kerry white | November 29, 2021 | Updated on: February 9th, 2024
Online Blackjack is a relatively simple card game that ranks high amongst the most popular tabletop games that Australians play. While Blackjack is relatively simple, some variations and included rules can leave new players feeling slightly out of their depth. Our page offers a comprehensive guide to picking and playing the best-rated Online Blackjack casino games.
On our review site, Aussie punters can expect to find top-rated casinos that offer Blackjack games for free or games that are played with real money wagers that reward players with real money winnings. Players can use free games to sharpen their skills to help them better play and win in real money Online Blackjack games. Below we explore everything players need to know when choosing to play Blackjack online.
Top-rated Online Blackjack Casinos in Australia
How to Play Blackjack Online
Players new to Blackjack can follow this guide to sign up and play Online Blackjack casino games. We take it step-by-step to assist you in the process.
- Step 1 – Select a best-rated online casino that offers Blackjack games online.
- Step 2 – Create a player account and make the first deposit, don’t forget to claim any bonuses.
- Step 3 – Decide on which variant of Blackjack you wish to play.
- Step 4 – Choose how much money you want to wager, place your bets and start the game by clicking “Deal”. You will then receive two playing cards.
- Step 5 – Take a moment to look at the values of your cards; the dealer will also have a face-up card on the table, don’t forget to look at the value on it.
- Step 6 – Now comes time for your next move. You will need to decide whether to Hit, Stand, Double Down, Split, or Surrender. We have expanded on these options further on.
- Step 7 – If you wish to add extra cards to your hand, they will be given to you now. When done, choose to “stand”.
- Step 8 – When you are done playing, the dealer will take their turn to play their hand.
- Step 9 – Once both hands have played, the winning hand will be revealed, and if your hand wins, you will receive your winnings.
The Basics of Online Blackjack
We want to assist you in understanding the principles of Blackjack. To help you get the most out of your games, we offer a basic understanding of Blackjack to help bring across the basics of gameplay. Below we briefly explore the goals, card values and Blackjack terminology.
The Goal of Blackjack
Players aim to attain a hand of cards that accumulate to a value of 21, no higher. Your competitor The dealer, aims to achieve the same goal. The player with the number closest to 21 will win the round, while players who go over the value of 21, Known as a “bust”, will instantly lose the round.
Card Values in Blackjack
With the goal of Blackjack in mind, players need to know the card values to help build the winning hand. We expand on these below to help you make this possible.
- Cards 2-10 – Keep their represented value.
- Jack, Queen, King – Hold The value of 10.
- An Ace: Can hold the value of 1 or 11
Online Blackjack Betting Terminology
Players should now understand the card value system. With this knowledge, you can decide on a betting option that best suits your hand of cards. Players will use a combination of betting options as the game progresses. Understanding each option will best assist you in playing on and increasing your chances of winning the round.
- Stand – Players who are satisfied with the value of their hand will opt to “stand”. They will receive no extra cards, and the dealer must then play.
- Hit – When a player deems that their in-hand value is too low, they can choose to “Hit”. This will indicate to the dealer that they wish to add a card to their hand. Players may choose to “Hit” as often as they like but need to be cautious to avoid exceeding the value of 21, which is a “Bust” and an immediate loss.
- Double Down – This option is used to double your initial bet and increase your hand by one card. Players will choose this betting option when they are confident they will win the round with the value boost of one extra card. It is best to use this option when the player’s hand value equals 10 or 11.
- Split – Players who receive starting cards of identical value are given a choice to split their cards into two hands. Choosing to play this way will double your initial wager as players have opted in to play two different hands. Each hand plays independently, and players can “Hit” each hand with as many cards as they choose. Playing a “split” is helpful with certain card values but best plays with mid-range values. It is never recommended to split a high-value hand as you could decrease the chances of finishing with a hand of the highest value.
Online Blackjack Tips and Tricks
Players will learn over time to refine their techniques when playing Online Blackjack. Until then, it is best to have some tips and tricks to help develop your gameplay style. The tips and tricks we cover will help players enhance their games and increase their chances of winning.
- Take care to memorise the basic rules of gameplay and the values of cards for smooth in-game decision-making.
- While the value of 21 is the ultimate goal, it’s best to play towards attaining a higher hand than the dealer or other players at the table.
- A player budget is of utmost importance. Players must set a budget for how much they are willing to wager. If players lose this amount, it’s best to walk away; we never recommend playing on in the hopes of winning back any losses.
- Players must ensure they play with clear minds; it’s never a good idea to wager bets while intoxicated. This leads to poor outcomes and may only bring undesirable results.
- It’s important to remember to let the dealers’ card be a guide to your wagering decisions.
- With a hand value of 11 or lower, it’s always best to choose to “Hit.”
- If you receive two 8’s at the beginning of a game, it’s always best to “split”. A value of 16 offers the worst probability of building a high-value hand.
- If your hand is valued at 18, players should choose to “Stand”.
- Choose to “stand” when your hand’s value is 17, and the dealers’ visible card presents a value of 7 or lower
Soft & Hard Hands in Blackjack
As players learn to play Blackjack, they will come across the concept of soft and hard hands. The different hands will shape betting decisions, so players should familiarise themselves and remember this difference. Understanding the key difference between the two will better fine-tune the players’ game techniques.
Understanding Hard Hands
It is commonplace for players to experience a hand that holds a fixed, unchanging value. Player hands that do not contain an Ace will have a locked value; for example, A hand with a 2 and 9 will equal 11. This is known as a Hard Hand.
Understanding Soft Hands
Soft hands are the opposite of hard hands and change in value with the presence of an Ace; as previously noted, an Ace holds the value of one or 11. For example, a hand holding an Ace and a 7 can change between a high value of 18 and a lower value of eight. Players can achieve Blackjack with just two cards but will need an Ace.
Free Blackjack vs Real Money Online Blackjack
The best-rated online casinos allow Australian players to play Online Blackjack games for free or real money. New players benefit from this option as they have a chance to learn to play before risking any real money wagers. New players should take this advantage to learn the gameplay mechanics, card values and betting structures. Free play Online Blackjack offers games for fun but does not offer any real money winnings to players. Players will need to wager real money bets to win real money winnings.
Seasoned Blackjack players can also benefit from playing free games. By using the opportunity to play free Online Blackjack games, experienced players can explore new betting strategies and techniques without putting any risk on their bankrolls.
Players satisfied with their free gameplay techniques can switch from free games to real money betting games anytime. Any winnings won in real money games will payout real money winnings into the player’s account which can be transferred into a bank account at any time.
Types of Online Blackjack Games in Australia
There are a few options players can choose from when choosing to play Online Blackjack. The best-rated Australian casinos will have a fantastic selection of Blackjack games to choose from. Blackjack can be classified into different game types that will offer slight variations in rules and gameplay. We have expanded on these variations below.
Spanish 21 Blackjack
This version of Blackjack includes a set of rules that change the gameplay to help build a better player experience. These included rules are below.
- Late game surrendering by players is allowed.
- Players can double down after splitting
- Aces can be re-split
- A player that achieves 21 always wins
- Players with a Blackjack trump a Dealers Blackjack
European Blackjack
This is another popular version of Blackjack played by Australians. The changes in this version of Blackjack are minor. We have listed these rules below.
- Players play with two decks only instead of the usual six to eight decks.
- The dealer does not receive their hole card until the player has completed their turn.
- Doubling down can only be done when a player has a hand value between 9 – 11
Single Deck Blackjack Online
It used to be standard practice for Blackjack to be played with a single deck. Players learned that they could use a “counting cards” technique to manipulate the game outcomes. To counter this, casinos added more decks of cards to the game.
Live Dealer Blackjack
Live Blackjack games are the best way to recreate the in-person game experience on players’ devices. Instead of playing games where a random number generator is responsible for dealing card values, a live broadcast dealer will deal real cards over a Livestream.
Online Blackjack Australia FAQs
Players who choose to play at regulated casinos can expect to earn real money winnings when playing Online Blackjack. Picking from any of our listed best-rated Australian online casinos will guarantee that you receive your real money winnings quick and hassle-free.
Players with experience in Blackjack games have a skill advantage over new players. With this experience, seasoned players will win more often as skill is an advantage in making wiser betting decisions. While skill is beneficial, luck is also required to secure the win.
The short answer is no; independent sources check regulated casinos for fairness and randomised results. Online casinos that are not regulated play by their own rules and are considered untrustworthy. It is important to ensure you play Blackjack at tried and tested casinos. We offer reviews to list these regulated casinos ensuring players receive a fantastic experience always.
Players will need to sign up at online casinos that accept Australian players. It’s important to pick top-rated regulated online casinos to ensure safe and secure gameplay. Once signed up, make your first deposit into your game account. Then you will need to choose a Blackjack version to play. Lastly, start your game and make your bets. For your convenience, the casinos we have reviewed offer real money gameplay with real money winnings.
The basic rule of thumb in Blackjack is that players work towards attaining a value closest to, but no higher than, 21. The winning hand is always the one closest to 21. The ultimate winning hand known is getting 21 with your first two cards, known as Blackjack. Players must play strategically to ensure their hand value outweighs everyone else at the table, securing their win.
All the best-rated casinos offer most, if not all, of their games for free play, including Blackjack. Players can enjoy Blackjack games risk-free without putting any real-money wagers on the line. Playing for free is a great way to gain in-game experience, which builds better confidence and technique for real-money games. It’s important to note that free games will not require any real money wagers and will not pay out any real money winnings.
Players will encounter Blackjack variants that allow for players to surrender. This is applicable when players feel uncertain about securing a win with the cards they have in hand. Choosing to surrender will end the round, and players will lose half their wagers instead of the full amount. However, choosing this option is not always recommended as a bad hand may still win. The dealer may bust, giving the player a win.
Counting cards is a technique players use to count how many cards are left in a deck. Online Blackjack casino games will reshuffle the deck after every hand, making this practice ineffective. Doing so means that only a few cards will be drawn before the shuffle happens, keeping cards drawn completely random.
A hand with two 10’s presents a very strong hand value of 20 that can only be beaten by a value of 21 (Blackjack). The dealer will have a very small margin of a chance to beat your hand. Splitting two tens will weaken your hand into two weaker hands and greatly lowers your winning chances.
With the countless Blackjack casinos online that offer Online Blackjack, it is impossible to select the best Blackjack site. Players can make this decision for themselves by selecting casinos that best suit their preferences for game varieties. However, we list our best-recommended Blackjack sites and encourage players to choose from our list to guarantee a fantastic experience.
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