Blackjack

Besides Roulette, Blackjack is probably the second most popular game in both land based and online casinos. This is an exciting game, usually played with 4 decks of cards excluding jokers, where the aim is to get as close to 21 as possible. As a lot has been written about blackjack rules and strategies already, we will focus on the best that the world of real money gambling has to offer. We will stick to NetEnt blackjack games in this article. But, as they say, first things first. Let’s start with a short introduction of this most popular card game ever created.

History of Blackjack

There seems to be no exact and clear idea of where and when blackjack originated from, although it is believed to have come from France in the 1700s, where it was originally called Vingt-et-Un (Twenty One).

However, there are some who believe that it dates all the way back to the Romans, who played it with wooden blocks of different numerical values – so another thing that the Romans gave us. However, it is now played globally with all sorts of variations, and so NetEnt has a vast array on offer, to suit Blackjack amateurs and Blackjack professionals.

NetEnt Blackjack Games

These days it just isn’t enough to have one Blackjack table for everyone. People are always looking for something new and exciting, and NetEnt never fails to deliver, offering no less than 6 variations not including their Live Casino, listed below.

If you ask us at NetEnt List, there is only one supplier that offers you best blackjack games. We recommend you to only play NetEnt blackjack. Then it is up to you which casino you will select. With this online casino game it works just as Henry Ford used to say about the colour of the cars: the customers can have any colour they like, as long as it is black. Casino players should play any blackjack they like, as long as it is created by NetEnt.

Here are the six main types of blackjack games offered to you by the best casino game supplier in the world:

• Blackjack Classic, a NetEnt game which features five bet-boxes and comes in three bet levels – low, normal and high. The rules here are standard. If you want to learn how to play blackjack anywhere else in the world, this game is a perfect way to start. You will learn all the basics in no time.
• Blackjack which is a standard 3-hand and 6 deck Blackjack game. Yet another simple game.
• Blackjack Professional Series which is an exciting 3 hand Blackjack game with a 3D look and feel along with state of the art animations and a Double Jack side bet. Players can choose to play 1 to 3 hands against the dealer. This game is suited for those who already are familiar with blackjack.
• Double Exposure Blackjack Pro Series, which is a classic Las Vegas card game. The dealer cards are given face up, and it offers more money pay-outs and variable speed card play.
• Single Deck Blackjack Professional Series, which is about as simple as Blackjack gets with just one deck of cards and one hand. It has a 3:2 pay-out on Blackjack and a 2:1 pay-out on insurance.
• Pontoon Pro Series – the British variant of Blackjack, which offers the additional possibility of winning the ‘5 Card Trick’. It has a maximum win pay-out of 2:1, and offers up to 3 hands of simultaneous play. Few online casino players know what Pontoon is. This NetEnt casino game gives you a great understanding of the concept.

Online Blackjack vs Live Blackjack

As good as NetEnt online blackjack is, it cannot truly compare with the real life experience of live casino Blackjack. When comparing ‘Software Blackjack’ to ‘Land based Blackjack’, the latter will always come out victorious. While slots online are much better than their brick-and-mortar counterpart, the same does not apply for card games and roulette.

Most likely, when we get brand new VR and AR versions of blackjack, we will finally get a fully immersive gambling experience. We at NetEnt List expect this to happen in 2020s. Now the iGaming industry seems to continue focusing on mobile blackjack rather than providing casino players with virtual product. Having said that, there are still some advantages of online blackjack vs live one.

In online blackjack – no matter whether it is NetEnt blackjack or any other one – the outcomes are clearly determined by an RNG – Random Number Generator, which is a safe and trusted method. Although there is constant testing to prove the fairness, some players still don’t like this. However, the online tables have many variations of the game that aren’t always offered in real world casinos. The same applies also for Live Casino blackjack games.

Clearly some blackjack players prefer the idea of a game that more closely resembles the land based games, particularly if they do frequent land based casinos. Live Blackjack is presented to players via video streaming.

The dealers are based out of a dealer studio, such as NetEnt’s – which is based in Malta, the iGaming capital of Europe. They offer young and professional dealers who deal the cards live, with no RNG utilised, recreating the real experience of Blackjack.

The dealers speak a variety of languages, so the players can interact in their native language, with not just the dealer, but also the other players, for a more immersive and social experience. It’s almost like being in a casino whilst in the comfort of your own house. Below we continue promoting the concept of live blackjack and introduce all the best games that NetEnt has in its portfolio.

NetEnt Live Blackjack Tables

NetEnt live casino offers not just one Live Blackjack table, but there’s enough to suit players of all tastes. As soon as you enter your online casino lobby, click on Live Casino section. You will see all the tables that are available directly. Those that are live will have a multicolour thumbnail. Those where the live dealer has a break, are shown in black and white.

There are four main types of NetEnt Live Blackjack Tables:

1. Common Draw Live Blackjack which always offers a seat, so no need to wait for a place at the table. Bets go from €1 to €200, so it’s not overwhelming for new players. It follows the standard Blackjack rules, so is great for beginners.
2. VIP Live Blackjack, which offers table limits that are much higher than a standard table. It’s simple and straightforward and is played with 8 regular decks of cards to the normal standard Blackjack rules. This is perfect for the high rollers out there.
3. Live Blackjack, which has a higher table limit than Common Draw Blackjack, but not as high as VIP Live Blackjack. With 7 seats, this is great for someone that wants the real experience but without paying the mega bucks.
4. Blackjack Pro which is played with 8 decks of cards. It has a higher minimum bet than other Live Blackjack games, so this definitely isn’t one for the beginners or low rollers out there.

NetEnt Blackjack RTP – Return to Player

When considering what game to play and what variation of Blackjack you wish to play, it’s always advisable to check out the RTP – the Return to Player, which is the percentage of how much you should expect back from your wagering – so for example, if a game has a 90% RTP, for every €100 you play, you should get €90 back on average.

When looking at table games, such as Blackjack, the RTP is directly calculated by finding out the ‘house edge’, which is the advantage that the house or dealer has. Now, in NetEnt’s Blackjack games, the average house edge has been calculated at approximately 0.44%, which in turn means that the average RTP should be 100% – 0.44% = 99.56%.

Basically, this means that for every €100 you play on NetEnt’s Blackjack games, you should on average see a return of €99.56. Obviously this is not an exact science, but if you keep playing for long enough, it should balance out this way.

Best Blackjack Strategies

Blackjack players often come to the tables armed with their best strategies, but what are they, and do they actually work? Well, there are many charts and tables that make their claim to have the best strategies around, but reading them can be pretty complex. So let’s just look at a few basic strategy tips:

• Once you hit 17 stop ‘hitting’.
• Hit if you are dealt with an Ace and 6 or below, but stand if you are dealt with an Ace and 7 or above.
• Double Down on 10 or 11.
• Always split pairs of Aces or 8s.
• Only split a pair of 7’s if the dealers upturned card it 7 or lower.
• Never take the insurance or Even Money.

Wagering Casino Bonus on Blackjack

Well, in most online casinos of course you can. However, it’s not always the best choice. Online Casinos will introduce wagering requirements for bonuses, no matter what games they are played on, which could be up to 35-50%.

Table games, such as Blackjack also tends to hold their wagering requirements for longer. This means that you may find yourself having to wager an almost impossible amount just to get your hands on any winnings. So, as with most casino table games, by all means use the bonus money, but don’t expect a load of winnings.