With so many online blackjack games, how do you pick the best one?
In a follow-up to our recent Table Games Tips, I’ll talk more specifically about casino blackjack games, and knowing how to pick the right one. Ideally, you’ll want one that has a high payback percentage with perfect strategy applied. But if the exact RTP, or theoretical return to player, isn’t provided, you’ll need to know what to look for.
Picking the Best Online Blackjack Games
The following are 5 tips for choosing the best blackjack games. The goal should be a proper meld of both entertainment and strategic advantage. By advantage, I don’t mean gaining an edge over the casino, as that’s nearly impossible without in-house card counting.
Note that you can’t count cards online because the deck is reshuffled after every land in computerized games, and before the deck reaches 50% in live dealer games.
Clear and Transparent Table Rules
First and foremost, check to make sure the exact rules of the game are clearly laid out for you. How many decks are in use. Does the dealer hit or stand on soft-17? When can you double down? How many times can you split? Can you double after a split? Are aces able to be spit, and if so, will you get to hit those hands, or is it an automatic stand on the next card?
These and other intricate rules are very important, and should be clearly defined within the game’s info panel. If they’re not, it isn’t the online casinos fault, but it is their problem. The creator of the software is to blame. Unfortunately, this means you’ll need to find a new casino with a different software provider, like Microgaming, that provides a higher level of transparency.
Blackjack Pays 3:2
This is a big one. Check the game’s pay table to ensure that a natural blackjack will pay the standard 3:2. If a blackjack is only worth 6:5, 7:5, or even worse, 1:1, chances are you don’t want to play this game.
Then again, there could be some major advantages supplied to the player, so it’s not a static rule. For example, Double Exposure Blackjack allows the player to see both of the dealer’s cards. If additional rules are affable, the RTP could be high enough to justify a lower payout for natural blackjack.
Lower Decks = Higher RTP
There are many different adjustments to the rules and pay table of casino blackjack games that can effect the overall RTP. The biggest of all is the number of decks in use. The golden rule here is to pick the game with the fewest decks – single deck blackjack is best. A 6-8 deck game will always have a lower RTP.
What is the RTP Exactly?
As I mentioned before, some software brands are more transparent than others. Most won’t display the theoretical RTP for blackjack games, because how much a game pays is based more on player decisions than dumb luck (like slot machines).
Look to see if the RTP for each game is displayed. If so, your choice is made easy. Compare the RTP of all games and choose the highest one.
If the RTP is not displayed, but all game rules are, you should be able to discern the RTP by visiting any respectable website that offers customizeable strategy charts. You can individual rules for various online blackjack games, and it will spit out the perfect strategy guide, along with the theoretical return rate.
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