888 Casino Blackjack Guide
Posted By admin On 10/04/22- How To Play Casino Blackjack Ace
- 888 Casino Blackjack Guide For Real
- 888 Practice Blackjack
- Play Free Blackjack 888
- Casino Blackjack Free
- Blackjack Online Us Blackjack
Some casinos are also paying 6-5, 7-6, or worse, even money, for a blackjack in double-, six-, and even eight-deck games. If the rules don’t specify a 3-2 payoff for a blackjack, don’t play. Early surrender is a much more player favorable rule than late surrender (about 0.6% decrease in house edge vs. 0.07% decrease respectively) but it is. Most online casinos shuffle after every hand making card counting useless. Some online casinos employ six and eight decks of cards and use a cut card; determine what the penetration is and whether card counting is viable. Live dealer blackjack games are as close to playing blackjack as you would in a land-based casino.
- Games: 4.6/5
- Live: 4.7/5
- Mobile: 4.5/5
- Bonuses: 4.5/5
- Great Blackjack Games
- Outstanding Live Casino
- Daily Bonuses & Promotions
- Licensed by:
- UK Gambling Commission
- #39028
- Deposit and Withdrawal Options:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Paypal
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Bank Transfer
Game Selection – Blackjack & Other Titles
888 Casino features a big collection of casino games, developed by a variety of reputable software companies. Initially, one might not be impressed with the number of blackjack games available, but in this case the quality more than makes up for the quantity. Check out the table below for more info on 888’s blackjack games.
Game | Table Limits | Software |
---|---|---|
Classic Blackjack | £1 – £200 | Dragonfish |
American Blackjack | £1 – £15 000 | Dragonfish |
Multihand Blackjack | £1 – £15 000 | Dragonfish |
The three games are more than enough to satisfy your appetite. Both low-stakes players and high rollers can get what they need, since the betting ranges in American and Multihand are quite big. The games themselves look, feel, and play great – after all Dragonfish is an esteemed developer known for producing high-quality titles. Overall, you have two classic blackjack games and one fun variation.
Other Casino Games
Aside from blackjack, players at 888 can enjoy other casinos classics, such as roulette, baccarat, keno, poker, and many others. The catalogue might not be as big as the ones at other casinos, but each game is impeccable in terms of quality. There are games by industry giants like NetEnt and Playtech, as well as titles developed by 888’s in-house software company – RandomLogic.
The majority of games found at this casino are slots. Many of them offer spectacular progressive jackpots that often reach millions! Games like The Big Lebowski, Pirates Millions, and Treasure Fair can make a very rich man, if you are lucky. Also, the exclusive slot Millionaire Genie is a huge fan favourite – make sure you give it a try if you enjoy such games.
888’s casino is available in both instant-play and download mode – whichever is more convenient for you. Overall, this operator has some of the best RNG games available on the market. When you take into account the great design and ease-of-use of the casino, you will start seeing why 888 is at the top of our list.
Live Dealer Blackjack
What makes 888 the best place for blackjack enthusiasts are the outstanding live dealer games. The software for them is provided by Evolution Gaming – a company specialising in live action online gaming, widely considered to be the best at what they do. As one might expect, they have done a spectacular job at 888.
In terms of quality, 888’s live casino is nearly flawless. The stream is impeccable when it comes to visuals and audio, and there are plenty of customisable options that you can tinker with, including a ‘Chat with Dealer’ feature. There are quite a lot of available blackjack tables – their total number is 36 as of now. Below you can see a list of the most popular ones.
Game | Table Limits | Software |
---|---|---|
888 VIP | £50 – £10 000 | Evolution Gaming |
888 | £5 – £1000 | Evolution Gaming |
888 PLUS | £10 – £5000 | Evolution Gaming |
888 PLAY | £10 – £5000 | Evolution Gaming |
888 EXTRA | £20 – £5000 | Evolution Gaming |
Platinum VIP | £250 – £10 000 | Evolution Gaming |
Fortune VIP | £250 – £10 000 | Evolution Gaming |
Grand VIP | £500 – £10 000 | Evolution Gaming |
Diamond VIP | £1000 – £10 000 | Evolution Gaming |
Silver | £50 – £5000 | Evolution Gaming |
Blackjack Party | £0.50 – £100 | Evolution Gaming |
777 | £5 – £1000 | Evolution Gaming |
Of course, blackjack is not the only game featured at 888’s live casino. You can play other casino classics like roulette, baccarat, casino hold’em, three card poker and Caribbean stud. All tables feature the same remarkable visuals, gameplay, and overall experience of the blackjack ones.
We can safely say that 888’s live casino is one of the best we have ever come across – if not the best. The only other operator that can compete in this category is BetVictor. Both those casinos feature live dealer games that really provide that genuine atmosphere we are all looking for.
How To Play Casino Blackjack Ace
888’s Mobile App
Mobile casino apps give you the unique ability to enjoy your favourite blackjack games while on the move. Every reputable casino should be mobile friendly – after all, the popularity of smartphones and tablets has reached an all-time high, and it will only increase further in the future.
888’s mobile application contains 3 blackjack games – American, Multihand, and Multihand High Limit. The last one is not found on the desktop version of the casino. Once again, this is a lot less than what other casino apps have to offer, but the games are as good as they get. To make up for the lack of RNG games, this mobile casino features all live dealer tables found at the desktop one.
- Mobile Blackjack Games:
- 3
- Mobile Slot Games:
- 52
- Mobile Roulette Games:
- 7
- Live Casino App:
- Yes
The largest number of games are, once again, slots – over 50 of them. Roulette fans will be able to enjoy 7 great RNG games, and all live roulette tables available on desktop. The interface is organised and easy-to-use and the games are optimised great – you will experience no technical issues whatsoever. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
888’s mobile casino is good and it is guaranteed to provide you with many hours of entertainment. However, if you are really looking for the best mobile app, we highly recommend trying out LeoVegas – because we believe they are the undisputed kings of mobile casinos with a fully optimised platform, wide selection of games, and excellent graphics.
Promotions & Bonuses at 888
888 Casino are one of the most popular UK casinos not just because of their game collection, but also because they offer a variety of great bonus offers and generous promotions. Thanks to them, they manage to attract many new customers and retain existing ones. Below, we will take a close look at what 888 offers in terms of deals and specials.
The £88 FreePlay Bonus
The bonuses at 888 start as soon as you complete your registration. Each new client receives £88 just for creating their account – no need to deposit a dime. This bonus is known as FreePlay, and you can use it to play the games at 888 basically for free. There are certain conditions, though – only certain games accept FreePlay. As we are talking, the only blackjack game you can play with your £88 FreePlay is Multihand Blackjack – but that is pretty great because this is the best overall game.
The FreePlay bonus will stay in your account for 14 days before expiring, so you better start playing as soon as you get it. You can win real cash with your bonus, but there is a maximum limit of your winnings – £15. There is an exception, however – if you hit a jackpot on a slot machine, you will get the full amount of it.
As all bonuses, this one too is subject to certain wagering requirements in order to be cashed out. You need to wager the amount of the FreePlay plus the amount of your winnings at least 30 times within 90 days. It’s important to point out that not all games contribute 100% to completing the playthrough – in fact, only slots contribute the full amount. Wagering on blackjack, on the other hand, will cause only 10% of the bet to go towards the wagering requirements.
The £100 Welcome Bonus
As soon as you make your first deposit at 888, you will be entitled to your welcome bonus. You will receive a 100% match on your deposit as bonus money, up to £100! This will only happen if your first deposit is £5 or more. You can use this welcome bonus to play any of the games at the casino, but you cannot cash out any winnings until you’ve met the wagering requirements. This means wagering the amount of the welcome bonus 30 times within 90 days of receiving it.
Daily Deals, Comp Points, and Other Promotions
- Validity:
- 90 Days
- Blackjack Contribution:
- 10%
- Wagering:
- 30x
Apart from the sign-up and welcome bonuses, 888 has numerous ongoing offers for existing players. The one that people are fond of the most is called Daily Deals. It is exactly what it sounds like – you get a special bonus offer every day of the week. For example, if you deposit on a Saturday using the promo code SNL20, you will get a 20% bonus, up to £100. Also, if you play Multihand Blackjack on a Tuesday, you can get another bonus – 30% match, up to £150!
There are two types of offers – constant and seasonal, so to say. One of the permanent offers is targeted directly at us – the blackjack players. Depositing on the 21st of any month with promo code Blackjack20 will reward you with a special bonus – 20% match up to £300.
Like all other reputable casinos, 888 has a cashback system in the form of comp points. For every £10 you wager on any game, you get 1.5 comp points. Those pile up, and you can eventually trade them in for real cash. 150 comp points equal £1. This cashback system works surprisingly well, as the points tend to accumulate rather quickly.
Available Payment Methods
When it comes to deposits and withdrawals, a good casino should offer plenty of safe, fast, and dependable payment options. 888 casino has that covered – virtually every payment method you can think of is available. You are guaranteed to find the option that is most convenient for you. Debit cards, e-wallets, PayPal, and bank transfers – it’s all there.
Deposits usually have a minimum of £20 across all payment methods, while the maximum amount greatly varies, depending on the option chosen. The good thing is that transactions are nearly instantaneous – the time for the transfer to clear is less than 10 minutes. The minimum amount you can withdraw is £15 across the available options, and the maximum is capped at £30 000 a month for all methods. It usually takes a few days for the withdrawal requests to complete, because of all the security checks that are performed. We should also point out that all transactions are free of extra charges.
Licences, Safety, and Company Information
888 Casino has gotten to where it is by genuinely caring about their customers and investing a lot into safety and security. They are a completely honest and fair operator, licensed by both the Government of Gibraltar and the UK Gambling Commission. This means that they uphold the highest standards when it comes to policies, game fairness, and integrity.
The casino also holds several certificates from independent game testing companies, like eCOGRA, who regularly try out the games to see if they are biased towards certain outcomes. On the technical side, 888 Casino is protected by McAffee technology, ensuring that all your personal information and sensitive data remain secure.
Company Information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Company: | 888 UK Limited |
| ||
Founded: | 1997 | |||
Headquarters: | 601-701 Europort, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA | |||
Licence: | UKGC #39028 | |||
Phone: | N/A | |||
Email: | support@888.com | |||
Live Chat: | Yes | |||
Awards: | Digital Operator of the Year for 2014 |
888 is famous for having excellent customer service and support. The representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for your convenience and emergency needs. You can get in touch with them by phone, email, or live chat. The website also features an extensive Help section that has articles on almost every aspect of the casino.
888 Is the Best Blackjack Casino in the UK
888 Casino has everything that a blackjack enthusiast could possibly want. In addition to the great games and spectacular live casino, you have many great bonuses and promotions, as well as stellar customer service and live support. We are safe to say that 888 is the best online casino for UK players.
Well, there are some minor issues that we would like to see taken care of in the near future. First of all, the welcome bonus is a bit low, especially when compared to what other casinos offer. It’s true that a small amount means an easier completion of the wagering requirements, but some people would rather have £1000 than £100. Also, we would like to see more in terms of RNG blackjack games, as the casino is a bit lacking in that category. But don’t let that stop you from visiting this great online casino. We highly recommend 888 to both new and experienced players. Go sign up and start playing today!
After you already know how to play blackjack, it’s important to “scout” the blackjack tables in a casino before you sit down and play. That’s because most casinos nowadays often have a different mix of rules, number of decks, and shuffling procedures from one blackjack table to the next.
Because of this, you need to:
- Scout the blackjack tables to determine which game is the best one to play.
- Know how to estimate the house edge against you based on the mix of rules.
WHEN YOU ENTER A CASINO YOU SHOULD SCOUT THE BLACKJACK TABLES TO DETERMINE:
- What the minimum and maximum betting limits are.
- How many decks are being dealt.
- What the playing rules are.
- How the cards are shuffled.
- Number of Players
MINIMUM-MAXIMUM BETTING LIMITS
The betting limits aren’t going to change your playing strategies. However, the reason you should check what the betting limits are before you buy in and make your first bet is to avoid the embarrassing situation of not betting at least the table minimum. Think this doesn’t happen? I’ve seen this scenario numerous times during my playing career. A player sits down, places a wad of bills on the layout, and asks the dealer for chips. Play is stopped while the dealer spreads the cash on the layout, counts it, counts out the equivalent amount of chips, and then slides the stack of chips to the player.
Sometimes the dealer has to wait to get the approval from the floor supervisor before she can give the chips to the new player, who then proceeds to slide two red chips ($10) in his betting spot while fellow players raise their eyebrows in disgust. The dealer then announces to the new player, “Sir, the minimum bet on this table is $25,” while pointing to the placard sitting just to the dealer’s right that summarizes the betting limits and rules. Usually, the player will sheepishly remove his two red chips, pick up the rest of his stack of chips, and without saying a word, leave the table embarrassed at what just transpired. Therefore, rule number #1 is to known the betting limits on the blackjack table before you sit down and play.
HOW MANY DECKS?
The number of decks of cards has an effect on the house edge against a basic strategy player. Generally, the house edge increases as the number of decks increases. But you also need to factor in the mix of rules.
The point here is to know whether the game you are about to play is single- or double-deck, or in the case of a multi-deck game whether it’s four, six, or eight decks. Sometimes, the placard will state if it’s a single- or double-deck game but rarely will it state if it’s a four-, six-, or eight-deck game.
Usually, the cards in a multi-deck game are dealt from a dealing shoe. With a little experience, you’ll be able to tell when the dealer shuffles the cards or by looking at the sideways stack of cards in the dealing shoe immediately after a shuffle if the game is using four, six, or eight decks; however, if you are not sure, just ask the dealer.
MIX OF PLAYING RULES
This is where the rubber meets the road. It’s the mix of playing rules, along with the number of decks of cards, that will determine the house edge against you.
It’s important that you know whether the rules on a particular blackjack table require that the dealer stand on soft 17 or must hit soft 17; whether you can double down on any two initially dealt cards or if there are restrictions on what hands you can double; whether surrender is allowed; whether re-splitting of aces is allowed; and, most importantly, what the payoff is for an untied blackjack (is it 3-2, 6-5, 7-5, or even money). I’ll cover the importance of playing rules in more detail in the next section.
HOW THE CARDS ARE SHUFFLED
If the game is dealt with a single- or double-deck of cards, the dealer will usually hand shuffle the cards and there is no issue here. With a multi-deck game, dealers will either shuffle the multiple-decks manually, although this is time consuming, or via an auto shuffler. There are several different kinds of auto shufflers and the one you want to avoid is the Continuous Shuffling Machine (or CSM). The reason for this is important so stay with me while I explain how each shuffler works.
Automatic blackjack shufflers have been around a long time in casinos. Usually a casino will use two sets of multiple decks of cards on a blackjack table. While one set of cards is being used by the dealer on the game, the other set is being shuffled offline by the automatic shuffler. When the cut card appears, the round is completed and then the dealer will swap the cards; meaning, the just-used multi-decks will be placed in the automatic shuffler (to be shuffled) while the shuffled decks that were in the machine (offline) are put into play by the dealer for the next rounds. The purpose of using two automatic shufflers is to eliminate the wasted time involved in having the dealer manually shuffle the cards. (From the casino’s perspective, time is money, and when their dealers are manually shuffling multi-decks of cards, the number of hands dealt per hour decreases compared to when the cards are shuffled by an automatic shuffler.)
The odds against the player in blackjack do not change when an automatic shuffler is used to shuffle the multi-decks. If the casino were using, say, six decks of cards, they will usually deal about 65 to 80% of the cards and then reshuffle all six decks using the auto shuffler.
A CSM, on the other hand, is a combination automatic shuffler and dealing shoe. Casinos usually place five decks of cards into the CSM. After a betting round is completed, the dealer will scoop up the just played cards (i.e., the discards), and instead of placing them into a discard tray, she will insert them back into the CSM where they are randomly shuffled with the remaining (roughly 4.5) decks of cards.
Do you see the difference between a CSM and an automatic shuffler? With the latter most of the cards are played (ca. 65 to 80%) before the discards and unplayed cards are shuffled together. With a CSM, the discards are immediately returned to the shuffler after each round (sometimes several rounds) and randomly mixed with the unplayed cards. With a CSM, the action never stops because the dealer continuously deals the cards without pausing for shuffling.
Do the odds change against a player when a CSM is used? The answer is yes, they change very slightly in favor of the player, with the house edge against a basic strategy player reduced by about 0.1% in a typical six-deck game. The reason the CSM causes the house edge to go down ever so slightly is because of a phenomenon known as the “cut card effect,” which slightly increases the probability of getting tens and blackjack when a CSM is used.
Now before you rush out and play blackjack on a table that uses a CSM, pay attention to the rest of the story. Even though the house edge decreases slightly with a CSM, this is more than negated by the increased speed of the game. Remember with a CSM-dealt game, there is never any down time for shuffling; therefore, on average, casinos can deal about an extra round or two per hour resulting in about 15 to 20% more hands played per hour with a CSM. From the player’s perspective, the extra hands played (and bet) each hour will increase your hourly theoretical loss compared to a manually shuffled game. (Ditto for games dealt with auto shufflers.) Bottom line: If you are a basic strategy player, it’s best to play in manually-shuffled games as opposed to games dealt with CSMs and auto shufflers
“Note: The original purpose of CSMs was to eliminate card counting as an effective strategy to gain the edge over the casino. I’ll have more to say about this in Chapter 10.”
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
If you are not using some of the techniques I summarized in Chapter 5 (reduce house edge), the casino will have a small edge over you (that assumes you are using the basic strategy summarized in Chapter 3 accurately). Given this fact, you are better off playing at a full table rather than a table with fewer players, or worse, heads up against the dealer. The reason is you’ll get fewer hands dealt to you at a full table, which will reduce the exposure of your bankroll to the house edge.
As a general guideline, rules that offer the player options (e.g., surrender and doubling down after pair splitting) are favorable to the player (assuming the player uses the options accurately); whereas, rules that limit a player’s options (e.g., NDAS and no resplits) are unfavorable to the player. Likewise rules related to the dealer’s options (S17 vs. H17) and blackjack payoffs (3-2 vs. 6-5) can be player favorable or unfavorable.
Here is a list of most of the good rules in blackjack.
- Blackjack pays 2-1
- Blackjack pays 3-2
- Single and double deck
- Early surrender
- Doubling down on any first two cards
- Doubling down on soft hands
- Doubling down after pair splitting
- Resplit pairs
- Resplit aces
- Late surrender
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Player is allowed to enter a game in mid-shoe
- Manual or auto shuffle
Here’s a list of the bad rules.
- Blackjack pays 6-5
- No doubling down after pair splitting
- Doubling down only on 10 and 11
- No doubling on soft hands
- No resplitting aces
- Dealer hits soft 17
- No surrender
- Six and eight deck
- No mid-shoe entry
- Use of CSM to shuffle the cards
ESTIMATING THE HOUSE EDGE FOR ANY GAME
You’ll find data in blackjack books and on the Internet on how the above rules affect the house edge. There are also websites where you can key in the rules of any game and they will automatically compute the house edge. Here are some examples.
888 Casino Blackjack Guide For Real
NUMBER OF DECKS
All other conditions being equal, the more decks being used, the higher the house edge against the basic strategy player. For example, the following blackjack table shows the effect that the number of decks has on the house edge against a basic strategy player with H17 and DAS. (These are Total-Dependent house edges.)
888 Practice Blackjack
Notice that as the number of decks increases, the house edge increases incrementally up to 0.64% for an eight-deck game. Notice also how the incremental increase in house edge keeps getting smaller as the number of decks increases. That’s why casinos don’t use more than eight-decks of cards on their tables.
PLAYING RULES
Each of the good (player favorable) and bad (player unfavorable) rule affects the basic strategy, some greater than others. The effect for any one rule, say surrender, may also be slightly different for a double-deck game vs. a six-deck game. Some rules are also more common than others. If you consult the tables in Chapter 3, I’ve summarized what the house edge is for different number of decks and mix of playing rules. Use this as a guide to determine which mix of rules is the most player favorable.
- Blackjack games that pay 2-1 for a blackjack are very rare.
Reason: A 2-1 payoff decreases the house edge by a whopping 2.3% (approximate), which often results in a game with an overall positive expectation for the basic strategy player. Casinos sometimes offer 2-1 BJ promotions for a limited period of time. If you hear of one, run (don’t walk) to the casino to take advantage of this promotion before all the seats are taken. - The house edge increases roughly 0.2% when the rules specify H17 vs. S17.
- Paying 6-5 for a blackjack increases the house edge by roughly 1.39%, which is why you should never play any 6-5 blackjack games.
- Some casinos are also paying 6-5, 7-6, or worse, even money, for a blackjack in double-, six-, and even eight-deck games. If the rules don’t specify a 3-2 payoff for a blackjack, don’t play.
- Early surrender is a much more player favorable rule than late surrender (about 0.6% decrease in house edge vs. 0.07% decrease respectively) but it is rarely offered.
- Not being allowed to resplit any non-ace pair costs the basic strategy player about 0.05%.
- Being allowed to resplit aces decreases the house edge by roughly 0.06% (or 0.07% if you can resplit twice, up to four hands)..
My suggestion if you want to calculate what the house edge is for any game is to use the data on the effects of the house edge that you’ll find in most blackjack books or one of the house edge calculators on the Internet.
You can also refer to the tables in Chapter 3 that summarize what the house edge is for different number of decks and mix of rules to get an idea of what rules you should be looking for when you play blackjack.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Scout the blackjack tables before you sit down and play.
- Be sure you know what the betting limits are.
- The fewer number of decks the better, assuming the rules are equivalent.
- Play in manually-shuffled games rather than games dealt with a CSM or auto shuffler.
- Pick the game with the best mix of rules.
- Play at a full table rather than heads up or with just a few players.
- As the number of decks increases, assuming all else is equal, the house edge increases.
- Each playing rule has either a positive or negative effect on the house edge.
- You should play blackjack games that have the best mix of player-favorable rules.
TEST YOURSELF
Try to answer the following questions based on the information in Chapter 6.
Play Free Blackjack 888
- Name three variables that you check when you scout a blackjack table.
- Why is the number of decks of cards important?
- What other variable (besides the number of decks of cards) affects the house edge?
- Why is the way the casinos shuffle the cards important for a basic strategy player?
- Which type of shuffling machine should you avoid?
- It’s best to play at a less crowded rather than a full table if you are a basic strategy player. True or False?
- How do you know what the betting limits are on a blackjack table?
- Which rules are player favorable: H17, S17, DAS, NDAS, LS?
- What is the worst rule for a player?
- Which game has the lowest house edge?
- Single-deck, 6-5, H17, DAS
- Double-Deck, H17, NDAS
- Six-Deck, S17, DAS, LS
- Eight-Deck, H17, DAS, LS
Casino Blackjack Free
Answers
Blackjack Online Us Blackjack
- Any of these four: number of decks, playing rules, how the cards are shuffled, or betting limits.
- The greater the number of decks the greater the house edge assuming all else is equal.
- Mix of playing rules.
- The faster the game (i.e., more hands dealt per hour), the more your bankroll will be exposed to the house edge and the higher will be your theoretical loss per hour). Manually shuffled games are slower (and therefore better) than an auto shuffler or CSM (assuming same number of players).
- CSM.
- False.
- Check the rules, which should be posted somewhere on the blackjack table.
- S17, DAS, and LS.
- Blackjack paid at 6-5 (or worse, even money).
- c.