Dealer Gets Blackjack
- In Blackjack, at the start of each hand, every player is dealt two cards face up. The dealer receives only one card face up. What is the reason for this difference? Why aren't the dealer's cards dealt the same way as the players' cards?
- If the dealer gets blackjack, all players lose other than those with blackjack. If both the dealer and a player have blackjack, this is considered a draw, and the player gets their bet back. If a player has blackjack and the dealer does not, the player wins and gets a 3:2 payout on their bet.
If the dealer gets blackjack, all players lose other than those with blackjack. If both the dealer and a player have blackjack, this is considered a draw, and the player gets their bet back. If a player has blackjack and the dealer does not, the player wins and gets a 3:2 payout on their bet.
Introduction
Live dealer blackjack rules vary quite a bit. All are dealt from a shoe, with about 50% penetration. I think nobody allows re-splitting any pair. In other words, one split only. Most stand on a soft 17. The most variable rules seem to be on surrender and the dealer peeking for blackjack.
Special mention should be made about the Ezugi game, where early surrender against an ace is allowed. The effect of this rule variation is a reduction in the house edge of 0.39% to a low 0.11%. Personally, I think they don't understand what they are doing and this rule won't last once they realize how beneficial it is to the player.
It is difficult writing live dealer software reviews when I don't have access to play or watch the games. This was the case with Ho Gaming and Vivo Gaming.
As to the appearance of the table and dealer, please refer to the screenshots at the bottom of the page, especially for Usoft.
Odds Comparison
The following table shows the configurable rules, to the best of my knowledge, at various brands of live dealer studios. An explanation of the column headings follows the table.
Live Dealer Blackjack Comparison
| Brand | Play | Decks | Soft 17 | DAS | Peek | Surr. | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaya Software(Live) | Vera John Casino | 8 | Hit | No | No | No | 0.71% |
| Asia Gaming(Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.62% |
| BetConstruct(Blackjack) | Casino British | 1 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.43% |
| Evolution Gaming(Infinite Blackjack (with six-card Charlie)) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.45% |
| Evolution Gaming(Live Dealer Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | No | No | No | 0.72% |
| Extreme Live Gaming(Blackjack) | Leo Vegas | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.62% |
| Ezugi(Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.11% |
| Ezugi(Unlimited) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.35% |
| FashionTV(Blackjack) | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.41% | |
| Fresh Deck Studios(Blackjack) | Super Slots | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.62% |
| Gameplay Interactive(Blackjack) | Casino777 | 6 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.46% |
| HO Gaming(Blackjack) | Vera John Casino | 8 | Hit | No | No | No | 0.6% |
| LuckyStreak(Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | No | 0.49% |
| Net Entertainment(Common Draw Blackjack (Live Dealer)) | Casoo Casino | 6 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.59% |
| Net Entertainment(Live Beyond Live Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 6 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.59% |
| Playtech(Unlimited Blackjack (Live Dealer)) | BitStarz | 8 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.5% |
| Usoft Gaming(Blackjack Unlimited) | Playhub Casino | 6 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.43% |
| Visionary iGaming(Early Payout) | Sloto'Cash Casino | 1 | Stand | Yes | Yes | No | 0.69% |
| Visionary iGaming(Blackjack) | Sloto'Cash Casino | 6 | Stand | Yes | Yes | No | 0.69% |
| Vivo Gaming(Blackjack) | BitStarz | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | No | 0.5% |
| Wirex Gaming(Blackjack) | 8 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.56% | |
| Xprogaming(Blackjack) | Tusk Casino | 6 | Stand | Yes | No | No | 0.54% |
Column headings:
- Brand: Live dealer studio and in some cases the particular game.
- Decks: Number of decks used. Penetration tends to be about 50% everywhere.
- Soft 17: What the dealer does with a soft 17.
- DAS: Is double after a split allowed?
- Peek: Does the dealer peek at hole card for a blackjack. In cases where there isn't a hole card, the value in the table indicates if the player will lose his original bet only (yes) or everything (no) if the dealer eventually gets a blackjack. Sometimes the dealer will peek only under 10 or under an ace. Possible values are:
- Yes = Dealer always peeks with either a 10 or ace up.
- No = Dealer never peeks. Player will lose all money bet doubling and splitting if the dealer gets a blackjack
- Ace only = Dealer peeks only under an ace up. If no hole card is taken, 'ace only' means the player will lose his original bet only if the dealer gets a blackjack starting with an ace up, but everything if starting with a 10 up.
- 10 only = Dealer peeks only under a 10 up. If no hole card is taken, '10 only' means the player will lose his original bet only if the dealer gets a blackjack starting with a 10 up, but everything if starting with an ace up.
- Surrender = Can player forfeit half his bet and not play the hand? This option is generally offered only after the dealer peeks for blackjack, but in the Ezugi regular game (as opposed to unlimited), the player may surrender before the dealer peeks.
- Edge = House edge
Screenshots
Asia Gaming.
FashionTV.
Blackjack Dealer Gets 21
Ho Gaming.
Evolution Gaming.
Wirex.
In the Usoft game, the dealer will flash when any player gets a blackjack.
Blackjack Early Payout and regular blackjack by Visionary iGaming.
Blackjack early payout and conventional blackjack by Net Entertainment.