New blackjack casinos: rules, odds and live tables

Rules that matter

The chart in words is in our basic strategy guide.

Blackjack house edge: 3:2 against 6:5

Blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in a casino when the player follows basic strategy. The main bet at a six-deck table that pays 3:2 and has the dealer hit soft 17 carries a house edge of 0.46%. The same bet at a table that pays 6:5 carries a house edge of 1.82%.

The payout ratio changes the edge more than any other single rule. Blackjack with a 6:5 payout instead of 3:2 moves the house edge by 1.39% in an eight-deck game. A table that pays 6:5 therefore takes back a large part of what good play wins.

Atlantic City rules are the benchmark many players look for. Under those rules the dealer stands on soft 17, a hand can be split up to four times and doubling after a split is allowed. The main bet under Atlantic City rules with basic strategy carries a house edge of 0.43%.

How individual blackjack rules change the house edge

Blackjack rules move the house edge in small steps, and each step is measurable. Dealer hitting soft 17 changes the house edge by 0.22%. Late surrender changes it by -0.07%.

Player-friendly rules pull the edge down. Doubling after a split changes the house edge by -0.14%. Resplitting aces changes it by -0.08%. Restricting doubles to totals of 9 to 11 raises it by 0.09%.

Deck count also matters. Eight decks instead of one deck change the house edge by 0.56%. European no-hole-card tables, where the dealer takes the second card after you act, change it by 0.11%. Blackjack players at new casinos should open the game's help screen and read these rules before the first hand.

Blackjack side bets cost more than the main bet

Blackjack side bets are optional wagers placed next to the main hand. The 21+3 side bet in a six-deck game has a house edge of 3.24%. Insurance, which pays 2:1, has a house edge of 7.4%.

Perfect Pairs is the costliest of the common side bets. Perfect Pairs in the Evolution version with eight decks carries a house edge of 8.05%. Every side bet therefore costs far more than the main hand, and basic strategy never calls for insurance.

Live and RNG blackjack at new casinos

Blackjack comes in two formats at new casinos: RNG tables and live dealer tables. RNG blackjack deals instantly and lets you set the pace. Live blackjack streams a real dealer, and the studio sets the limits and the table variants.

Evolution and Playtech run most live tables, and speed, multiplier and infinite versions change the pace or the rules. A speed table deals more hands per hour, so more of the edge is paid in the same time. Our page on new live casinos lists casinos built around live tables. Check the studio list on a casino's page before you register.

Blackjack return to player and bonus wagering

Blackjack returns 99.28% to the player under benchmark rules with basic strategy. That return is high next to most slots. Our guide to RTP at new online casinos explains how return and house edge relate.

Bonuses treat blackjack differently from slots. Many casinos count blackjack at 10% to 20% towards wagering, and some exclude it. A game that counts 10% needs ten times the turnover of a game that counts 100%. Whether the offer is sticky decides what you lose if you play blackjack anyway, and sticky and non-sticky bonuses explains the difference.