Blackjack Online Casinos

Blackjack is what is known as ‘a house game’. What that means is that the players are playing against the house or the dealer. It is a game of strategy where the hits and stays are based on odds. This has led to many confrontations between players when someone at the table does not follow basic strategy.

 Whereas, games like Texas Hold’em, are games where the players are playing against each other.

Online Casinos and Australian Law

In March 2017, the Australian Senate instituted the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 (IGAB). This change to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001(IGA) closed any loopholes that online casinos were exploiting.

It is illegal for online casino sites to promote themselves and offer their services to the Australian market. It is also illegal for Australia-based online casino operators to offer their services outside of Australia. While it is illegal to operate a casino in Aus., the IGA has not made it illegal to place bets at an online casino.

Any punter based-in-Australia would be wise to review the Gambling Act prior to registering with any online casino. You want to make sure you are completely aware of how the law affects you.

Blackjack Glossary of Terms

• Dealers Up-Card - The dealer's card that is dealt face-up. This card is what ‘basic strategy’ is determined by.
• Double down - is essentially buying a card. After receiving your first 2-cards you would place a second bet up to or equal to your original bet and you are automatically given one card. There is no option to draw any additional cards. The most common card count to double down on is 11.
• Face card - any card that has a ten-count. Can be a Ten, Jack, Queen or King. There are more face cards in a deck of cards than any other card value. There is just over 23% (or 12) face cards in a standard 52-deck of cards.
• Five-Card-Charlie - is when 5-cards are dealt to one hand and do not total over a count of 21. Depending on the house rules for the game, it can have a payout of more than 1:1. Some variations of blackjack, the hand is paid immediately.
• Insurance - is a side wager that a player is offered only when the dealer has an Ace as their up card. The dealer will usually just say “Insurance open” wait a few seconds, and then say “Insurance closed”. It is only while insurance is open that the wager can be made. The dealer will then check their Hole card and if they have a blackjack, they will collect all losing bets and pay the insurance bets. With an Insurance bet, you are betting that the dealer has a blackjack.
• Perfect Pairs - a side wager that a player can make, that only pays when a players first 2 cards they are dealt are a perfect match (Same card number and same suit). The bet must be made prior to the first card on the table being dealt and only pays when a player receives two identical cards.
• Shuffle Machine - a shuffle machine will automatically shuffle the cards for the dealer. They allow the dealer to deal more hands per hour and essentially increase the profits for the house. These machines are pre-set for the number of decks that are used on a given table. A continuous shuffler, will shuffle all of the cards on a table at the end of every hand. There will be no stop to the game. The use of shuffle machines is an industry-standard.

 Online Blackjack Rules Australia

The game rules pertaining online Blackjack are determined by the individual casino. There are dozens of varieties of the original blackjack game available. A lot of online casinos have developed their own versions of Blackjack. They do this to try and keep players on their site. If online casinos have a popular version of a game and are the only site offering it, then players will frequent their site.

Live Dealer Online Blackjack Games  

Live dealer blackjack availability at an online casino is based on whether the individual casino offers the game. The largest provider of Live Dealer online games is NetEnt. That being said, according to the IGAB, it is illegal for them, or other operators, to legally offer their games in Australia. 

Mobile Blackjack 

There are no software limitations to the type of device that blackjack can be played on. It is not considered to be a game that uses a lot of device resources.  

All non-live games of blackjack use Random Number Generators. Aussie casinos have Random Number Generator (RNG) testing performed on their software-based games. This is to give their punters peace of mind that the games are not fixed, but the cards are completely random. It is also mandated by the casino’s governing body.

What this means for 21/blackjack online game players is that all cards used during a hand are placed back into the RNG at the end of the hand and can immediately be reused. This is in effect the same, in theory, as using a continuous shuffle machine.

Aussie casinos will use Approved Testing Agencies like Australia-based iTechLabs and eCogra to ensure that their games are compliant with their relevant Gambling Commission guidelines.

Blackjack Australia – FAQ

Should I split 10’s?

Basic strategy says ‘No’. There is essentially only one hand that the dealer can have that will beat your 20 count and that is if the dealer draws to 21.

What is a blackjack strategy?

Blackjack is a game that is played based on odds. Blackjack strategy is playing your hand with the best RTP (return to player) odds for your hand count combined with the dealers up card.

Where can I get a Blackjack Strategy Card?

You can download a strategy card for free from many casino related sites online.

How many hands can I play at once?

This is determined by the individual casino. You would need to ask what the house rules are regarding the playing of more than one hand.

Do they use RNG’s on Live Blackjack Games?

No. A RNG is only used on software-based games. Live dealer games are games that have real dealers dealing real cards. Live Dealer Games use shuffle machines.

Can I face legal repercussions for playing online Blackjack in Australia?

The governments’ top priority with regards to monitoring online casinos in Aus, is the casino operators. Rather than trying to track down the general public that play on these sites, they are better able to target the casino operators themselves.

What is the count of an Ace?

An Ace has a count of one or eleven. The value it receives, is determined by the cards already dealt in the individual player’s hand. When a face card and an ace are the first 2-cards dealt in a hand, it is automatically considered a blackjack. It will not be counted as eleven.

Is a card count of 21 considered a blackjack?

No. A blackjack can only happen with a players first two cards. When a player has received three or more cards the hand is then counted as 21.