Live Blackjack: Skill-based Casino Card Game to Beat the House
Blackjack is a popular live casino card game that’s best played as live blackjack instead of any virtual blackjack table. This is mainly because the game is more of a skill-based game instead of a luck-based one as certain players can win big by taking advantage of certain game factors, including what cards are drawn and how hands are played.
SSBet77’s live blackjack tables come mostly from Evolution Gaming which provides a lot of different casino games and is not focused on any one table game.
General Rules of Live Blackjack Games
The general rules for live blackjack are the following:
The rules above are the general rules that most tables follow. Some live blackjack tables, however, might introduce some small changes here and there to accommodate for other rule changes or to differentiate the table a bit from others.
The goal to win is for the player to get a hand valued at “21,” at least beat the value of the dealer’s hand, or get the dealer to bust regardless of the player’s hand value. Achieving these is possible using the different moves that players can make once they’re dealt a hand.
General Rules: Blackjack Moves
Once all initial hands are dealt, the first player in the table who’s located at the right side of the table will be able to make the first betting decision. Once that player is done, other players in the table can make their own moves. In Speed Blackjack, the decisions are made by the first person who decides to make a move regardless of where they are seated. These moves are the following:
These four moves are the basic moves and are the only ones that bettors must keep in mind of to win consistently. Mastering these moves involves mastering Basic Strategy, which is essentially the foundation of all successful blackjack strategies as it pertains to the mathematically correct decisions to make when playing.
Multi-seat tables can be used to take advantage of these moves by anticipating whether a bust card will appear that would have resulted in all the players if dealt to the dealer instead of another player. The last player can play incorrectly to try and force the dealer to bust, but depending on this can be risky, tricky, and downright reliant on superstition, but certain players will insist on this to keep themselves from losing without any regard for the other player. One example is below:
- First two players are dealt hands valued at 19 and 20 each and both stand against the dealer’s 6.
- Anchor is dealt a 12 and hits according to Basic Strategy but ends up busting.
- Dealer reveals a 10 for a 16 then deals a 5 for a 21 when they would have busted when the Anchor stayed.
- Even though the anchor played correctly, the other players end up with huge losses if they’re high rollers, especially if anchor placed minimum bets.
General Rules: Blackjack Card Values
The card values for blackjack cards are the following:
Blackjack’s cards are valued generally according to their face values besides Aces and Face cards. Aces are valued at either 1 or 11, depending on the hand’s current value. Face cards are always 10.
The reason why Aces are read differently is because they can form either soft or hard hands. Natural blackjacks are achieved by getting an Ace and a 10 to get a 21, which is a soft total containing an Ace’s 11 and a 10. Having multiple Aces in a hand only results in one Ace being valued at 11 and the other one/s being valued at 1 to avoid a bust.
The Six Card Charlie Rule
In some SSBet77 blackjack tables, players can win through the Six Card Charlie Rule which states that the player automatically wins when they’re dealt six cards without getting a 21 or without busting. This is more of a last-ditch method to win against the dealer due to how unlikely it is to get this. A freak streak of six Aces results in a Six Card Charlie win with a hand valued at 16. Another example is getting a 10, a 2, a 3, an Ace, another 2, and another Ace for a 19.
Six Card Charlie pays out automatically when the table features the rule.
How to Win at Live Blackjack Games
The only reliable way to win at blackjack is by mastering Basic Strategy, which is a list of best possible moves to make in a blackjack round. Some of the easiest to remember decisions are the following:
There are more decisions to remember, including conditional ones depending on dealer’s upcard. After mastering Basic Strategy, gamblers can opt to count cards to increase their chances of getting paid out big by increasing stakes when players have the advantage.
Some players might opt to play against the book as part of their deviations or to try and force the dealer to bust or have a weaker hand. One example is hitting or doubling on an 18 to try and get a 21 only to get a 20 while the dealer gets a 15 then gets a 6 when they would have stayed on 17 if the player didn’t play against the book. To try and force the dealer to bust, the player inadvertently allowed the dealer to get a 21 when they would have otherwise stayed.
Conclusion
Live blackjack is a popular casino card game that many professional gamblers can take advantage of to win big by using certain strategies to get an edge and win big. Try playing blackjack today and win with your skills and know-how. Evolution Gaming has plenty of game variations to choose from, including Infinite, Power, and Free Bet Blackjack with their own rule variations to make gameplay more exciting.
Register at SSBet77 to start playing these games now and even try out the Free Bet mechanics we showed above.
