Live Blackjack Dealer

  • Live-dealer blackjack features some of the same characteristics as the traditional internet version. It lets you play online and features virtual chips and betting options. However, live blackjack also presents distinct differences from standard online play. First off, it includes a human dealer, real cards, and a real table.
  • Why Live Dealer? Blackjack is a world apart from virtual varieties of this popular card room. The features are similar, the goal is the same, and the payouts are also similar, but there are a few key differences, including the fact that Live Dealer Blackjack takes place on a table with real players (all playing from their computer) and a real dealer.

Live dealer blackjack is a game of online blackjack that is played in real-time and run by a real dealer. Some of the advantages of playing blackjack with a live dealer include: Professional dealers handle. Your favorite table games including blackjack, roulette, & more - all for real money - now with a live dealer! Tables open until 3AM. Play from home at Borgata's online casino in NJ today! When a live Blackjack game starts, you usually need to draw virtual cards and place virtual bets, but it is usually on a real table that is in front of the live dealer. It is a really exciting experience and takes playing online to the next level.

Most of us had our first blackjack experience in a land-based casino. There,
a very patient dealer probably put up with your questions, your slow play, and
your mistakes in etiquette. However, at the end of the session, you probably
felt way more comfortable with the game, and if you were sitting with other
people at the table, then you likely also had a decent social experience.

The invention of the online casino brought with it a level of convenience
gamblers had never experienced before. For the first time, you didn’t need to
get up and leave your house and go to a casino to play blackjack. Players who
didn’t live near a land-based property now could sit at home on their couches
and play the same game they had come to love in a casino. However, for many
players, the online version of blackjack is missing the level of enjoyment that
comes from the interaction with a human dealer.

Thankfully, some very smart people determined that you could combine the best
of both worlds, and with the increased strength of internet connections came the
live dealer version of blackjack. This page is dedicated to that game – its
history, the benefits of playing the game, and some of our favorite places to
find it.

Best Places to Play Live Dealer Blackjack

Before we get into all the details about how live dealer blackjack differs
from RNG games or why so many people like this version better, we know there are
some of you who just want to jump in and start playing! For you folks, we
thought we would start with the best places to play live dealer blackjack.

This site was built with the goal of informing players on all aspects of the
gambling industry, and that includes comprehensive reviews of hundreds of online
casinos. Our team of experts has looked at all the places you can play live
dealer blackjack. After taking into consideration factors like the software
being used, the bonuses and promotions being offered, and the mobile
compatibility of the sites, we have come up with this list of our top-rated
online casinos for live dealer blackjack play. You will not go wrong selecting
any of these sites.

Live Blackjack Dealer
RankGambling SiteDeposit BonusGet Started
#1
Betway Sports
Up To €150Visit Site
#2100% Up To €122Visit Site
#3
Spin Sports
100% Up To €200Visit Site
#4100% Up To €50Visit Site
#5
Guts Sports
100% Up To €50Visit Site

History of Live Dealer Blackjack

As with many innovations, a perfect storm of events needed to occur for live
dealer blackjack to be built and distributed. First, there had to be a demand
for the game. As we explained in the last section, the standard random number
generator version of the game can feel very cold, as the computer deals cards at
an alarmingly fast rate. Players were definitely looking for more of a social
atmosphere, and online poker proved that players wanted to be interactive even
if gambling for thousands of dollars.

The biggest impediment to being able to offer a dealer on your screen was the
speed of most people’s internet connections. In the early 2000s, video streaming
was becoming popular, but the connections were very choppy, making even simple
communication a challenge. Adding in the gambling aspect would have caused all
sorts of commotion, which we already saw in the initial non-download casinos of
the time. However, the strength of broadband connections continued to improve
year after year, and by the middle of the decade, video streaming services like
YouTube were proving that people wanted to be able to stream video to their
computer rather than having to download a file.

With everything in place, it was then up to a company to step up and start
building the product. One of the first industries to offer live streaming on a
regular basis was the porn industry, so the model was already there – set up a
studio featuring multiple tables and dealers, essentially mimicking a casino
floor, and you were a step closer.

Evolution Gaming, considered to be the leader in the live dealer space, was
one of the first companies to build one of these casino studios. They also built
software that allows you to make your bet from your computer, but to have the
cards being dealt on a table in that studio by a human dealer. The initial
offering from Evolution Gaming came in 2006, but it was full of bugs. One of the
biggest issues was that players were having a hard time seeing the cards on the
screen, so specialty decks needed to be created. Evolution spent the next couple
of years working through the issues, but even with all the troubles, one thing
was becoming evident – players really liked the game!

Today, Evolution has 8 studios around the world to handle the demand for
their live dealer blackjack games, and other companies have thrown their hats in
the ring. From independent companies based in Asia and Latin America to industry
giant Playtech, there is no shortage of live dealer blackjack software now, and
this continues to be a fast-growing segment of the market.

How to Play Live Dealer Blackjack

So, now that you have an idea of how live dealer blackjack came to exist,
let’s talk about the game itself. The game is played with very similar rules to
the ones you would find in a land-based casino. The first thing you are going to
want to do is to select a table to sit down at and play. When you go to the
casino lobby, you will likely see a live casino tab, and when you open that, a
series of games will be visible. Similar to a land-based casino, you may find
multiple versions of live dealer blackjack available – these games tend to have
slight variations on the rules, and if any of these are unfamiliar, you can
check out our blackjack page for a review of all the top variants.

Once you have selected a game type, you are then going to have to select a
stakes level. This is because it is conceivable that you are going to be sitting
“next” to another player, so just like in a land-based casino, they want players
gambling in the same range sitting at the same table.

Now, here comes the fun part. At most live dealer casinos, once you have
selected the table and stakes, you can select what dealer you want to deal your
games. Most software companies have multiple dealers in their studios, and this
means you can choose from a roster of the on-duty staff. Whether you want to
have a male or female dealer, or a certain ethnicity, you will be able to choose
who gets to deal your cards!

Okay, now that all the game options are set, it is time to get to playing! A
screen will pop up where you will see everything you would see at a land-based
blackjack table…except for the chips. Those are still presented in digital form,
so you simply click on the amount you want to bet, and then the dealer deals the
cards. Multiple hands may be dealt at your table, so you will watch the game
progress until it is your turn. You then play the hand as you would any
blackjack hand, and the result of the hand determines if you get money back in
your account or if you have to ante up again.

It is that simple! You can stay as long as you like, and when you are ready
to leave, you simply close the window, and your seat is relinquished.

Benefits of Live Dealer Blackjack

The live dealer blackjack experience has completely changed the way that
online blackjack is played, and the general consensus is that players really
enjoy this new delivery method. There are some significant benefits to playing
the game with a real dealer, and we will have a look at some of the top benefits
here.

Gameplay and Odds

This is where we see a huge difference between a live dealer online blackjack
game and a typical RNG game. When you play at either table, you are playing with
a shoe of cards, which is typically 6 or 8 decks of cards. What you may not know
is that in the RNG version of the game, all the cards are shuffled after every
hand. When you are playing with a live dealer, the shoe is dealt until the cut
card is revealed (usually this happens about 2/3 of the way through the shoe).
Now, not everyone is a card counter, but having the cards being reshuffled every
hand actually increases the house edge slightly, which is obviously not good for
players.

The other thing about the gameplay that is different between the RNG and live
dealer versions of the game is the speed of the hands. When you are playing
against the computer, there is no time between hands, so you are able to play a
significantly higher number of hands per hour. Some players prefer that from a
gambling perspective, but the recreational blackjack player will enjoy the speed
of the live dealer game, which more closely replicates being in a land-based
casino.

Social Behavior

One of the biggest drawbacks to playing online casino games has always been
the lonely feeling you get sitting at a table by yourself, even though you know
that there could be thousands of players all playing at the same casino. For
many of us, the social interaction adds to the overall player experience, and
that is definitely missing at an RNG blackjack table.

Having a human dealer increases the social interaction, even though the
dealer cannot see you on your end of the camera (which is probably a good thing,
especially given what you may look like in your bed playing the games). Also,
the fact that there are other players at the table gives you the feeling that
you are not alone. Adding a chat window to the live dealer blackjack screen
gives you a way to communicate in real time with the other players at the table.
All of this in combination makes live dealer blackjack far more social, which
tends to keep players at a table for longer as well.

Conclusion

The introduction of live dealer casino games has completely changed the
landscape of this industry. As players look to replicate the emotion and
enjoyment that comes from being in a land-based casino, the popularity of games
like live dealer blackjack will continue to increase. If you haven’t tried a
live dealer blackjack table yet, we think you are missing out! Now that you have
read this page, we think you should have all the information you need to find an
excellent casino that offers the game, and you can make a deposit and start
playing!

FAQ

Live Blackjack Dealer

Where Can I Try Live Dealer Blackjack for Fun?

This is not typically a game that is available for play money. After all,
there is a human dealer that has to be paid, along with the expense of the
studio and the bandwidth to broadcast the live stream. Unfortunately, if you
want to try live dealer blackjack, you will need to use real money, but with
table stakes as low as $5, you don’t need a huge bankroll to get started.

How Do I Know Live Dealer Blackjack Isn’t Rigged?

This is a common question we get about the live dealer games, and our answer
is simple: who would benefit from the game being rigged? The casino operator
wants the game to be legit so you will play longer and so they can attract more
players. The software supplier relies on licensees putting their games in the
lobby of the casino, so having a game be considered rigged would ruin a
reputation pretty quickly.

Now, to be as safe as possible, you do want to ensure that both the software
provider and the operator are licensed by a gaming jurisdiction. If they are,
then the software is regularly audited to ensure its integrity.

Can I Play Live Dealer Blackjack on My Phone?

Yes! The software that the platform is built on is compatible with the
majority of mobile phones and tablets. However, you will be at the mercy of your
device’s connection, so bear that in mind when you decide to sit down at a
table. We wouldn’t want your experience with live dealer blackjack to be
dampened by a slow or choppy video stream.

Online blackjack is a great product, as it allows you to avoid the crowded tables and smoky environment that you find at a land casino, while also featuring the ability to play as many hands at once as you like and more flexible wagering options. Unfortunately, some of the experience is lost in the cyber world, as you have no interaction with a dealer and the game moves a lot faster. Thankfully, online betting sites have overcome these issues with the introduction of live dealer blackjack.

Introduced several years ago, live games have grown in popularity as computers and internet speeds have improved. Live dealer blackjack games allow you to sit in at tables that are broadcast from studios throughout the world while also participating in the games directly. This manages to mix the best of both worlds when it comes to land and online gaming. You can read more about Video vs Live Dealer Online Blackjack here.

The Basics

Live dealer blackjack sees you selecting the style of game you want to play, with tables generally segregated by wagering limits. Once you are seated at a table, a video screen will load, which will see you facing a real-life dealer and table, which is broadcast either from a studio or a land casino location elsewhere throughout the world.

After the game loads up, you select your wager, which is represented in much the same way you’d see in a standard online game. Once all the wagers are set the dealer will say “No more bets”, and then begin to play out the hand.

When the dealer begins to play out the hand, he or she will slide cards out from the shoe, sliding them over a scanner and then putting them into the field of play. As these cards are scanned they will also be broadcast onto your screen, giving a double representation of the cards you, the other players, and the dealer are dealt.

After the cards have been dealt, players will take turns to play out their hands. Players will have a series of options placed in front of them, including hit, stand, double down, split, and sometimes surrender. When you select how you want to play your hand, the dealer plays out the hand, paying your winnings or subtracting your losses instantly. This is immediately reflected on your account balance, and the process starts over again just as it would in a real casino.

The Benefits of Live Dealer Blackjack

While live play and online play both have their own individual strengths, live dealer blackjack manages to take a hold of the advantages of both, giving what we consider to be one of the most complete and ideal blackjack experiences available.

Some of the advantages in live dealer games are:

  • You get to play from the comfort of your own home, avoiding the smoky interiors of casinos for the comfort of your favorite chair… plus you don’t have to even wear pants to play!
  • You don’t have to deal with other players. I HATE dealing with know-it-alls at the casino who criticize you for splitting 8s or doubling down when they think it cost them a good card, and when I play live dealer I never have to deal with this.
  • The dealers. The dealers in live dealer games have the same great attitudes that you often find at a land casino, and you are able to interact with them via a chat function. If there’s ever a time you don’t like a dealer, you can simply close the window and move to a different table or wait for a dealer shift, which happens very frequently online.
  • Minimum bets and multiple spots. Many of the tables at a land casino nowadays have minimum bets of $25 a hand, but online you can find tables that take bets as low as $5 and still maintain a healthy 3:2 payout on blackjack, versus the 6:5 that you see all too often at land casinos these days.

Best Live Dealer Blackjack Software

As with everything online gaming, not everything is created equal when it comes to the various live dealer software being provided by casinos. Some providers have high-quality studios and cameras, and some are low-class joints that sound like they have toilets flushing in the background. These are a few of the software groups we feel put out the best live dealer blackjack software.

Net Entertainment – Net Ent’s live dealer casino product features high definition video cameras, multiple language support, and a product called “Common Blackjack”, which allows for up to 100 players to participate at any time. There are some excellent casinos offering Net Ent live dealer services, and we recommend checking out spots like Mr Green, Unibet, and Guts to play these live blackjack games.

Microgaming – Based on the Isle of Man, Microgaming is the oldest online gaming company around, and they have gone through great measures to create one of the most diverse and high-quality live dealer platforms in existence. The company’s live blackjack games also feature high definition cameras, multi-language support, and statistical analysis that is available for each hand. The company has also inked an agreement with Playboy, which gives players the chance to mingle with gorgeous dealers wearing the iconic bunny suit. If you’re looking to play live dealer Microgaming blackjack, you can do so at 32Red, Royal Vegas, and Roxy Palace.

Evolution Gaming – While Net Ent and Microgaming built their names with traditional online casino games, Evolution Gaming has expanded their brand by almost solely focusing on the live dealer element. The result of this is a polished gaming platform that has a full set of table games including blackjack, baccarat, roulette, Casino Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and Caribbean Stud. The blackjack side of things sees players able to play standard versions of the game alongside tables with Perfect Pairs, 21+3, and other sidebets. There are also variants that throw a few wrenches in the rulebooks in an effort to keep things fresh. Some of the big name casinos offering Evolution’s live dealer games include bwin, RedBet, Unibet, and LeoVegas.

Playtech– Playtech’s live dealer software is much like Microgaming and Net Ent’s as it featured HD cameras that produce high-quality games The blackjack tables are some of Playtech’s most popular, as they provide games for desktop and mobile devices, Bet365 is a great example. The games support play in the UK, Spain, and Italy, and can also be played via television systems.

Ezugi – Probably the smallest corporation on this shortlist, Ezugi’s quality isn’t as high as the other three, but it does manage to offer innovative live blackjack from the comfort of your own home. Mini-games, multi-tables, and social integration all help to make Ezugi’s games stand out as being worth your time.

Not sure how live dealer blackjack tables differ? Take a look at these bullet points for a very logical way to think about the selection of a solid live online casino.

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Mobile Live Dealer Blackjack

About ten years ago people would have scoffed at you for suggesting that you could play live dealer blackjack on your phone, but today that is a possibility and stands to be one of the fastest growing sectors for live games moving forward. Those looking to play games on their mobile devices will find that the games are specifically tailored for the small screen, with action buttons being found on the sides and the dealer being front and center, often times feeling more like you’re zoomed in on the action than you would be from your desktop computer.

While playing on your smartphone is nice, I have to say that my preferred way to play live dealer blackjack is on my iPad, as it gives you a larger screen to see what is going on and the product just seems easier for me to navigate. To me, nothing is better than being able to lounge on my hammock outside and still be able to pick up high definition quality dealers through my home’s Wi-Fi. Make sure to try both mobile versions to see which one fits your style best.

The Future of Live Dealer Blackjack

Online gaming has transformed and matured itself over the past 15 years, and moving forward it is going to be interesting to see how live dealer blackjack evolves to stay competitive. We are already starting to see the seeds planted for virtual reality live dealer games, which will allow you to play with a headset. This style of game would make everything in the studio or casino appear as if it were really in front of you, allowing you to look around in 360 degrees, all with stereoscopic 3D coming right at you.

Live

Of course, we can also expect to see additional game variations being introduced, and it is likely that we will see more tie-ins (i.e. Microgaming and Playboy), which will change things up in terms of the presentation and features of set games.

Summary

Live dealer blackjack is one of the bold new ways that online casinos are trying to bring a land betting experience right into your home. The experience has a lot of advantages over more traditional forms of blackjack, and you can find excellent tables with 3:2 payouts on blackjack with lower minimum bets than you would see at your brick and mortar casino.

There are definitely some spots better to play at than others, and some software is definitely superior in terms of offering better quality feeds and more variations of blackjack. Moving forward, the future of live dealer games is bright and we are excited to see what developers can come up with in the coming years.

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