Atlantic City Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most-played casino games and, as such, a great number of variations have been developed over the years, giving players the chance to experience different ways of playing it. Some of these variants grew in popularity to such an extent that many casinos nowadays offer them alongside classic blackjack.

Some variations allow players to enjoy their favourite game by placing an additional side bet, whereas others give them the opportunity to make moves and decisions that are restricted in the classic version.

• The Atlantic City Blackjack Experiment
• Rules of Atlantic City Blackjack
• Payout in Atlantic City Blackjack
• Strategy for Atlantic City Blackjack
• Advantages of Atlantic City Blackjack
• Disadvantages of Atlantic City Blackjack
• Conclusion

With such diversity, the game is always enticing and interesting, and it is no wonder that after so many years it is still one of the most sought-after card games. However, before players give one of the variations a try, they should always take into account not only its specifications but also the casino rules.

This is because some rules can vary depending on where the game is played. It is best to be aware of them in advance; otherwise, players significantly increase their chances of losing more money.

Atlantic City Blackjack is a variation that became popular thanks to its low house edge. It gives players moderately good chances of winning, provided they apply basic strategy correctly. It is both challenging and enticing, which makes it extremely appealing to many players worldwide. The game is easy to access, as it is offered by most brick-and-mortar casinos as well as online.

The Atlantic City Blackjack Experiment

As the name implies, the birthplace of this blackjack variant is the US East Coast, and more specifically, Atlantic City, New Jersey. For the larger part of the 20th century, legal gambling in the United States was restricted solely to the territory of Nevada, with Las Vegas being the Silver State’s largest gambling hub.

Legal casino gaming officially arrived on the East Coast in 1976 when New Jersey residents voted in a referendum in favour of the legalisation. This paved the way for legal gambling within the borders of Atlantic City only. The state quickly developed its newly regulated gambling sector, with the first licensed casino (Resorts Atlantic City) opening in 1978.

Atlantic City casino operators had to attract customers to their floors, and what better way to achieve this than by offering blackjack tables with extremely liberal rules? The competition with Las Vegas led to what is known as the Atlantic City Blackjack Experiment.

During this experiment, Atlantic City casinos introduced a new and unique rule to their blackjack tables, known as Early Surrender. This allowed players to minimise their losses, as they could surrender a hand and forfeit half of their stake before the dealer had peeked under the hole card for a natural.

Playing conditions were so favourable in Atlantic City’s casinos that the negative effect on gambling profits was felt shortly after Early Surrender was introduced. Because of this, the “experiment” did not last long and the rule was soon discontinued.

Many casinos replaced it with the Late Surrender version, whereby poor hands can be forfeited only after the peek. While still player-friendly, this version of surrender results in a significantly smaller reduction of the house edge.

Rules of Atlantic City Blackjack

Atlantic City Blackjack is no different from the other variations in that it uses the same main rules and principles as classic blackjack. The objective of the game is to reach twenty-one without surpassing it and compete against the dealer. The cards are valued in the same way and the ace remains the most powerful card in the deck. Even though there are not many major differences, this version has its own subtleties, which is why players are advised to take their time to consider them. Moreover, it is always best to gain experience with classic blackjack first and then try variations such as Atlantic City Blackjack.

The rules of this version require the dealer to stand on soft 17 and to peek for blackjack, as there is a hole card. The peek applies to both ten-value cards and aces. If the dealer has a blackjack, they will immediately expose the value of their hole card. Players lose all wagers unless they have naturals as well, in which case the hand pushes. The peek is obviously a player-favourable rule since it saves money on unsuccessful splits and double-downs – you lose only your initial wager.

The Late Surrender rule mentioned earlier also applies in Atlantic City Blackjack. Furthermore, you can surrender any two-card combination against any dealer upcard. Insurance is another available move, although it is practically useless to basic-strategy players. There is never a good time to take insurance when you are playing with basic strategy only.

Doubling down is allowed on any two cards and is also permitted after splitting. Splitting can be done up to three times, but there is a restriction when it comes to splitting a pair of aces: they can be split only once and receive only one card each.

A split ace next to a ten-value card counts as a regular total of 21 rather than a blackjack and pays at odds of 1 to 1. Players also have the option to split unlike ten-value cards, such as K-Q and J-10. Most online variations of Atlantic City Blackjack are dealt from eight randomly shuffled decks.

The rules of Atlantic City Blackjack are largely uniform across online variations and coincide with those described above. The most popular version is the one created by software supplier Microgaming, with an RTP of 99.65%. We recommend you play the version from Microgaming’s Gold Series, as it has improved graphics and additional interesting features.

Another version is supplied by developer Cryptologic. It has table limits of £1 to £100 and allows bets on up to three betting spots during any given round. The graphics are not as impressive as Microgaming’s, but the game is still perfectly playable. One thing to keep in mind about this variation is that it disallows re-splitting. Another popular take on online Atlantic City Blackjack is the one supplied by the WGS Technology studio, which allows you to play up to five betting spots at a time.

Payout in Atlantic City Blackjack

In most cases, the payout for blackjack is standard – 3/2; however, players should pay special attention to this rule, as some casinos pay differently – 6/5, for instance. The payout plays a crucial role because it determines whether or not you can make a profit in the long term and should always be taken into account before playing. To ensure you can apply your strategy correctly, it is always best to double-check the rules in advance.

The bonus payout for a blackjack works to the advantage of the player and decreases the house edge. Consequently, the greater the reduction in the bonus odds, the higher the house edge becomes. A 3-to-2 payout results in net gains of one and a half times your original bet. For example, a £10 wager would earn £15 in net profit from your blackjack.

Games that pay at odds of 6 to 5 are, in essence, unplayable. This lower payout gains you only £12 for every £10 wagered, which leads to a significant reduction in your long-term expectation from blackjacks. Professional players always advise against playing at such tables, arguing that if everyone ignores them, casinos will have no option but to remove them from their floors.

On a more positive note, online players should not worry about this, since the vast majority of Atlantic City Blackjack variants available on the web pay at the conventional odds of 3 to 2. There is a silver lining for land-based casino players in the US, too. Gamblers on the East Coast had a limited choice of casinos several decades ago, as legal gaming was restricted to Atlantic City only.

However, things have changed in recent times, with many states on the East Coast regulating gambling on their territory. Usually, this happens because state authorities are looking to generate greater revenue from taxes. Therefore, land-based players now have a wider choice and can scout for tables that offer more liberal rules and decent odds. If you do not like the conditions in a certain venue, you can always go to another one.

Strategy for Atlantic City Blackjack

As usual, players should consider the specific rules inherent to Atlantic City Blackjack before they play online or head to their local land-based casino. This is because the casino advantage in blackjack is additive: each rule at the table gives or takes from the house edge. Furthermore, you will enjoy an almost break-even game, provided you play with accurate basic strategy.

The latter is affected by house rules such as the dealer hitting or standing on soft 17, the number of allowed splits, the availability of late surrender, and doubling after splitting. The number of packs a given table uses also matters.

You cannot expect to achieve accuracy and boost your expectation by using a strategy chart for a single-deck game in eight-deck variations like Atlantic City Blackjack. If you intend to play this variation, feel free to use the chart below, as its suggested plays correspond to Atlantic City Blackjack’s unique set of rules.

Advantages of Atlantic City Blackjack

As already mentioned, one of the biggest advantages of Atlantic City Blackjack is that its combination of rules works in favour of the players, as the house edge is one of the lowest compared with other variations. For instance, a rule that benefits players is that the dealer peeks for blackjack, which prevents them from losing more money through doubling down and splitting unnecessarily. Moreover, there are not many variations in which the dealer stands on soft 17; whenever you encounter such a version, you should give it a try.

Additionally, Atlantic City Blackjack does not feature any major differences or complicated specifications, which makes it extremely easy to grasp and play. It is still recommended to adjust the basic strategy according to the criteria mentioned above; however, this does not require as much time and effort as some other versions do, such as Blackjack Switch.

Disadvantages of Atlantic City Blackjack

One drawback is that the game is usually played with eight decks, which is not very convenient for card counters. The high number of decks makes the counting process difficult to conduct. It is no secret that, in order to apply their chosen system correctly, counters need to be extremely focused, which can be challenging, as the casino setting is always full of distractions and temptations. This is not good for basic strategists either, since the greater the deck number, the higher the house edge they face.

Moreover, as already indicated, players should always double-check the payout for blackjack, as some casinos alter it, which can significantly worsen their chances of making a decent profit in the long term. It is always best to search for a table that offers the standard payout of 3/2, as this gives you the best chance of achieving the desired result. It is extremely important to take this factor into account, as it determines whether or not a variation is worth trying; after all, what makes gambling interesting is the possibility of making a profit.

Conclusion

Atlantic City Blackjack is one of the most popular variations of the game because it offers one of the lowest house edges you can hope to find at a casino. It is available in many casinos and online as well, which is extremely convenient for players who like to play from the comfort of their surroundings. Before playing, it is best to double-check the rules, as they can vary from one place to another. This version is both interesting and challenging, which is why so many players choose to give it a try.