How to Play Live Blackjack
There are a handful of differences between online blackjack and live blackjack. For instance, in live blackjack, you will play against the dealer at the table. However, in online blackjack, you will play against other online players.
Once you’ve selected one of the live blackjack variants within the live casino section at Mr Green Casino, you will essentially have three ways to win the game. The aim is to get a total of 21 when you add your card values together. You can either have 21 with your two initial cards and hope the live dealer doesn’t have the same hand value as you, or you can obtain a higher card value than the dealer without going over 21. Alternatively, you can win the game when the dealer exceeds 21 and you don’t. When your hand value exceeds 21 it also means that you are bust.
At the start of each round, you will receive two cards in your hand, while the dealer will only receive one card in their hand. You will then need to make a decision. You can either request an additional card to be dealt (hit), or keep what you currently have (stand). If you decide to hit, you will receive a single card from the dealer. This process will continue until you reach a hand total of 21, bust (go over 21), or tell the dealer to stop on your desired hand total.
Each card in the deck will contribute to your hand total. For instance, the cards that are numbered from 1 to 10 will basically count their face value. However, picture cards (King, Queen, and Jack) will count as 10, while the Ace can count as either 1 or 11.
Once you are satisfied with you hand, the dealer will move on to their hand. The dealer will continue to draw new cards until they reach a hand total of 17 or more. The game rules for live blackjack state that a dealer is required to draw on 16 and stand above 17.
Once the dealer is done with their hand, your hand is compared to the dealer’s hand to determine the winner. You are a winner when your hand total is higher than the dealer’s hand total or when the dealer exceeds 21. Please keep in mind that you will always be first. Therefore, if you exceed 21, you will instantly lose the game without seeing the dealer’s hand.
Apart from ‘Hit’ and ‘Stand’, you might be suprised to know that live blackjack also comes equipped with a variety of other betting options that you can use to your advantage. This includes ‘Double Down’ and ‘Split’. When you receive two cards of the same value, you will have the ability to split the two cards to create two separate hands for yourself. This essentially means that you will receive additional cards for two different hands as opposed to only a single hand.
When you double down, you are basically doubling your initial bet to receive one additional card in your hand. The best time to double down is when you receive two cards that equal 9, 10 or even 11. If the dealer’s face-up card is a 10, it’s recommended that you only double down on a hand value of 11.
You will also come across another side bet, known as Insurance, on a handful of live blackjack variants at Mr Green Casino. The Insurance side bet comes into play when the dealer’s face-up card displays an Ace. The Insurance bet will then allow you to insure yourself in case the dealer is holding 21 (blackjack). The Insurance bet will pay 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. However, if the dealer displays any other hand value other than 21, you will lose your insurance bet.