4/9/2022

Best Atlantic City Blackjack Tables

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Blackjack is one of the most played casino games and as such, a great number of variations have been developed over the years to give players the chance to experience a different way of playing it. Some of them grew in popularity so much that many of the casinos nowadays offer them along with classic blackjack.

Some variations allow players to enjoy their favourite game by placing an additional side bet, whereas others give them the opportunity to make moves and decisions which are restricted in the classic version.

To play $5 minimum blackjack in Atlantic City, you’ll need to go to the Wild Wild West Casino at Bally’s. On top of the obvious cowboy theme, you’ll find $5 blackjack tables galore. However, because the minimum is so low, blackjack pays out 6 to 5 instead of the more standard 3 to 2.

With such a huge diversity, the game is always enticing and interesting and it is no wonder why after so many years it is still one of the most sought-after card games. However, before players give one of the variations a try, they should always take into account not only its specifications but also the casino rules.

This is because some rules can vary depending on the place the game is played at. It is best to make sure they are aware of them in advance, otherwise, they significantly increase their chances of losing more money.

Atlantic City Blackjack is a variation that became popular thanks to its low house edge. It gives players moderately good chances of winning, provided that they apply basic strategy correctly. It is a very challenging and enticing version, which makes it extremely appealing to many players globally. It is very accessible to enjoy this variation as it is offered by most brick-and-mortar casinos as well as online.

The Atlantic City Blackjack Experiment

As the name implies, the birthplace of this blackjack variant is the US East Coast, and more specifically, Atlantic City, New Jersey. For the larger part of the 20th century, legal gambling in the United States was restricted solely to the territory of Nevada, with Las Vegas being the Silver State’s largest gambling hub.

Legal casino gaming officially arrived on the East Coast in 1976 when New Jersey residents voted in a referendum in favour of the legalization. This paved the way for legal gambling within the borders of Atlantic City only. The state quickly developed its newly regulated gambling sector, with the first licensed casino (Resorts Atlantic City) opening in 1978.

Atlantic City casino operators had to attract customers to their floors and what better way to achieve this other than offering them blackjack tables with extremely liberal rules? The competition with Las Vegas led to what is known as the Atlantic City Blackjack Experiment.

During said experiment, Atlantic City casinos introduced a new and unique rule to their blackjack tables, known as Early Surrender. This allowed players to minimise their losses since they could surrender a hand and forfeit half of their stakes back before the blackjack dealer had peeked under their hole card for a natural.

Playing conditions were so favourable in Atlantic City’s casinos that the bad effects on gambling profits were felt shortly after Early Surrender was introduced. Because of this, the “experiment” did not last for long and the rule was soon discontinued.

Many casinos replaced it with the Late Surrender version whereby lousy hands can be forfeited only after the peek. While still player-friendly, this version of surrender causes a significantly smaller house-edge reduction.

Rules of Atlantic City Blackjack

Best Atlantic City Blackjack Tables With Chips

Atlantic City is no different than the rest of the variations in terms that it uses the same main rules and principles as the classic Blackjack. The objective of the game is to reach twenty-one without surpassing it and compete against the dealer. The cards are valued in the same way as well and the ace remains the most powerful card in the deck. Even though there aren’t many major differences, this version has its specifications and subtleties which is the reason why it is recommended for players to take their time to consider them. Moreover, it is always best to first experience the classic Blackjack and then try some of its variations such as Atlantic City Blackjack.

The rules of this version enforce the dealer to stand on soft 17 and also to peek for Blackjack as there is a hole card. The peek is in place on both ten-value cards and aces. If the dealer has a blackjack, they would immediately expose the value of their hole card. Players lose all wagers unless they have naturals as well to push with the dealer’s blackjack. The peek is obviously a player-favourable rule since it saves you money from unsuccessful splits and double downs – you lose only your initial wager.

The Late Surrender rule we previously wrote about is also enforced in Atlantic City Blackjack. Furthermore, you can surrender any two-card combination against any dealer upcard. Insurance is another available move although its availability is practically useless to basic strategy players. There is never a good time to take insurance when you play with basic strategy only.

Doubling down is allowed on any two cards and also permitted after splitting. Splitting can be done to a maximum of three times but there is a restriction when it comes to splitting a pair of aces as they can be split only once and they receive only one card.

A split ace next to a ten-value card counts as a regular total of 21 rather than a blackjack and pays at odds of 1 to 1. Players have the option to split unlike ten-value cards like K-Q and J-10. Most online variations of Atlantic City Blackjack are dealt out of eight randomly-shuffled decks.

The rules of Atlantic City Blackjack are largely uniform across all available online variations and coincide with those described above. The most popular version is the one created by software supplier Microgaming, with an RTP percentage of 99.65%. We recommend you play the version from Microgaming’s Gold Series since it has improved graphics and additional interesting features.

Another version is supplied by developer Cryptologic. It has table limits of £1 to £100 and capacitates bets on up to three betting spots during any given round. The graphics are not as impressive as Microgaming’s but we find the game is still playable. One thing to keep in mind about this variation is that it disallows resplitting. Another popular take on online Atlantic City Blackjack is the one supplied by the WGS Technology studio. This one allows you to play up to five betting spots at a time.

Payout in Atlantic City Blackjack

In most cases, the payout for Blackjack is standard – 3/2, however players should pay special attention to this rule as there are some casinos which pay differently – 6/5 for instance. The payout plays a crucial role as it determines whether or not they are able to make a profit in the long term and should be always taken into account prior to playing. In order to make sure they will be able to apply their strategy correctly, it is always best to double check the rules in advance.

The bonus payout for a blackjack works to the advantage of the player and decreases the house edge. Respectively, the higher the reduction in the bonus odds, the greater the house edge becomes. A 3 to 2 payout results in net gains of one and a half times your original bet. For example, a £10 wager would earn you £15 in net profits from your blackjack.

Double Exposure Blackjack
European Blackjack
Pontoon
Atlantic City Blackjack
Multi Hand Blackjack
Spanish 21

Games that pay at odds of 6 to 5 are, in essence, unplayable. This lower payout gains you only £12 per every £10 wagered, which leads to a significant reduction in your long-term expectation from blackjacks. Professional players always advise against playing at such tables, arguing that if everyone ignores them, the casinos will have no other option but to remove them from their floors.

On a more positive note, online players should not worry about this since the vast majority of Atlantic City Blackjack variants available on the web pay at the conventional odds of 3 to 2. There is a silver lining for landbased casino players in the US, too. Gamblers on the East Coast had a limited choice of casinos several decades ago since legal gaming was restricted to Atlantic City only.

However, things have changed in recent times, with many states on the East Coast introducing gambling regulations on their territory. Usually, this happens because state authorities are looking to generate greater revenue from taxes. Therefore, landbased players currently have a greater choice of options and can scout for tables that offer more liberal rules of play and decent odds. If you do not like the conditions in a certain venue, you can always go to another one.

Strategy for Atlantic City Blackjack

As usual, players should consider the concrete rules inherent to Atlantic City Blackjack before they play online or head to their local landbased casino. This is because the casino advantage in blackjack is additive. Each rule at the table gives or takes from the house edge. Furthermore, you will enjoy an almost break-even game on condition you play with accurate basic strategy.

The latter is impacted by house rules such as the dealer hitting or standing on soft 17, the number of allowed splits, the lack of late surrender, and doubling after splitting. The number of packs a given table uses also matters.

You cannot expect to achieve accuracy and boost your expectation by using a strategy chart for a single-deck game in eight-deck variations like Atlantic City Blackjack. If you intend to play this variation, feel free to use the chart below as its suggested plays correspond to Atlantic City Blackjack’s unique set of rules.

Basic Strategy for Atlantic City Blackjack (8D, S17, LS, DAS, Peek, RS to 4 hands)
Player’s TotalDealer’s Upcard
2345678910Ace
Hard Player Totals
5,6,7,8HHHHHHHHHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13,14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHRhH
16SSSSSHHRhRhRh
17+SSSSSSSSSS
Soft Player Totals
Player’s Soft TotalThe Dealer’s Upcard
2345678910Ace
A-2, A-3HHHDDHHHHH
A-4, A-5HHDDDHHHHH
A-6HDDDDHHHHH
A-7SDsDsDsDsHHHHH
A-8, A-9, A-10SSSSSSSSSS
Paired Cards
Player’s PairThe Dealer’s Upcard
2345678910Ace
2-2, 2-3PPPPPPHHHH
4-4HHHPPHHHHH
5-5DDDDDDDDHH
6-6PPPPPHHHHH
7-7PPPPPPHHHH
8-8PPPPPPPPPP
9-9PPPPPPPPSS
10-10SSSSSSSSSS
Ace-AcePPPPPPPPPP
H = Hit; S = Stand; D = Double Down; Ds = Double if possible, otherwise stand; P = Split; Rh = Surrender if possible, otherwise hit

Advantages of Atlantic City Blackjack

As already mentioned, one of the biggest advantages of the Atlantic City is that its combination of rules work in favour of the players as the house edge is one of the lowest in comparison to the rest of the variations. For instance, a rule which is advantageous for them is that the dealer peeks for Blackjack which prevents them from losing more money by doubling down and splitting. Moreover, the variations in which the dealer stands on soft 17 are not many due to the fact that this move benefits the players and whenever they bump into such a version, they should give it a try.

Best Atlantic City Blackjack Tables

Additionally, it is noticeable that Atlantic City doesn’t have any major differences and specifications which make it extremely easy to be grasped and played. It is still recommended to adjust the basic strategy according to the above mentioned criteria, however, this doesn’t require as much time and efforts as some other versions do such as Blackjack Switch.

Disadvantages of Atlantic City Blackjack

One thing that can be considered as a drawback is the fact that the game is usually played with eight decks which is not very convenient for card counters. The high number of decks will make the card counting process very difficult to conduct. It is no secret that in order to apply their chosen system correctly they need to be extremely focused which can be a very challenging task to cope with as the casino setting is always full of distractions and temptations. This is not good for basic strategists, either, since, the greater the deck number, the higher the house edge they face.

Moreover, as already indicated players should always double check the payout for Blackjack as some casinos tend to change it which can significantly worsen their chances of making a decent profit in the long term. It is always best to search for a table which offers the standard payout of 3/2 as this way they will be able to achieve the desired result. It is extremely important to take this factor into account as it determines whether or not one variation is worth the shot as after all what makes gambling interesting is the possibility to make a profit.

Conclusion

Atlantic City Blackjack is one of the most popular variations of the game because it offers one of the lowest house edges you can possibly hope to find at a casino. It is available in many casinos and can be found online as well. This is extremely convenient for players who like to play from the comfort of their surroundings. Before playing, it is best to double-check the rules of the game as they can vary from one place to another. It is a version that is both interesting and challenging. This is the reason why so many players choose to give it a try.


Blackjack is the favoured game for thousands of casino players due to its extremely low house edge. However, site operators are aware that they must cater for players wanting to play for 1.00 a hand or 1,000. So, where is the best place to play for your budget?
And, which casinos have the lowest and highest tables limits for blackjack? Continue reading to get the answers, plus we’ve handpicked a list of the top blackjack casinos where you can start winning, today.
Whenever you play online blackjack - or any casino game, for that matter - there will be betting limits set in place. The term betting limits simply refers to the minimum and maximum amount you can wager on that particular game. Since online blackjack table limits can vary greatly, they’re accessible to players of all budget sizes.
If you’re on a budget, you should find the lowest blackjack table limits and stick to those games. If you have plenty of money set aside in your blackjack kitty and you’re not bound by a budget as such, by all means find the highest blackjack table limit games.
One thing you’ll notice is that live versions of blackjack are nearly always more expensive to play than virtual (RNG) blackjack games. This is simply because it costs a lot more to run live games, so the operator has to recoup its money from players to keep the game going.
You’ll find that most blackjack games with a lower minimum betting amount also have quite a low maximum betting amount. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the lower your bet is, the lower the prize money will be. Games with low limits are ideal if you’re a beginner, you have a small budget or if you simply fancy playing without risking too much money.
You’ll be pleased to know that there are some blackjack games you can play for as little as 0.10 per hand. We’ve even found a few as low as 0.02 but these super micro-limit games are pretty rare it has to be said.
As previously mentioned, live games are more costly than virtual ones. This means that the minimum amount you can bet with for a live game is a lot higher - some games have 1 as the minimum bet, which is obviously much higher than some of the cheapest RNG tables.

Blackjack Highest Table Limits


Everything moves up for the high stakes blackjack tables: the minimum amount you can bet increases and, of course, so does the maximum betting amount. The reason casino bosses do this is to counter players using betting systems such as Martingale which involves doubling down on your bets until you hit a winner.
Playing high limit blackjack doesn’t alter the payouts in anyway. They will still be 1:1 for a standard win and 2:3 (on most tables) for hitting blackjack. So, betting more equals bigger profits on the good days, and vice versa when the blackjack gods are against you.
High limit blackjack games are suitable for you if you have a large bankroll and are prepared to take risks. Even though blackjack has a very high RTP, there’s always the chance that you’ll lose and the higher your bet is, the more this will be.
We’ve listed several online casinos that offer high limit blackjack tables, with some surpassing 1,000 a hand. There are also certain live dealer tables with 5,000 and 10,000 table bet limits. These are for the serious high rollers. Furthermore, at some casinos, if you become a member of the VIP club, you’ll be given access to increased betting limits for blackjack and other games. Most of the time, to become a VIP you have to meet certain requirements to do with how much you play and spend at the casino.
When playing high stakes blackjack, or even low stakes blackjack for that matter, you should be aware of at least the basic strategy of the game for the variant you are playing. For instance, if you have hard 16 against the dealer’s 4, do you hit or stand?
It’s also worth checking out the RTP of the game. The higher the RTP is, the more money, on average, you can expect to be paid back. Some casinos list house edge instead of RTP. House edge is the exact opposite of RTP, so it’s games with the lowest house edge you’re looking for.

Play Online Blackjack


With blackjack being available at so many online casinos, you won’t have any problems finding somewhere to play. Before you go ahead and start playing, it’s important to remember that you should stick to games with betting limits that are suitable to your budget, whatever that is. After all, if you only have a small amount of money to play with, you don’t want to play a blackjack game with high betting limits.
Ultimately, it’s all about finding a game that appeals to you and lets you bet with your desired amount. So long as the betting range covers this amount, you’ll be good to go. If you’re at a casino with a good range of blackjack games, chances are there’ll be at least a few with table limits suitable for you.
At a lot of online casinos, if you look at the table games collection, you’ll see several versions of the same game. There’ll be a banner or something similar on each of these identical games indicating whether it’s a low limit or high limit game, or whether it’s more of a middle-range option.

Blackjack Table Limits FAQs

What is a low limits blackjack table?

This is a table with low betting requirements, making it a budget friendly alternative.

What is a high limit blackjack table?

This is a table with much greater betting limits than usual. You can bet hundreds and even thousands on a single hand.

What are the biggest blackjack table limits in the world?

Caesars in Las Vegas has three high roller tables where you can bet up to $50,000 per hand.

Atlantic City Blackjack Strategy