The Best Live Blackjack in 2023 – Play Against a Real Dealer
Welcome to the world of live blackjack. If any player is new to the live casino world, then never fear because Veritop has put together all the information needed in order to ensure that the transition to live casino games is a comfortable, and enjoyable one.
Blackjack is a popular game; we all know that. Online casinos have made the game even more popular than it was before, but sometimes it just feels like there’s something amiss. Enter, live casino blackjack. The online blackjack that most players want to experience but few of them actually do.
Live casino blackjack gives players the opportunity to take a seat at a real casino in front of a live dealer without having to leave the home. You’ll be placed in front of a dealer who interacts with the cards and the table, as well as take a seat next to other players who are all waiting for their turn to hit it big. The best live blackjack can only be found here, at Veritop’s most trusted online casino sites. Stick around and learn what you can, and start your live casino journey today.
What is a Live Casino Game
A live casino game is another variant of a classic online casino or land-based casino table game. When you think about an online casino and picture something like blackjack, you’ll likely picture a top-down view of the table, the cards flashing out in front of you and not much else.
Live casino blackjack differs in the way that instead of having a top-down view, you’ll have a face-on view also looking down at the table but having a dealer in your view. That’s right, there’ll be a real-life dealer in front of you, behind the table, dealing the cards and making the action play out in front of you.
There’s an actual person behind the table and live players to your left and right. You’ll be able to interact with all of them, including the dealer, even tipping them if needed. There are multiple decks that the dealer will use to play the game, and they’ll often be standing in what looks like a classic casino, surrounded by other tables, dealers, and croupiers.
How Do Live Games Differ
Live blackjack differs quite a bit when compared to online casino blackjack. For starters, having the dealer shuffle each hand can be labor-intensive. That’s why when players sit down at a live blackjack table, they’ll notice anywhere upwards of six decks in the shoe. This is compared to an online casino blackjack table that uses RNG to determine cards, but usually from a single deck where everything is automated.
Aside from having a live dealer in front of you and players to your left and right, the game functions in exactly the same way. Dealers will still need to abide by house rules, and as each card is drawn, they’ll swipe it across a sensor so that it registers on the player’s screen. You’ll do the same kind of actions, play will run the same direction, and the dealer will still go bust over 21.
From Online Blackjack
Online blackjack is played with other people all around a table too, but can also be played completely solo, making the game you vs. the dealer. We find that online blackjack, while super entertaining, lacks that genuine casino feel that live casino blackjack brings out.
From Land-Based Blackjack
There is very little difference between these two. While you’re still sitting at a table between other people, it’s just virtual. There may be a little longer of an interval between plays because people need to click buttons and there may be some latency differences, but ultimately these two are very similar to each other.
How to Play Live Blackjack
If you’ve only ever played online casino blackjack or land-based casino blackjack then you’ll find that there’s not really a whole lot of different with live casino blackjack. The blackjack rules are the same, the game plays the same way and you’ll interact with real, live people.
The object of the game is to beat the dealer, not other players, so already it’s a little simpler than most games. You need to try and get as close to 21 as possible, beating the dealer, or trying to get the dealer to go over 21 and bust.
Players will be dealt two initial cards face up, while the dealer takes one face-up and one face-down. Players then get asked to make a choice of call in a clockwise direction from the dealer. These calls range from stand, hit, double down, surrender and split. After all the player calls are made, the dealer will then flip their card and hit until a certain number (usually 17). If the dealer gets the highest number closest to 21, they’ll win. If not, the money is all yours!
One thing that people often do see as a bit of a downer with live blackjack is that it takes a little longer. Since you’re playing with a table full of other people, sometimes it can take some time for players to make their decisions. Another small and almost inconsequential negative factor for live blackjack is that since the dealers are humans, they can sometimes make mistakes. And that’s true.
The Variants of Live Blackjack
Despite the fact that live blackjack may be something rather new to a lot of people, there are also a few variants of live blackjack that change the game up a bit. Having different variations of blackjack is nothing new, and those who play regular online casino blackjack will know that things like Super 21, Pontoon, and Multi-Hand blackjack all exist, but they all work similarly.
While the varieties of blackjack may be a little different, they are usually also quite similar in a number of ways. Here’s some of the different variants of live blackjack that you’ll likely encounter:
Perfect Pairs
It’s one of the most popular games and stands out as a live blackjack game. In this one, it’ll be business as usual for those that like blackjack, apart from the fact that you have a side bet known as Perfect Pairs. If you bet on that, and have two identical cards, then you’ll win an extra bonus.
VIP
Playing as a VIP may be new to a lot of people, but with this version of the live blackjack game, you can bet a much larger wager than regular blackjack. This is essentially the high-roller version of live casino blackjack and functions the same in every other regard.
Common Draw
NetEnt is host to a specific type of game called Common Draw and in it players are all dealt the same hand and then decide on what they want to do. Since every player gets the same hand, there are unlimited seats and can be a lot of fun.
Claim a Live Blackjack Bonus
While you may not be able to claim a specific blackjack bonus at an online casino, you’ll definitely be able to grab yourself a live casino bonus. Some of the most popular online casinos love to punt their live casino services, and if you pick from one of Veritop’s trusted sources, then you should be able to get yourself a live blackjack bonus in minutes.
The best part about live casino bonuses is that they are completely different from most other bonuses. If any player is more of an online casino game fan, slots fan or betting fan, a lot of online casinos will offer bonuses for all of that, including a live casino bonus that is completely separate from the rest. This will allow you to start playing live casino blackjack in minutes.
Advantages of Live Blackjack
Live blackjack puts you straight into the casino from your very own home. In the same way that online casino blackjack lets you play from anywhere on any device, regardless of time, it’s the same for live dealer blackjack. In fact, it’s even better because none of that glitz and glamor is actually virtual, it’s all real, right in front of your eyes.
There’s nothing quite like watching the dealer join in on all the anticipation, slowly placing the card down for you if everyone knows that it’s a make or break card. Having everybody at the table join in, congratulate everyone else, and even having the opportunity to tip the dealer at the end of it all makes live casino blackjack more worth it than ever before.
Frequently Asked Questions
✅ What is live dealer blackjack?
Live dealer blackjack is the game that everyone knows and loves on the table, but with a real dealer behind the table. The dealer will sit in front of a webcam and deal the cards out to the player boxes, chat to the players and perform all the regular blackjack tasks in front of the camera that you would normally see at a land-based casino.
✅ Is it safe to play live blackjack?
Playing live dealer blackjack is just as safe as playing online blackjack at a regular casino. Even if you decide to play at a land-based casino instead, live blackjack is actually just as safe. As long as you’re playing at a recommended online casino, then you should be as safe as houses.
✅ Can you count cards with live blackjack?
Even though having a live dealer in front of you, on the blackjack table and dealing the cards, being able to count cards in the traditional sense is unlikely. Live blackjack tables will usually use multiple decks but having a system in place to get a true count of positive or negative with a strategy, you might be able to do some kind of counting.
✅ Is free live blackjack on offer?
It’s not often that players will find live dealer blackjack for free. There are a lot of live blackjack games out there but most of them will require real money. It’s likely because the money that comes in is actually paying in part for the dealer to be there, so expecting someone to work for free behind a table is rather unrealistic.
✅ Can I play live blackjack on mobile?
Many online casinos are specifically catering to mobile devices and we’re happy to say that some online casinos actually do have live casino games that are designed for mobile. If you’re playing at an online casino that does offer live blackjack, then you should be able to play it on a mobile device. This is because many online casinos cater to mobile devices of all kind.