Play Online Blackjack at Britain Play

Blackjack can undoubtedly be considered one of the most classic, beloved, and played casino games of all time. Here at Britain Play, our players from the UK can enjoy some of the best online blackjack games that can be found on the internet. Why are casino players so fond of blackjack, you ask? Well, there are a couple of reasons.

First of all, it’s one of the fastest online casino games to play. In fact, rounds in blackjack won’t take you more around a minute each—and sometimes even less! This means that you can enjoy fast-paced and exhilarating action when playing blackjack. Another reason is that blackjack isn’t an extremely difficult game to learn. 

There aren’t all that many rules to learn when picking up blackjack, which makes it a great game to start with at the casino. As a matter of fact, we’ll be explaining how the game of blackjack is played. That way, you won’t be rushing head first into the game without having any idea how it’s played!

What is Blackjack?

Blackjack is actually quite a unique casino game since it is one of few games where your actions can have an impact on the outcome, unlike when you sit down to play slots or roulette. These games are based on luck, which is the reason why they have some big cash prizes on offer.

So, what is Blackjack? Well, to put it as simple as possible, it is a casino banked card game, which means that players are competing against the house and not each other. The aim of this game is to get a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible without going over - if your hand goes beyond the value of 21, then you go bust and are out of the round. At the end of the round, all valid hands are compared to the dealer's and any hand that is higher than the dealer's will be a winning one.

The origins of this card game have been heavily debated, but many top researchers agree that it more than likely originated in casinos in France at the start of the 18th century. The French called this games Vingt-et-Un, which means twenty-one. It is a game that probably derived from a popular French card game called Chemin de Fer, which translates into Railway. There is also a theory that Blackjack was invented by the Romans, but this cannot be confirmed.

French colonists took this game with them to America in the 18th century, and it started to increase in popularity. However, the rules of the game were slightly different to what they are today. In the 20th century, this card game became known as blackjack and the rules changed slightly following the legalization of gambling, and these are the rules that we play with today.

How to Play Online Blackjack

If you are a novice when it comes to playing blackjack online for real money, there is a chance that you will not be too sure as to how a round is played. Therefore, below we have provided you with a step-by-step guide that highlights just how it is that you play online blackjack:

  1. Each player at the table places down their stakes

The dealer then deals two face cards to everyone and themselves - the players' cards are face up, while only one of the dealer's two cards will be placed with the face showing

Each player then needs to decide whether they want to stand, hit, or double down - Players that have a pair have the option of splitting their hand into two separate hands

If a player decides to stand, then they will keep the cards they have

If a player takes a hit, then they will be given another card

If a player decides to double down, then they need to double their stake and will receive an additional card

Once every player has made up their mind, the dealer will turn over their other card. If their total is less than 16 then they need to take a hit, while a hand that is higher than 17 means that they need to stand

The hands of the players are compared with the dealer's hand, and if a player has a better hand than the dealer without going above 21, then they will win

Different Types of Blackjack

When it comes to online blackjack UK, British blackjack fans are spoiled for choice with regard to variety. Due to the popularity of this card game, software developers come up with new variants regularly, and here at Britain Play we make sure that we offer our punters a nice variety. In this online blackjack guide, we are now going to take a closer look at some of the more popular blackjack variants.

Classic Blackjack

This is a blackjack variant that you will be able to find at the majority of online casinos that you come across. With Classic Blackjack, you place bets and compete against the dealer, who is representing the house. Unlike with other blackjack variants, only four decks are used, and you are usually not allowed to place any side bets. The rules for playing this variant are exactly the same as what we just mentioned in the section above. In this blackjack variant, a winning hand will pay out at 1:1. If you manage to land a hand that totals 21, you will get a payout of 3:2.

European Blackjack

European Blackjack is also a very widespread variation of blackjack so it can be found at many online casinos nowadays, including right here at Britain Play. In the majority of cases, this variant is played with only two decks which is why many players like to play it. The fact that it uses a reduced number of decks increases your odds of getting an advantage over the online casino. Although, due to card counting, many European blackjack variants today use four to eight decks. 

This blackjack variant makes use of the fundamental rules of Classic Blackjack, which is great since it means that you will be able to come to grips with it in next to no time. However, we must add that the rules might vary depending on where you are playing, so make sure that you take a look at the rules before you start playing with real money. What makes this variant different to the classic version is the fact that if the dealer lands a blackjack, and your total is 21 but not a blackjack, you will lose. If you both have a blackjack, then it is a tie. also, you can only split a pair once and doubling down is only possible when the total is 9, 10, or 11.

Atlantic City Blackjack

Atlantic City Blackjack, as you can tell from its name, was created in Atlantic City in New Jersey. It has since gone on to become really popular with those who play blackjack online due to the fact that it has a pretty low house edge. This variant of blackjack is pretty close to the classic variant, but there are some subtle differences that you need to be aware of before you sit down and play this variant.

The rules of Atlantic City Blackjack force sthe dealer to stand if they have a soft 17 as well as peek for a blackjack since there's a hole card. The peek is available on 10-value cards as well as aces. If the dealer lands a blackjack, then they need to immediately expose their hole card value. Players will lose their stake unless they have a natural blackjack to push the dealer's blackjack. The peek rule obviously works in the players' favour as it saves you from making unsuccessful double downs and splits.

The majority of Atlantic City Blackjack variants are played with eight decks, and splitting can only be done three times at most. You can double down on any two cards, even after you have split. There is also a Late Surrender option available for you to make use of. While the rules of some variants of blackjack can vary depending on the software developer that developed them, when it comes to this variant you will find that the rules are mostly uniform no matter which Atlantic City Blackjack variant you are playing.

Spanish Blackjack

The origins of Spanish Blackjack can be traced back to the middle of the 1990s as this was when it first appeared in land-based casinos in Nevada. It is also known as Spanish 21, and it has many of the same rules and principles as classic blackjack. So, what sets it apart exactly? Well, your classic blackjack variant will use 52 cards per deck, but with Spanish blackjack there are only 48 cards per deck - there are no tens in a deck. The total number of decks used will vary between six and eight. Whenever a player manages to land a hand that totals 21, they win automatically, no matter the hand that the dealer has.

Additionally, you can double down on any two cards after splitting. There is also the option of surrendering after you have doubled down, which means that you will lose your initial stake but get to keep the stake you made when you doubled down. In most variants of this kind of blackjack, the dealer will be forced to hit with a soft 17 and a hole card exists, which means that the dealer has to peek for blackjack. If you make a blackjack using five cards then you will receive a 3:2 payout, while if you land a blackjack with six cards you will get a 2:1 payout.

What is Live Blackjack?

For you to understand what live blackjack is, you have to first have a good understanding as to what a live casino is. Therefore, a live casino, if you are new to the online casino world, is basically a studio that has been set up to look exactly like a land-based casino. There will be a number of tables, and at each one you will come across a real dealer. All of the action will be streamed to you via strategically placed cameras around the studio. Just click on a table that you would like to join, and anything happening at that table will be live streamed straight to wherever you are.

If you do not want to play a blackjack online game versus the computer and cannot be bothered to go and visit your closest land-based casino, then live blackjack is a great option. When you play live casino games, there is he chance to speak to the live dealers and anyone else at the table using a live chat feature. Some live blackjack games that you can find at Britain Play include:

  • Blackjack London

Blackjack Berlin

Eclipse Blackjack

Blackjack Sports Arena 2

Live Blackjack A

Live Multiplay Blackjack

Card Variations and Payouts in Blackjack

Like with many table games at online casinos, some blackjack variants offer their players different side bets. A side bet is an opportunity for a more adventurous player to place an extra bet or two during a hand. Once you start playing blackjack regularly, you will get used to placing your wager in a dedicated spot in front of you, but when there are side bets available, you will place your chips to the side, hence the name. We will now take a look at the different side bets you can come across when playing blackjack online.

Pairs Side Bets:

As you can guess from the name of this side bet, you are putting your money on whether your first two cards will be some sort of pair. Below are the different pairs you can land and their subsequent payouts.

  • Perfect Pair - If your hold cards have the same number of the same suit, then the payout for is 30:1.

  • Coloured Pair - If you land a pair that are the same colour but a different suit, then you will land a 10:1 payout.

  • Mixed Pair - If your two hole cards are two different colours, then there is a 5:1 payout on offer.

The 21 + 3 Side Bet:

Unlike with the main blackjack bet where you get 1:1 online blackjack odds if you win without landing a blackjack, with a 21 + 3 side bet you can try and earn more by making a three-card poker hand from you two cards as well as the dealer's face-up card. The better your hand, the higher your profit will be. Also, you win no matter what the outcome is of the main action. Thus, you can bust and lose your initial stake, but still win some money from this side bet. Below you can find out about the different hands and how much they pay.

  • Flush - Three cards with the same suit. This is pretty common, so the payout stands at 5:1.

  • Straight - Three cards that have a numbered sequence such as 7, 8, and 9 and not of the same suit. An ace can be valued at 1 or 10, and the payout is 10:1.

Three of a Kind - All three cards must have the same value, and this will have a payout of 30:1.

Straight Flush - Three cards of consecutive numbers with the same suit. The payout for this is 40:1.

Suited Three of a Kind - Three cards that have the same suit and same number. Due to the difficulty of landing such a side bet, it has a 100:1 payout.

Other Side Bets in Blackjack

There are other side bets that you can make when you gamble on blackjack online and, like we just did above, we are now going to take a closer look at them below.

  • Royal Match - With this side bet you want your first two cards will be a King and Queen from the same suit or two cards from the same suit. For the former, you will be paid 25:1, while with the latter the payout stands at 5:2. This is a pretty simple side bet to understand.

 

Super Sevens - This is a side bet that is based on the first three cards dealt to you. If your first card is a seven, you will win at odds of 3:1. If your second card is a seven of the same colour or suit, you will land a payout of either 50:1 or 100:1. If your third card is also a seven a matches the colour or suit of your other two sevens, the payout is 500:1 or 5,000:1.

Lucky Ladies - To win this side bet you need your hole cards to have a total value of 20. The lowest payout is 4:1 for two unsuited cards that total 20 points, while the highest payout is 1000:1 for two Queen of Hearts with the dealer having blackjack.

Over/Under 13 - You can wager that your hole cards will total under or over a value of 13. This is an even money side bet.

Different Bet Types in Online Blackjack

When you are playing at an online blackjack casino, there are a number of different extra actions that you can think about doing and this includes doubling down, placing insurance, or surrendering. Below you can find out what you need to know these terms:

  • Double Down - This action allows you to double your stake during a hand in exchange for one more card. It is a risky ploy to make since it could end up with you going bust. There are plenty of strategies online about doubling down, so do your research before you start making use of this option.

Insurance - If the dealer's face-up card is an ace, then you have the option of buying insurance. If the dealer's second card is a ten or a face card, which is a blackjack, then you will receive a 2:1 payout. If there is no blackjack, the insurance will be lost, and the round will carry on as normal

Surrender - This is not available in all variants of blackjack but, when it is, you can opt to throw your hand away instead of playing or standing. You will lose half your wager, with the other half being put towards the next hand.

Real Money vs Free Online Blackjack

Nowadays, is an online casino wants to be the best online blackjack site, and Britain Play is definitely aiming for that, then they will allow their players to enjoy blackjack online free. When you play any game as a demo, you will not be risking your own money, but there is also no chance for you to win any real money. So, if there is no real money available, why should you play a game such as blackjack for free? Well, by doing so you can learn about any different rules that a blackjack variant might have, and you can also practice your blackjack strategy online.

After you have familiarised yourself with a new blackjack variant and learnt a betting strategy, then you can consider playing with real money. In the following table we are going to take a look at the pros of playing real money blackjack and free online blackjack:

Free BlackjackReal Money Blackjack

You cannot lose any real moneyYou can win real money

You can practice different strategiesYou can play live blackjack

You can play just for entertainmentYou can make use of bonuses and promotions

Online Blackjack Tips

When you sit down to blackjack online, you can just hope that is luck is with you and play with little thought, but if you do this then you should not be at all surprised if you end up losing more times than you win. In this section of our blackjack guide, we are going to provide you with useful online blackjack tips to keep in mind when you are playing this card game.

Learn Strategies

If you search for different blackjack betting strategies on the Internet, then you will find plenty of information. Enthusiasts of this card game have been trying to come up with methods to lower the house edge ever since the game came into being. If you do manage to lower the house edge with a strategy, then obviously your chances of picking up a win will increase. Although, since this is a casino game, your chances of winning something are never guaranteed. Below are some well-known betting strategies for blackjack:

Martingale System

This betting strategy tries to offset a losing streak by doubling your stake after every loss. The Martingale System is known as a negative progression strategy, and even at low stakes you will have to have a big bankroll in order to avoid losing a lot of money. For instance, let us pretend that you begin with £10. If you go on and lose, you then have to bet £20 and, if you lose again, you need to bet £40. You will have to double your stake until you win a hand. Losing ten rounds or more in a row is not that rare, so this is not the best blackjack strategy for those with a small bankroll.

For example, if you did lose ten hands in a row using this strategy with a £10 starting wager, then you would be down a little over £10,000. Thus, we must stress that negative progression strategies should not be used by those who are not ready to chase their losses with huge recoup bets.

Winning Streak Strategies

A winning streak strategy is opposite to the aforementioned Martingale System since it is a positive progression strategy that tries to maximize a hot streak by increasing your wager after you land a winning hand. The key to coming out on top when using such a strategy is to know when to stop when you are on a winning streak.

For instance, if you begin with a £10 bet and you win your first hand, your next stake could be £20. If you win again, then you will be up £30 after your first two hands. If you then place down a £40 and win once more, you will have a £70 profit after just three hands. If you do manage to win three straight hands, then you might want to think about calling it a day. Every winning streak comes to an end, and you need to have the discipline to stop in order for any positive progression strategy to be successful.

Oscar's Grind

This is a strategy that you can apply to any game that has even money payouts. Now, blackjack does not fit exactly into this category since some outcomes, such as landing a natural blackjack, pay out more than 1:1. This betting strategy requires you to keep the wager the same size after losing and to increase it by one when you win. You repeat this until you are up one unit, and then you can return to the original wager.

For instance, let us pretend that you start with a £10 stake. If you lose that round, then your next bet will also be £10. You keep on wagering with £10 until you land a win. When that happens, you can increase the stake to £20. You will then keep betting with £20 until you win, which is when you increase the stake to £30. The series goes on until you have netter a profit, and then you start again with your £10 bet.

Just like with the aforementioned Martingale System, this strategy is one that should be used by those that have a bankroll which can withstand losing streaks.

Manage Your Finances

Whether you are playing your favourite online casino games or placing bets on sports, it is obviously important that you learn how to manage your finances. Gambling is something that can become addictive and long losing streaks are not rare, so it is important that you only gamble with money that you know you can afford to potentially end up losing.

What we recommend that you do when you sit down for a gambling session is to come up with a budget, and firmly stick to it. Yes, we know it is tempting to try and chase your losses, but this is a fool's game that will only end up with you losing more money - but this time it is going to be money that cannot afford to lose. When your budget has been spent, log out of your account and occupy your brain with some other hobby of yours. If you feel that you have lost control of your gambling habits, then there are plenty of professionals out there that can help you to get back on track.

Blackjack Card Counting

Card counting is a strategy that determines whether the dealer or player has the advantage in the next hand. If the player thinks they have the advantage, then they place a bigger bet. In order to count cards, you have to give a value to every card. For example:

  • Cards that are numbered 2-6 should have a +1 value

Cards between 7-9 should be given a value of 0

Cards between 10-A should be given a -1 value

When the hand is about to start, the deck will be shuffled. When a card is dealt, you should minus 1, add 1, or do nothing depending on the card that appeared. If your running total is positive at the end of the round, then it tells you that the majority of the undealt cards are high cards, and you should increase your stake. If you end up with a negative total, it tells you that those undealt cards are low cards, and you should decrease your stake.

So, how does counting cards improve the house edge? Well, the house edge of blackjack is usually 0.5%, which is already pretty low. However, card counting can lead to a 1% advantage against the house. While 1% might not look that high, it can make a lot of difference.

Can you count cards in online blackjack?. This is a very common question and, although card counting works in theory, casinos have introduced counter measures to ensure against it. For instance, they will use more decks and will shuffle regularly.

Blackjack Basic Rules

In order to get the most out of your blackjack experience when you are playing at one of the best blackjack online websites such as Britain Play, you need to be aware of all of the basic terminology. Therefore, in the table below you can familiarise yourself with the main blackjack terms:

TermsDescription

HitWhen you want the dealer to deal you another card

StandIf you like your hand, then you stand and will not receive another card

Double DownIf you have a promising hand then you can double your initial wager to potentially win twice as much

SplitIf you have two cards with the same value, then you can split it into two separate hands, matching the initial stake

InsuranceIf the dealer's face card is an ace, then you can bet on them having a blackjack. If they do, you will receive a 2:1 payout

SurrenderIf your hand is a dud, then you can surrender and receive half of your stake back

BustIf your hand goes above the value of 21, then you are bust and are out of the round

House EdgeThis is the advantage that the casino has over the player

Blackjack Card Values

Understanding the value of the cards in blackjack is actually simpler than you might have initially thought. In fact, the face cards (that is, the jack, queen, and king cards) all have the same value of 10. Moreover, the cards 2-10 have a value that’s the same as their number; so, for example, 4 has a value of 4. 

Finally, aces have either a value of 1 or 11, depending on the overall value of your hand. So, if the value of your hand would exceed 21 with an 11, then the value of the ace is 1. However, if there’s no possibility of going bust with an 11, then the ace is considered an 11. A rundown of the cards and their associated values can be found in the following table:

CardValue

Ace1/11

22

33

44

55

66

77

88

99

1010

Jack10

Queen10

King10

The final thing that you should know is the distinction between “soft” and “hard” hands. A soft hand is a card combination where the ace is considered to be an 11. So, for example, a hand of 6 and an ace is considered to be a soft 17. A hard hand is a card combination where the ace is considered a 1 or else the hand doesn’t have an ace at all. For example, a hand of 6, ace, and 10 is a hard 17.

All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins, etc.) mentioned in relation to this slot game are subject to change at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Blackjack

1. Can I Play Blackjack Online for Real Money?

Yes, of course you can play blackjack online for real money. Top online casinos, such as Britain Play, will offer their players a variety of blackjack games that they can choose from.

2. What is the Best Blackjack Online Game to Play?

Well, this is a subjective question since the best online blackjack game for one person might not be the best for another. So, the answer to such a question is that the best blackjack game is whichever one you like playing the most.

3. Why Should I Play Blackjack Online Instead of at the Casino?

When you play blackjack online you will have a lot more variation available to you than when you play blackjack at a land-based casino. Also, when playing online, you do not have to leave the comfort of your own home.

4. Which Apps Can I Play Blackjack Online for Money?

Due to the popularity of this card game, you will find blackjack games on any self-respecting online casino app.

5. Can You Actually Make Money Playing Blackjack?

Yes, there is a chance to make money when you are playing blackjack, but you should never sit down and expect to land some wins. Sometimes your luck will be gone, and you will end up going on a bit of a losing streak. This is just the nature of gambling.