With its fast-paced action and emphasis on player skill, Blackjack is by far the most popular casino-banked game in the world. While countless variations of the game have been created throughout the years, most are based on the same set of easy-to-learn rules we explain below. Once you’re familiar with the fundamentals of the game, you can take that knowledge to any NJ online casino and have a blast as you play with confidence!
Blackjack is the most popular online casino table game in New Jersey. It’s available at all regulated New Jersey online casino sites. The game is often referred to simply as “21.”. Atlantic city online casino: Atlantic city is one of the top places to play online blackjack. The casino has a unique version of the game which attracts a lot of NJ gamblers. Atlantic city’ blackjack is played using 8-deck of cards which consist of 52 cards with no joker.
Play Top NJ Online Blackjack Sites for Free
$20 Free
- PROMO CODE: BETNJ2
- 100% Bonus up to $600
- Fast Bonus Clearance
- Borgata Hotel Room Promos
$20 Free
- PROMO CODE: NJOG20
- 100% Bonus up to $1,000
- Biggest Game Library in NJ
- Live Dealer Games
$25 Free
- REQUIRED PROMO CODE: NJ25
- Up to $100 Real Cashback
- $10K Community Jackpot
- Wonderland Jackpot Slot
$25 Free
- PROMO CODE: BETNJ1
- 100% Up To $1,000
- Live Dealer Games
- Home To A Dozen Jackpot Slots
$250 Bonus
- PROMO CODE: NJOG
- 100% Bonus up to $250
- 1X Playthrough on All Bonuses
- More Than 500 Games
Online Blackjack Basics
The objective in Blackjack is simple: beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21 points. At the start of the game, players are dealt two cards faceup, while the dealer receives one faceup card and another facedown. Players must then use the incomplete information of the dealer’s hand to decide the best course of action to take with their own.
Hand values
Cards 2 to 9 keep their face value, while 10s, jacks, queens and kings count as 10 points each. Aces are more flexible, and can serve as either a 1 or 11, whichever serves the player’s best interest.
Being dealt an ace + any 10-value card for your first two cards gives you 21 and an automatic win, known as “Blackjack.” If the dealer does not receive a Blackjack of his own, the player is usually paid 3:2 on his bet. If a player wins a hand without a Blackjack, he is paid even money on his wager.
Gameplay
After placing your bet, the first round of cards are dealt. Players are then given the five following options:
- Stand: stand pat without taking any additional cards.
- Hit: draw another card from the deck. (Players can continue drawing cards until their hand value exceeds the 21-point maximum, referred to as “busting.”)
- Double Down: doubling your bet and receiving only one additional card.
- Split: separating a pair into two hands and doubling the bet. (Once separated, the dealer will create two hands with the original pair of cards and deal an additional card to each. At that point, players can stand, hit, double down, and re-split as they would normally. When aces are split, however, players usually only receive one additional card on each ace.)
- Surrender: giving up half of your bet and withdrawing from the current hand.
If a player busts after hitting, the house automatically wins the hand; the player’s wager will be collected by the dealer and the game will end. If the player stands pat, the dealer will reveal his hole card and act according to a strict set of rules which are laid out in advance. That usually means taking cards until receiving a hard 17 and above. If at any point the dealer surpasses 21, any players left in the hand will be paid even money on their bet. If the dealer and player finish the hand with the same point value, the player’s bet is refunded and the hand is considered a “push.”
For example: You are dealt A-6, giving your hand a value of either 7 or 17, and the dealer shows a jack as his faceup card. In this situation, your ace is considered “soft” because it can be used either as a low card or high card. With no risk of busting you hit attempting to improve your hand and are dealt a king. The addition of the king now forces your ace to count as 1, being that using it as an 11 would bust your holding (11+6+10=27). The hand is now considered a “hard” 18 (1+6+10=17), due to the fact that the ace is locked in with a value of 1. You decide to stay on 17 and watch as the dealer deals himself an 8, giving him a total of 17, on which he must stand pat. Since both of your hands are of equal value, you push with the dealer and are refunded your bet.
Simple Tips for Winning Blackjack
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when deciding on how to proceed with your blackjack hand:
- When deciding on your next move, always assume that the dealer’s facedown card is a 10.
- Stand pat on a hard 17 or higher.
- When facing a 10, it’s best to hit when holding a 16 point hand.
- 4s, 5s, and 6s are very bad cards for the dealer, as they give him a better probability of busting his hand. When facing one of these cards, it’s usually best to stand pat if there is any risk of you busting your hand by taking another card.
- Always hit on a soft 17. You’re in no danger of busting and there’s a good chance your hand could improve.
- Always double down on 11.
- Never stand on 12 through 16 if the dealer is showing a seven or higher.
- Never take insurance.
New Jersey is a state very flexible with blackjack rules. The state allows casinos to deal a wide range of games. Depending on the game the house edge may be between 0.33% for a 3:2 double deck game and 1.93% for an 8-deck 6:5 game.
Casinos in New Jersey may offer a variety of side bets that pay 2:1. These bets include when a player receives six, seven and eight of the same suit, a specific combination of an Ace and Face cards, and five cards totaling 21.
As previously mentioned, the state allows both 3:2 and 6:5 payouts when dealt a natural blackjack. Here are other New Jersey blackjack rules:
- Natural blackjack must be paid 3-to-2 or 6-to-5
- Casinos do not have to offer surrender
- Player may double down only on a 9, 10, or 11
- Player may only one split
- Player may double after splitting (not required for all games)
- Dealer stays on soft 17
New Jersey has more extensive rules for casinos dealing blackjack than most states. You can read them here beginning at page 46.
Casinos In New Jersey Dealing Blackjack
Visit playnj.com for information on New Jersey online casinos that offer online blackjack.
Table Game/Blackjack Revenue in New Jersey
New Jersey is very transparent with their gaming revenue. All games, including blackjack, are broken down monthly and annually by casino and state. Each game includes a win percentage for added clarity on the data.
2016 New Jersey Blackjack Revenue
Drop: $1,690,381,122
Win: $252,591,008
Win Percentage: 14.9%
2015 New Jersey Blackjack Revenue
Drop: $1,744,852,464
Win: $240,702,765
Win Percentage: 13.8%
You can view all New Jersey annual casino win data here. Visit the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement for more information on casinos around the state.
History of Blackjack New Jersey
Blackjack online, free
New Jersey has a long history with gambling that goes back to the 1800’s. However, casino gambling became a reality in 1976. That’s the year that casinos were legalized in New Jersey. However, casinos were limited to Atlantic City only.
Blackjack Online Multiplayer
The first casino to deal blackjack in Atlantic City was Resorts. At the time, Nevada was the only other state with legal casino gambling. There are currently seven brick and mortar casinos in Atlantic City dealing blackjack. The could change in the future with casinos on the Atlantic Ocean re-opening or expansion in other New Jersey cities.
Blackjack Online Nj Casino
Online gambling was legalized throughout the state in 2013. Players in New Jersey can now play blackjack without visiting a physical casino.