The live dealer blackjack revolution is well and truly hitting its stride on a global basis. Increasingly, online gamblers are discovering just how immersive and engaging it can be to take part in live casino gaming, as an alternative to playing against a machine.
Not that standard online casino gaming isn’t fantastic, but still – involve a human host in the mix and the whole thing takes on an entirely new dynamic.
Still, live blackjack is by no means immune to the usual cavalcade of crazy theories and misleading myths about how the action goes down. Some of which could easily put some players off trying it entirely.
With this in mind, we thought we’d take a look as some of the most prolific examples of these untruths, in order to set them straight once and for all.
Let’s get started busting a bunch of myths about live blackjack:
1. You have to bet more when playing live blackjack
It’s often assumed that as there is a live dealer in charge of the action, you inherently have to pay more to take part. In reality, you can play live blackjack at many online casinos with exactly the same stakes as at any other blackjack table.
While many impose minimum wagers of £5 – pretty much standard across the industry in general – there are some that take things as low as £1 or as high as £10. For high rollers, tables with stakes of £50 to £100 are also available. But just because you can bet more when playing live blackjack online does not necessarily mean you have to bet more.
2. There’s always a queue for available seats
While there’s a queue of people waiting to sit down at a blackjack table, the casino is technically losing out. This is because if these people waiting in line were already sitting and playing, they’d be pumping money into the casino’s coffers.
Unsurprisingly, this isn’t something the average online casino is oblivious to. Precisely why they tend to have a near-endless list of hosts and dealers waiting in the wings, ready to step in each time a table fills up and new table needs opening. As a result, it’s actually extremely rare to find yourself in a position where you have to wait around to get a seat at a live blackjack table.
3. The odds are far worse when playing online blackjack in general
The objective of almost every decent casino worth doing business with is to accurately replicate the real-life casino experience. Something that includes ensuring the games on offer have exactly the same bonds and house edge as in a real casino setting.
Though there are exceptions to the rule, the vast majority of top-name online casinos ensure the odds of winning or losing are absolutely identical to the real thing. This means that whether you play online or offline, there’s absolutely no difference in terms of how likely you are to win or lose at the blackjack table. Feel free to check the pay table and the casino’s published terms and conditions, but this is rarely a cause for concern.
4. Free play is available with live casino blackjack
If you find an online casino that enables you to play live blackjack for free, take full advantage of it! For the most part, this is something that doesn’t happen – free play is almost always limited exclusively to standard online casino games.
This is because for an online casino, running an automated casino game of any kind is technically free. It doesn’t take up any resources and there are no real manpower requirements involved. With live casino gaming, skilled and experienced hosts need to be paid fairly for the roles they play. As a result, live-dealer gaming is almost never offered free of charge.
5. You need to be experienced to join a live blackjack table
Experience can certainly work in your favour, but beginners are also welcome at live blackjack tables. In fact, starting out at a live blackjack table for the first time can be a great way of learning the ropes. Rather than making things up as you go along, you benefit from a live dealer you can converse with, ask for pointers and (sometimes) count on to prevent you from making big mistakes.
Live casino blackjack isn’t nearly as intimidating as it sounds and nor is it a game reserved exclusively for experienced players.
6. You can count cards if you know what you are doing
Unfortunately – depending on your perspective – live online casino completely rules the prospect of counting cards out of the equation. The game is played in such a way as to make it fundamentally impossible to even remotely tip the balance in your favour by noting which cards have already been dealt.
While this is something that can work in a conventional casino setting, it cannot and will not work online. If anything, it will simply motivate you to make all the wrong moves at all the wrong times, ultimately taking a toll on your bankroll.
7. Live dealer blackjack bonuses aren’t worth bothering with
Last but not least, there aren’t many live dealer blackjack bonuses available that are particularly profitable in nature. There are plenty of incentives around, but for the most part simply provide you with the opportunity to check out what’s on offer with some bonus funds in your account.
However, this doesn’t mean for a moment that they aren’t worth bothering with. In reference to the point raised above, this is the closest you will ever get to being able to check out live dealer blackjack for free. Sign up, claim your bonus and use these additional funds to see what all the fuss is about in the live casino section.
Just don’t make the mistake of ever assuming bonus funds are the same as real cash, or you’re in for a disappointment!