Extreme 21: Live Blackjack, Video Blackjack or Online Blackjack Games?
If there’s one thing every gambler knows how to play, it’s blackjack. In its own unique way, blackjack is both the simplest and most complex game on the casino floor. Anyone capable of counting to 21 can play it, but only those with a natural nuance for numbers and mental fortitude for memorization can honestly say they’ve mastered it.
For as many different types of blackjack players as you’ll find in the world, there are just as many different ways to play this immensely popular card game. Today, we’ll be comparing three popular casino accommodations, and the subtle inequalities that set them apart. You can decide for yourself which suits you best.
Live Blackjack Games at Land-Based Casinos
The classically original, land-based casino blackjack games are often dubbed the most exciting. The fellowship between players grows as all compete against a single enemy. You may think the enemy is the dealer, but the more you play, the more you realize it’s the casino you’re up against. The dealer is just another person following the rules of the game, and is not keeping the chips they win. He/she is often very friendly, personable, and worthy of the tips they receive from players.
Live games are also the only ones where you’ll enjoy the added value of card counting – if you can do it inconspicuously, that is. Being electronic by nature, online and video blackjack games (below) reshuffle the deck after every hand.
The atmosphere, camaraderie and enhanced strategic opportunities are the biggest draws, but there are negatives to be considered, too. Live blackjack tables tend to come with higher limits, especially in big casino towns like Las Vegas. A $5 minimum is about the best you’ll find anywhere, jumping to $10, $15, or even $25 at some casinos. If you’ve budgeted a $100 bankroll, one streak of sour luck and your session could be over long before the sun goes down.
Video Blackjack Games at Land-Based Casinos
Maybe camaraderie isn’t your strong suit. Not everyone enjoys a crowd. For all you anti-social types, many land-based casinos also offer an electronic, solo version of 21. Video blackjack machines look a lot like video poker machines (except of course they deal blackjack games, not 5-card poker).
They also have a unique feature for serious risk-seekers. Every time a player wins, they can collect their prize, or choose to ‘let it ride‘, wagering their winnings on the next hand. You could always put your winnings on top of your bet with each hand won, but staring all those chips in the face isn’t so easy. Most of us would chicken out and keep the cash after two or three consecutive wins!
Years back, these games were great alternatives, providing the casino with an endless flow of blackjack games, minus the requisite training and pay-rolling of more dealers. They still fit that bill, but the games aren’t quite what they used to be. When casinos realized that players were enjoying these games a bit too much – they offered the same low house edge, but with lower limits – they asked their manufacturers to make a few unfriendly adjustments that would either increase their profits, or send players back to the live tables.
It didn’t take much to get the job done. Instead of paying a traditional 3:2 for a natural blackjack, payouts were reduced to as low as 1:1. Now, only players who are out for thrills, not an optimal strategy, tend to enjoy these 21 machines.
Online Blackjack Games at Desktop & Mobile Casinos
I’ve saved this section for last, because online blackjack is much like an amalgamation of our first two options. You get the singularity and lower limits of video blackjack, but the more favorable rules often associated with live blackjack games. In fact, the rule sets online can be the most favorable of all.
Because these games take up no physical space – the cyber realm is like a black hole in this regard – there is no limit to the number of virtual tables an online casino can install. As such, they tend to offer a very wide range of blackjack rules. Classic games, single and double deck games, double exposure, perfect pairs – just about any combination of rules that begets any degree of house edge can be found online.
Also, because they are electronic games that cost very little (comparably speaking) to run and maintain, the limits are the absolute lowest. Minimum stakes of $1 are most common, but some tables go even lower, starting at $0.10 and up. Any player on any budget can have hours of fun at those stakes!
