Master Online Blackjack: Strategies & Best SA Casinos
Blackjack is a unique online casino game. It is one of the few games where your skill and strategy matter as much - or maybe even more - than your luck. Blackjack has a low house edge and great odds for you to win. If you play it right, that is. Whether you are a seasoned player looking for the best South African blackjack casinos or a newbie learning to play, there’s something for you on this page.
You may wonder how we select the best casinos for blackjack. Out of the dozens of South African online casinos, we select only the most valuable ones based on these criteria:
- A good reputation and track record
- No compromise in safety and security
- Deposits and withdrawals in South African Rands
- Fair and lucrative bonuses
We verify each casino in-depth, from registration to withdrawals, so we can recommend only the ones that are hundreds.
Blackjack Terms
But before we dive into the game itself, let’s take a look at blackjack slang. The game has its terms that you need to be familiar with to know what’s happening at the table and why.
- Bust: to go over 21 points
- Basic strategy: a guide to help you win more blackjack hands
- Double or Double down: double your bet and get one more card
- Even money: a winning that’s equal to your bet (1:1)
- Five Card Charlie: in some blackjack variants, you win automatically if you have a hand consisting of five cards without going bust
- Hard hand: A hand that doesn’t have an Ace or where the Ace has to count as 1 point to avoid going bust
- Hit: To ask for one more card (“Hit me”)
- Hole card: The dealer’s card that’s face down on the table, not visible
- Insurance: a side bet in blackjack where you can bet on the dealer having a blackjack. Available when the dealer shows an Ace or a face/10 card. Usually pays 2:1
- Natural: A two-card hand with a total of 21 points (e.g. an Ace and a 10). Blackjack.
- Push: A tie - when your hand and the dealer’s hand are equal. You get your bet back.
- Shoe: The box the dealer takes the cards out of. Used in live dealer online blackjack.
- Six Card Charlie: similar to the Five Card Charlie - when you get six cards without exceeding 21 points
- Soft hand: A hand that can include an Ace that counts as 11.
- Split: When you are dealt two cards of equal value, you can split them into two separate hands. You bet on the new hand the same amount as on the original.
- Stand: When you don’t want any other cards.
- Surrender: When you abandon the round and recover half of your original bet.
- Upcard: The dealer’s visible card, face up.
Blackjack Rules
Now that we have the terms out of the way, let’s take a look at the rules. Blackjack is a simple game with a simple goal: have a hand closer to 21 points than the dealer, without going over. The game is played with one or multiple decks of standard playing cards (poker cards) with no jokers. These are the values of the cards:
- 2 through 9: these cards have a face value or the value that is written on them
- 10 and face cards (J, Q, K): 10 points
- Ace: 1 or 11 points, depending on whether the hand is hard or soft
Blackjack Winning Conditions
You win a hand of blackjack if:
- You have a blackjack (an Ace and a 10 or a face card)
- You have a hand with a total closer to 21 than the dealer (e.g. 20, when the dealer has 19)
- The dealer goes bust
How to Play Blackjack
Here’s how a typical game of blackjack is played out:
- You place a bet
- You are dealt two cards, and the house is also dealt two, but they only reveal one (the upcard), while the second (the hole card) remains hidden
- Your hand total is calculated
- You can hit (ask for another card) or stand (stop)
- After all players at the table are served, the dealer reveals the hole card. The dealer can hit or stand depending on the total and the table rules.
- If none of you went bust (over 21), the hand values are compared.
Blackjack Variants
Blackjack was born out of a Spanish game that reached the Americas through France and Britain. It was there where it got its name - legend has it, the game had a bonus payout for a hand consisting of a ten of spades and a black Jack. Over the years, many variants of the game emerged.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is not the original game - despite its name - but a blackjack variant introduced in the mid-1990s in a Las Vegas casino. It is a mix of old and new, with rules that ensure it has one of the smallest house edges of all variants:
- It is played with 48-card Spanish decks that have no 10s
- Blackjack always wins and pays 3 to 2, even when the dealer also has a blackjack
- A total of 21 always wins, even if the dealer has 21
- You can split to four hands, even aces
- You can double down at any time, with any total, and any number of cards
- You can surrender after doubling down
- A five-card 21 pays 3:2, a six-card 21 pays 2:1, and a seven or more card 21 pays 3:1
Vegas-style blackjack
Ironically, this blackjack variant is played in California casinos - and, of course, live casinos online. What makes it special is that going bust (over 21) doesn’t always mean an automatic loss - if the dealer also goes bust, you recover your bet.
Double Exposure Blackjack
In double-exposure blackjack, you get to see both of the dealer's cards from the start. This is an advantage for you - but the game has some challenging rules that make it a tough one to beat:
- Blackjack pays even money (1:1)
- When your hand is equal to the dealer’s, you lose
- There’s no insurance bet and no surrender in the game
Blackjack Switch
An interesting blackjack variant mostly played in real-life casinos. Here, you are dealt two hands, and you can switch the second card you get between them. Once again, the game has challenges to compensate for the advantage you get by switching:
- A natural blackjack pays 1:1 instead of the standard 3:2
- If a dealer has a hard 22, it pushes all player hands except for a natural blackjack
- It comes with a side bet called “Super Match” which rewards certain card combinations
Infinite Blackjack
An Evolution Gaming exclusive, Infinite Blackjack is a live dealer blackjack variant with low bet limits. It has a standard set of rules and a selection of side bets:
- Any Pair
- 21+3
- Hot 3
- Bust It
On top of that, it has the Six Card Charlie rule. Try it today at Playa Bets.
Power Blackjack
Another Evolution Gaming title, Power Blackjack is played with decks that have the 9s and 10s removed. What makes it stand out is that you can not only double but triple or quadruple down on any initial hand, even after a split.
Live Blackjack
Live blackjack is the live casino variant of the traditional blackjack game. It was introduced in the mid-2000s and has become one of the most beloved live dealer games since.
Live Blackjack Rules
The rules of live blackjack are, in general, the same as the rules of the game played in casinos like Sun City or Montecasino. There can be certain deviations from the standard rules - like in the case of the Infinite Blackjack and Power Blackjack games we mentioned above.
How Does Live Blackjack Work?
Live dealer blackjack works a lot like the random number generator-powered variant in traditional online casinos. There are, of course, a few major differences between the two. RNG blackjack, for example, “shuffles” the cards before every round, whereas in live blackjack, there’s a shoe with several decks that are played through before shuffling.
In front of the shoe, there’s a scanner that uses OCR to scan and recognize the cards being dealt. This is then transmitted by the game control unit to the user interface on your side. The same GCU then transmits your bets and decisions to the dealer’s display. An important part of the game is the camera that streams the actions of the dealer as they happen.
Otherwise, the game is played out like it would in a real-life casino:
- You place a bet along with any potential side bets
- The dealer serves you and deals their cards
- You decide whether you want to hit, stand, double down, or surrender
- The hands are compared and the winnings are paid out
- The table is cleared, and the next round begins.
Play Live Blackjack At These Casinos
Betting on Blackjack
To participate in a game of blackjack, you need to place a bet. In RNG blackjack, you can play in free demo mode - in the live dealer variant, you can’t. Your only option is to play for real money.
Bet Limits
Before joining a live blackjack table, make sure to consult the table’s bet limits. Different games have different minimum and maximum bets. You should find one that fits your budget and risk tolerance.
The bet limits can vary from one table to another, and the games from one provider to another. For example, you can find tables with a minimum bet of R10 and a maximum of R250, but others can accept bets between R100 and R1,000.
Your Main Bet
When you sit down at the live blackjack table, you are expected to place a bet. This can be any amount the table permits. This will be the basis for your payouts. Here are the wins you can achieve:
- Winning a hand by beating the dealer’s hand or the dealer going bust pays even money (1 to 1, R100 for an R100 bet)
- Having a blackjack or a hand consisting of an ace and a 10-point card pays 3 to 2 (1.5 times your bet, or R150 for an R100 bet) or 6 to 5 (1.2 times your bet, or R120 on an R100 bet)
- If you push, or have a hand equal to the dealer’s hand, you get your initial bet back
- Depending on the variant played and the table rules, there can be special payouts for certain hands. 5-card Charlie or 6-card Charlie will pay a bonus for a 5 or a 6-card hand, respectively.
Live Blackjack Side Bets
Live dealer blackjack tables often come with interesting side bets that make the game even more interesting. These promise bonus payouts for certain card combinations that can emerge during the game.
- Any Pair pays when you are dealt two matching cards (A-A, 10-10, 6-6, 9-9).
- Perfect Pairs pays when you are dealt these types of pairs:
- Mixed pairs (e.g. 10 of spades and 10 of hearts)
- Coloured pairs (e.g. 10 of spades and 10 of clubs - both black)
- Perfect pairs (e.g. two 10s of spades)
- 21+3 is a side bet that uniquely combines blackjack and poker. You are paid based on the poker value of the three-card hand consisting of your two cards and the dealer’s upcard. The possible winning combinations are:
- Flush: any three cards of the same suite (e.g. 3 clubs of any value)
- Straight: three cards that have different suites (e.g. 8, 9, and 10 different suites)
- Three of a kind: three cards of the same value but different suites (e.g. K of clubs, hearts, and spades)
- Straight flush: three cards that have the same suite (e.g. 8, 9, and 10 of hearts)
- Three of the same card: three cards with the same rank and suit (e.g. three Ks of clubs)
The payouts for each of these side bets depend on the type of game and the individual table. Always consult the paytable before placing any side bets.
Bet Behind
One of the unique features of a live dealer blackjack is the option to “bet behind” other players. This means that you don’t have to play the game yourself - you can bet on the hands and actions of a player at a table instead. Betting behind can be useful when you don’t want to play yourself, letting someone else do the thinking, or when there’s no room left at the table where you want to play.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
Blackjack is different from other casino games. Where other games rely entirely on luck (think slot machines or roulette), blackjack has a strong element of skill and strategy. This means that, if you play right, you can maximize the number of winning rounds and minimize your losses, further reducing the game’s already low house edge.
The basic blackjack strategy was created to help you make the right decisions in the game. It has a set of general rules that you should follow and is completed by a table that you can refer to for every type of hand you may be dealt during a game.
General Rules
There are many things you have to keep in mind if you want to play blackjack for profit. The first thing is to choose a blackjack variant with rules that are to your advantage. The ideal blackjack table has the following rules:
- It has the best betting limits for your budget
- The dealer stands on a soft 17
- You may double on any two first cards
- You may double after a split
- You may split aces up to 4 times
Avoid tables where:
- Blackjack pays 6:5 instead of the usual 3:2 (6:0 means 1.2 times your bet, as opposed to 1.5 times for 3:2)
- The dealer hits on a soft 17
- You can only double down on hands of 10 or 11
- Split aces can only receive one card
- You may not double after a split
All these increase the house’s advantage and, implicitly, reduce yours.
Basic Tips
Blackjack’s basic strategy gives you a detailed roadmap for what you should do for any hand. But you can’t always use a strategy chart or maybe it ruins your fun, like it does for me. In this case, here are a few tips that will bend the odds in your favour, helping you win more hands:
- Always assume that the dealer has a hole card worth 10 points. For example, if the dealer shows a 6, assume they have a hand worth 16 points. Act accordingly:
- If the dealer stands on a soft 17, chances are they’ll hit and go bust
- If you have a hand of 15 or under, hit or surrender
- If you have a hand of 16 or over, stand
- Never take insurance. The “insurance” bet is basically you betting on the dealer having a blackjack. The chances of this happening are pretty low, though. More often than not, you’ll lose the Insurance bet.
- Avoid side bets. The big payouts come with a high risk.
- Always double on 10 or 11 except when the dealer shows an Ace. Your chances of winning these hands are pretty high.
- Always split aces and eights.
- Never split tens or face cards.
These are just a few general rules for when you don’t want to carry a blackjack strategy chart with you - or you play for fun. But even these will improve your chances of winning at any blackjack table.
Basic Strategy
There is no “one size fits all” strategy that works for every blackjack table. You should always adapt to the rules of the specific table you play at. Countless blackjack experts have created their own guides and hand charts for blackjack. We don’t pretend to know the game better than them - instead, we’ll show you which ones we use:
- Wizard of Odds’ section on blackjack has elaborate strategies for various table rules and numbers of decks
- Tusk Casino’s guide on how to play each blackjack hand correctly
- MIT Mike’s basic strategy guide
Blackjack FAQ
What is Blackjack?
Blackjack is a card game where you aim to beat the dealer by having your cards total 21 or as close to 21 as possible without going over.
How to Play Blackjack?
To play Blackjack, you're dealt two cards and can choose to "hit" (take another card) or "stand" (keep your current hand), with the goal of getting closer to 21 than the dealer without exceeding it.
How to Win At Blackjack?
To win at Blackjack, make strategic decisions like when to hit, stand, double down, or split, based on your cards and the dealer's visible card, to maximize your chances of beating the dealer.
When Can You Split In Blackjack?
You can split in Blackjack when you're dealt two cards of the same value, allowing you to separate them into two individual hands, each with a separate bet equal to your original wager.
What Is Insurance?
Insurance is an optional bet you can make when the dealer's upcard is an Ace, betting half your original wager on whether the dealer has a Blackjack.
What Is 21+3, Any Pair, Perfect Pairs?
21+3, Any Pair and Perfect Pairs are side bets you can place on various live dealer blackjack games.