Online Blackjack Verses Casino Blackjack (LIVE)

[TomLinnane]

Blackjack is one of the most favorite table games a casino can offer mainly because it remains fun, while also being particularly easy to learn. One recent study I been comparing, is Blackjack in a real casino amongst Foxwoods Resorts, Mohegan Sun, and local poker rooms, compared to online RTG systems. Amongst my research, the result favored LIVE casino play over online play.

 

Online Blackjack  mainly consists of a 6-card shoe, being randomized every single hand before dealing the player his or her cards. They do this to avoid card counting, and to provide a fair opportunity each and every hand. Although it has its upsides, like not having to sit down with other players, it has many weaknesses to its system which ultimately always favors the house. Many online casinos do not offer options like double down, and surrendering for every hand you play. This decreases profitability, and increases your losses. With cards being randomized every hand, this avoids the risk of having a bad shoe in a real casino, but also provides a disadvantage for good blackjack players, because you can no longer recognize a good and bad shoe with a randomized system. The statistics of blackjack are practically thrown out, because any strategy towards hands no longer apply, as you truly cannot calculate the odds of the next card coming out. At the end of the day, you have to simply rely on luck, and hope that you don't go broke in the long run.

 

LIVE casinos main blackjack game is a 6-deck shoe, that is shuffled prior to being dealt, but then remains unshuffeled till it nears the end of the deck. The upside to this, is that you can mentally keep a block of cards that have already been dealt, and if good enough, make statistical decisions based on your knowledge and memory. The downside to live blackjack, is the opportunity of sitting down with players who do not understand the statistics of winning and losing hands. That alone can drain your bankroll. The major upside to this, is when you have the ability to watch players, and find a good table to play at and use them to your advantage for winning money as a whole. Another huge advantage in a LIVE casino is your options to always double down, surrender, and most importantly, recognize a good and bad shoe. Your minimum bets are generally bigger at a live casino, so you will need a bigger bankroll. 

 

After basing my knowledge and mind of considering myself a good blackjack player, my experiment was truly more profitable in a live casino compared to online. There was no trends, no statistical edge, and no consistency online, which will have you change your game after being frustrated, and eventually leave you broke. In Foxwoods, i was able to turn $200 - $676 in about 2 hours. The fact I could pick and choose which table to sit at, and recognize the shoes, made a huge statistical edge towards my profit. Although you will always risk losing money with any casino, I would think its a fair assessment to say that there is more rewards for blackjack in a live casino than online. 

 

If you do enjoy playing online blackjack, here are my best and worse recommendations:

 

AVOID: Bovada, Carbon Poker, Full Flush Poker

Reasons: These casinos are some of the biggest in the market, and if not yet, growing to become a powerhouse. Because of this, I found their software to be very hard to win on, and the payotu percentages to be too low to turn  profit.

 

PLAY: Cool-Cat Casino and Affiliate Companies in the chain

Cool-Cat is actually my favorite blackjack casino, and desire negative feedback, they have successfully paid me out all 4 times for large profits. There system is statistically more accurate, and you generally win more hands you would win in a live casino, than you would lose. The system is also not based on payout percentages, so you are not stranglehold on the amount of money you can win. Many online casino set a payout percentage cap which is virtually impossible to exceed, while these casinos do not.