Online vs. Land Based Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the best casino games at any casino whether virtual or brick and mortar, but playing online definitely does have its advantages, especially for beginner players and those trying out new strategies, which is why online properties have enjoyed exponential growth and success over the last few years. Let's take a look at exactly what the appeal is:
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Playing in comfort and convenience from home
Most obviously, playing Blackjack online allows you to turn on your PC at any time that is convenient for you and play in the comfort of your own home. There is no need to dress up, travel or wait until a week-end to go out, making it much easier for you to have fun and master the game whenever it suits you.
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Game Variation
Land based casinos are limited to the number of Blackjack tables they can fit onto their casino floors which means you may find up to 3 variations of the game if you are lucky. Online properties however are unlimited in their offerings and so you will find many, many options available to you from around the world including various Vegas, Atlantic City, European, and Spanish versions. You will also find morphs like Pontoon and Super fun, not to mention a host of multi-hand games for added excitement.
In being able to choose from such a wide variety, you can strategically analyse the rules, odds and payout of each game and select the most advantageous game for you. Check out our game variations section for more information on doing this.
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Availability
With limited seating available at blackjack tables in land based venues, internet casinos offer a welcome solution with unlimited seats even at peak times on week-ends. No matter how many people are playing, there will always be space for you which means you won't have to wonder off and spend your money on other games instead while you wait for a seat.
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Play for Free in Practice Mode
Probably one of the best things about playing the game of 21 online, especially for beginners and those trying out new strategies, is that casinos offer a free "practice mode" which of course does not happen at land based venues where you have to put serious money down even when you are learning and that inevitably costs you.
In the free play mode at online venues, you are able to learn the rules and basic game play strategy in a non-intimidating environment where it really doesn't matter how many mistakes you make because it costs you nothing. You can practice as often as you want until you feel ready to play for real money.
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Auto-Play
In addition to the Free play mode, most online casinos offer an auto-play mode which can be used to supplement your game play and allows you to choose the optimum strategy and customise the number of hands you”d like to play which further enhances your experience and enables you to determine the effectiveness of what you are doing during the game.
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Strategy Cards are allowed
At land based casinos any form of strategy cards are looked upon as cheating whereas at online casinos you are free to use them as you play and even adapt the auto play mode accordingly which increases your chances of success.
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No Etiquette Stress
Blackjack etiquette is something both the casinos and players at brick and mortar establishments take very seriously and if you get something wrong it can result in a great deal of hostility towards you. When you are a beginner player this is quite overwhelming because you are focusing your concentration on playing, and it then has to be split between that and etiquette.
At online casinos this concern simply doesn”t exist! There are generally not dealers or other players to worry about and you control everything by pushing buttons so there is no real way to violate codes of etiquette at all which means less stress and more enjoyment.
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You're in control of game speed
Land based games involve a number of players at a table (sometimes up to 5 or 7) and you have to wait for the cards to be dealt, then you have to wait for people to play their hands and then wait for your turn, online everything is instantaneous so the waiting is drastically reduced and you can control the speed of the game.
On the flip side, you can also take as much time as you like to make decisions without feeling any pressure at all.
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Regular Promotions and tournaments
Online casinos offer players a host of bonuses and loyalty promotions across games, but often there are Blackjack specific bonuses as well as organised tournaments to play in. While land based properties do run various loyalty programs, they are open only to a select few VIP”s but online these promotions are accessible in one form or another to everyone and just get better the more you play.
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Privacy
When playing at land based casinos, you have to carry chips with you and people can tell how much money you are betting, losing or winning at any given time and it is very difficult to hide this from a keen observer whereas playing blackjack online ensures your absolute privacy and security in this regard.
Also, for the most part when playing online there is no one present to laugh at or comment on mistakes you make so you don”t get discouraged easily and can build up confidence quickly.