Over the years, many blackjack players have become famous thanks to their casino exploits, contributions to theory, or the bestselling books that they have published. Without many of their efforts, we’d know much less about the theory and practice of playing blackjack, basic strategy, card counting and other advantage play. The following is only a partial list of some of the most famous blackjack players and theorists of all time.
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The blackjack dealer position is in the top center of the screen, and cards are dealt from a shoe located on the top right of the screen. The Objective of Blackjack. The objective of blackjack is quite simple to understand. Every player is playing against the blackjack dealer as individuals, and not against each other as one would in poker.
Every professional blackjack player uses strategy to improve their odds of winning when they play blackjack. Basic strategy can help you reduce the house edge to as little as 0.5%. In contrast, making your own decisions or simply not sticking to basic strategy can increase the house edge to around 2%. Online casinos now offer up to 100 variations of blackjack games to play for real money. Bettors simply need to register with an online casino, and deposit funds into their accounts to start playing real money blackjack. Read our top tips for winning online casino games to help improve your gameplay.
Play the most authentic BLACKJACK GAME with players all over the world! Spend some lovely and relaxing time with our top-of-the-line game provided with many special features for. There are two different ways to play blackjack at online casino sites. You can play the top 10 rated RNG best games or enjoy real live-action at the site, using live dealers. The table below reviews and compares the 2021 rankings and offers from top rated software providers for both RNG and live dealer titles.
The Four Horsemen of Aberdeen
This was the name given to four US army servicemen: Roger Baldwin, Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel and James McDermott. Unlike many of the others on the list, these blackjack players are not known for beating the house or being great card counters. But they may have made the largest contribution to blackjack of anyone in this article: they developed the first ever complete and optimal basic strategy for blackjack that showed exactly how a player should play in every situation.
What makes this feat even more impressive is the fact that it was accomplished in the 1950s, without the aid of modern computers. While the four men were stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, they used desk calculators to figure out the math behind blackjack. Their meticulous research made it possible for later writers and players to develop more advanced strategies, none of which are effective without basic strategy to stand on.
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is the author of The Theory of Blackjack, one of the classic mathematical texts about the game of blackjack. While he wasn’t much of a player himself, he did extensive research on blackjack; he not only looked at optimal strategies, but also calculated how big an advantage the house had over an average blackjack player (it turns out to be about 2%). He also authored the popular book The Complete Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21.
James Grosjean
James Grosjean is best known as the author of the 2000 book Beyond Counting: Exploiting Casino Games from Blackjack to Video Poker. A professional blackjack player, Grosjean is best known for his legal victories over the gambling industry. He won a large verdict against the Imperial Palace for being illegally detained, while he has also won verdicts aginst Caesars Palace and Griffin Investigations, a private investigation firm that held information on card counters and other winning gamblers. These victories have made him something of a hero to gamblers for his ability to assert his rights against casinos and investigative agencies.
Tommy Hyland
Tommy Hyland is a professional player who has been playing blackjack since 1979. More notably, he is the manager of the world’s longest running blackjack team. Not only has his team excelled at using techniques such as shuffle tracking and ace sequencing to gain even bigger edges against the house, but they are also well known for winning a case against Casino Windsor in Ontario, Canada. The casino attempted to prosecute Hyland’s team of blackjack players for cheating, but the judge determined that the team was only using strategic methods to win and that these methods do not constitute cheating the casino.
MIT Blackjack Team
Perhaps the most famous blackjack players of all time, the MIT Blackjack Team was made up of students and alumni from MIT, Harvard and other top colleges. The team used both card counting and other advantage techniques to win at blackjack at major casinos from 1979 through the early 2000s.
While the MIT Blackjack Team was infamous in gambling circles for many years, they came to the attention of the public thanks to the release of the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich. Incidentally, the book itself was mostly a collection of stories Mezrich had heard about, mixed with a large amount of fictional content, though it was marketed as non-fiction. Nonetheless, the book captured the public’s imagination, and it was translated to the big screen in 2008 as 21, a movie starring Kevin Spacey.
Lawrence Revere
If you’ve ever used a Revere card counting system, you owe a debt of gratitude to Lawrence Revere. His best-known book, Playing Blackjack as a Business, outlined several different strategies for card counting that ranged from simple to complex, and are still popular today. The most famous one is the Revere Point Count, which is still a benchmark by which other blackjack card counting strategies are evaluated.
Revere was more than just a blackjack player; he was also a casino pit boss, giving him additional insight into the workings of the casino industry and how to camouflage play to avoid being detected as an advantage player.
“Hollywood” Dave Stann
Also known as “The Undisputed Bad Boy of Blackjack,” Dave Stann may be the modern blackjack player best known to television audiences. He appeared on a number of popular gambling shows, including the World Series of Blackjack, the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, Celebrity Blackjack and others. He is best known for his flamboyant personality and has also worked as an actor in addition to his advantage blackjack play.
Edward Thorp
Thorp was the author of the first important blackjack book, Beat the Dealer. Published in 1962, this book showed that card counting could be used to overcome the house advantage in blackjack. After using computers to help refine his card counting strategies, he put his theories to the test. At a time when casinos waited until near the end of a shoe to shuffle again, he quickly showed enormous profits and was barred from many Las Vegas casinos. His fame from this event led to the creation of his book, which made the New York Times bestseller list.
Thorp also pioneered other advantage plays in other casino games, such as using a wearable casino to predict the results of a roulette wheel. Thorp also became very successful on the stock market, starting several successful hedge funds.
Ken Uston
Ken Uston – also known as Kenneth Senzo Usui – is widely believed to have popularized team play in blackjack. As a famous blackjack player in the 1979s, he became well known as a team card counter – so well known that he was banned from casinos around the world. Amazingly, he was then able to disguise himself well enough to continue playing in casinos around the world. He also won a lawsuit against Atlantic City casinos, when New Jersey courts ruled that these casinos could not ban someone simply for counting cards. Uston also wrote the bestselling book Mastering PAC-MAN, a guide to becoming an expert at the popular arcade game. Ken created blackjackinfo.com
Stanford Wong
Though most gamblers know the name Stanford Wong, fewer realize that this is the pen name of John Ferguson. A famous gambling author, Wong has written numerous books on blackjack and other gambling games. Along with a number of card counting systems and other developments, he is well known as the namesake of “Wonging, “or watching the beginning of a shoe being played and only joining the blackjack table if the count turns in the player’s favor. Wong is also a proponent of dice control in craps. In total, Wong has written over a dozen books; most are about blackjack, but he has also published material on craps, sports betting and other gambling topics. Stanford created bj21.com
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Live dealer blackjack is a game of online blackjack that is played in real-time and run by a real dealer.
Some of the advantages of playing blackjack with a live dealer include:
- Professional dealers handle the game.
- Live video is streamed in high definition.
- You get to interact with the dealer and the other players via chat.
If you are looking for the top online casinos where to play live blackjack, continue reading this post. We will show you how to join a live game of blackjack at an online casino and will share with you the best tips and strategies for you to improve your chances of winning.
Know More About Blackjack With Live Dealers
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Steps To Play Live Blackjack At An Online Casino
Playing blackjack at your favorite live casino online is simple. Just follow these steps and you’ll be sitting at a live blackjack table in no time:
- Pick a trusted casino: Log in or create an account at one of our recommended casinos.
- Make a deposit: Find the casino cashier’s page, select a preferred deposit method, and add funds to your account. Take into account that depending on the deposit method you choose this can be instant or take a few days (for example, with checks).
- Take advantage of sites’ very attractive Welcome or Live Playing Bonuses (see section below). Note that there are no free versions of live dealer blackjack available at online casinos.
- Find the live dealer option: Most online casino have a live dealer section that is separate from the regular casino games. In some cases, like El Royale Casino, you may need to create an account with them be able to see their live dealer games.
- Select a live blackjack table: You can select any of the live blackjack tables available based on game variations, amount of people playing, betting limits, or because you liked one particular dealer.
- Pick a seat and start playing: A chip selector will allow you to place your bet.
- Wait for the dealer to start dealing the cards and have fun!
Legit Live Dealer Blackjack Casinos Of 2021
Picking a reliable online casino to play live blackjack online is the very first step to enjoy the game. Check out our top recommended casinos, all of which offer the option to play online blackjack with a live dealer:
RANK | LIVE BLACKJACK SITE | BONUS | BET LIMITS | PLAY NOW |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Las Atlantis Casino | BONUS 280% up to $14,000 | BET LIMITS $5 - $10,000 | |
2 | Wild Casino | BONUS 100% up to $5,000 | BET LIMITS $5 - $10,000 | |
3 | Red Dog Casino | BONUS 225% up to $12,250 | BET LIMITS $10 - $2,500 | |
4 | BetOnline Casino | BONUS 100% up to $3,000 | BET LIMITS $5 - $10,000 | |
5 | El Royale Casino | BONUS 250% up to $12,500 | BET LIMITS $10 - $2,500 |
Live Blackjack Bonuses
You will find that some casinos offer specific bonuses for live dealer games. If the casino you will be playing at doesn’t, make sure you claim the general bonuses that apply to casino gaming.
BetOnline’s Live Casino Bonus
BetOnline offers a Live Casino weekly prize pool of up to $1800. It applies to both Blackjack and Roulette.
To take home a share of the $1,800 cash prize pool, you need to finish the week in the Top-3 in either the Blackjack or Roulette Leaderboard. You will earn points for every $10 you play.
To take home a share of the $1,800 cash prize pool, you need to finish the week in the Top-3 in either the Blackjack or Roulette Leaderboard. You will earn points for every $10 you play.
Each point helps you move higher in the Leaderboard and improves your chances of getting a piece of the guaranteed prize.
Strategy: Tips To Play Live Blackjack And Win
Playing against a live dealer as opposed to a computer program affords a blackjack player many opportunities. Human dealers make mistakes that sharp players can always use to their own benefit.
Various forms of advantage play can be used, such as shuffle tracking and hole carding. And unless the dealer uses a continuous shuffle machine, participating in a live game makes it possible to count cards – the most powerful weapon in a blackjack player’s arsenal.
Tip #1: Evaluating House Edge During The Game
When you play online blackjack against a computer application, it is common for each new deal to start with a freshly shuffled deck or for multiple decks to be used (in this case, discards are added in a never-ending shuffle). This means the house edge remains almost constant for every hand, typically on the order of 0.85%~1.15%.
When playing against a live dealer, on the other hand, the edge is always shifting. That’s because the composition of the remaining cards to be dealt is changing continually as cards are taken out of play.
This creates situations in which the deck is relatively rich in cards of advantage to the player, and times when it is depleted of them, which favors the House. A player who knows the difference between the two is in a position to wager more when the deck is favorable and less when it is not.
For example, it has been demonstrated by computer simulation that the removal of Aces from a single deck hurts the player by raising the house edge to as much as 2.59%. Similarly, a deck poor in nines and tens also decreases the player’s odds of winning.
By contrast, the removal of low-value cards, 2~8, swings the advantage toward the player. Specifically, a deck depleted of 5s can give the player an edge of as much as 3.04%.
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Tip #2: Counting Cards In Live Dealer Blackjack Online
A great number of systems have been developed to help players identify and take advantage of shifts in the edge. One of the easiest to learn and apply is the Revere Five Count system.
In the Revere Five Count System, the player keeps track only of the number of fives that have been played and bets more when the deck is low in fives and less when they are relatively abundant. The system also has special playing strategies for hitting/standing, splitting pairs and doubling down that can raise the player’s edge to as high as 3.6%.
In the Revere Five Count System, the player keeps track only of the number of fives that have been played and bets more when the deck is low in fives and less when they are relatively abundant. The system also has special playing strategies for hitting/standing, splitting pairs and doubling down that can raise the player’s edge to as high as 3.6%.
More complex and arguably “better” card counting systems are almost universally based upon tracking high cards as they are removed from the deck. They include the Plus-Minus, Hi/Lo, Ten Count and Point Count systems, to name a few.
The best of these let a player know not only how much to wager at each stage of play but also how to play each hand based upon the composition of the deck. Modified strategy charts assist in learning the nuances of each card counting system.
Be Discrete!
Refraining from calling attention to one’s card counting activities is of critical importance when playing against a live dealer. Most casinos train their dealers to be on the lookout for card counters and report any who come to their tables.
Management is well aware of how powerful a tool card counting can be, and players who seem “too successful” may be barred from play. Although it may not be illegal to count cards, courts have frequently upheld the rights of private properties to exclude “undesirable” customers. Casinos obviously have a stake in keeping the House edge with the House.
Online Live Blackjack Betting Limits
Betting limits at online casinos generally mimic those you can find at brick-and-mortar casinos. Bets generally start as low as $1 and climb up to $5,000 or even $10,000, depending on the site.
Below you will find the betting limits for live blackjack at some of our top-rated casinos:
Red Dog Live Dealer Blackjack
Game | Bet Limits |
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Blackjack HD | $10-$500 |
Blackjack Early Payout | $10-$500 $25-$1000 $50-$2500 |
Start Playing At Red Dog |
Live Dealer Blackjack At Las Atlantis
Game | Bet Limits |
---|---|
Classic Blackjack | $10-$500 $25-$1000 $50-$2500 $10-$5000 |
Blackjack Early Payout | $2.5-$2500 $5-$100 $25-$500 $100-$2500 |
Start Playing At Las Atlantis |
BetOnline’s Live Blackjack
Game | Bet Limits |
---|---|
Blackjack HD | $10-$50 $10-$1000 $25-$2500 $100-$5000 |
Blackjack Early Payout | $5-$100 $25-$500 $250-$5000 |
Blackjack Europe, Russia and Baltic | $25-$5000 |
Blackjack Latin | $15-$1000 |
Blackjack VIP | $100-$2500 |
Start Playing At BetOnline |
Live Blackjack Dealer At Wild Casino
Game | Bet Limits |
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Blackjack HD | $10-$50 $10-$1000 $25-$2500 $100-$5000 |
Blackjack Early Payout | $5-$100 $25-$500 $250-$5000 |
Blackjack Europe, Russia and Baltic | $25-$5000 |
Blackjack Latin | $15-$1000 |
Blackjack VIP | $100-$2500 |
Start Playing At Wild Casino |
Live Blackjack At El Royale Casino
Game | Bet Limits |
---|---|
Blackjack HD | $10-$500 |
Blackjack Early Payout | $10-$500 $25-$1000 $50-$2500 |
Start Playing At El Royale |
Live Blackjack Game Variations
There are many variations of live blackjack you can play at the online casinos we recommend. What varies from one game to another are the specific rules (there are slight variations), the amount you are allowed to bet and the real dealer you get at the table.
These are some of our favorite Live Dealer Blackjack options:
- Blackjack HD: it is classic American Blackjack with the Bet-Behind feature, allowing players to place bets on other players’ hands so you never have to wait on a table.
- Early Payout Blackjack: in Early Payout Blackjack, you lose the entire bet if the dealer has a natural blackjack.
- Blackjack VIP: this game is blackjack for high-rollers. Betting limits can reach $10,000!
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Mobile Live Dealer Blackjack
Playing live dealer blackjack on your mobile is easy. Online casinos’ high-tech software allows you to join a live blackjack room as simply as you would from your computer.
All the buttons and the chat feature are available to use and activate from your phone or tablet device’s touch screen. And high-resolution streaming guarantees that you don’t miss out on any of the action at the table.
Top Blackjack Players
Are there any live blackjack apps available?
Some online casinos have apps available to play live blackjack online, but there really is no need to download it. These casinos are mobile-friendly and have these games available to play straight from your phone’s browser.
Now You’re Ready to Play Live Blackjack!
Now that you understand the basics of how and where to play live dealer blackjack, it’s time to get into the action. Live blackjack is fun and can provide you with an additional edge against the house. Take the strategies we shared with you into account and play wisely!
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If you are looking for more options, check out our in-depth reviews of online casinos we recommend.
Answers To Some Of Your Live Dealer Blackjack Questions
Successful Blackjack Players
Is live blackjack online safe?
Yes, live blackjack online is a safe game if you pick a reputable online casino. Check out our recommended casinos or carry out your own in-depth research to find reliable online operators.Is live dealer blackjack rigged?
No, blackjack with a live dealer is not rigged. The trustworthy casinos we recommend have professional dealers running the games. All these casinos are licensed and regulated so you can rest assured that the game will be fair.What happens if I lose wifi connection during a live blackjack game?
If your hand is in play, your last bet will count. After that, your status will be set to “away,” and the casino won’t take any bets until you are back online.