Big Five Blackjack - Play Online
Big five blackjack is one of the newest additions to the growing list of real money blackjack variations at casinos online in 2024. Big five blackjack differs from more popular versions of the game, such as Vegas Strip and Atlantic City. You'll need to get familiar with a vastly different playing style. Yet it's easy to see why players have started flocking to the tables at UK online casinos. Big five blackjack is easy to learn and master even if you've never enjoyed traditional forms of the game.
Before logging onto online casinos, big five blackjack players should get familiar with traditional blackjack rules and gameplay. You can skip the strategy sessions as they depend on the variation you choose. It only takes a few minutes to get up to speed and understand the rhythm. The knowledge will help you succeed at any UK or global casino. If you want to put your skill to the test and win real money from the virtual tables, it is always best to opt for a premium online casino and it doesn't get better than Betway Casino when it comes to the card game.
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Online Casino Big Five Blackjack Basics
As the name suggests, casino online big five blackjack uses five decks of cards. The cards are shuffled before every hand whether you play online or at a live casino in the United Kingdom. After placing your bet at a casino online, big five blackjack players will receive two cards. The dealer receives a single card. The dealer will not receive his second card until you play your hand.
Big Five is not a hole game, so there is no need for the dealer to peek at the beginning of the real cash game. In addition, the rules state that the dealer must always hit on soft 17 or anything lower. The house edge isn't as low as something like Vegas downtown blackjack, but it gives much better odds for hitting specific cards than the standard game. If you follow a strategy table when playing at casinos online, big five blackjack's house edge can be as little as 0.47%. Winning hands pay 3:2
Big Five blackjack is more profitable thanks to the late surrender rule.
Hitting and Standing
When playing at a British casino online, big five blackjack players should remember that soft hands are flexible and feature an ace while hard hands only have one possible value. Always hit low valued hands. Anything less than a 9 is fair game regardless what the dealer has.
Don't bother hitting a soft 17 or 18 unless the dealer has a 9 or higher. In the case of a soft 17, always hit if the dealer has a 2. Make sure to stand if you land a soft 20 or a hard 17 no matter what the dealer has.
Buying Insurance
Just like in traditional blackjack, players can purchase insurance during a hand of online casino big five blackjack. Insurance is only available when the dealer has the potential for blackjack, namely when he or she shows an ace. Despite paying a seemingly lucrative 2 to 1, most UK blackjack experts will quickly tell you that insurance is for suckers. If you crunch the numbers you'll see this is no exaggeration.
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Doubling Down During Online Casino Big Five Blackjack
Doubling Down is available on any two-card hand. You can even double down after a split. At a casino online, big five blackjack players in Britain commonly double down when the dealer has a low value card, namely a 4, 5, or 6. That's only the right move provided you have the versatility of landing a soft 16.
When playing at online casinos, big five blackjack players shouldn't confuse doubling down with splitting. They aren't mutually exclusive in the UK or anywhere else. Splitting will turn your cards into two separate hands. You can split any pair, but splitting Aces has some limitations. Once the Aces are split, only one more card will be dealt for each split Ace. If the additional card is of 10-point value, then it will be counted as 21, rather than a natural blackjack.
Sweet Surrender
There's actually an exit strategy when playing online casino big five blackjack. After receiving your cards you can get half your cash back by abandoning your hand. You really shouldn't jump ship unless you have a hard 16,15,14, pair of 8s, or pair of 7s and the dealer has a face card or 10. The only other recommended time to jump ship is if the dealer sports a 9 and you have a hard 16.
Early Surrender is an additional option when playing big five blackjack. Players can leave their hand early while still retaining half of their initial wager. It's definitely better than buyer's remorse.
The only instance in which a player cannot call an early surrender is when the dealer is showing an Ace. Of course that's a mere technicality and isn't on our list of recommended times to surrender your online casino big five blackjack hand. This applies whether you play on the internet or anywhere live in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Casinos Online: Big Five Blackjack Kick Off
Although it's hard to find live tables in the UK, big five blackjack is widely available at online casinos. Big five blackjack real money gaming options are all over the internet and the odds are standard. If you aren't sure where to start looking, browse our online casino reviews for information on the best sites. Don't forget you can claim a sizeable bonus just for signing up at a top online casino. You'll be high fiving yourself even before you reach the greatest big five blackjack tables available in the United Kingdom. Don't forget about our exclusive deposit and reload bonuses that also put you ahead of the game.
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Big Five Blackjack is a unique variation of the real cash game that works the same as standard blackjack as far as trying to get as close to 21 as possible, and putting you against the dealer, but there are some differences as you play.
Where can I find the best Big Five blackjack games?
You’re allowed to take a late surrender while playing this variation, giving up half your bet, but only if the dealer isn’t showing an Ace. You can only split up to three times in a given hand, and when aces are split you can only get one card dealt to each. Five decks of cards are used, which is unique among most blackjack games.
Big Five Blackjack is available in the UK, but it isn’t one of the more popular variations of the game. You’ll have to search around a bit in order to find casinos that offer this game if you find that you enjoy it.
Yes, Big Five Blackjack games are fair because they rely on randomly generated cards and because both the dealer and player have to follow defined rules. The house edge is only .47% when you play with perfect strategy, giving you plenty of opportunity to come out ahead with a bit of luck.
Five decks of cards are used while playing this variation of the game, giving you slightly different odds than other versions that rely on eight decks of cards.
