How The Game Was Introduced

When legislation was passed to legalize gambling in the resort town of Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1976, casino owners were faced with the issue of how to compete with Las Vegas, the American gambling destination. Vegas had been practicing and perfecting legalized gambling since 1931, and Atlantic City knew they had to find a way to stand out and be noticed. Thus Atlantic City Blackjack was born. They took the popular and well-loved game of traditional blackjack and gave it a unique New Jersey twist.

A Jersey shore twist on the world’s most famous card game, Atlantic City Blackjack brings Canadian players new advantages, strategies, and challenges, and a whole new online blackjack gambling experience.

How Atlantic City Blackjack Works

At an online casino, Atlantic City Blackjack falls into the category of games called “Hole Card Blackjack.” What this means is that the dealer is dealt two cards. One of these cards (the hole card) stays face down, while the other is face up. The hole card stays hidden to the dealer, unless the upturned card has a value of ten, in which case the dealer may check the hole card.

The Main Objective

The basic gameplay and objectives are the same as ordinary online blackjack in Canada. The player is playing against the dealer. In order to win a hand, the player must get a “natural” (where their initially dealt hand of two cards equals a value of 21, or “blackjack”), or they must have a score at the end of the hand that is both greater than the dealer’s and also not exceeding 21. Alternatively, if the dealer draws cards and in doing so reaches a total value exceeding 21, the player wins by default. In the event of a tie (known here as a “push”), neither party wins or loses money.

Comparison to Other Blackjack Games

Canadian gamers will find that there are two main differences between an Atlantic City Blackjack game and a classic game of online blackjack. One of these differences is a benefit to the dealer, and one is a benefit to the player.

The 8-Deck Difference

Unlike a game of traditional blackjack, which is played with 6 decks of cards, an Atlantic City Blackjack game is played with eight decks. The dealer must always hit on hands that have a value of 16 or less, and must then not go over 21. With 104 more cards in the mix, there is a smaller chance of the dealer busting when having to hit. Therefore the eight deck difference winds up to be in the dealer’s favour.

The Late Surrender Option

While the eight-deck difference brings a distinct advantage to the dealer, the second major difference between Atlantic City and regular blackjack, known as the Late Surrender Option, is a definite benefit for the player. How it works: as mentioned earlier, when the dealer’s face up card has a value of ten, they may look at their hold card to check and see if they have blackjack (21). Remember, the dealer must hit when their hand is 16 or less.

If at this point the dealer does not have blackjack, the player is allowed to surrender the hand they are holding in exchange for having half of the stake returned back to them. This is a benefit to the player, in that if they don’t have a very strong hand, and it seems likely that the dealer’s hand is stronger than theirs, they do not have to lose their entire real cash wager. This could also be thought of as the “Live to Fight Another Day” option in 2024!

Standard Terms, Bets, and the Odds

The Terms

Hit : When a player wishes to receive another card from the dealer.

Stand : When a player wishes to be dealt no more cards, and play their current hand.

Split : When a player receives two cards with identical value, they may split the cards into two separate hands, at which point the dealer will deal them two new cards, one for each hand. This is true for all cards, even cards whose value is ten. The exception is that with an Ace, the hand may only be split once, and the player will only receive one new card, leaving one of the split hands incomplete. If a player receives a ten-valued card on an Ace split, the value of the hand will be 21, but is not considered a blackjack, and therefore a possible dealer blackjack hand can defeat it. Additionally, the player must make an additional wager equal to the original one, every time their hand is split.

Double Down : This is when a player wishes to increase their wager with a new wager, equal to the amount of the initial bet. This can be done after the initial two card hand is dealt, and after a split. It can be done no matter the value of the player’s hand. The cost to the player is that they agree to stand after being dealt one more card, no more, no less, no matter what.

The Dealer

Along with the previously stated rule that allows the dealer holding a ten value card to look at their hole card in order to check for blackjack, dealers are required to stand on any hand that has a value of 17 or greater. This can aid Canadian players in some helpful strategy.

The Odds and The Payout

The odds in an Atlantic City Blackjack game are pretty evenly split. The odds of a winning hand are 46.3%, with a relatively low house edge of 0.36%. Ordinary winning hands pay out at 2 to 1, but a winning blackjack hand pays at 3 to 2.

Strategy for Beginners

Just like any other game, going into a game of Atlantic City Blackjack with a bit of basic strategy can go a long way. The following are some simple and easy to remember tips that can save you from some disastrous outcomes, help you win more hands, and make for an overall better blackjack experience.

What’s Up, Doc?

A simple but effective strategy for players in Canada is to keep an eye on the dealer’s up card. What you’re looking for is whether the card is good or bad. 7 through Ace are considered good cards for an up card, while 2 through 6 are considered bad. If your hand equals 16 or less, while the dealer’s up card is 7 or greater, it’s a good idea to always hit. If you’re hand is 12 or higher while the dealer’s up card is 6 or below, it’s relatively safe to stand.

Pucker Those Split Lips

It’s always a good idea to split the double Ace cards. 8 cards are also a pretty safe real money bet to split. It’s also a good idea to hit on an Ace.

Flat Is Where It’s At

Placing a flat bet on every hand of the game can seem boring and uninteresting to some players, but for beginners it can be a great, low cost way to familiarize yourself with the game play and flow of each hand, without risking big wagers. As you gradually increase your skill and familiarity with the game, you will probably feel more comfortable switching your bets up a bit, and developing your own betting strategy. With a flat bet, you won’t win as much earnings, but you will also avoid losing much of your bank.

Leave Your Cap On

It’s always wise to determine how much you are willing to lose on a game before you start playing, and then to stick to that cap, no matter how lucky you’re feeling. Decide how many hands you might want to play. Just a few, or do you want to sit and stay a while? Then decide the amount of money you will need to play for the duration. If you get on a losing streak and wind up losing your whole budget, don’t keep playing in an effort to try to win some of it back. Live to fight another day! If you find yourself on a winning streak, great job! But remember that just because someone is winning at the moment doesn’t mean they will go home a winner. Stick to your original number of hands you had planned on playing, and learn to quit while you’re ahead! So if you're at a casino online, Atlantic City Blackjack requires thorough thinking before playing.

Mobile Play

More and more Canadians are discovering the ease of mobile real money gaming, using apps, or going online with their phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Online casinos and other developers have released tons of fun gambling apps recently. And you can always open a browser on your device to play at your favourite online casino, Atlantic City Blackjack waiting for you right there just as it would be at home. There are great apps available for Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad), Android (Samsung Galaxy, LG series), Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Amazon Fire Tablet, and many more.

Atlantic City Blackjack - A Summary

The casinos of Atlantic City set out to put their mark on gambling and draw players in with their unique take on the most popular gambling card game in the world. With its favourable and intensifying twists, we say they accomplished what they set out to do!

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