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Types of Blackjack

Blackjack is a very popular table game that every respectable casino (online and offline) has on offer. The popularity of the game has led to the many variations that have popped up over the years. Some have withstood the test of time while others have faded into disuse, and then some have become games in their own right. This is a list of the most popular blackjack variations that are played today. The fundamentals of blackjack are unchanging but there are enough differences to make these variations to set them apart.

Offline casinos in the US may not offer more than one variation of blackjack. However, if you are an online player then you are guaranteed to come across variations of the game and even choose a favorite. USA online blackjack offers all these variations depending on the casino you choose to frequent, as well as, blackjack bonuses, live dealer blackjack, and more. For instance, BetOnline Casino offers live dealer blackjack and Silver Oak Casino has a $10 000 blackjack bonus. These are only two of the online platforms that offer great blackjack gameplay.

Blackjack
Also known as “21”, this is the classic game that everyone knows and loves- the most popular type of blackjack throughout the world. The goal is to get close to 21 without going over with the value of the cards you’re holding.

Progressive Blackjack
This variation is the same as classic blackjack with the added bonus of standing a chance to win the increasing jackpot. With this bonus comes a price of a $1 bet, which has to be placed to win the progressive jackpot. The other rules of gameplay are the same besides a slight variance when it comes to doubling and splitting.

European Blackjack
This type of blackjack is usually played with two decks. This game includes some player-friendly rules like a small number of decks and the dealer standing on soft 17. Making up for this, the casino takes out the typical “dealer doesn’t check for blackjack” rule – you play your hand first. This means that you could lose more cash if you split or double the hand.

Face Up 21
This is when both the dealer’s cards are dealt facing upwards. This is a great player advantage when it comes to your strategy. The casino makes up for this by having a higher house edge of 0.69% (blackjack games typically have an edge of 0.5%).

What Pontoon is and How to Play It

If you are a lover of online casino games, you probably stumbled upon a game called “pontoon.” However weird-sounding the name of the game is, you need to take into account that you have actually played that games many times before. In fact, all USA online blackjack players played pontoon before, as the game is nothing more but a variant of blackjack with a couple of different rules that you should take into account.

First of all, you should understand that the terminology used for some actions by US and UK (and Australian) players is completely different. If you tell a pontoon dealer to “hit,” they will not understand the command (or they will, but just not how it is said in pontoon). Instead, you need to tell them to “twist” if you want them to hit you. Similarly, commanding them to “stand” is not a valid option. Instead, you need to tell them to “stick.” Finally, if you want to “double down,” you will have to say “buy” instead.

One of the ways pontoon differs from blackjack is their treatment of a tie. If both the dealer and the player have the same number of points, blackjack calls that “a push” and returns the original bet to the player, calling it a tie. However, pontoon favors the dealer in this case. In other words, if both you and the dealer have, say, 18 points, the dealer will win the hand.

Furthermore, pontoon allows one more way for players to win money, which is called the “five card trick.” If they manage to collect five cards that are less or equal than 21, they will win the dealers hand, even if it has a non-pontoon 21.

There are a couple of other interesting differences that you should definitely take into account, such as the fact that there are no hole cards in pontoon, which opens additional options. Make sure to research additional pontoon rules and strategies or simply explore the free version of online pontoon yourself and get accustomed to the rules before you switch to play for real money.

If you live in the US and you want to play pontoon, make sure to check out USA friendly blackjack sites that also offer pontoon. Once you register, feel free to claim welcome bonuses which can help you explore pontoon with real money and bring you rewards if you are lucky. You just need to take into account that pontoon also has some strategies that you should stick to in order to maximize your winnings.

10% Weekly Casino Rebate at BetOnline

BetOnline is one of those platforms that incorporated every type of game of chance into their offer. You can find things such as sports betting, live betting, casino, live casino, poker, eSports, and more. This time, we are going to focus on the casino part, as it offers some of the best blackjack games for all people who like playing USA online blackjack. In other words, this is a US-facing site, meaning that players from this country can play casino games on it, including blackjack.

First of all, we have to note that this offer that is about to be presented is not eligible for live casino. Therefore, if you plan on playing live blackjack on BetOnline, make sure to check their other offers.

The 10% Casino Rebate promo means that they will return a total of 10% of all the money you deposit on casino games and lose. In other words, you can play any casino game on the platform, including blackjack, and if you were not that lucky, you will get 10% money back. This offer is available from Monday through Thursday every week.

Therefore, if you deposit $1000 and lose that money while playing blackjack and other games, you will get $100 in return which you can use once again to play all casino games. The bonus is calculated starting Monday 00:01 ET on Monday and ending on 23:59 ET on Thursday. All the money that you spend within that period will be included in the rebate.

Make sure to check out terms and conditions for this bonus. First of all, the bonus will be valid for seven days, so make sure to use your bonus money within that time frame. Furthermore, the minimum you need to lose in order to activate this promotion is $1,000. On the other hand, the maximum amount of money you can receive as a bonus is $250, meaning that if you lose more than $2,500, you will still receive $250 as a rebate.

There are, of course, other promotions which you can check out on this casino. Make sure to explore casino bonuses and increase your online blackjack experience. Also, we advise you to read USA blackjack reviews for casinos that feature the best blackjack casinos and explore other possibilities for playing this game online. Other casinos also offer hefty welcome bonuses and other promotions that can enhance your gaming journey.

What Are Perfect Pairs Side Bets in Online Blackjack?

“Perfect pairs” is a side bet that you can make in some of the online blackjack games and it is very popular among some of the blackjack lovers. It usually comes as a part of European Blackjack which is played mostly with two decks. All rules are pretty much the same in Perfect Pairs, except that you get to place an additional bet which will be triggered only if you get a pair in the first two dealt cards.

Therefore, it is a great way to earn additional money and the odds are not that bad because only two decks are used. For example, Perfect Pairs in American blackjack would be more difficult to hit as it is usually played with six to eight decks. Therefore, if you find an American blackjack with Perfect Pairs side bet feature, you’ll be making a brave move to bet on them, but you will also be rewarded with a lot of money if you have a pair. Nevertheless, let’s stick to the European version because it is also available to players who are looking for USA online blackjack.

How Perfect Pairs Side Bets Pay?
If you get a mixed pair, such as a jack of hearts and a jack of spades, you will get paid 7/1, However, if you match the color as well, and get, say, a jack of hearts and a jack of diamonds, you will receive 15/1. The most difficult thing to get is the so-called perfect pair. Since the game is played with two decks, it is only natural that all cards appear twice in the game. Therefore, if you manage to get, say, two jack of hearts as your first two cards, you will be properly rewarded and get 30/1 pay.

However, you need to understand that Perfect Pairs is still a side bet, and many professional blackjack players don’t like placing side bets as they are not that connected to the game itself. But if you like to play this game for fun, you can always test your luck and make a small side bet, hoping for the best. If you manage to win some money by placing a Perfect Pairs bet, good for you! If you don’t — it’s a game of chance after all! Therefore, make sure to find a USA friendly blackjack site and look for this type of blackjack to test your luck.

What Are the Best Alternatives to Blackjack?

One could never have enough of online blackjack and live dealer blackjack as it is one of the most exciting ways to play this card game. Players who love blackjack are often not too eager to test other casino games, as they want to focus only on mastering this game in particular. However, every once in a while, we need to take a break from this game, especially when we are on a losing streak. Every professional blackjack player knows that there must be a period when you need to stop playing the game and seek entertainment elsewhere.

Let’s take a look at some of the other casino games that may be interesting to you if you decide to take a break from playing blackjack.

Online Slots
If you really want to rest from all the casino games that require focus and concentration, you need to choose online slots as the majority of them do not really require you to think too much. All you have to do is place your bet and spin the reels, hoping for the best. If you are lucky, you might even end up winning some of the jackpots and progressive jackpots that many online video slots offer.

Online Roulette
Online roulette and live dealer roulette are very popular among casino lovers on the web. If you know how to play this type of casino games, you will easily get accustomed to all online variants — and there are quite a few, with each of them bringing something new to the table, such as special bets, multipliers, customizable board and wheel, and more.

Baccarat
Baccarat is perhaps the game that mostly resembles blackjack as it is played using cards and a dealer which you could also choose to be live if the online casino of your choice has a live casino section. Baccarat is much simpler than blackjack and does not require a strategy in order to be successful, so it is a great alternative to playing blackjack.

Video Poker
Video poker is a set of poker games that you can play at online casinos against the machine. Unlike online poker which is played against other players, video poker mostly resembles the old poker machines that were once popular in land-based casinos. They are not as complicated as playing poker against other people, meaning they can help you relax after playing blackjack.

Once you try all these games and your head is clear, you can return to playing USA online blackjack and start a new session.

What is House Edge in Blackjack and How Does It Affect the Game?

If you like playing USA online blackjack, or any other type of casino game, you probably stumbled upon a term called house edge. House edge may differ in every game, and it is simply the amount of money that casino earns on you playing games.

Casino games are luck-based games but they are always slightly in favor of the casino since the gambling houses need to earn money as well. Therefore, a house edge is the average amount of money that casinos earn from a certain game.

It is basically a statistical way to state the advantage that the house (the casino) has in certain games. If the house edge is, say 5%, that indicates the average amount of money that the casino takes from players. Naturally, games are random, so some players may win a lot of money, while others may lose it all. However, after some time, when we look into the past and take into account all the winners and losers, we can see that the casino earned approximately 5% from all the money that was invested in games.

The house edge that is applicable to blackjack is statistically much lower compared to other casino games. If you just focus on the basic blackjack strategy you are likely to play a game that has a house edge which is only %0.5.

One cannot help but wonder — why are casinos still holding on to blackjack so much if it has such a low house edge? Well, the thing with the majority of players who play blackjack do it for fun, so many don’t even bother keeping up with the basic strategy and hold on to the luck factor. In other words, most players don’t want to take time and put in effort in learning the basic strategy, let alone applying it when playing blackjack, and that is completely okay. Many casino games are about fun and suspense rather than mathematical thinking.

On the other hand, players who decide not to use the basic strategy will still have a better house edge compared to other casino games. Playing blackjack without the strategy will result in an average house edge being approximately 2% which is still not that bad.

In the end, there is the card-counting technique which can minimize and even completely exclude the edge, but it is forbidden in many casinos and can get you banned from online casino sites.

Live Dealer Leaderboard Offers $500 for Weekly Winners at Wild Casino

If you like playing online blackjack, you are probably aware that there is an even more interesting way to play this game, and that is with the help of live dealers. Live dealer blackjack is an option that many online casinos feature and it includes a dealer who is live-streamed as they deal the cards and interact with you via a special type of software which is designed for live casino purposes only.

Wild Casino decided to give special rewards to people who enjoy playing live blackjack on their platform by creating a Live Dealer Leaderboard.

What is Live Dealer Leaderboard?
Every week, the casino gives a total of $1,800 in prizes for the best players of live blackjack and live roulette. All you have to do is play these games and receive 1 point for every $10 that you wager. If you managed to climb to the top 3 places of the leaderboard, you will be awarded a hefty prize.

The third-placed live blackjack player will receive $300, while the second-placed one will get $400. Finally, the player who tops the leaderboard will receive a total of $500. As previously mentioned, this is also applicable to live roulette players, but the prizes are a little lower, with the third-placed player winning $100, the second-placed $200, and the first-placed one $100.

This challenge is a weekly one, and it starts every Monday at 12:01 am and ends on Sunday at 11:59 pm. In other words, it is an ongoing challenge, and once the prizes are distributed, the leaderboard is reset, and the new cycle starts once again.

Naturally, all players who like USA online blackjack will be able to participate in this online competition, but there are some Terms & Conditions that you should take into account before you enroll.

First of all, there is no need to worry about wagering requirements for the prizes as there are none. Moreover, the funds will be credited to the winning players within the 24 hours after the winners have been chosen. Finally, you should know that the casino reserves the right to end the promotion at any time and that it has the final say should any dispute arises. Make sure to read all other items in the T&C and get familiar with the rules of the casino.

If you don’t feel like playing live blackjack, you can always try other games offered on Wild Casino and even claim the lucrative welcome offer to enhance your online gambling experience on this platform.

What to Pay Attention to When Choosing a Live Blackjack Casino

If you like playing blackjack on the web, you probably know that there is a way to play that game against live dealers. This is done using state-of-the-art technology which combines the live stream feature with a special type of software that makes it all possible. In fact, live dealer blackjack games can be pretty exciting if you know how to choose the right rooms. Take a look at the things you should pay attention to before you make a choice.

Stream Quality
Many people who like playing blackjack often thing about stream quality in one way – the better quality = the better experience. However, that is definitely a wrong way to do it, as you don’t always your video quality to be great. In fact, many USA online blackjack platforms that offer this type of casino games with live dealers make streaming quality adjustable or auto-adjustable. What does that actually mean?

It means that the quality of your video and audio would change in relation to your Internet connection. If your connection is weak, or your broadband is slow, the quality of the video and audio would deteriorate. However, the game would still be conducted in real time, which is much more important than having great quality.

In other words, if online blackjack platforms make their videos have HD videos and high-quality audio all the time, your picture will freeze as soon as you don’t have a stable Internet connection. Therefore, playing live blackjack on the go by using your mobile device would be very difficult and would not bring you any pleasure.

Dealers
The next thing you should look after is dealers. Now, the majority of dealers in live blackjack rooms are pure professionals, and they will never make a mistake or do something to offend you. However, they are people after all, and you might bond with some better than others. Dealers play an important role in the social aspect of the game, and it is up to you to choose which type of dealer you want to have on the other side of the screen. Therefore, don’t just settle for the first casino and for the first room that you come across, but try to explore them a bit more.

Bonuses
Finally, there are a lot of blackjack bonuses that you can use to play this game, so make sure to explore casinos and try to boost your online gaming experience. The thing with bonuses is that they are often not applicable to live casinos, but some platforms offer live bonuses as well.

Useful Tips for Playing Live Blackjack at Online Casinos

Live blackjack has been the favorite way to play this popular card game for many blackjack lovers all over the world. If you want to play USA online blackjack with live dealers, make sure to choose casinos that have this feature and select a room with a dealer that suits your tastes. This article will not discuss how to choose the best possible live blackjack room (perhaps it is a topic for another article?), but it is going to focus on improving your play and maximizing the potential to win while playing against live dealers. Read on!

Discipline!
Whenever you play live blackjack, make sure not to cross the amount you dedicated for playing the session as it is pretty easy to get carried away when playing such an exciting game with a live dealer. Therefore, the most important piece of advice is to always look after your budget, plan it for every session, and try not to spend more than you had intended in the first place. This is actually the only way to always remain a winner in the game.

One Hand at a Time
Some casinos will allow you to enter several rooms at the same time and play multiple tables all at once. No matter how experienced you are, this strategy is always risky with blackjack as players usually cannot devote the same amount of attention to all tables, thus making wrong decisions and losing all games at all tables. Therefore, when playing live dealer blackjack, it is very important to focus on one table and think about each hand as much as possible in order to get the most out of it.

Find Blackjack Charts
There are dozens of blackjack charts on the web that show every possible strategy for this game and all the possible variations that these can include. Make sure to find one such chart and study it before you begin playing live blackjack games. These charts can tell you what to do in particular situations. Also, choose a chart that gives you strategies according to a number of decks that a particular room uses when playing the game.

Avoid Insurance Bets
Many professionals would agree that placing insurance bets is never a good idea, especially when playing live dealer blackjack. According to some statistics, the odds for winning this are 9:4 which means that for every $4 that you win, you will lose approximately $9,

How to Play Blackjack with Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies have taken over the world, and many players look for a way to use them to play casino games. Luckily, some online casinos already opened up towards this idea of people placing depositing and withdrawing using their crypto wallets.

People from America who like playing USA online blackjack definitely have an opportunity to explore this game with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies at the moment. The popularity of cryptos is actively increasing as they provide a convenient way to deposit and withdraw money without any additional fees and taxes. Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency and you can check out our listing of recommended Bitcoin blackjack casinos, all of which accept USA players.

What Are Cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrencies are a new type of payment method that works on blockchain technology. It is basically a decentralized technology which doesn’t require a central authority such as a bank that will conduct transactions. Simply put, cryptocurrencies are operated by thousands of ‘nodes’ that are basically computers that govern the network all over the world, working as a distributed ledger. Cryptocurrencies make their owner anonymous, and transactions are encrypted with state-of-the-art technology that makes them virtually un-penetrable.

How to Deposit Cryptocurrencies?
First of all, you will have to obtain some cryptos. The most popular one is bitcoin and it is the most likely to be accepted by online casinos. You can buy them at an online exchange platform for fiat currencies. Next, you will have to open a crypto wallet such as a bitcoin wallet and store your bitcoins.

The next step is to choose a casino that supports Bitcoin as one of the available payment methods. Some casinos go as far as offering lucrative bonuses for people who want to deposit using cryptocurrencies.

All you have to do to make a deposit is follow the instructions on the casino on how to connect your cryptocurrency wallet to the platform selected. Depending on the type of cryptocurrency you use, your deposit should be processed anywhere between one second and half an hour. Once your money is allocated to your casino account, all you have to do is select your favorite blackjack game and start playing.

Many casinos also feature live blackjack, so make sure to check whether you can play live dealer games with cryptocurrencies.

If you don’t feel like playing with this type of money, you can always use traditional payment methods such as credit cards and e-wallets in order to make a deposit and claim hefty blackjack bonuses that will boost your experience in playing online blackjack.