Blackjack is one of the standard games that you could expect to find at any casino. This cool card game is all about going toe-to-toe with the dealer as you both bid to build a hand of cards totalling 21 in value.
In the past there were blackjack games played in-person at bricks and mortar casinos and electronic ones played at online casinos. Now there is a version of the game that unites aspects of both and it is called live casino blackjack.
It is an exciting blend of the physical and the virtual that has been made possible by advances in technology. What is more, it is growing very quickly indeed.
Since live blackjack games were first introduced, they have risen to become the most popular way to play this particular game. But what is behind that outstanding growth?
Well that is what we are going to find out in this article!
Live Casino: What It Is
Live blackjack is just one offshoot of the wider phenomenon known as live casino. This is something that online casino sites began to introduce to their gaming offer a few years ago.
It involves connecting the users of casino sites to studios that are set up to look like traditional casinos. They feature typical decor, gaming tables and real-life dealers.
This connection is achieved using video streaming, and the 4K camera set-ups operated by online casinos in 2024 mean HD quality images. Live casino represented a risk for casino sites because the investment needed to make it work was not small.
The idea was to replicate the parts of traditional casino gaming that people enjoy; namely the atmosphere and sociability. Online casinos had always had the advantage of being convenient, but the actual gamingexperience often came across as rather sterile and synthetic compared with visiting a land-based venue.
That was the problem live casino was intended to solve and it has done so superbly. The result has been impressive growth and it is now viewed by many as the future for the industry.
Further improvements in technology are allowing people to interact with other gamers as well as dealers. So it is more and more like being at a casino with the added comfort of home.
About Live Blackjack
Live blackjack works in the same way as the other games. The casino site user connects to a blackjack game in a studio using a live video link and the pictures are broadcast in ultra-clear HD so they can see everything they need to.
There is a chat function that allows them to ask the dealer questions during the play and get a response. Not only does that make playing the game feel less lonely than earlier forms of online blackjack, it also means that any problems which arise can be solved.
A significant percentage of the people who log into online casino sites to play blackjack are now choosing the live dealer version. Its growth is evident from the fact that all of the major casino sites now include it as part of the games selection.
How Does Live Blackjack Work?
The rules for live blackjack games are not noticeably different. The aim of the game is to beat the dealer by getting a hand closer to 21 in value. That means learning to play the basic version of the game should not be especially difficult.
Of course many casinos also offer more complex variants such as live multi-hand blackjack. Furthermore, although the basic idea of this game is simple, there are many strategies that can help to tilt the odds in your favour.
It is particularly advisable to practice for a while and learn some strategy before playing live casino blackjack. That is because the real-life dealers can think on their feet to try to beat you in ways that an algorithm cannot really match, so the games are more unpredictable.
Will Live Blackjack Continue to Grow?
The answer to that question appears to be: yes. It is not just a matter of more people in countries like the UK and Europe discovering it, there is also a whole new market opening up.
Much of the US has started to legalise online casino gaming. That means more people in the US signing up to these sites and they are fuelling a further boom in live dealer games.
The casinos are carefully customising their live blackjack games to appeal to the new US market, as well as those in other parts of the world. From providing a range of language options to researching regional preferences to create tailored bonus offers and betting styles, it is as strategic as blackjack itself.
Live dealer blackjack is the future for this game and will keep growing.
