Online Blackjack Versus Live Blackjack

Now a days there's a casino within 3 hours of almost every major metropolitan city in the United States. With so many live blackjack options available it's worth discussing and examining the pros and cons of online and live blackjack.

Online & Live Blackjack

Nothing beats a great game of blackjack. No matter what time of day or night that you walk into a casino, there are always players at the blackjack tables. On a Friday or Saturday night, you have to push through the crowds that gather around watching the blackjack players go up against the house. Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card cards around. Years ago, before the rise of Internet gambling, the only place where you could play blackjack was at a live casino. But those days are now gone. Blackjack is not just available at the nearest land-based casino. Now players can sit down at their own computer and enjoy blackjack. But not everyone is sold on the online version. Some blackjack players still prefer the action of a live game. When it comes to online blackjack versus live blackjack, there are many pros and cons.

Advantages of Live Blackjack

Live blackjack at a land-based casino is something to experience. The biggest advantage of live blackjack is the casino atmosphere. No matter how well developed the software is, an online game of blackjack just can’t compare to sitting in a land-based casino, surrounded by people and the sounds of the slots.

Another big advantage of live blackjack is that the player can be sure that the game is genuine and the odds are not fixed as part of a computer’s program (although I should mention that online blackjack games are tested for authenticity but there is still some debate on the subject). When you are playing live blackjack versus online blackjack, then you know that the cards are reshuffled accordingly and that the game is genuine.

The social aspect of live blackjack is a bonus, too. In an online game, you usually don’t even see a dealer. The cards just magically appear from the dealer’s “area”. In a live blackjack game, you can socialize with the dealer, the other players, and the people around you. That aspect of live blackjack versus online blackjack is one of the best parts of the game.

Finally, the odds at live blackjack can sometimes be better than online blackjack. In live blackjack, you can double down on any two cards while many online blackjack games restrict doubling the hands that total 10 or 11. Also, many online games do not allow surrender which is an option at most basic blackjack tables.

Disadvantages of Live Blackjack

There are some drawbacks to playing live blackjack in a land-based casino. The biggest disadvantage is location. Not everyone lives near a casino. In some cases, players have to hop a plane to fly to the nearest casino. Such trips can get expensive (especially with today’s airfares) and limit a player’s frequency in visiting a casino.

Another disadvantage to live blackjack is that if you are a new player to the game, it will ultimately cost you in money while you are learning the rules. There are no free games at a land-based casino.

Advantages of Online Blackjack

In the debate of live blackjack versus online blackjack, the online version has many advantages. The most prominent advantage is convenience. With online blackjack, you don’t have to go any further than your own computer. There are no travel expenses, no high-priced drinks, and no tips to the dealer. Online blackjack is available to anyone who has access to a computer and the Internet. Also, a player doesn’t have to sit down and play at a table for hours on end. You can log on and off to play for minutes at a time as life’s schedule allows. When it comes to convenience, nothing beats online blackjack.

You can also play online blackjack for free and this is a nice advantage for recreational or new players. For new players who just want to try it out, playing online blackjack for free is great practice and gives you plenty of time to learn the rules and hopefully develop a strategy to put into effect if and when you decide to play for real money. Also, not all players have the finances to consistently play for real money. So free online blackjack is a great way for those players to get in their blackjack fix while not risking any of their hard-earned cash.

Game pace is an important thing to consider in live blackjack versus online blackjack. Live blackjack in a land-based casino can be tense and electric. The dealer and the other players at a blackjack table are not going to wait patiently while you dither around trying to make a decision. There is a lot of pressure to keep the game going. Online blackjack is much more relaxed. You can play the game at your own pace, however slow it may be, and no one is going to pressure you (unless you happen to be in a multiplayer game). You also have the Internet at your disposal if you want to look up any tips or strategies.

Disadvantages of Online Blackjack

Perhaps the biggest drawback of playing blackjack online is that you miss out on the live casino experience. As mentioned above, nothing compares to playing any game in a live casino. The atmosphere just can’t be beat and if you play online blackjack, you are going to miss out on that socialization that you get between dealers and other players.

Online blackjack has another big disadvantage. Most of the software versions shuffle the decks after every hand which intentionally makes it impossible to count cards. So if you are a card counter who has had some success in live blackjack games, you won’t have the same success online.

And finally, in the disadvantages of online blackjack, there are rule variations in some of the software that gives the house a slightly higher edge than in live games. As a player, you should always read the specific rules on any site before you sit down to play.