money you can get from online casinos across the US comes with some kind of wagering requirement attached.

That means you can’t just take the money and run. You have to stick around and gamble with it. In fact, most wagering requirements force you to gamble with the bonus funds multiple times. Of course, once you meet the wagering requirements, anything you win or have left over is yours to keep.

The easiest way to clear these wagering requirements is almost always slots. In fact, most of the time, blackjack or other table games play counts somewhere between 10% and 25% towards clearing the wagering requirements attached.

That means that while it’s not impossible to clear a typical wagering requirement playing blackjack, it’s almost always a lot harder to do than it would be playing slots. Possibly up to ten times as hard.

The low house-edge nature of blackjack is the obvious reason why.

How do you combat this? The first thing to do is look for bonuses with low wagering requirements. Then, try to find bonuses where blackjack counts 25% or more towards meeting the wagering requirements.

Find either and you should obviously pounce on it, but at the same time, don’t be afraid to try to clear any bonus playing blackjack.

The low house-edge nature of the game also makes it entirely possibly to clear even the toughest of wagering requirements.

Legal blackjack casinos

In most of these jurisdictions, established online casino brands have partnered with the brick and mortar casinos. They have a mix of websites and apps, allowing you to enjoy blackjack, slots and many other table games. You’ll be able to gamble legally within state lines.

While regulation of online casinos is spreading, many states have opted for online sportsbooks only. If you are in a state without regulated casinos, you can enjoy blackjack at Sweepstakes Casinos.

NJ blackjack sites

New Jersey’s top online casinos are havens for blackjack players. Here’s a look at some of the blackjack variants they offer:

Golden Nugget

• IGT Blackjack: 0.40% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Blackjack Pro: 0.41% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Vegas Blackjack: 0.40% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Side Bet Blackjack: 0.46% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• European Blackjack: 0.59% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Blackjack Micro Limit: 0.70% House Edge, $0.10 minimum bet
• Blackjack Micro Limit: 0.70% House Edge, $0.50 minimum bet
• Live Dealer Blackjack: 0.66% House Edge, $5 minimum bet

Tropicana Casino

• Atlantic City Blackjack: 0.36% House Edge, $1 minimum
• Single Deck Blackjack: 0.26% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Multihand Blackjack: 0.72% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Vegas Downtown Blackjack: 0.39% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Vegas Strip Blackjack: 0.36% House Edge, $1 minimum bet

Virgin Casino

• Atlantic City Blackjack: 0.36% House Edge, $1 minimum
• Single Deck Blackjack: 0.26% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Multihand Blackjack: 0.72% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Vegas Downtown Blackjack: 0.39% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Vegas Strip Blackjack: 0.36% House Edge, $1 minimum bet

Caesars Casino

• Blackjack Micro Limit: 0.70% House Edge, $0.10 minimum bet
• Blackjack Micro Limit: 0.70% House Edge, $0.50 minimum bet
• European Blackjack: 0.59% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Vegas Blackjack: 0.40% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Blackjack Pro: 0.41% House Edge, $1 minimum bet
• Blackjack Pro Micro Limit: 0.41% House Edge, $0.25 minimum bet

Unibet Casino

• Classic 6-Deck Blackjack: 0.46% House Edge
• NextGen Multihand Blackjack: 0.72% House Edge
• Atlantic City Multi-hand BlackjackPro: 0.36% House Edge
• Atlantic City Single-hand BlackjackPro: 0.36% House Edge
• Blazing 7s Blackjack: 0.67% House Edge
• Multihand Blackjack: 0.72% House Edge
• Super Fun 21 Extreme: 1.4% House Edge
• Zappit Blackjack: 1.15% House Edge

PA blackjack sites

Pennsylvania casinos can only run blackjack games under a set of rules specified by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). That means blackjack pays 3:2, the dealer stands on soft 17, players can double down on any two cards, split up to three hands and double down after splits. Plus, late surrender is allowed. All this lowers the house edge to 0.40%.

The top three PA online casinos have the following blackjack games running with PGCB rules:

BetMGM

• Standard Blackjack

DraftKings Casino

• DraftKings Blackjack
• DraftKings Classic Blackjack
• DraftKings Pride Blackjack
• DraftKings Multihand Blackjack
• DraftKings Christmas Blackjack
• Live Dealer Blackjack
• Live Dealer Infinite Blackjack

Caesars Casino

• Live Dealer Blackjack
• Live Dealer Infinite Blackjack
• Classic Blackjack

WV blackjack sites

West Virginia casinos run blackjack games under standard rules which include blackjack paying 3:2, dealers standing on soft 17, and players having the ability to split doubles.

The top two online casinos in the state, BETMGM and DraftKings Casino, run a variety of blackjack games under these rules. In fact, DraftKings may offer several different blackjack titles in WV, but most are just classic versions of the game with different graphics and themes.

Sweepstakes casino blackjack

Two of the most popular Sweepstakes Casinos available to players all across the US offer blackjack: Chumba Casino and FunzPoints.

Sweepstakes Casinos like this let you play online blackjack even in states that have yet to legalize online casinos. They do this by operating under federal sweepstakes laws. It works because they only let you play with two different virtual currencies, not cash. One currency has no cash value, and while the other does, you can’t buy it.

In fact, there are only three ways you can get it: Contact the Sweepstakes Casinos to get it for free. Win it in a free contest though the Sweepstakes Casino’s social media account. Or, get it free when you buy some of the other virtual currency that can’t be traded in for cash.

Once you have some these Sweeps Coins or FunzPoints you can use them to play blackjack online at Chumba Casino and FunzPoints and redeem any you win or have left over for cash. Chumba and Funzpoints feature classic versions of online blackjack with graphics, animations and sounds that enhance the player experience.

Most games start with minimums as low as one Sweeps Coin or a single Funzpoint.

The different variations include:

• Progressive Blackjack featuring a progressive side bet jackpot.
• Blackjack Surrender offering the option to surrender and paying out all seven card hands.
• Spanish 21 with 6-8 decks, no tens, the surrender rule, and player 21 wins.
• Pontoon with Spanish 21 rules and a minimum hand of 15.
• Blackjack Switch played with two hands, card switching and dealer bust on 23.

Online blackjack variations

Different blackjack games have different rules and many of these rules have a major impact on the house edge.

Things like the number of decks in the shoe, what blackjack pays, and the dealer rule for hitting or standing on soft 17 all have an impact on how player-friendly a particular blackjack game is. As do the rules for doubling down, splitting, and surrender.

Each can push the house edge up or down up to 1.4%.

What that means is you should steer clear of blackjack games with house-friendly rules like:

• Blackjack paying 6:5
• Dealer hitting on soft 17
• No doubling after splitting
• Doubling down on certain hands only
• No surrender
• No re-splitting aces

Here’s a look at some of the rules for a group of the most popular online blackjack variations you’ll find at online casinos across the US:

Single-Deck Blackjack

• House Edge: 0.26%
• Impactful Rules: One-deck shoe, Dealer stands on soft 17

Atlantic City Blackjack

• House Edge: 0.36%.
• Impactful Rules: Dealer stands on soft 17, Double down on any two cards, Split 10,J,Q, or K up to three times, Late surrender

Vegas Strip Blackjack

• House Edge: 0.36%.
• Impactful Rules: Four-deck shoe, Dealer stands on soft 17, Double down on any two cards, Split 10,J,Q, or K up to three times

Vegas Downtown Blackjack

• House Edge: 0.39%.
• Impactful Rules: Two-deck shoe, Dealer hits on soft 17, Double down on any two cards, Split pairs

Vegas Blackjack

• House Edge: 0.40%.
• Impactful Rules: Dealer stands on soft 17, Double down on any two cards, Split 10,J,Q, or K only once

PGCB Blackjack

• House Edge: 0.40%.
• Impactful Rules: Dealer stands on soft 17, Blackjack pays 3:2, Double down on any two cards, Surrender

What should I look for in an online blackjack casino?

Not all the online casinos that offer blackjack are built the same. If blackjack is your game and the primary reason you’re looking to sign up for an account with an online casino is so you can play blackjack, you should look for an online casino that truly caters to your wants and needs.

Try using the following criteria and asking some of the following questions to help you choose:

• Blackjack variations: The more the merrier and the lower the house edge the better.
• Bonuses and promotions: Every online casino has bonuses, but how low are the wagering requirements attached and does blackjack count 25% or more towards meeting them?
• Mobile games / apps: Every online casino has a mobile app, but how many mobile blackjack variations do the apps have?
• Live dealer games: Are there live dealer blackjack games so I can enjoy the live blackjack experience online?
• Legal and regulated: Is this online casino in a state where online casinos are legal and I can turn to state regulators for help if something goes wrong? Is my money safe, or could this illegal offshore operation fold up overnight locking up my cash?
• Customer support: Does this online casino have 24-hour phone or online support or will I have to deal with a bunch of unanswered emails if I have a problem?

Live dealer online blackjack casinos

The online casinos in Michigan, NJ and PA have brought together the best of both the live casino and online casino blackjack worlds for live dealer online blackjack games. Live dealer online blackjack games are also headed to Michigan in 2021.

It’s real dealers using real cards on real tables in front of cameras inside a real-life casino studio. Then, the online casinos broadcast the games live and you can bet online using a graphic interface.

It really is a live and online blackjack hybrid that involves the best aspects of both games: The speed and accuracy of online wagering and the trustworthiness and transparency of real people using real casino equipment in a live casino.

Live dealer blackjack games are a little more social as well, allowing you to chat in real time with the dealer and other players. The popularity of live dealer online blackjack games is growing every day alongside the list of online casinos offering the games.

Should you count cards?

You may already be aware that while counting cards isn’t against the law, live casinos seriously frown upon the activity and reserve the right to ban players caught doing it.

However, online casinos really don’t mind if you try. That’s because most online blackjack games employ a continuous shuffle process that renders the count worthless. Plus, even those that don’t are really only using half of the cards in a shoe, making it very difficult to keep count or take advantage in any way.

Card counting works on the idea that playing with a shoe holding a higher percentage of high cards gives you an edge. You keep track of the number of high cards left in the shoe and increase your bet when it’s high enough to give you that edge.

Card counters worried that increasing the bet might top off dealers and pit bosses signal in team members to take advantage of a favorable count instead.

While you don’t really have to worry about that online, there’s enough other things in the way to make card counting difficult to impossible.

Single Deck Blackjack games might be the best to count, but by the time the count is in your favor, it’s almost always time to shuffle up again and too late to take full advantage.

Blackjack Strategy Basics: How a Typical Hand is Played Out

Blackjack tables have spaces for up to 7 players. Your objective is to beat the dealer, there are three ways to do this:

• Have a total closer to 21 than the dealer does when the hand is competed
• Get dealt a ‘blackjack’ (picture card or 10 with an ace) when the dealer does not have one
• Have a live hand when the dealer busts by hitting 22 or more.

Here is how a hand works in the most common (US) blackjack variation.

• Each player must place a bet before they are dealt into a hand.
• The dealer deals two cards to each player face up
• The dealer deals herself one card face up and one face down
• If the dealers ‘hole card’ is an ace, they will offer insurance to the players against a dealer blackjack (see below for more on this bet).
• The dealer will now ‘peek’ at the hidden card when a 2-card blackjack is possible, if they hit this then the hand ends. All players not getting a blackjack (which is a push) will lose their bet.
• Each player now chooses whether to stand on their current total, hit, double down (add an additional bet) or split their cards. In some games a surrender option, returning half of the bet, is also offered.
• If any player goes over 21, their hand is dead – and their bet is lost.
• Play continues until all players have either busted or stood on their current total.
• The dealer then turns over her hidden card. She will hit or stand depending on the specific rules of the game. For example, standing on a hard 17 or over and hitting on soft 17 or under.
• If the dealer does not bust, then her score is compared to those of each player to determine who wins, loses and where there is a push.

In blackjack, aces can count as either 1 or 11. You will hear ‘Soft 17’ (for example) when the dealer has an ace plus a 6. If the next card is a 4, you can revert to counting the ace as 11 – making your total a 21. If you get a 10-value card, then your hand becomes a ‘Hard 17’

Your Decisions Explained: Stand, Hit, Double or Split

There is an optimal blackjack strategy for each combination of your cards’ total and the dealer’s up-card. While there are small differences depending on the number of decks in use and the specific rules on splitting and doubling down – understanding ‘basic strategy’ will keep the casino house edge very low.

A strategy card will show you the exact strategy for each combination. Below are the basics to keep in mind.

When to Hit: You’ll be hitting most of the time when dealer has a high probability of making a total between 17 and 21 and you have 16 or under. When the dealer shows a picture card, ace or two, you will almost always hit. If the dealer has a 3, 4, 5 or 6 showing, they have a higher probability of busting. This means you won’t hit as often when you have a chance to bust yourself.

When to Stand: Any time you have a hard 17 or better, your best strategy is to stand. If the dealer shows a middle card (especially a 5 or 6), there are many spots where you will stand with a hand between 12 and 16. In most games, the best strategy with a soft 17 is to hit.

When to Double: Doubling, or Doubling Down, involves placing an extra bet equal to your initial wager on a hand. You are then dealt one more card. Rules vary on when you are allowed to do this. The ideal situation is when you have 9, 10 or 11 in your total, and the dealer shows a middle card.

When to Split: When your cards are identical (for example a pair or 10’s), your choice is between standing and splitting. If you split, you need to place an extra wager – effectively playing 2 hands. You now play these hands individually, hitting, standing, splitting or doubling down. The ideal time to split is with 2 high cards against a dealer middle card. You’ll usually stand with 20 if the dealer shows a picture card.

When to Surrender: Some games have an optional surrender. This allows you to ditch a terrible hand (for example 16) against a dealer picture card. You’ll pay half of your initial bet to surrender.

Types of Blackjack Game and Blackjack Variations

There are two main ‘core’ blackjack games, plus 100’s of variations which include side-bets and novelty games based on the original concept.

Here are the two main variations:

• US Blackjack: This was described in the typical hand above. The dealer takes two cards at the start of the hand and will ‘peek’ at the hidden card when a blackjack is possible.
• European Blackjack: The dealer only gets one card at the start of the hand. After all the players have completed their actions, the dealer takes another card. This means you won’t know whether the dealer has a blackjack until the end of the hand, which does affect your strategy.

Here are some of the other common real money blackjack variations you’ll find on casino floors and in online casinos:

• Double Deck / Single Deck: Usually reserved for the high rollers, these games use just 1 or 2 decks instead of the usual 6 to 8.
• Spanish 21: This variation removes the 10’s (though not the picture cards) from the deck, leaving 48 cards in each deck.
• Free Bet Blackjack: You can get a free bet token to double or split in this game. To balance, if the dealer hits 22, winning player hands are considered a push.
• Blackjack Switch: Here you get dealt 2 hands and can swap the cards between them to hit the best possible score.
• Pontoon: This game originated in the UK. It has similar rules, though uses different terms including ‘Stick’ and ‘Twist’.

Online Blackjack Side Bets

Blackjack does not have the possibilities of huge wins compared to casino poker games like Let It Ride and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. To balance this, many casinos offer side bets. These are optional bets, and the stakes don’t need to match the main bet in many circumstances. For example, you can bet $25 per hand in the main game, with an optional $5 side bet.

Popular options are ‘Perfect Pairs’, where you can win based on hitting a pair as your hole cards, with bigger payments for suited aces – or ‘Blazing 777’s’ which pays big prizes with 3 7’s as your first 3 cards.

Keep in mind that side bets have a higher house edge than the main game. Some live casino side bets have progressive jackpots.

What is the house edge on blackjack?

The best blackjack games have a tiny house edge. This can be under 1% with the right mix of rules. Ideal games have as few decks as possible – the dealer should hit on soft 17, liberal rules including the ability to split and resplit, and to double down after splitting – plus a surrender option.

Most regular blackjack games have a house edge of around 2% to 3%. This assumes you are making ‘perfect’ decisions in line with the strategy card of the game you are playing.

A common change in live casinos is to pay 6:5 instead of 3:2 on a player blackjack. This increases their long-term house edge by almost 2%. The smallest stakes games rarely have the ideal rules these days, though if you are playing $50+ per hand (live) then you’ll be able to find games with a lower house edge.

Blackjack Card Counting and Advantage Play

While card counting is not against the law, casinos will quickly ban players caught doing this.

The concept is simple, that a deck with more high cards as a proportion of the total is more favorable for the player. With enough high cards, the house edge can become positive for the players. Card counters employ different methods of keeping track of the cards dealt. When the count becomes positive, they increase their bet size significantly – taking advantage of the house edge.

The problem with this strategy is that going from $5 to $500 bets is very obvious to the dealers and pit bosses. While the MIT blackjack team had a signaling method in the famous movie, casinos are aware of this too – making counting very difficult.

There is nothing to stop you increasing your bet size online. To counter card counting, the games only use half of the cards in an 8-deck shoe. This makes getting a ‘true count’ very difficult. The count (whether you count high or low cards) is always divided by the number of remaining decks to account for variance in the spread of the high / low cards. Single or Double Deck games are ideal for counting – though in live casinos these games will be the most closely watched.

Casino revenue

Data from the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), confirms blackjack is a popular and profitable table game in Nevada casinos.

Though other table games have emerged in the 21st century, the blackjack win amount recorded by Nevada casinos has been around $1.1 billion annually. External factors, such as novelty table games and general economics, certainly impact blackjack revenue. Even still, data since 2000 shows blackjack has been a consistent profit source.

A sharp increase in revenue from baccarat, a table game popular among super-high rollers, has put blackjack in the No. 2 spot in the annual revenue category since 2009. This was a distinct and defining year for Las Vegas gaming revenue. It marked a national recession and the long-awaited opening of City Center. This new venue included two major casinos, Aria and Cosmopolitan.

Even though Nevada baccarat revenue surpassed blackjack revenue by more than $100 million in 2015, the annual win amount from craps was just a fraction of blackjack’s. Nevada casinos earned about $383 million from craps in 2015 compared to $1.09 billion from blackjack.

Blackjack across the US

Nearly every casino in the United States that offers table games offers blackjack.

Since this statement does not hold true for craps or roulette, it’s a testament to the game’s popularity and understanding among players and regulators alike.

Florida

Florida, for example, is an emerging gaming destination and jurisdiction. For the time being, a compact between Florida’s Native American tribes and the state government limits the presence of non-poker table games to tribal casinos. That exclusivity makes casino-resort properties like the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood one of the most lucrative in North America. The South Florida casino is home to over 100 table games and dozens of active blackjack tables at peak hours.

California

On the other coast, California has its take on the game of 21. In the 1980s, to get legislators and regulators to agree on the expansion of table games (mainly poker), card rooms began offering the game but only if non-licensees banked them. The California system stems from the acceptance of parimutuel wagering. (California is home to dozens of racetracks like the famous Santa Anita, which opened in 1934.)

California’s regulatory limitations require all wagering competitions to be parimutuel forces players to wager against each other. They do not wager directly against the house. State-sponsored card rooms and racetracks make money by taking a structured percentage out of the prize pool. The take is based on the total amount wagered.

To allow blackjack in a parimutuel-only gaming environment, the game in California is “banked” by other players. It can also be banked by a “corporation” that provides the service to the casino full time — a fee collected from each player before every hand goes directly to the casino. It is separate from the wagers (and subsequent wins and losses) on the table. It’s effectively an ante required to be dealt into a round of blackjack.

Oklahoma

Charging a fee to play a hand of blackjack is not unique to California. In Oklahoma, tribal casinos collect what is commonly referred to as an “ante” (as opposed to “commission”). This equates to 50 cents from each player before every hand. At Winstar World Resort in Thackerville, just across the Texas-Oklahoma border, dealers collect blackjack antes 24/7 on one of the biggest casino floors in the country.

Other venues

Though gaming laws vary from state to state, one is never too far away from a live blackjack table. Outside of Nevada and Atlantic City, blackjack players can find favorable gaming conditions in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. Riverboat and tribal casinos in Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana have been hotspots for decades.

Not all blackjack is created equal

To many players, blackjack is still blackjack no matter the rules or how it is dealt. Unfortunately, this perception is untrue.

Blackjack is a game where the host determines the conditions. Minor variants are common between casinos and even within the same casino. For players, it’s imperative to identify how the specific rules and/or paying a commission affect the overall game.

Some conditions are the result of legal regulation. Others are simply a mechanism to adjust the house advantage and, therefore, hold and win percentages.

Blackjack, the event of getting dealt a two-card 21 pays 3:2 or 1.5-to-1 on a wager. Sadly for players, 6:5 or 1.2-to-1 blackjack is a rapidly increasing occurrence.

One might wrongly assume 6:5 payouts exist only to offer single-deck games. Unfortunately, there are properties in Downtown Las Vegas that offer 6:5 shoe games — and eight-deck shoe games to boot. Avoid these games.

For the time being, plenty of authentic 3:2 games can be found within a short walk of a blasphemous 6:5 shoe game. On a positive note, the 6:5 trend seems to be concentrated in certain markets, like Las Vegas. Thankfully, it’s not a sweeping trend across the world.

FAQ

Which online casino has the best blackjack games?

How To Play Craps With Cards

With almost two dozen blackjack games available, BetMGM in New Jersey really is the best online blackjack casino in the US.

The blackjack titles list includes:

• Multi Hand Blackjack
• BetMGM blackjack pro
• BetMGM Blackjack Pro sp
• Blackjack fortune spinner pro
• bj fortune spinner mobile
• Blackjack
• Blackjack Fortune Spinner
• BLACKJACK PRO
• BLACKJACK PRO MOBILE
• borgata blackjack pro
• borgata blackjack pro mobile
• Perfect Blackjack Pro
• Premium Blackjack Pro
• Premium Blackjack Pro
• Mini Blackjack Poker
• Blackjack Mini
• PARTYCASINO BLACKJACK PRO
• PARTYCASINO BLACKJACK PRO
• First Person Blackjack
• Blackjack
• Blackjack Xchange
• Multi-hand blackjack; and
• Multi-hand Blackjack Pro

For those not in New Jersey, Chumba Casino represents a pretty good alternative. It’s available all over the country and boasts the following list of blackjack titles:

• Progressive Blackjack
• Blackjack Surrender
• Spanish 21
• Pontoon
• Blackjack Switch

Which blackjack game offers the lowest house edge?

Crap Card Game

Single-Deck Blackjack has the best odds of any casino game in the country, not just blackjack, but all casino games. The house edge is a paltry 0.26%. The fact just one deck is used instead of six or eight is the difference maker, but the dealer standing on soft 17 helps too.

Is three card poker better than blackjack?

Three Card Poker is a bit of a blackjack alternative. It’s you against the dealer in an effort to try to make the better three-card poker hand. Unfortunately, the 3.07% house edge makes it a pretty poor alternative to the many blackjack variants that boast less than a 1% house edge.

Three Card Poker can be fun, but you’ve got a better chance of winning playing blackjack.

Is online blackjack rigged?

No, online blackjack isn’t rigged. The game appears at state licensed online casinos who rigorously test every game for fairness. Online blackjack uses a computerized random number generator to determine the outcome of each hand and state regulators test these too.

The truth is that online blackjack games have a house edge, which means online casinos are going to make money off you playing over the long haul. Since you’re basically giving them your money by playing they have no reason to try to steal it.

Can blackjack be beaten?

Theoretically no. However, the low house edge means you’re going to lose less playing blackjack over the long haul than most other casinos games.

Of course, you can get lucky in the short term and beat the game. Or, you can play perfectly and take advantage of various bonuses, promotions, and even dealer mistakes to beat the game.