With its fast-paced action and emphasis on player skill, Blackjack is by far the most popular casino-banked game in the world. While countless variations of the game have been created throughout the years, most are based on the same set of easy-to-learn rules we explain below. Once you’re familiar with the fundamentals of the game, you can take that knowledge to any NJ online casino and have a blast as you play with confidence!
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Where Can I play Online Blackjack in New Jersey?
While some online casinos offer multiple blackjack options, every NJ online casino listed in the table below has at least one form of blackjack to offer on their website and you can play them via NJ casino apps.
Online Casino | Get Bonus | Licensee | Software | Launched |
---|---|---|---|---|
BetMGM Casino | Get Bonus | Borgata Hotel & Casino | GVC | 8/1/2017 |
Caesars Casino | Get Bonus | Caesars Interactive | NYX Gaming Group | 11/26/2013 |
DraftKings Casino | Get Bonus | Resort Casino Hotel | Kambi | 12/17/2018 |
Golden Nugget | Get Bonus | Golden Nugget Atlantic City | NYX Gaming Group | 12/13/2013 |
Borgata Online Casino | Get Bonus | Borgata Hotel & Casino | GVC | 11/26/2013 |
Resorts Casino | Get Bonus | Resort Casino Hotel | NYX Gaming Group | 2/27/2015 |
Ocean Casino | Ocean Casino Resort | GAN | 7/11/2018 | |
Mohegan Sun Casino | Get Bonus | Resort Casino Hotel | NYX Gaming Group | 7/23/2015 |
PartyCasino | Get Bonus | Borgata Hotel & Casino | GVC | 11/26/2013 |
Online Blackjack Basics
The objective in Blackjack is simple: beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21 points. At the start of the game, players are dealt two cards faceup, while the dealer receives one faceup card and another facedown. Players must then use the incomplete information of the dealer’s hand to decide the best course of action to take with their own.
Hand values
Cards 2 to 9 keep their face value, while 10s, jacks, queens and kings count as 10 points each. Aces are more flexible, and can serve as either a 1 or 11, whichever serves the player’s best interest.
Being dealt an ace + any 10-value card for your first two cards gives you 21 and an automatic win, known as “Blackjack.” If the dealer does not receive a Blackjack of his own, the player is usually paid 3:2 on his bet. If a player wins a hand without a Blackjack, he is paid even money on his wager.
Gameplay
After placing your bet, the first round of cards are dealt. Players are then given the five following options:
- Stand: stand pat without taking any additional cards.
- Hit: draw another card from the deck. (Players can continue drawing cards until their hand value exceeds the 21-point maximum, referred to as “busting.”)
- Double Down: doubling your bet and receiving only one additional card.
- Split: separating a pair into two hands and doubling the bet. (Once separated, the dealer will create two hands with the original pair of cards and deal an additional card to each. At that point, players can stand, hit, double down, and re-split as they would normally. When aces are split, however, players usually only receive one additional card on each ace.)
- Surrender: giving up half of your bet and withdrawing from the current hand.
- Insurance: insurance is offered when the dealers up card is an A and allows you to place a side bet that the dealers down card is a 10.
If a player busts after hitting, the house automatically wins the hand; the player’s wager will be collected by the dealer and the game will end. If the player stands pat, the dealer will reveal his hole card and act according to a strict set of rules which are laid out in advance. That usually means taking cards until receiving a hard 17 and above. If at any point the dealer surpasses 21, any players left in the hand will be paid even money on their bet. If the dealer and player finish the hand with the same point value, the player’s bet is refunded and the hand is considered a “push.”
For example: You are dealt A-6, giving your hand a value of either 7 or 17, and the dealer shows a jack as his faceup card. In this situation, your ace is considered “soft” because it can be used either as a low card or high card. With reduced risk of busting you hit attempting to improve your hand and are dealt a king. The addition of the king now forces your ace to count as 1, being that using it as an 11 would bust your holding (11+6+10=27). The hand is now considered a “hard” 18 (1+6+10=17), due to the fact that the ace is locked in with a value of 1. You decide to stay on 17 and watch as the dealer deals himself an 8, giving him a total of 17, on which he must stand pat. Since both of your hands are of equal value, you push with the dealer and are refunded your bet.
Advantages of playing Online Blackjack in New Jersey
- Play anytime/anywhere: Skip the long drive to Atlantic City and play anywhere and anytime on your computer or mobile device within state lines.
- Budget-friendly: While it’s rare to find a blackjack table with a min bet under $10 in any US retail casino, online casinos offer bets as low as $0.10 and usually no higher than $1.00.
- Beginner-friendly: It can be a bit intimidating walking up to a blackjack table for the first time in a retail casino but online blackjack is a place where you can hone your skills at your own pace from the comfort of your own living room.
- Play for Free: Taking the beginner-friendly vibe one step further, many online casinos allow you to play a demo mode where you are betting play money.
- Bonuses and Promotions: Its rare for a retail casino to offer you bonus money just for walking through the door, but every online casino in New Jersey does just that. Check out or casino bonus page for all the best new player offers.
Standard Blackjack Variations
Here are several of the main variations of blackjack that you’ll find at most NJ online casinos, along with a quick rundown of their rules.
Single Hand Blackjack
Single Hand Blackjack is a bare bones blackjack variant that brings the retail Atlantic City casino feel to your living room. No sidebets, only one deal per hand but gameplay moves quickly and has a similar pay table to what you would expect to find in any live casino. In the example above, IGT blackjack pulls from a six-deck shoe, blackjack pays 3:2 and the dealer stands on all 17s. IGT Single Hand Blackjack allows you to customize your settings for game speed, felt color, sounds and you can even turn insurance off to speed up the deals.
Multihand Blackjack
Similar to single hand blackjack but allows you to play up to three hands per deal. All the same rules apply including blackjack pays 3:2, dealer stands on all 17s, single card only when splitting aces and multiple splits on all other pairs.
Blackjack with Sidebets
There are many variations of NJ online blackjack that allow you to place sidebets, and only really vary by what cards you are looking for to come out on the original deal.
Using Blazing 7s Blackjack as an example of the many sidebet games available online in New Jersey, Blazing 7s allows you to place a sidebet that pays out when sevens are dealt during the original deal in the following manner:
- Either of your first two cards are a 7 pays 5:1
- First two cards are both 7s pays 35:1
- First two cards and the dealer upcard are all 7s pays 77:1
- First two cards and dealer upcard are all 7s of the same suit pays a whopping 777:1
Other sidebet games will have similar rules but with different combinations of cards that pay different payouts. For example, Cash Queens at Borgata Casino and BetMGM blackjack will pay 500:1 if you are dealt a pair of queens and the dealer shows blackjack, or 50:1 if you are dealt any pair of queens. Be sure to check the paytable on each game to further understand the bet before jumping in.
Blackjack Xchange
Blackjack Xchange is an interesting variation as it allows you to buy and sell cards to help improve your hand or lock-in profits when dealt a better hand than the dealer. You will be dealt two cards as usual, but you will be given the option to either buy a new card to help improve your hand, or sell a card that could potentially make your hand worse.
The prices for buying and selling cards will vary depending on how much that particular card helps or hurts your situation against the dealers up card. Once the buying and selling is over, the hand will play out as any other standard blackjack hand.
Live Dealer Blackjack
Live dealer blackjack brings all the excitement of real live casino gaming direct to your living room via a live stream from a studio located right on an Atlantic City casino floor. Real live human dealers deal out real cards but all bets are done virtually. Bringing the best of both worlds, live dealer blackjack allows you to interact with the dealer and sometimes other players. Games move a bit quicker as all payouts are done automatically and the process is streamlined.
Live dealer games will have higher limits than your typical online blackjack game but will still typically be lower than most retail casino minimums.
Basic Blackjack Strategy
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when deciding on how to proceed with your blackjack hand:
- When deciding on your next move, always assume that the dealer’s facedown card is a 10.
- Stand pat on a hard 17 or higher.
- When facing a 10, it’s best to hit when holding a 16 point hand.
- 4s, 5s, and 6s are very bad cards for the dealer, as they give him a better probability of busting his hand. When facing one of these cards, it’s usually best to stand pat if there is any risk of you busting your hand by taking another card.
- Always hit on a soft 17. You’re in no danger of busting and there’s a good chance your hand could improve.
- Always double down on 11.
- Never stand on 12 through 16 if the dealer is showing a seven or higher.
- Never take insurance.
Finding the right blackjack table on NJ gambling sites
Be sure to look out for variations of blackjack that increase the house edge. Although most blackjack games follow the same rules, there are some sneaky game providers that may make slight changes that increase the house’s edge and over time will cut into your potential profits. These changes include:
- Blackjack that pays 6:5 instead of the usual 3:2. This may seem like a minor detail, but over time can make a big difference.
- Dealers hitting on a soft 17 cuts into your returns so be sure that dealers have to stay on any 17.
- After splitting a pair, the optimal table will allow you to resplit on another pair and allow you to double down after splitting. This does not pertain to splitting aces as almost every blackjack game in the world only allows one card after splitting aces.
New Jersey Blackjack Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is no, but there are a few exceptions. The availability of blackjack depends on where you travel to and what site you are playing on. If you are traveling to Pennsylvania, where online casinos are legal, DraftKings and FanDuel Casino will carry over your available balance if you close the app and restart it to allow it to re-locate you. Other online casinos such as Stars Casino and SugarHouse will require you to make a separate Pennsylvania account. If traveling to a state like New York where online casinos are not yet legal, you will not be able to participate at all.
Some online casinos will allow you to use blackjack to clear bonuses although some may count the contribution percentage at a lower rate. Others will not count blackjack at all towards the wagering requirements. We break down each individual online casinos bonus wagering requirements in our comprehensive review pages found here.