5 Differences Between Land Based Blackjack and Online Blackjack

On the surface, blackjack in land-based casinos seems exactly like blackjack in online casinos. The basic rules are the same, and most of the rules variations are available both online and off.

But not everything is the same. Here's a list of 5 ways land-based blackjack is different than online blackjack.

One way isn't necessarily better than the other, and you can enjoy both. But now you can decide which is better for you because you'll be aware of the main differences.

1.

The Speed of the Game

When you play blackjack in a land-based casino, the speed of the game depends on how fast the dealer shuffles and deals, how many players are at the table, and how fast the players act.

The speed of online blackjack play is almost entirely based on how fast you make decisions and push buttons.

While most players are aware of the ability to play many more hands per hour while playing online, you also have the ability to play fewer hands per hour online.

When you play in a land-based casino, the number of hands you play per hour is limited by the factors listed above, but you're also forced to play several hands if you're at the table. The only way to play fewer hands is to leave the table. You can do this, but you might need to wait to find another seat.

Playing online lets you play as fast or as slow as you want. This can be an advantage for players who want to gamble but limit their risk. Blackjack has a house edge, so if you play long enough, the casino grinds down your bankroll. This also means that the faster you play, the faster you lose.

The math is simple. If you lose an average of $10 an hour while playing 50 hands, you lose $20 an hour playing 100 hands.

Online play gives you complete control over how many hands you play per hour, while playing in a land-based casino limits your control.

Another advantage to online play for blackjack players on a budget is the availability of smaller minimum bets.

The minimum bet in land-based casinos is $5, $10, or higher, depending on where you play. You also may find that the rules are worseon the games with lower minimum bets than at the higher limit tables. But at many online casinos, you can bet as little as $1 per hand while playing blackjack.

If you're on a limited budget and want to be able to play for as long as possible, you can extend your play online a great deal by betting the minimum and playing fewer hands per hour.

Here's an example:

If you play blackjack online and bet $1 per hand and play 50 hands per hour, you're only risking $50 per hour. If the minimum bet is $10 in a land-based casino and you play 50 hands per hour, you're risking $500 per hour.


With the same rules and house edge, you lose 10 times as much per hour in the land-based casino as you do playing online.

2.

Dealer Mistakes

Humans make mistakes. Dealers in land-based casinos are human, so mistakes happen from time to time. Of course, the software that runs online blackjack games is designed by humans, so mistakes can happen with online blackjack as well.

The main difference is that when a mistake is identified in an online game, it fixes the mistake so it doesn't happen again. Dealers in land-based casinos can make the same mistake repeatedly.

Most land-based blackjack games are run in a smooth manner with minimal mistakes. You can play blackjack for hours without seeing mistakes.

But when mistakes are made, it can cost you money. Mistakes can be made when dealing, reading hands, and making pay outs.

Mistakes also slow down the game when they're caught and must be corrected.

When you play blackjack in a land-based casino, you need to pay attention to make sure the dealer doesn't make mistakes that cost you money. When you play online, there is a reduced risk of error.

The online casinos that use software that has been running online casinos for years (and even decades in some cases) have worked out the bugs a long time ago, so the chances of mistakes are almost nonexistent.

The other side of this difference is that sometimes a dealer in a land-based casino makes a mistake that helps you instead of hurts you. They might misread your hand and pay out when they shouldn't, or pay you out too much.

Some payers even employ tactics to encourage dealer mistakes in their favor. I don't recommend this, because even if it's not clear-cut cheating, it at least borders on cheating.. Cheating a casino can land you in hot water, and can sometimes even lead to criminal charges and jail.

Most blackjack players don't say anything when a mistake has been made in their favor. When you play online, you miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on a dealer mistake.

It's up to you to weigh the pluses and minuses of the possibility of dealer mistakes in both online and land-based play. If you don't want to have to worry about and watch for them, then online play is your best bet. But if you want to profit from a dealer mistake from time to time and are willing to closely watch everything that happens in the game, playing blackjack in a land-based casino is the way to play.

3.

Waiting for a Seat

When you go to a land based casino to play blackjack, you have to find the blackjack tables and find an open seat. Sometimes this requires waiting until a seat or new table opens. But when you play online, this isn't a concern.

Playing online blackjack is easy and you never have to worry about finding an open seat. You also don't need to worry about the other players at the table. Online software is designed to support an almost unlimited number of blackjack players at the same time.

Many land-based casinos have started implementing new rules like "no mid-shoe entry." This means that even if a seat is available at the blackjack table, you can't start playing until a new shoe is shuffled and dealt.

This might not be a big deal to some players, but if you simply want to start playing as soon as possible, online play is your best choice. You also don't have to travel to a casino to start playing. You can just log into an online casino on your computer or play on a mobile phone or tablet device.

4.

Bonuses

Land-based casinos don't offer bonuses when you make a deposit. Many online casinos do offer bonuses.

However, land-based casinos often have other incentives, like player's clubs.

In addition, many online casino bonuses don't include blackjack in the list of games you can play while clearing the bonus.

If you're interested in blackjack bonuses, your only option is to play online. But if you accept a bonus, you need to read the terms and conditions on every bonus offer to make sure blackjack is included.

If the normal playthrough requirements are 30 times the bonus and deposit amount, you have to make wagers totaling 30 times your total deposit plus bonus. If blackjack only counts 20% toward this amount, it means you have to bet five times as much before you can cash out. In other words, instead of needing to bet 30 times as much as your deposit and bonus, you have to bet 150 times as much.

Even with a low house edge game like blackjack, this makes it difficult to have any money left when you complete the playthrough.

Here's an example:

If you deposit $400 and receive a $400 bonus with a 30 time playthrough, you need to make wagers totaling $24,000 to clear the bonus. If blackjack only counts 20% toward this, you need to bet $120,000 to clear the bonus.


Let's take this one step further.

If you're playing a blackjack game with a half percent house edge and using perfect strategy, your expected loss on $120,000 worth of wagers is $600.

This means that on average you're only going to have $200 left of the $800 you start with. This lets you play blackjack for a long time, but even if the bonus is cashable you still lose $200 of your original $400 deposit.

And some online casino bonuses aren't cashable. These are also called sticky bonuses. A sticky or non-cashable bonus is deducted from your balance before you can cash out. This means that if you have $200 left you can't cash out because the casino deducts the $400 bonus from your total, leaving you with nothing.

It's not directly tied to blackjack bonuses, but another big difference between online and land-based play is that you can play free blackjack online. You can't walk into a land-based casino and play for free.

5.

Advantage Play

Blackjack is one of only a few games that operates in a way that allows some players to eliminate the house edge. Some players are even able to play with an edge over the casino. This is called advantage play.

The main way that players can get an edge in blackjack is by counting cards. By keeping track of the ratio of high to low cards remaining in the deck and changing the size of your bet, you can get more money into play when the deck is made up of cards that give you an edge.

You still play most of your hands with a house edge, but the edge moves into your favor if you bet big enough when you have an advantage.

Other advantage play opportunities involve shuffle tracking, ace tracking, and hole card play. Shuffle tracking and ace tracking means that you follow where certain cards or groups of cards are through a shuffle. If you know where a good group of cards is, you can bet more when that group is getting ready to be dealt.

Hole carding is when you find a sloppy dealer and can sometimes see the value of the dealer's down card. This creates an advantage because it helps you know when to take insurance and how to play your hands better.

When it comes to advantage play, the difference between online blackjack play and land-based blackjack play is that none of the tactics work when playing online.

Counting cards works because when low cards are removed from the deck it leaves more high cards to be dealt. Higher cards swing the advantage away from the casino. But if you're playing in a game where the deck or decks are shuffled after each hand, it eliminates the effectiveness of counting.

The software that runs online blackjack games shuffles the deck or decks after each deal. This means that you can't get an advantage online by counting cards.

You also can't see the shuffle or the actual dealing of the cards so it eliminates the other advantage play methods I mentioned above.

The closest thing you can find to advantage play online is if you can find a bonus that allows blackjack play and is cashable and has terms and conditions that don't make it impossible to clear the bonus.

These bonuses are rare for blackjack play, but if you keep your eyes open and look for opportunities, you may run across one from time to time.

Conclusion

Playing blackjack online is similar to playing in a land-based casino. But there are a few big differences. This list of 5 ways land-based blackjack is different than online blackjack covers the main things you need to know.

Now that you know the big differences, you can decide which offers the best game for your goals. If you want to play with an advantage, you need to stick to land-based play. But if you want to play for as long as possible on a set bankroll, online play may be the best bet for you.