Best Online Blackjack for Real Money 2023
Blackjack could be traced back to many centuries ago. It was among the most popular table games in casinos all over the world. When casino games were launched, online blackjack was also among the first in the table section. The card game that can only be played against the house is unique in many ways.
If you are new to blackjack online, the experts at Eireonlinecasino have put together this guide to teach you all you need to know. You will also find the history of blackjack, the best online blackjack bonuses, and the basic rules and strategies of the game. It also provides a list of recommended online casinos in Ireland where you can play blackjack for real money. Knowing this, let’s proceed!
List: Recommended Online Blackjack Casinos In Ireland
Definition: What is Blackjack?
Blackjack is a card game that belongs to the group of games called Twenty-One. It uses one to eight decks of 52 cards and can only be played against the house. The aim of the game is to get a hand as close to 21 as possible but ensure you don’t surpass 21. Blackjack tables in land-based casinos are usually designed to accommodate seven players, but some can allow as many as 12 players. Fortunately, there is no limit to the number of players that can play online. The blackjack game is reputed to be the most played banking game globally.
History of Blackjack
Blackjack is a version of Vingt-Un or Twenty-One, a group of games that require players to have a hand that totals 21. Many sources claim that the game originated around the 17th century. While many believed it came from France, some traced it back to Spain, and some researchers claimed it was a roman invention. However, the earliest record of the game is found in a book, Rinconete y Cortadillo, written by a Spanish Miguel de Cervantes around 1601.
The game spread to Britain in the 1770s and North America in the 1800s. There are many theories about the origin of its name, but many people believe it developed from the bonus offer on the black jack. To make the game popular, gambling centers offered bonus payouts to players with a hand consisting of an ace of spades and a jack of clubs or spades. Because these jacks are black, hence if you have a black jack you can win a bonus. However, some believe that the name has nothing to do with the bonus rather was coined from the mineral Zincblend which is also referred to as blackjack.
Criteria: How We Rate and Review the Best Online Blackjack Casinos
Reading reviews and ratings of blackjack casinos may be essential if you are looking for where to play blackjack online. Even though there may not be any casino that is perfect, the experts at Eireonlinecasino consider important factors while rating online blackjack casinos. These factors include the reputation of the casino, the licenses hold by the casino, and the number of variations of online blackjack games available. Other factors include the safety and security of the site, bonuses offered by the casino, and the quality of customer services.
Casino Reputation
Reputation is the first thing to consider when choosing an online casino to play with. It is essential to choose a casino that is reliable and can be trusted. You should be sure that if you win you will get your money without hassles. Players’ experience and online reviews are used to determine how players rate different casinos. Our list of the best blackjack casinos consists of only casinos with good reputations.
License
It is illegal to operate a casino without a valid license. However, many casinos are operating illegally. If you win and couldn’t get your payout you may be left with no options. That is why it is important to register with only casinos that are duly licensed with a recognized gambling commission. Also, you can trust the games on a well-regulated casino to be fair and blackjack, being among the most popular casino games must be. We include only casinos with licenses from reputable boards in our list.
Safety and Security
Another essential factor to consider when choosing an online casino is the safety of your data. It is important to ensure any information provided on the site is safe and secure. We ensure we scrutinized our list to include only sites that use the standard SSL encryption to protect the information of their users and have secure payment methods.
Selection of Blackjack Games
There are many variants of blackjack games today. It is important that your chosen casino has a good selection of the game so that you can choose any of your choices. Our list consists of casinos with the best online blackjack games.
Customer Service
Blackjack players need assurance that if anything goes wrong they have a place to run to for a solution. Therefore, we can only recommend online blackjack casinos that offer the best customer support services. Al our recommended casinos can be reached via livechat, email, and phone.
Best Bonuses
Bonuses are among the important factors casino players consider before choosing the casino to play with. Bonuses increase your betting power and bonus bets allow you to take more risks. While some casinos offer mouth-watering bonuses, some are not so generous. We compile a list of casinos with the best bonuses.
Availability of Live Blackjack Games
Many people love live dealer games. They enable players to experience the glamour of casino halls while they remain in their private places. unfortunately, not all online casinos have live blackjack tables. However, you can play live blackjack in all the casinos on our list. We consider the availability of live blackjack in our list of the best blackjack casinos.
How To Find The Best Blackjack Sites and Bonuses
Bonuses on Blackjack Sites – Do They Exist?
Bonuses are important factors to consider when choosing a casino. Unfortunately, some casinos will not allow you to place a bonus bet on table games. In some casinos, online blackjack games contribute only a few percentage to the wagering condition. Fortunately, there are many casinos in Ireland where you can play online blackjack games with a bonus fund and will still count towards your wagering requirement. Here are steps to find the best blackjack sites and bonuses.
- Search for all casinos that offer online blackjack games and bonuses
- Read their bonus terms and conditions
- Compare their wagering conditions
- Choose the casino with the best bonus and condition
Pros and cons of playing Blackjack
Before you play the game of blackjack on any platform, you need to note that it comes with a few pros and cons. It is important to weigh both before you decide if blackjack is right for you. We have listed the common pros and cons of the game below.Pros
- Online blackjack is available live in many casinos.
- You can play a free blackjack game online.
- Amazing bonuses to pick from
- Low house edge
Cons
- Card counting and other strategies that give players advantages are impossible when playing online.
- Multi hand play may be challenging in a live blackjack game.
Blackjack Bonuses
Like any casino game, there are many bonuses available for playing blackjack. Apart from the popular sign-up bonus which is typically 100 percent of your first deposit, you also have a bonus for having blackjack. Other winnings in an online blackjack game pay 1:1 but if you have a blackjack you get 3:2. Other online bonuses you can enjoy while playing a blackjack game include free games. However, not all casinos offer free games on blackjack.
Understanding the Basic Rules of Blackjack
Before you start playing any game, you must understand its basic rules. If the game is to be your favorite, then you must also learn as many strategists as possible. Here we will be discussing the basic rules and strategist of blackjack. Fortunately, the rules of blackjack are easy to understand. The basic rules of the game include hit, stand, double down, split, and surrender. While no blackjack strategy can guarantee winning, the basic blackjack strategy will increase your chance of winning.
Player Decisions and Options
You will be dealt two cards when playing blackjack online. The dealer will also receive two cards with one card facing up and the other facing down. Then you have two options - to hit or stand. If you hit it means you feel your hand is not strong enough hence requested for an additional card. If you stand you are satisfied with your cards, hence ready to compare it with that of the dealer and see who gets closer to blackjack (21). In many betting houses, you will also have the option to double your bet after receiving your cards or split your cards if you have a pair.
Hit
As explained above, you hit if you believe your hand will be lower than that of the dealer. By hitting you are requesting an additional card. Blackjack rules allow you to hit as many times as possible. However, you should understand that if your total hand surpasses 21, you burst and lost. The dealer must also hit if its total hand is less than 17. Most gambling houses will rule that the dealer must stand on soft 17 (Ace and 6).
Stand
By standing it means you are satisfied with the cards in your hand and are ready to end the session. You win if your hand is higher than that of the dealer and lose if it is lower. The dealer must stand once its hand is up to 17. In many gambling houses, the dealer must also stand on soft 17, but in some, he must hit on soft 17. When you play blackjack online, it is essential to know the house rule concerning soft 17 as it varies from one house to another.
Double Down
If you are fortunate to receive cards of favourable values then you may decide to double your bet. This is called double down. You will receive two cards while the dealer also has two cards. One of the cards of the dealer will be exposed to you. That means after getting your cards you have full knowledge of the values of three out of the four cards that will determine the winner. If you feel you are in a good position then you can double your wager, so that your winnings will also be doubled if you are lucky to win.
Split
If you received two identical cards you have an option of keeping both or splitting them as two separate hands. However, if you chose to play a multi hand , you must place an additional wager that is equal to your initial wager on the blackjack table. after splitting, you will receive an additional card to complete each hand.
Surrender
Many casinos allow players to surrender if they feel they will lose the game. If you chose to surrender rather than finish your game you will lose half of your stake and keep the remaining half. That is better than losing the entire stake. If you wish to surrender then it must be your first action. The house will not allow blackjack surrender after you had hit, split, or double down.
Rules Variations
One of the difficult aspects of understanding blackjack is the variation in the rules. There are also several blackjack variants. Basic rules vary from one casino to another. These include basic rules on soft 17, splitting and re-splitting, double down, and late surrender. We will discuss all these in detail.
Dealer Stands on Soft 17
Soft 17 is the term used to describe an ace and 6. Because an ace can be considered as 1 or 11, it gives an advantage of guiding against bursting. Hence, if the rule says the dealer must stand on 17, soft 17 becomes ambiguous. Should it be counted as 7 or 17? Many houses rule that the dealer must stand on soft 17, but some blackjack variants rule against it.
Dealer Hits Soft 17
Even though the rule says the dealer must stand on 17, some houses rule that the dealer must hit if he has a soft 17. However, the rule will be clearly stated in the casino and will be written as H17 on the table. It is important to know the rule before you start playing.
Surrender
Rather than finishing your game, you may decide to surrender. Blackjack surrender allows a player to minimize his loss if he feels his hand is not favourable. However, the rules governing blackjack surrender also vary from one casino to another. While some allow late surrender, some do not. Some casinos do not allow blackjack surrender at all.
Re-Split
If you have two hands of the same value you can place an additional wager equal to your initial wager and split your cards into two different hands, then get additional cards. However, if the next card you get also has identical value as the cards you split, then you may think of re-splitting. The rules governing this vary. Some casinos allow re-splitting while some do not.
Double After Split
You can double down after receiving your cards, but the option to double after you split is not available in all casinos. If you choose to double, some casinos may insist on doubling on both hands while some will allow you to double down on any of the two hands you now possess.
Resplitting
If you have two hands of the same value you can place an additional wager equal to your initial wager and split your cards into two separate hands, then get additional cards. However, if the next card you get also has the same value as the cards you split, then you may think of re-splitting. The rules governing this vary. Some casinos allow re-splitting while some do not.
Early Surrender
Some casinos can allow you to surrender if the dealer has an ace or ten but before the dealer checks if he has blackjack. Some casinos allow late surrender, which means you can still surrender even after the dealer has confirmed he has a blackjack. Yet, some casinos will not allow their players to surrender under any condition.
6 to 5 Blackjack
Conventionally, the game of blackjack pays 1:1. If you bet with 1 coin and win you will receive an additional 1 coin. However, there is a bonus on winning with blackjack and this varies. If you win by having a hand totalling 21 (blackjack), many casinos will pay you 3 coins on 2 coins or 1.5 coins on 1 coin. this is 3 to 2. However, some casinos only pay 6 coins on 5 coins or 1.2 coins on 1 coin. This is called 6 to 5.
Single Deck to Multi Deck
Another variation in the game is the number of decks of cards used. This varies from a single deck to as many as eight decks. Multiple decks will make it challenging to count cards and predict the dealer’s card or the next card available if you chose to hit.
Blackjack Card Values
- Blackjack uses the standard decks of 52 cards. The cards values are as follow:
- Cards numbered 2-10 have a value that matches their number
- Face cards have the value of 10
- An ace can either be a 1 or an 11
Glossary: Blackjack Words and Terms
When you play blackjack online you may come across different terms. It is essential to fully understand the meaning of these terms even when you are you are playing free blackjack games. We will briefly explain some of the important terms used in the game of blackjack.
Hit
To hit means to request an additional card, when you play blackjack. If your hand is significantly lower than 21, you may choose to hit to improve your hand. However, your hand must not exceed 21.
Stand
To stand when you play blackjack online means you are satisfied with the cards in your hand and ready to compare them with the dealer’s card to determine the winner. The dealer must stand if he has a hand of 17 or better.
Double Down
Double down means increasing your stake to twice its initial value. You can double down after receiving your two cards.
Split
By splitting, you consider each of the cards as a separate hand and request an additional card for each hand. However, you will have to place another stake equal to your initial stake on the table.
Surrender
Not many live dealer games will allow you to surrender and receive part of your stake back after the game has started, but you can do it in blackjack. If your hand is not favourable you can surrender and lose half of your stake.
Bust
You burst if your total hand is greater than 21. The maximum value you can have from two cards is 21 (an ace and a 10). However, if you hit you may go above 21 and burst. If you bust you automatically lose. Similarly, if the dealer bust, you win.
Push
A draw is called “push” in blackjack. This occurs when the player’s hand ties with the dealer’s hand. However, it is also a push if the dealer has a hand that equals 22. Nobody wins or loses in a push. The stake will simply be returned without any winning.
Insurance
An insurance bet is a side bet taken during a game of blackjack against the dealer drawing blackjack. the side bet is taken if the dealer’s hand shows an ace and it is typically half of the main stake. Insurance bet pays 2:1. It means if the dealer had a blackjack, even though you lost the game, you would break even.
Different Methods to Decrease or Increase the House Edge
Unlike games like roulette and baccarat, your success on the blackjack table does not depend absolutely on luck. Your decisions also play a significant role. Therefore, we will discuss the best blackjack strategy to decrease the house edge.
Card Counting
Card counting is a strategy developed to monitor the percentage of high cards and low cards left in the deck. Typically, 10, ace, king, queen, and jack are considered high cards. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are low cards, while 5,6,7, 8, and 9 are considered to have no effect on the hi-lo counting system. The more low cards are removed from the deck the higher the chance of picking a high card. Card counters believe that high cards favor the player while low cards favor the dealer.
Shuffle Tracking
Shuffle tracking involves tracking cards through a series of shuffling. this can give a player an advantage by understanding the sequence of the cards. It is usually done together with card counting.
Identifying Concealed Cards
Identifying concealed cards is another advantage play that is only applicable in a land-based casino. A player can use a mark or any other visible feature to recognize a card that has previously been played, hence identifying the dealer’s concealed card.
Our Final Tips On Playing Online Blackjack
Blackjack is among the most popular real money games played on online gambling sites. The classic card game depends largely on luck but the player’s decisions also count. Before putting your bet money a blackjack game, it is essential to fully understand the rules and its strategies. These include knowing when to stand and when to hit, doubling down, splitting and re-splitting, and when to surrender. Another basic blackjack strategy is card counting. This can let you know the probability of picking a high or low number, which will consequently help you in making decisions.
Blackjack FAQ
Can you win real money while playing online blackjack?
Yes, there are many online casinos where you can deposit and play a blackjack game for real money. Blackjack is also available live in many casinos that offer live casino games. However, you cannot win real money while playing free blackjack games.
Where I can play free blackjack games
You can go through our list of the best blackjack game casinos in Ireland as most of the casinos have a demo version of the game where you can play free blackjack games for fun. Apart from free play, you can also play for real money. But you cannot play blackjack for free if it is a live dealer blackjack.
Are there any blackjack apps?
Yes, there are many apps developed for playing blackjack games for fun or for real money. You can search and download them online and use them to play free games.
Where I can find good blackjack casino sites?
You can go through our list of the best online casinos in Ireland to play blackjack.
Can I play online blackjack in mobile?
Yes, the online blackjack game is compatible with all popular mobile devices. Mobile devices can be used to play both free online blackjack games as well as for real money.