🇨🇦 Online Blackjack Casinos for Players in Canada
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in gaming halls worldwide, so it’s no wonder that online and mobile casinos offer a wide range of its variants.
This table game is also known as twenty-one, as the main goal is to beat a dealer with a hand of cards not exceeding 21.
Blackjack is popular across the world because, rather than pure chance, it involves a considerable amount of player skill when making decisions. This also means it has a low house edge compared to many casino games, favoring the player greatly.
Using blackjack strategy, and a few other methods such as counting cards, some players made a lot of money on blackjack tables at casinos in the 80s and 90s. Online blackjack today is played with two or three decks of cards, to stop players employing this strategy as easily or effectively.
Blackjack is not wholly a game of chance to this day, however. It still requires some skill and strategy to make the correct play every round. If you’re not willing to concentrate and learn the basic strategy as you play, this may not be the game for you.
The most important thing with Blackjack is to learn the basic strategy as it can be extremely useful once you start playing the game with real money.
Fear not though, if you’re finding things a little harder than expected – you can always try blackjack out in practice mode (for free) at many sites.
🥇 Our Favourite Blackjack Casinos This Month
Casino
Software Providers
Tables
Visit Casino
*
A Great Blackjack Site Comes With...
Blackjack Table & Supplier Variety
There are literally dozens of varieties of online blackjack out there today, from Evolution Gaming’s Party Blackjack tables to NetEnt’s Live Common Draw games or RNG Vegas Style from Microgaming – and many more.
The best online casinos will have at least two different live casino blackjack suppliers on their books for you to try, and a similar number of random number generator powered virtual blackjack developers as well.
Low & High Betting Limits
Online blackjack is a great game for players of all budgets, as tables come in a range of betting limits.
For example, bets at Evolution’s casual Party Blackjack tables start at $0.50 per hand. Average tables vary between $1 and $500, and the highest limits are found at Bitcoin casinos where maximum wagers can reach crazy heights of $10,000 per hand or more.
Fast Payouts
This goes for any casino we recommend. The best blackjack sites will have 0-24 hour withdrawals on a range of popular methods like Interac, ecoPayz, Skrill, PayPal or Neteller. Pending times will either be zero or 24 hours – and we’ll always point out casinos that go over that.
Card withdrawals should take no longer than five days, and there should be no charges on any withdrawals.
Blackjack Wager Bonus Contribution
All too often, casino bonuses look great but aren’t actually worth it for blackjack players. This is because many sites do not allow you to play through your wagering requirement on blackjack games.
From an operators’ point of view, this is understandable as blackjack has a high RTP and a low house edge for the casino – meaning promotional terms can be played through with lower risk than say, slots.
However, the best casinos will let you play any bonus funds through on blackjack. It is still a game of chance after all, even if some skill is involved. We’ll always recommend you try these sites if you’re a fan of blackjack and bonuses.
Promotions & Loyalty Programs Including Blackjack
Sadly for blackjack fans playing at online casinos, not all sites will offer you loyalty (or VIP, rewards etc) points for playing this classic game.
Again, this is because of the relatively low house edge. Casinos know that the best (and luckiest) players can easily win more than they lose at blackjack, so many choose not to encourage them with any more perks.
Luckily, the best casinos know blackjack is also a fun game that you can enjoy without methodically playing for every fraction of player edge – and the best sites will reward you just as much for playing blackjack as slots or roulette.
Trustworthy License
Any casino site should have some kind of international licence, so you can be sure the games you are playing are totally above board.
The UKGC, The Maltese Gaming Authority and The Gaming Jurisdiction of Curacao are some popular choices for operators all over the world today. All three offer some kind of player recourse and backup, in the unlikely event anything go awry between you and your chosen casino.
Of course, you should always be aware of your place of residence’s local gambling laws and conditions if you’re currently outside of Canada.
Lastly, other third-party companies such as E-Cogra act as independent auditors for both RNG and live casino table games, including blackjack. So, if you see their seal on a developer’s or casino’s website – you should be good to go.
Blackjack Game Types
Vegas Strip Blackjack
This game follows the American rules of the game, as played by the millions of residents and tourists who hit the tables in Las Vegas, Nevada, every year.
Essentially, the biggest change in American rules is allowing the dealer to ‘peek’ for a blackjack. This means, if the dealer gets a 10 (or Royal card) as their first card, then they get to look at their second card before any more cards are dealt to the players. If the second card is an Ace and makes a blackjack, the game ends there in a win for the dealer.
Vegas rules differ a little further, by allowing you more opportunity to double down or split hands than in your traditional European blackjack.
Atlantic City Blackjack
Play Free
A similar American version, Atlantic City Blackjack tables have traditionally rolled back on some of the splits and doubles allowed in Las Vegas games.
For example, at Atlantic City labelled tables online you’ll only be able to split three times, instead of four at Vegas Tables.
However, Atlantic City versions of blackjack other an extra surrender – if your dealer checks for blackjack, you get an opportunity to surrender both before and after the check. This actually gives you a slightly higher edge over the house, although it will hardly be noticeable to most casual players.
European Blackjack
Most similar to the classic version of the game, European blackjack tables offer no surrender options and the dealer doesn’t check for blackjack.
This type has a slightly higher edge for the house, as inexperienced players might double down when the dealer has a 10 card or an ace on their first pull – and players in the know don’t get the chance to surrender.
You’ll also find European tables only allow splits on paired hands, but they do offer an insurance bet if the dealers first card is an ace.
Live Blackjack
Video Preview
Live Blackjack is the latest innovation when it comes to online gambling. Live games are played at tables that are filmed and streamed live in crisp HD. Operated by real dealers instead of the RNG (Random Number Generator), live blackjack provides players with a genuine and immersive casino experience.
These games are streamed directly from land-based casinos or studios in high resolution and players are allowed to interact with the dealer.
Some of the most reputable game providers offering live blackjack tables are Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Netent Live and Playtech.
Live Blackjack games offer a wide betting range so that any kind of player can enjoy them. The minimum bet you can place is in most cases $1 or $5 while the maximum bet at some tables may go up to $50,000.
Blackjack Switch
In this fairly niche blackjack variant, you must make two bet at the start of the round – but you’ll be given two hands to play with.
You then get the chance to do something only cheaters would normally do, and swap cards between your two hands. You can even manoeuvre this to get two blackjacks in one round if you’re lucky.
Switching gives a big advantage to the player, so blackjacks only pay 1:1 at Switch tables, unlike the 3:2 standard.
Deal or No Deal Blackjack
This RNG blackjack variant from Red Tiger Gaming uses the licence and visuals from the worldwide smash hit TV game show Deal or No Deal.
It essentially plays the same as your standard American blackjack, with a reskinned display in the style of the show. The biggest change is the Surrender option, which pays you a different amount (‘the bankers’ offer’) depending on the size of your bet and the cards that you have.
A quick analysis of the stats here suggested to us that the bankers’ offer is usually less than the potential winning value of the hand, so we wouldn’t recommend taking it most of the time.
Dr Fortuno Blackjack
Based on their popular slot of the same name, this title from developer Yggdrasil offers a fantasy spin on your typical RNG American blackjack table.
You can play from anywhere between $1 and $500 per hand, with a motion-captured animated dealer handing out the cards and commenting on play.
Pontoon
Free Play
Pontoon is a similar game to blackjack but uses different terminology and a few different rules.
Players must still beat the dealer to 21, but with a few key changes. For example, in Pontoon a five card trick (under 21) will beat a basic 21, without royals or an Ace, from any other player.
Pontoon players can also double down after hitting three or more cards, and there are no pushes – meaning tied 21s are decided in favour of the dealer.
Free Bet Blackjack
Evolution Gaming’s latest smash hit live dealer blackjack variant; Free Bet Blackjack provides exactly what it suggests – a load of extra free bets.
These free wagers let you double up on any hands from 9-11 and split on 2-9 or aces. All for no extra money from you.
There’s also a couple of unique extra side bets, on top of the usual top-quality Evolution Gaming live dealer blackjack gameplay.
Popular Blackjack Suppliers (RNG)
Microgaming
One of the oldest online casino developers on the market, Microgaming have over a dozen different table options when it comes to virtual RNG blackjack.
The house edges start at just 0.3% on Single Deck Vegas Blackjack, and goes up to 0.53% on Premier Streak Blackjack. Microgaming blackjack tables have excellent graphics and are audited for fairness by multiple third party companies.
Netent
One of the world’s premier slot developers, NetEnt also offers virtual and live casino blackjack tables to online casinos and players internationally.
Their live casino blackjack tables feature a dozen different game types including unlimited tables and super VIP options. Unlike many live casino developers, NetEnt blackjack tables uses a green screen background to provide a classy virtual backdrop to the live dealer action.
They only offer two true virtual RNG blackjack tables, a standard (European) version and single deck version – with the sad 6:5 blackjack payout.
However, they do also offer a special Blackjack Touch variant for mobile players. This makes sometimes fiddly actions much easier, especially for players on a smaller screen device.
Playngo
Play’n’Go offers three different RNG blackjack tables: Classic, European and Single Deck. They all follow standard blackjack rules for their type, except single deck which pays out 6:5 on a blackjack.
House edge starts at 0.46% on the standard game. However, it goes to a high 1.4% on the Single Deck game.
Yggdrasil
For a unique take on RNG virtual blackjack you could try some of these blackjack variants, from the Swedish developer named after the mythical ‘World tree’ from Norse mythology.
Yggdrasil have used motion capture technology to create animated dealers for several of their dozen or so tables, including (one for the true soccer fans) a virtual avatar of former Norwegian international striker John Carew. Other games included a Sonya, a Disney princess type character, and the steampunk Dr Fortuno from their popular slot game of the same name.
There’s something to be said for seeing a smoothly animated virtual dealer over the standard animations of online blackjack games, and these are well worth looking out for when choosing a casino.
Evolution Gaming
The big dog of live casino developers, Evolution Gaming has a bucket load of blackjack variants – way too many to list here. They come in all bet sizes, from $1 all the way up to super VIP games where you’ll need $10,000 in your account to even sit at the table.
As for RNG games, they only offer one in blackjack currently – what they call First Person Blackjack. It has superior immersive 3D graphics to most RNG offerings, except possibly Yggdrasil. It uses the same layouts and systems as Evolution’s standard live casino blackjack tables, and you can easily move to the live tables with one seamless click.
Red Tiger
Red Tiger offers two types of blackjack, classic and Deal or No Deal.
Classic casino RNG blackjack from Red Tiger is a smooth experience with a nice and simple betting layout. It uses American rules, with one favorable change – the dealer only peeks for blackjack on an Ace.
Deal or No Deal blackjack looks great and will be fun for fans of the show, but otherwise increases the house edge and doesn’t offer much value with its ‘Banker’s Offer’ surrender bets.
Side Bets In Blackjack
Perfect Pairs
This side bet is a wager on the likelihood of getting any pair in your hand. Payouts usually start at 5:1 or 10:1 for a mixed pair (eg.5 of Hearts, 5 of Clubs), 10:1 to 15:1 for a colored pair and up to 25:1 for a perfect pair – where both cards are exactly the same.
Some blackjack games will only pay out for a perfect pair. The house edge varies, but is around 10% on Perfect Pair Bets.
21+3
This bet lets you wager on the likelihood of a poker hand forming between the first cards dealt to you and the dealer. They usually pay out around the following:
- Flush (all cards same suit) – 5:1
- Straight (all cards consecutive) – 10:1
- Three of a kind – (Same card, different suits) 30:1
- Straight flush consecutive cards & same suit) – 40:1
- Suited triple (three of the exact same card) – pays 100:1
This changes from game to game however, with some paying more than average and some less. Occasionally you might even find jackpot prizes for pulling a suited triple on this side bet.
Lucky 7s/Super 7s
As you might expect, this bet pays out depending on how many 7s are dealt into your hand. Starting at one seven, you’ll get about 3:1. Two sevens will bag you 50:1, and 100:1 to if their suited.
The holy grail of triple sevens of the same suit, may pay you up to 500:1 or more in some games.
However, the game may stop before you get a third card if the dealer peeks and has a blackjack.
This could mean you missing out on a triple 7 if you already had two – an unlikely situation to be blunt, but you don’t say you weren’t warned if it happens.
Lucky Ladies
This bet pays out if you get to 20 with your hand choice. Payouts start at 4:1 for a standard mixed. However, it maxes out if you pull two Queen of Hearts to make that 20 – with a massive payout of 1000:1 on some blackjack tables.
Lucky Ladies is a fairly rare side bet, but blackjack tables that do offer it have the thrill of a massive potential win off a low investment (however unlikely).
6 Card Charlie
Not really a side bet per se, but more an extra rule that some blackjack tables add on, Six Card Charlie means you automatically win if you pull six cards – and stay under 21.
Since this rule even beats a blackjack from the dealer, it takes away from the house edge and adds to the player’s value by about 0.16%. A five card Charlie rule (very rare) adds about 2% to the player’s edge.
Over/Under 13
One of the simplest blackjack side bets, this lets you predict whether or not your hand size will go under or over 13. It pays even money if you are correct on either side, and most tables won’t pay out on a result of 13.
Since it pays even money, the house has a high edge of 5-10% on either side.
Bitcoin Blackjack
How Real Money Blackjack Works
The game is played at a Blackjack table. As soon as you place your bet, you will be dealt two cards. The value of cards is added together and all face cards are counted as ten points. An ace is counted as 1 point or 11 points while all other cards are counted as their actual value. When you receive the first two-card hand, you can get a “hit” or take an additional card. The winner is a player or a dealer who has scored 21 or has the higher score which is less than 21. A hand with a score higher than 21 loses. If the dealer busts, that is to say, if he has a score higher than 21, the player wins with a hand equal to or less than 21.
There is also a hand called “soft” which happens when a player has an A valued as 11, which means that he or she can’t go bust by taking an additional card. The player wins if he doesn’t bust or if he has a total which is higher than the dealer’s.
The dealer loses if he busts or if he has a hand with a score less than the one of the player who has not busted. If both of them have the same total, this situation is a “push”, which means that the player typically doesn’t win or lose money in this round.
Blackjack Betting System
You can choose from two main types of betting systems when playing Blackjack: positive progressions or negative progressions. If you opt for positive progression, you raise your bets whenever you win by funding your bets by the money you have won. This betting system is considered conservative and if you keep on losing, you will not lose your budget quickly which may be the case with a negative progression.
If you choose a negative progression, you raise your bets whenever you lose. This system is more risky, but if you win, your payouts will be higher. You can also utilise a combination of both systems thus creating a perfect betting system.
How to Win at Blackjack
When it comes to Blackjack, the skill is what really matters. You need to try out different strategies and keep in mind that they are all based on logic and maths. We will provide you with tips and trick you can use to make a better performance and it is up to you which one of them you will use while playing online Blackjack.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
As a Blackjack player you need to learn the basic strategy as it will help you wipe out the advantage the casino has over an unskilled player. If you manage to learn the basic strategy you will decrease the house edge to less than 1% which makes Blackjack one of the most lucrative casino games. The basic strategy can vary depending on how many decks the Blackjack variant you play uses. Keep in mind that Blackjack strategies are effective in the long run.
When playing the game using a single deck, the basic strategy will help you make the right moves and know when to double, stand, split or hit. All you have to do is to find a Blackjack chart showing the preferred moves in all possible situations. For instance, if you get 8, you should double on the dealer’s 5 to 6. Otherwise, you should hit. If you get 9 or 10, double on 2 to 9. If you get 11, always double. If you get 17 to 21, you should always stand. With an A, 9 hand always stand and if you get two As or two eights, always split. With two 10s always stand.
When playing Blackjack with four and more decks, if you get 5 to 8, always hit. If your hand equals 10, double on 2 to 9 and hit on 10, A. If you get from 13 to 16 stand on 2 to 6 or otherwise hit; with 17 and 18 always stand, just as in case you have from A,8 to A,10. Two 8s and two As always split and two 10s always stand.
Blackjack Strategy Chart
All the moves you should make while playing Blackjack can be found in Blackjack strategy charts. The player’s hand is listed vertically on the left side of the chart whereas the dealer’s exposed cards are listed on the top.
To determine which move you should make, find the value of your hand and the value of the dealer’s hand and follow the list to see the recommended action. Possible actions are typically given in different colours so that you can easily follow the suggestions.
Once you start using patterns, they will become more visible and you will be more resolute when making moves. Make sure that you use the right chart for the Blackjack game you play as a wrong chart can mislead you.
Biggest Mistakes with Blackjack
One of the biggest mistakes when playing Blackjack is relying on your luck and intuition. To win, you must use the strategy and make the right moves. You should not avoid using the basic strategy if you want to win. Keep in mind that making moves based on your intuition can increase the house advantage to over 5%. You should also avoid using a progressive betting system as progressive bets cannot increase your odds of winning. Instead of doubling your bet after each hand whether you win or lose, you should keep track on high and low cards which have been dealt in the previous rounds.
You should avoid making side bets when your initial hand equals 20 as these bets have a high house edge. Another common mistake is not hitting when you have a soft 16. That means that when you have an A which can be counted as 1 or 11 and you hit on soft 16, you cannot lose. Since the dealer must draw cards to reach the value of 17, there is no difference in having soft 16 or less than 17. You can beat the dealer if he busts. The objective is to have over 17 and less than 21. Insurance bets should also be avoided.
Blackjack Payouts
With the strategic gameplay you can lessen the house advantage over you and win bigger payouts. With traditional Blackjack games, the player generally wins a 3:2 payout whereas with modern variants, payouts are lowered to 6:5 and 7:5. Practically this means that with 3:2 payouts on every $50 bet you place you win $75. With 6:5 payouts, wagering $50 per hand pays out $60. Before you start playing, it is recommendable to examine all the rules and paytable. If the game you are interested in offers a 6:5 payout, you should look for another variant.
Live Blackjack
Live Blackjack is the latest innovation when it comes to online gambling. Live Blackjack variants are played at live tables and operated by real dealers instead of the RNG (Random Number Generator) thus providing players with a genuine casino experience. These games are streamed directly from land-based and studios in HD resolution and players are allowed to interact with the dealer.
Some of the most reputable game providers offering Live Blackjack titles are Microgaming, Evolution Gaming and Playtech. Live Blackjack games offer a wide betting range so that any kind of player can enjoy them. The minimum bet you can place is in most cases $1 or $5 while the maximum bet at some tables may go up to $200,000.
Best Blackjack Casinos
Blackjack is a table game each casino offers in its library. In most cases you will come across a wide selection of Blackjack variants which are affordable to all kinds of players. To enjoy Blackjack to the fullest, find a reputable gaming venue, like one of those listed on our gaming portal. Learn tips and tricks along with the basic strategy and place your bets carefully. Most casinos will welcome you with a generous bonus based on your first deposit you can use to play any of Blackjack titles you want.
Using Free Cash to Play Blackjack
If you claim a welcome bonus on your first or a series of initial deposits, you can get your balance balanced. However, as a Blackjack player you should know a few things. No matter how much money you get from the casino, it is considered free cash and can be withdrawn only when you meet certain wagering requirements. That practically means that you need to wager the bonus and sometimes even your deposit as many times as stated in the casino terms and conditions.
Typically, wagering requirements are set between 30 and 60x, which means that if you get $100 free, you have to wager $3,000 in real money. The problem is that you cannot turn your free cash into real money while playing Blackjack as bets on these games does not contribute to wagering requirements at all in most cases.
Blackjack Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
- Find a reputable online casino.
- Use the basic strategy.
- Use logic and maths.
- Set the loss limit.
- Quit if you keep on losing.
- Increase your wager a bit if you are on a winning streak.
Don’ts
- Don’t place insurance bets.
- Don’t believe your intuition.
- Don’t raise the loss limit.
- Don’t increase your bets while losing.
