Fans of the game of 21 have plenty of variations to explore whenever they join online casinos. Depending on the rules you prefer, your budget, and your willingness to take risks, you may enjoy different variants of blackjack. One thing to keep in mind is that the house – i.e. the casino – always has an advantage over the player. That said, if you find online blackjack variations with more advantageous rules, you can significantly improve your chances of winning.
While card-counting is popular among players at land-based casinos, when you play blackjack online, you will need to resort to different strategies. Searching for high-value blackjack variations may be a good starting point for a successful virtual blackjack journey. Combining a game that features great rules with the right blackjack strategy can significantly tilt the scales in your favour.
To spot the highest-value online blackjack variations, you will need to learn which rules are the most beneficial for the player. This way, you will be able to recognise games that are worth betting on. While you can have a fruitful and fun experience playing most blackjack games online, there are certainly several variations that will offer you the best chances of winning.
Rules Affecting the Value of Online Blackjack Games
If you are interested in playing blackjack, you probably know the basic rules of the game. If, however, you are new to the casino classic, we will clarify the player’s main goal in this card game. Blackjack is played against a dealer, with the player’s hand competing with the dealer’s hand. While face cards carry a value of 10, the cards between 2 and 10 count as their pip value. The Ace is the only card that can have two different values, counting either as 1 or 11.
When you compare online blackjack versions, there are several things to pay attention to. Different rules may have a negative or positive effect on a player’s potential return. Knowing which rules are the most advantageous will help you spot the best online blackjack variants, giving you the best chance of a fruitful outcome.
Number of Decks Used in the Game
When you play online, you can come across blackjack variations that use anywhere between one and eight decks. Even if two variants of the game of 21 implement the same rules but use different numbers of decks, you can be certain that the house edges of the two games will be different. The more decks are utilised during play, the greater the house’s advantage becomes.
Naturally, if we draw a conclusion from the rule explained above, the best online blackjack variations to play will be those that use fewer card decks. If you come across a version that utilises only a single deck, you can expect better chances of winning than when playing with more decks. Of course, you should also check the rest of the rules of the game instead of simply comparing the number of decks used.
Let us assume that a blackjack game is utilising standard rules such as dealer hitting soft 17, blackjack pays 3 to 2, dealer peeks on an Ace or ten, players can double on any pair of cards, doubling after a split is allowed, players can resplit up to three times and there is no surrender. If the player uses a basic strategy, using eight decks will give the house an edge of 0.58%. Decreasing the number of decks will reduce the house advantage, with a single-deck blackjack variant having a house edge of only 0.014%.
Dealer’s Peek
Some blackjack variations will have the dealer draw a hole card, allowing a peek for blackjack if the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace or a ten. If the dealer is indeed holding a natural, the player will lose their bet immediately, before making any further decisions, unless the player is also holding a blackjack.
Blackjack Payout
Some blackjack variations may try to fool inexperienced players by offering a blackjack payout of 6 to 5. Bear in mind that the best payout for a natural is 3 to 2, and you should avoid variations that pay 6 to 5 for a blackjack. Typically, this type of payout can be found on single-deck or double-deck virtual tables. As mentioned earlier, fewer decks give the player better winning chances, which is why the casino tries to regain some advantage by lowering the payout for a natural.
Although a 6 to 5 payout might seem like a better offer than being paid 3 to 2 for a blackjack, a simple example proves otherwise. Suppose you place a bet of $10 and receive the best possible hand. A 6 to 5 payout will award $12, whereas the 3 to 2 blackjack variant will grant $15 for the same hand. Clearly, the 3 to 2 option is far better and you should always look for variations with this payout.
Blackjack variations that offer a 6 to 5 payout for a blackjack raise the house’s advantage by 1.39%, significantly decreasing the player’s chances of winning. Usually, you can easily spot the blackjack payout when you play online because it is displayed on the table. If you see that blackjack pays 6 to 5, you had better look for a 3 to 2 variation.
Doubling Down Rules
Another rule that often affects the house edge in blackjack is doubling down. While some variations of the game of 21 allow players to double on any two cards, others offer this betting option only if the initial two cards amount to certain totals. Most commonly, variants that restrict doubling allow players to double only on totals of 9, 10 or 11.
It is also advantageous to be able to double down after a split. If the blackjack variation you play allows players to double down after splitting their initial pair, you can enjoy a game with a house edge decreased by 0.14%.
Split and Resplit Rules
Splitting is also an important rule in blackjack, affecting the house edge under different circumstances. While some variations of the game do not allow players to draw more than one card after splitting Aces, other blackjack options enable players to draw multiple cards to split Aces. If the online blackjack variation you are playing allows you to draw multiple cards after splitting Aces, this will increase your advantage by 0.14%.
Resplitting is another rule that may differ, as some games allow players to split pairs up to three times, forming four hands. The most common exception to this rule is Aces, which can be split only once. That said, there are a few blackjack variations that allow a resplit after the player has split a pair of Aces. This rule lowers the house edge by 0.06%, giving players more opportunities to start a hand with an Ace, which is the best possible initial card in blackjack.
Late Surrender Option
Having the chance to use late surrender while playing blackjack is another rule beneficial to the player. If the online blackjack variation you play permits that rule, you will have the option to surrender your hand after the dealer checks their hole card. Some virtual blackjack games offer neither early nor late surrender. We advise you to avoid such variations, as the surrender rule can significantly minimise your losses.
Having Side Bets in Online Blackjack
With online blackjack variations implementing different rules, there are plenty of factors that will affect the house edge of the game you are playing. Meanwhile, many virtual blackjack options will also offer side bets, which can further affect the house edge and give the casino a bigger advantage. That said, if you decide to play only the base game without using the side-bet options, the player’s return percentage will not be affected. If you enjoy making riskier decisions, however, you can consider some of the most popular side bets available at various online blackjack games.
21+3 Side Bet
One of the most common side bets you can find while playing blackjack online is 21+3. In addition to the regular payout for a winning hand, players can significantly boost their winnings by placing this additional side bet. The 21+3 bet is won when the player’s two initial cards and the dealer’s face-up card form a specific three-card poker combination.
The three-card hands that will win you this side bet include a Flush (three cards of the same suit), a Straight (three consecutive cards) and Three-of-a-Kind (all three cards must be of the same value). Depending on how hard each hand is to achieve, a Flush, Straight and Three-of-a-Kind pay respectively 5 to 1, 10 to 1 and 30 to 1. You will also win the side bet if the three cards are in sequence and of the same suit (40 to 1), or if the three cards are of the same value and suit (100 to 1). The house edge for the side bet may vary, depending on the exact payout structure and the number of decks used in the game.
Perfect Pairs
Perfect Pairs is another very common side bet that you may come across while playing online blackjack variations. Unlike the previous additional bet, Perfect Pairs is concerned only with the player’s two initial cards. To win the side bet, your first two cards must form a pair; the payout you receive depends on the type of pair you have drawn.
If your pair is of different colours, you will enjoy a payout of 5 to 1, while a pair of the same colour but different suits awards a payout of 10 to 1. Provided you are holding a perfect pair, i.e. the pair is of the same colour and suit, you will be paid 30 to 1.
Other Side Bets
You can also encounter side bets such as Lucky Ladies, Lucky Lucky and Buster when you play different online blackjack variations. Lucky Ladies is won when the player’s initial hand is a pair of Queens or totals 20. If the pair is Queens of Hearts and the dealer draws to blackjack, the payout for the side bet is 1,000 to 1.
The Lucky Lucky side bet is won when the player’s two cards and the dealer’s face-up card form a specific combination such as a total of 19, a total of 20, an unsuited total of 21, a suited total of 21, an unsuited 6-7-8, unsuited three 7s, a suited 6-7-8 or suited three 7s. The highest payout for the side bet is 200 to 1 and is awarded when three suited 7s appear on the first draw.
Highest-Value Blackjack Variations to Play Online
You can enjoy a wonderful blackjack experience online, especially if you find variations that offer the best winning chances. While the variety of options can feel overwhelming, there are several variants that utilise the most player-friendly rules, giving you a better chance of a fruitful outcome.
Bonus Blackjack
There are several variations of Bonus Blackjack that you may encounter online. The variation powered by 1×2 Gaming, however, has one of the lowest house edges you will come across when browsing different virtual blackjack tables.
In 1×2 Gaming’s version of Bonus Blackjack, the game utilises six decks and the dealer stands on soft 17. You are allowed to double down on any two cards and you can also double after a split. Unfortunately, it is not possible to resplit Aces or draw additional cards after splitting Aces. In this blackjack version, the dealer peeks for a natural but there is no surrender option. Still, thanks to the peek rule, players’ losses can be minimised. The payout for a blackjack is the standard 3 to 2, and, when all rules are combined with the proper strategy, the house edge drops to just 0.18%.
Single Deck Blackjack
As we have already mentioned, having fewer decks in the game gives players a bigger advantage. This is why many software companies have developed variations of single-deck blackjack. You should not be too hasty to play any variant of the game, however, as some variations further tilt the scales in favour of the casino by changing certain rules.
When comparing different variants of the game, Single Deck by Cryptologic is the option with the lowest house edge. That is due to the various player-friendly rules implemented in the game. Of course, as the name suggests, the game uses only one deck. The dealer is required to hit on soft 17 and there is a dealer peek for a natural. The player can double down on any two-card total.
Unfortunately, players cannot double after a split and they may make only one split per pair. Aces cannot be resplit and you cannot draw additional cards after splitting Aces. This version of single-deck blackjack does not offer surrender, but it still has an extremely low house edge of 0.21%. To be certain that you have chosen the right single-deck variant, always check the rules of every variation and play the one that gives the best chance of a fruitful outcome.
Atlantic City Blackjack
Another blackjack variation that can give players better chances of lucrative results is Atlantic City Blackjack. Popularised by land-based casinos across Atlantic City, this game has multiple variants online. That said, the versions offered by certain providers offer better odds, with Microgaming known to provide the option with the lowest house edge.
The dealer is required to stand on soft 17 and there is a peek for a blackjack. Players can double on any total, including totals of more than two cards. In addition, doubling down after a split is permitted, with players being allowed to split up to three times, forming up to four hands in total. Unfortunately, Aces cannot be resplit and players cannot draw additional cards after splitting Aces. Atlantic City Blackjack by Microgaming also offers a surrender option. All of these rules contribute to a very low house edge of 0.35%. The blackjack payout is the standard 3 to 2, giving players the best possible return for a natural.
Blackjack Surrender
Blackjack Surrender is another variation commonly seen at numerous online casinos, with various software providers offering the game. The variant worth playing, however, is the one created by Playtech, as it offers very good odds for players.
When it comes to design, Playtech has ensured that players will have the same classy experience as they would in any major land-based casino. The rules of Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender allow players to play with an extremely low house edge of only 0.35%. The game utilises six decks. The dealer is required to stand on soft 17 and they also peek for a blackjack when holding an Ace or a ten-valued card.
If you are holding a blackjack, you will enjoy the best possible payout of 3 to 2. You are allowed to double on any two cards, but you are not allowed to double after a split. The game allows just a single split and you cannot resplit Aces. You also cannot draw any additional cards after splitting Aces. As the name suggests, you will have the opportunity to make use of surrender.
Vegas Single Deck Blackjack
As you play online, you might come across plenty of blackjack variations inspired by the tables found on casino floors in Las Vegas. Provided by different software companies, some of the options you can enjoy include Vegas, Vegas Blackjack, Vegas Downtown and several versions of Vegas Strip Blackjack. If you want to play with the highest odds of a win, however, you should try Vegas Single Deck Blackjack by Microgaming.
Players are not allowed to double down after a split and they can double only on totals of 9, 10 and 11. The game allows a pair to be split only once and there is no resplit of Aces, nor can you draw additional cards after splitting Aces. There is no option for surrender, but you will be paid the standard 3 to 2 if you get a blackjack.
