Blackjack can be played for real money online, with dozens of online casinos offering the game in different forms and variations.
If you are looking to play blackjack for money, we want to make sure you do so in the best possible places and with the best possible odds.
We have reviewed hundreds of blackjack casinos in search of the very best ones for blackjack players.
On this page, we present the best online blackjack sites with all their pros and cons, and we take a look at some special insider tips that may help you win more the next time you play blackjack.
What is Online Real Money Blackjack?
Blackjack has long been one of the most popular gambling games around, and now you can play real blackjack online for money or for free at a variety of top-rated online casinos.
Online blackjack comes both in a virtual and a live form.
If you are happy to have the computer generate all your cards, virtual blackjack will do fine. However, you can also play with live dealers through live dealer casino platforms.
The best online blackjack sites offer many different versions of blackjack, and it’s up to you to pick the stakes you want to play for and the rules you want to play by.
Each online table comes with slightly different blackjack rules and payouts, so make sure you pick the type of blackjack game you are most comfortable with before entering the action.
Real Money Blackjack Types
When it comes to online blackjack, it is important to note that quite a few games fall under this category, all with a similar basic set of rules.
Your goal in any blackjack game will be to get as close to 21 as possible without busting your hand
That said, specific rules of getting there may differ from one version to another.
Online casinos usually offer well over a dozen different real money blackjack games, and you will be well-served by knowing exactly which version of the game you are playing.
These are some of the most popular blackjack variations you will find in online casino lobbies:
- Classic Blackjack: The most common type of blackjack played in both live and online casinos, classic blackjack does not include any special rules, and the basic blackjack rulebook will apply to this game.
- One Deck Blackjack – as the name suggests, in this version Blackjack is played only with one deck, but as a result, it has some rules that are not very profitable for the player. That being said, single deck blackjack lets you track cards and count your odds, so it can surely add a lot of excitement to the game.
- European Blackjack: In European Blackjack, you will get to see your cards and the dealer’s up card before he can check for blackjack. This rule makes European Blackjack an even more advantageous game for the player to play.
- Spanish 21: Spanish 21 is a unique variation of blackjack in which the player can redouble his hand up to three times, making it ideal for players who like to gamble it up and spice up the action.
- Blackjack Switch: A great game for some good old-fashioned blackjack gambling, Blackjack Switch allows you to play two hands simultaneously and switch out cards between the two to form the best possible blackjack hand on both.
- Progressive Blackjack: If you want to try and win big with blackjack, then Progressive Blackjack is your best bet, as it includes a special progressive jackpot component that can be won by a random lucky player when it gets large enough.
- Double Exposure Blackjack – the dealer turns up both of his initial cards, but in the event of the draw, the player loses the bet instead of splitting it with the dealer like in a standard version.
These are only a few popular versions of real money blackjack you may find out there. Many other games are also available, each with a unique set of rules.
Before you start playing any blackjack game, we highly recommend looking up the rules of that specific game and adapting your playing style to the game at hand.
Live Dealer Blackjack: The Best Way to Play Online
While many different blackjack games are offered in online casinos, live dealer tables are probably the most exciting ones to play on.
At a live dealer blackjack table, you will be making bets on a real game of blackjack dealt by a real dealer in a casino studio.
All the action is streamed directly to your screen, and the dealer will deal out the physical cards in each hand, with players making bets via their computers and mobile phones.
Live dealer blackjack is the most exciting way to play blackjack for money online, especially if you generally enjoy playing blackjack in a live casino setting.
The best online blackjack sites offer many different live dealer tables that you can join and immediately play at, with minimum bets usually lower than you would find in your local casino.
Blackjack Rules & Odds: How to Play Blackjack
As we already mentioned, there are many different versions of blackjack out there, and you may need to learn about some specific rules for each of them.
However, learning basic blackjack strategy is a great starting point, as these rules apply for the most part in every blackjack game, with some additions or changes.
The basic premise of blackjack is very simple.
You are dealt two cards, to begin with, and you may ask for additional cards or stand pat with the cards you have.
The game’s objective is to come as close in total score to 21 as possible without exceeding that number. For that purpose, cards with pips count at face value, all picture cards count as ten, and an ace counts as one or eleven.
Once you are done drawing, the dealer tries to beat your hand by drawing cards of his own. If your hand is best or the dealer busts, you win.
These are a few important rules that you need to keep in mind:
- If you are dealt a blackjack (21) right out of the gate, you will get paid at 3:2 (maybe 6:5 in some games).
- The dealer must stand once he reaches 17 and draw a card if he has 16 or less.
- You may split your pair into two separate blackjack hands by adding another bet. You can keep drawing on each of the two split hands.
- You may double down on your hand, doubling your bet and receiving one additional card.
- You may ask for insurance when the dealer is showing an Ace as his up card.
These are the rules of blackjack in the simplest terms possible. Of course, there is more to the game that you will need to learn to win, but these rules are the basis from which you should start learning.
The optimal blackjack strategy has long been devised, and we highly recommend learning it by heart or having a blackjack cheat sheet on hand while playing. You should always make the plays that the optimal strategy suggests.
Remember that blackjack is a game completely based on math, and there is no point trying to get lucky if you are going to make plays that diminish your chances of doing so.
Playing Blackjack: Advanced Rules
Now that you know the most basic blackjack rules, let’s talk about some of the more advanced concepts and how they work.
Some blackjack plays are not used in every hand, and many players aren’t always fully aware of it.
Examples of these include splitting, insurance, surrendering, and side bets. We will now explain each of these and how you can use them in blackjack gambling.
Splitting in Blackjack
Whenever you are dealt a pair in blackjack, you may split your hand. This means you will need to be dealt two cards of the same rank to use this rule.
When you announce a split, you will need to put out another bet equal to the value of your original bet.
Your hand will be split into two one-card hands, and you will have the option to draw more cards on one and then the other.
You will have to take at least one card for each of the two hands. You don’t need to worry about busting either hand with this single card, as the maximum you can get is still 21.
If you do get 21 with the first card on one of the two hands, you will not be paid 3:2 for blackjack, but rather just even money as you normally would for getting to 21 by drawing more cards.
Splitting is a great option if you are dealt two aces and is a profitable option when you are dealt two eights as well. In other cases, you usually don’t want to split your pairs.
Doubling Down
Whenever you get a hand, you have an option to double your bet after seeing your two initial cards.
If you decided to take this option, just as the name suggests, you will have to add an additional bet in the middle and will only get one more card.
No matter what it is, you will not be able to ask for one more card and will have to play the hand as it is.
For example, if you decide to double while holding 10 points after your first cards and get a 3, your total count is 13, and you will play that hand.
This could be a very profitable move when you have a total of 9, 10, or 11 points, and the dealer is showing a small card, which makes him more likely to bust his hand.
It improves your overall expectation of winning, so make sure to use double down strategy when you are in the right spot.
Insurance in Blackjack
When you are dealt a hand in blackjack, you will get to see your two cards and one of the dealer’s cards right away.
If the dealer’s first card is an ace, you will be offered a blackjack insurance option.
This means you must place a bet equal to half of your original bet, which is lost if the dealer does not have a blackjack.
If the dealer does have a blackjack, you will receive a 2:1 payout on your insurance bet, but your original bet will be lost.
The truth is that insurance is not a good option in a vacuum, and the only time it can work in your favor is if you are counting cards and are aware that the remaining deck is stacked with big cards.
Since you can’t count cards when playing real money blackjack online, this option will be completely useless, and you should never take it regardless of the situation.
Surrender in Blackjack
The surrender option is another one that many blackjack players are not always aware of, and that will serve you well if you apply it properly.
If the casino allows for surrender, you will be able to surrender in every hand.
Some games only allow late surrender after the dealer checks his down card, while others also allow an early surrender before the down card is checked.
In either case, there are scenarios when you should accept the surrender option and take back half of your bet, as this will reduce the house edge by allowing you to lose less.
You should surrender if:
- You hold 16, and the dealer holds an Ace, Ten, or Nine
- You hold 15, and the dealer holds a Ten
Also, note that you should not surrender if your 16 is made up of two eights, but rather split the eights and try to win both hands. In other cases, surrender!
Counting Cards in Blackjack
Card counting is one of the most famous strategies applied by blackjack players to beat the casinos. Unfortunately, card counting does not work at all in online casinos.
In a live casino, where cards are dealt out of an actual card deck or a shoe with multiple decks, you may gain an edge by keeping track of the small and big cards dealt out of the deck.
By knowing whether more big or small cards remain in the deck, you will be able to adapt your playing style and actually turn the tables on the casino.
The strategy works because the odds of the game change dramatically when there is a disbalance of big and small cards in the deck, and with proper counting strategy, you can actually be a long-term winner at blackjack.
However, it is important to note that card counting will not help you in online blackjack at all and that most live casinos these days don’t allow card counters to play blackjack for too long.
Where to Play Blackjack: Picking the Best Blackjack Casinos
The blackjack game is one of the most widespread games in the iGaming industry, with every major online casino offering many different versions of blackjack.
If you are looking to play online blackjack, you will want to find the casino that offers the best conditions for playing this particular game.
When looking for the best online blackjack sites, there are many things to consider. You should make sure that the casino you choose to play at gives you the best value for your buck.
These are the main criteria you should apply when picking the online casino to play blackjack games at:
- Blackjack Games: You want to make sure you pick a casino that offers plenty of blackjack action with favorable rules. Make sure you find the best blackjack games that offer all the rules that sway the odds in your favor.
- Bonuses: Casino bonuses are a highly valuable tool when looking to gamble online. Try to find a casino with bonuses that work well for blackjack players regarding wagering requirements and other terms.
- Promotions: Online casinos throw many promotions to keep the players in action. Make sure always to keep track of the promos running for blackjack players and play according to them to optimize your results.
- Deposits/Cashouts: You want to pick a casino that allows you to easily and swiftly deposit money into your account or cash out your winnings as needed, using your preferred payment methods.
- Security: Only play with online casinos that are licensed and 100% reliable, and safe. Don’t deposit your hard-earned money into dodgy casino sites that may be scamming you in any number of ways.
- Customer Support: Proper online casino operators offer customer support in real-time and quickly resolve any outstanding issues that may arise.
Blackjack Tips & Tricks: How to Win More Often
Do you want to play blackjack online for real money and win? If you do, you will need to take all the tips and tricks you can get, and fortunately, we have a few for you.
The most important tip we can give you is that there is no sure way to win in the blackjack game, but there are some ways to optimize your results and get the best possible returns.
You will need to get lucky to win at the blackjack tables, but that goes for pretty much anything in life.
Yet, the better you play, the better your chances of getting lucky.
These are the top five tips & tricks for would-be blackjack players:
#1. Take Everything You Can Get
Blackjack is a game of small edges. If you play the basic strategy, the casino will have a tiny edge over you in a vacuum, and there may be some ways to counter this.
Online casinos love giving away money via various promotions to keep an average player returning.
After all, most players play far from basic and are just throwing their money away.
By using all the promotions and VIP schemes you can find, you may just get enough extra returns from your casino operators to turn the house edge around and have a slight advantage yourself.
Don’t expect to be printing money by using bonuses and promotions or collecting loyalty points, but you can definitely come pretty close to breaking even, if not winning, at some online casinos.
#2. Don’t Deviate from Basic Strategy
The game of blackjack was solved many years ago, and there is only one way to play it properly, with all deviations simply being the less profitable way to play.
If you play any significant number of blackjack hands, we highly recommend learning the basic strategy and sticking to it like it was written in stone.
Deviating from the basic strategy will bring you nothing good and will simply increase the house edge and decrease your winning chances.
You are not doing yourself any favors by trying to outsmart the system and get lucky in particular spots, so simply play the way you are supposed to and hope you get a bit luckier than your dealer.
#3. Avoid Betting Systems
If you have been around live casinos and other gambling circles, someone at some point has tried to tell you how they beat this game by applying a blackjack betting system.
They are probably not lying either, and they think they did beat the game by applying the Martingale System or one of the many other betting systems out there.
However, these betting systems only work until they don’t, at which point your entire bankroll is wiped out in a single unlucky session.
The truth is that no betting system will help you get an edge over the casino unless you are counting cards, and since you can’t do that in online blackjack, simply stick to making normal bets and playing the basic strategy.
#4. Split Your Aces and Double Your Elevens
While these plays are all a part of the basic strategy, you should make sure you apply them even more diligently than any other rule.
Doubling down when your starting total is eleven is always a good idea, as is splitting a pair of aces or a pair of eights.
In each case, you are hoping to draw some picture cards and either make a 21 on your double down or get winning hands all around on your splits.
There is no good reason to play these hands in any other way, and you will be significantly increasing the house edge if you don’t use these options when presented with them.
#5. Ride the Streaks and Don’t Chase Losses
This tip has more to do with the psychology of gambling than the game itself but is a very valuable one to keep in mind.
Blackjack generally flows in streaks, and if you are ever going to up your bets, it should be when you are winning and have some extra cash to work with.
On the other hand, you should never increase your bets when you are losing. This can quickly turn very ugly and cost you a lot of cash you didn’t have to lose.
Blackjack gambling is meant to be fun, and if you are aggressively chasing after your losses, you won’t do too well.
Remember that you can recover much of your losses by keeping a steady bet anyway, as winning and losing streaks are both a very real part of this game.
At the end of the day, the house only has a very small edge over you, and you won’t be losing much in the long run if blackjack is your preferred game of chance.
Play Blackjack for Real Money Today
Online casinos have made blackjack more accessible than ever before, finally bringing the game to our homes and mobile devices.
You could jump into a real money blackjack game within minutes without getting out of your chair.
Online blackjack games offer the very best odds, access to valuable casino bonuses, and enjoyable play in a relaxing online casino atmosphere.
You need to pick out an online casino to play at, make your deposit to claim your deposit bonus, and start playing the blackjack game of your choice.
You learned all you need to know about how to play blackjack and win more often, so you are ready to hit the tables. If you want to try other games or learn some strategies, make sure to check other guides that we have for slots, roulette, and other casino games.
