Played in casinos the world over, blackjack is arguably the most popular casino table game ever. With dozens of variations and one of the best RTPs of any casino game, blackjack is also one of the most exciting online casino games in India.
Blackjack is a relatively simple game in which players attempt to beat the dealer by building a hand as close to 21 without scoring higher. The player’s hand must be better than the dealer’s to win the game. Online casinos in India offer so many different ways to play this exciting game.
Our experts break down the basics of online blackjack, teaching you how to play blackjack and use strategies to improve your chances of developing winning hands.
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Best Blackjack Casinos
Choosing the best blackjack casino in India is easy. It comes down to a handful of factors: a casino licence, a good range of blackjack games, and fast payouts for collecting any winnings.
You’ll want to ensure the online casino has a reputable gambling licence, as this is a way to determine if the operator is safe, secure, and fair. A licence goes a long way to proving that games will operate correctly and that your money and data will be secure.
Next, you’ll want to explore the online casino’s gaming selections to see what blackjack games you can play.
Obviously, you’ll be looking for your personal favourites – be that classic blackjack or a unique variant with exciting new rules.
Top 3 Blackjack Casinos
Every live casino operator will offer at least one blackjack title, and most will offer a good selection. We think that some online casinos are simply head and shoulders above the rest by offering a wide selection of the best online blackjack titles, lucrative bonuses, and a few unique features too.
Below are our 3 favourite online blackjack casinos.
► Parimatch Casino – Parimatch is one of the biggest and most popular online casinos in India and its blackjack offerings are truly immense. On the live casino side, you’ll find more than 30 tables including Hindi Blackjack and Free Bet Blackjack.
► Bet365 Casino – The new deal with Playtech will ensure bet365 will be able to offer more exclusive titles in the future. Currently, the new exclusive bet365 studio from Playtech offers several high-class blackjack titles including Quantum Blackjack and the exclusive All Bets Blackjack.
► Betway Casino – This online casino offers Betway exclusive titles and some rather unique games among their 12 blackjack games including Blackjack Party and Bollywood Blackjack.
Online Blackjack
Online casinos in India provide two types of blackjack games to play: Live and table games which are sometimes referred to as Random Number Generator (RNG) games. Both are exciting to play and completely fair.
To see which type of online blackjack game suits your playing style, check out our guide on the distinct differences between the live dealer and RNG blackjack games in India.
Live Blackjack
Live blackjack is the ultimate way to enjoy this popular casino title. At a live casino, players can enjoy a wide array of classic and unique variants. These games are provided by software developers that specialise in casino gaming products and maintain studios dedicated to providing the most advanced gaming experience possible.
Streamed in high definition, live blackjack features a real dealer that interacts with the players and guides the game. It’s just like playing at a land-based casino – right down to the table and room décor.
Players can make game decisions by interacting with the intuitive and interactive screen.
Table Games
3D graphic table games are another way to enjoy blackjack at online casinos in India. The games feature graphics that look as close to the real deal as you could possibly imagine, and the mechanics are very similar to the live casino experience.
There are far more unique variants available to play than in a live casino. Without the need for a live dealer, games can be a little more imaginative and involve far more unique rules such as multi-hand games, exotic side bets, and much more.
Games operate with Random Number Generators, so every game is 100% fair, even though there isn’t a dealer to run the blackjack game.
Table games have the unique benefit of being able to be played as a demo version. This means using virtual currency for no real money reward. You can learn the mechanics of blackjack while testing strategies without risking any real money.
Blackjack Rules
Learning how to play blackjack is actually quite simple. The rules of blackjack are rather straight forward and with some practice, anyone can feel like a blackjack pro. You’ll be given a great deal of decision-making power when you play blackjack online, so we’re here to teach you the basic’s so you’ll know what to do at the tables.
► How To Play Blackjack – The Basics
Players are dealt two cards face up, while the dealer receives one card up and one card down. The aim of blackjack is to beat the dealer and not the other players. This means many players can have a winning hand in a single round.
Players and the dealer must score 21 or less, with the best winning hand being the one closest to 21. A blackjack – an instant winning hand – is a score of 21 with two cards which are made up of a face card or a 10 and an ace.
A score of 22 or more will result in going bust and losing the game. Unlike some other casino games, players are given a lot of decision-making power, and each will be given a turn to either take a card or accept their hand.
► Decisions in Blackjack
When it is your turn, the dealer will give you the chance to take a card – “hit” – or play with your current hand – “stand”. Taking a card will increase your score. For example, if you have a hand of 14 and receive an 8, you will bust out with a total of 22. However, if you received a 6 you would have a strong hand of 20.
There are additional choices too. You can split cards when they are of equal value – for example, two 3’s or two 10s – and take a card for each. This essentially gives you two hands to play with. You can also double down which doubles your bet in exchange for receiving one card only.
► Basic Hand Values
Blackjack card values a quite simple. Face cards – Q, J, K – are worth 10 points. Cards 2 – 10 are worth the points as numbered – so an 8 is worth 8 and so forth. An ace, however, is worth both 1 and 11 depending on the value of the other cards in your hand.
For example, a 10 and ace is a score of 21. However, a 6 and ace could be worth 17 or 7 – if you were to hit and receive a 10, your score would be 17 as the ace would now be worth 1.
What Variations Does Blackjack Have?
One of the most distinct advantages of playing online blackjack over heading to a table in Goa or Sikkim is the varied, and unique variants available at the best blackjack casinos in India.
Whether you want additional side bets, powerful multipliers, ground-breaking rules, or just an exciting theme, you’ll find no shortage of variety at online casinos in India..
- Free Bet Blackjack at Parimatch – With four optional side bets and the ability to make free double downs and splits, Free Bet Blackjack is a unique way to play straight blackjack. The biggest side bet has a maximum payout of 250:1 too.
- Quantum Blackjack Live Plus at bet365 – An enhanced version of the already popular Quantum Blackjack, this title from Playtech features a maximum multiplier of 50x and there are more opportunities to pick up a multiplier than the original Quantum title.
- Bollywood Blackjack Live at Betway – Betway teamed up with Evolution Gaming to create the Bollywood series of live dealer games. Exclusive to the Indian market, Bollywood Blackjack follows the standard blackjack rules but with a fun Bollywood theme.
- Multiplay Blackjack at MELbet – With a huge maximum 4,12,347 bet and a maximum prize of 2000:1, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy this unique variant. The most unique component of this blackjack game is the ability to place side bets without betting on the main hand first.
Payouts of Blackjack
While there are many variations to basic blackjack rules, most games follow a set standard when it comes to payouts. A blackjack will typically pay out 3:2, while any regular win will payout at 1:1. If insurance is taken and is required, you’ll receive a payout of 2:1.
Many games also offer side bets with varying payouts but there will usually be a maximum payout limit – for example, Blackjack Live by Evolution Gaming has a maximum payout of 100:1.
Blackjack Standard Payouts |
|
Hand |
Payout |
Blackjack | 3:2 |
Standard hand | 1:1 |
Insurance | 2:1 |
Game-Winning Blackjack Strategies
While it’s not possible to win every single hand playing online blackjack, there are certainly some time-tested strategies that have proven to be rather successful at increasing the player’s chances of beating the dealer.
For the purpose of this guide, we need to teach new players two important terms; hard and soft hands. A hard hand is a hand with either no aces or an ace that is no longer flexible, while a soft hand is any hand in which the ace is only worth 11 or 1.
Here are our 3 favourite basic online blackjack strategies for new players:
- Never take the insurance bet – Honestly, insurance is a worthless bet. The payout is less than the odds of the dealer having blackjack and even if offered even money by some games, you’ll likely win more in the long run by declining the insurance offer.
- Split Ace’s – This basic blackjack game strategy gives the player two chances to nail a blackjack. Some casinos won’t offer a blackjack bonus as it is not considered a natural blackjack.
- Stand on hard 16 – There are many angles on what to do when you receive a hard 16. It is generally argued that you should stand because the chances of winning from this hand are lower than almost any other hand. Essentially, in almost any dealer situation, it’s a big risk to take a card when so close to a score of 21.
Blackjack Providers in Online Casinos
Online blackjack games are provided to casinos by advanced software developers that both create and run the games. While there are numerous software providers in the iGaming industry, some are bigger than others. Stiff competition means a great deal of game variety and plenty of choice players.
► Evolution Gaming – Evolution might be the biggest and most popular developer of live casino products than any other software provider. Offering a mixture of classic and unique variants, Evolution Gaming currently offers more than a dozen variations and offers different versions of each of those too.
► Ezugi – Ezugi is known for its heavy focus on Asian games but they 3 distinct blackjack games and includes Bet Behind Blackjack and Ultimate 21. Ultimate 21 allows for a realistically infinite number of players at any one time.
► Pragmatic Play – This software provider from Gibraltar and Malta offer both live casino and RNG table games. ONE blackjack is a unique title that allows thousands of players to play on a table with just the dealer.
► Playtech – Playtech offers a lot of casino gaming including a massive slot collection. There are only a few blackjack games but with the new bet365 deal, new exclusive games could soon be available.
Conclusion
The best way to enjoy blackjack is at an online casino in India. Online blackjack offers so many unique variants and exciting ways to play one of the most popular casino games in history.
Play live blackjack for an authentic casino experience with various themes, rules, and unique mechanics. Enjoy RNG table games to test your skills, learn the rules, or simply enjoy online blackjack in a more relaxing setting.
The choice is entirely yours and at an online casino, you’ll never run out of thrilling blackjack titles to play!
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