Live Dealer Blackjack For 2024
Every reputable, legal internet casino offers a variety of online blackjack games in its RNG (random number generation) section. These video blackjack amusements are accurate and tons of fun, but for players really interested in replicating the full look and feel of the casino 21 experience through online blackjack, live dealer casinos are the best option.
Live dealer blackjack for USA players is available at all the top sites. Short of actually bellying up to the felts in a brick-and-mortar casino on the Las Vegas Strip, it’s the best way to enjoy this timeless classic. With live dealer 21 at trusted online casinos, you’re playing against real dealers in real-time, and you’re able to watch them shuffle the decks, draw from the shoes, and deal out the cards with full audio and video support.
If you don’t have a nearby retail casino venue where you can conveniently play blackjack, live dealer 21 is the next best thing. Of course, since convenience is king, it might even be the first best thing. So read our brief live blackjack guide and get a kingly ace up your sleeve!
Is It Legal To Play Live Dealer Blackjack In The US?
Yes! When playing the best live blackjack online, USA players are not breaking any US gambling laws. In fact, federal gaming laws only target illicit operators within US borders, not players themselves. And since the top-rated live-dealer 21 sites operate outside of US jurisdiction, that makes them legal and safe to use.
Still, one state – Washington – has laws banning online gambling of all kinds, which includes live blackjack. But if you live in WA, you can still sign up and play, as these laws are not enforced. Nevertheless, you must only say “hit me!” at your own risk.
Best Live Dealer Blackjack Site For 2024
Bovada Casino
America’s Favorite Live Dealer Blackjack Casino Site
Bovada is the United States’ most popular online gambling site, offering every betting market you can think of. However, their live dealer casino section – which is heavily focused on live dealer blackjack – is one of the most popular destinations sitewide. That’s why you’ll always find top marks handed out by every Bovada live blackjack review.
Bovada operates legally out of Costa Rica, which is a reputable offshore gambling jurisdiction. New members can take advantage of a host of perks and bonuses just for signing up, though the biggest perk of all is being able to play online blackjack with a live dealer 24/7 from anywhere in the USA. With that kind of unrivaled convenience, all you have to worry about is doubling down on that inevitable pair of eights!
Compability
Software
Real Time Gaming + Rival
Site Rating
Pros
Bovada Accepts Players From Most USA States
Operates legally out of a legimate international gambling jurisdiction (Costa Rica)
Licensed by the Curacao government
Credit cards and cryptocurrencies accepted
Fast and reliable payouts guaranteed
Generous $3,000 casino bonus
Cons
Only US, Mexico and Brazil players accepted
Excluded States: CO, CT, DC, DE, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, WV
Limited deposit options compared to other sites
USA Casinos With Online Live Dealer Blackjack Games
For the best live dealer blackjack, USA gamblers will want to check out more than just one or two online casinos. Every operator listed below offers live blackjack online, and each one holds its own when it comes to the most popular casino table game on the planet.
Of course, they’re no slouches in other departments, either, as each offers tons of unique casino games and other betting markets for American players. Signing up is fast and free, so we recommend joining several sites to see which one has the best live 21 – and other games – for you!
Site | Review | Bonus Offer | USA | Visit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Read Review | 100% Max $3,000 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 200% Max $1,000 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 500% Max $5,000 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 100% Max $3,000 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 325% Max $9,750 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 400% Max $8,000 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 200% Max $10,000 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 250% Max $2,500 | Play now | ||
Read Review | 100% Max $5,000 | Play now |
2024's Best Live Dealer Blackjack Apps
If you’re playing live blackjack, mobile support is offered at all the sites we recommend. However, you can’t play live casino blackjack on the go by downloading an iPhone blackjack app or Android blackjack app, as the top online mobile casinos don’t actually have native applications available in the App Store or on Google Play.
But that’s a very good thing, because it means there’s never anything to download or update, so you’ll never be caught splitting hairs with time-consuming installations when you’d rather be splitting hands and doubling down.
All the best live dealer BJ sites utilize browser-based web apps, and these work seamlessly across all modern mobile devices, from the smallest iPhones to the biggest iPads and every Android device in between. Regardless of which mobile OS you prefer, you will get a dynamic, responsive site design that looks just like a native app, with live audio and video support so you can play 21 with a real dealer anytime, anywhere.
Live Dealer Blackjack Rules
The blackjack rules for live dealer games are the same as they are for electronic or simulated blackjack. The game is exceptionally simple, which is why it’s so popular among all casino gamblers of every age and demographic. These are the basic rules for live blackjack:
- The goal is for the blackjack player to get a better hand than the blackjack dealer (aka “the house”).
- The player plays only against the dealer, not other players at the blackjack table. Each player is playing his or her own blackjack game against the house.
- Whoever gets closest to 21 without going over – and using the fewest possible cards – wins.
- Number cards are worth their face values, while all face cards are worth 10 points. Aces are worth either one point or 11 points, at the player’s discretion.
- A natural blackjack, or 21, occurs when a player (or the dealer) is dealt an ace along with a 10 or face card.
- In the case of both player and dealer getting natural blackjacks, most casinos will declare the hands a push, with the wager refunded. Always check the casino house rules to confirm this.
- Players are dealt both cards face up. The dealer’s first card is face down, while their second card is face up.
- A dealer must typically stand on 17 or more points, while they must typically hit on 16 or fewer points. These house rules will be advertised for every live dealer BJ game you join.
- If a player is dealt two of the same card, he or she can “double down” by making a new wager and splitting those cards into two active hands.
- Suits have no rank in blackjack.
Live Dealer Blackjack Strategy
Now that you know how to play blackjack, it would do you good to understand some of the basic tactics that the pros use to win big.
If you’ve ever played a blackjack app for fun – or played any of the hundreds of RNG electronic blackjack titles at the sites listed here – you’ve probably developed a bit of a blackjack strategy. And while there is no best blackjack strategy for all players, the best practices that you’re already used to apply to the live dealer version of the game.
For a refresher, please check out our blackjack strategy page. Below, we offer the basics to the linked strategies, because the live game is slightly different:
Browse the action. At any top blackjack online casino, live dealer games are available for viewing by those not actually playing. If you’ve never participated in live BJ before, we recommend “sitting in” on a game in progress to learn the lay of the land – and the cards!
Understand your adjusted odds. Live dealer 21 uses a six-deck or eight-deck shoe, which changes things tremendously from single-deck or double-deck blackjack. Additionally, these shoes are often shuffled and replaced before they’ve been totally emptied.
If you’re used to playing online BJ with just one or two decks, you will have to revise your math extensively to figure out your best odds to win.
Pay attention to the chatter. The best live dealer casinos always have group chat functions for their live table games, allowing bettors to talk to one another.
While it is against the rules to disclose information pertinent to the odds themselves, you might be able to glean an edge by listening to what others are talking about during the game.
Be polite. This won’t help you win blackjack live dealer games, but please be mindful that you can’t win any games at all if you’re booted from the table or the online casino itself.
Live dealer play requires adherence to the site’s code of conduct, and you can be banned for inappropriate behavior.
Tip your dealer. Many of the best live blackjack sites allow you to tip your dealer when you win. Remember: These are real people paid to deal your cards, just like in a brick-and-mortar casino.
While tipping your dealer won’t enhance your chances to win, it will please your dealer and make your overall live blackjack experience that much better.
Live Dealer Blackjack FAQs
Not at all. The best online casinos are constantly under the microscope, and all it takes is a single scandal to tank an operator’s reputation.
These venues take their live dealer games extremely seriously, employing only trained professionals to deal the cards. Further, these operators have a zero-tolerance policy for any cheating of any kind, and any dealer that is caught manipulating the game in the favor of the house will be sent packing immediately, with all affected players made whole.
The sites we recommend have never had any live dealer blackjack scandals, and it is unlikely that they ever will.