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Introducing to Atlantic City Blackjack

No longer confined to a single city in New Jersey, Atlantic city has spread far and wide thanks to some very popular recreations of the gameon the web. We'll see below that the game boast a few quirks that are favourable to players and, in fact, is more popular with some gambling fans than the original.

Adam Volz
Adam VolzAssociate Gaming Specialist

Reason to play

  • Boasts a few fun quirks not offered in the standard game
  • Is a variations that some US players will be more familiar with
  • Like standard blackjack, has basic strategy to take advante of
  • Offers a low house edge if you make the right moves
  • Allows the use of a late surrender bet in the game

How To Play Atlantic City Blackjack

If you're looking to familiarize yourself with the standard game first, check out our page on?how to play blackjack.

STEP 1

Place Your Bets

After joining an Atlantic City Blackjack table you’ll be prompted to place your bets then, when you’re ready to go, hit Deal. As with standard blackjack, the aim is to get as close as possible to, but not exceed, 21. If the dealer has a faceup 10-value card or Ace they’ll offer you the chance to place an insurance bet.

Blackjack Switch table

STEP 2

Hit? Stand? Split? Double?

Now you need to decide whether you’re going to hit (take additional cards), stand (leave your hand as it is), split (split your hand into multiple hands) or double (increase your bet by up to 100% for one more card, but agree to take no more after) as appropriate. If you're still learning Atlantic City Blackjack rules and are unsure of what to do, check our?strategy charts?below.

Hit or Stand

Blackjack Hit or Stand

STEP 3

Blackjack king, 4 and 5 cards

Close Out Your Hand

Once you’ve improved your hand to as close to 21 as possible, but not more than that or else you’ll go bust, it’s time to hit Stand and let the dealer play their hand. Remember, they must stand on all hands with a value equal to 17.


STEP 4

Blackjack reverse and queen cards

The Dealer Plays

After turning over their facedown card, the virtual dealer will build their hand in much the same way that you did. When they’ve gone bust, beaten your hand or lost out to your cards the round will be over, and winnings will be issued.

Special Rules of Atlantic city Blackjack

When you sit down to play Atlantic City Blackjack online you need to be aware that the game differs from the standard variation in a few important ways. Below you’ll find a few of the key elements of Atlantic City Blackjack rules explained:

  • Dealers will check for blackjack when they’re showing an Ace or 10
  • You can split your hand up to three times when you are dealt two cards of equal value
  • Aces can only be split once, and players receive just one more card for each Ace after doing so
  • Players can double on any hand, including after splitting
  • Dealer stands on all hands worth 17, including soft 17 (a hand including an Ace counted as 11)
  • Late surrender is available after the dealer has checked their hand for blackjack when showing Ace or a 10-value card
  • Insurance is available, but taking it is still an unwise move. Find out more about this in our top tips
ActionWinnings
Decks4-8
Player win1/1
Player Blackjack3/2
Push?Yes
Tied BlackjackDealer
Dealer Stands on ALL 17Yes
Dealer Stands on soft 17Yes
Insurance bet pays2/1
Surrender betYes
SplitYes
Re-splitYes
Expert Moden/a
Double Down9, 10, 11
Multi-Hands1-5
SIDE BET: A-J spadesn/a
SIDE BET: A-J any suitn/a
SIDE BET: Two suited cardsn/a
SIDE BET: Any Pairn/a
SIDE BET: 3-of-a-kindn/a
SIDE BET: Red/Black Pair-
SIDE BET: Colored Pair-
SIDE BET: Perfect Pair-
House Edge1.31%

Free Atlantic City Blackjack Reference Charts - Get Yours!

Basic strategy for Atlantic City Blackjack is almost identical to that of the standard variation of the game, with just a couple of minor differences. The inclusion of the Surrender button, for example, changes the (statistically speaking) correct move in some instances.

In time, you’ll get a feel for the right move to make in each situation. Until then, you can use our free reference charts to improve your knowledge of Atlantic City Blackjack rules:

Pair splitting
Find out when to split your pair into two hands or keep it as it is.
Soft Totals
Make the most of the flexible value of an Ace card.
Hard Totals
Discover the best move for an inflexible hand.
Late Surrender
Learn when surrendering could work to your advantage.

Comparing Atlantic City Blackjack to Other Variants

Playing Atlantic City Blackjack online is quite similar to standard blackjack. For that reason, much of the information below will look pretty familiar if you’re used to playing the traditional version of the game. The good news for fans of?Live Dealer?game is that Atlantic City Blackjack in 2022 is more widely available in this format that many other variants

Blackjack VariantsPlayer Win (payout)Player Blackjack (payout)Live DealerMobileRTP
European 1/13/2YesYes99.6%
Surrender 1/13/2NoYes99.65%
Switch1/11/1NoYes99.87%
Atlantic City1/13/2YesYes99.6%
Perfect 1/13/2NoYes99.58%

What Makes Atlantic City Blackjack Stand Out from the Rest?

It’s the addition of the option to surrender hands and the dealer being forced to stand even on a soft 17 that differentiates Atlantic City Blackjack from other similar titles. The Surrender allows you to claim a refund for a portion of your bet if you feel the dealer is going to win the hand. Of course, you can still take Insurance against the dealer having blackjack if they hold an ace. The 50-percent refund means players can move quickly on to the next hand. With the house edge of standard blackjack standing at around 0.5% with proper play, Atlantic City Blackjack (as do the other variants in the table above) slightly favors players who know what they’re doing.

Other Blackjack Variants You Can Play

European Blackjack
A “high risk, high reward” variant that removes the opportunity for the dealer to check their hole card for blackjack
Blackjack Surrender
An interesting variant that gives players the chance to fold a poor hand and lose only half of their initial bet
Blackjack Switch
Offers Blackjack fans the option to switch cards between two hands dealt before the game commences
Perfect Blackjack
Offers multi-hand wagers and various additional side bets with some very large possible payouts

Atlantic City Blackjack Comparison of the Top Providers

  • - 8 decks used

    - Allows 1 split per hand

    - RTP: 99.51%

    - Not available to US players

  • - 8 decks used

    - Allows 2 split per hand

    - RTP: 99.64%

    - Not available to US players

  • - 6 decks used

    - Allows 2 split per hand

    - RTP: 99.67%

    - Not available to US players

Playing Atlantic City Blackjack on Mobile

With a few different casino software providers offering versions of Atlantic City Blackjack in 2024, you'll find that mobile versions are also widely available. You’ll find Atlantic City Blackjack in both dedicated mobile?apps?and on responsive versions of casino sites that have been optimized for use on mobiles.

Wherever and however you play Atlantic City Blackjack, online casino sites worth their salt generally do a very good job of replicating the game for use on iPhone, iPad, Android and so on. This is thanks to their use of reputable software providers.

If you’re familiar with the rules then you can jump straight in and play for real money but, if you need to spend a bit of time getting used to the?mobile?interface or are still unfamiliar with the finer details, then you can usually play it for free as well.

Live Baccarat Mobile

Atlantic City Blackjack Strategy Tips

The good news for folks playing Atlantic City Blackjack online is that, although a couple of minor tweaks are advisable, you really won’t need to change up your standard?blackjack strategy?too much. Just bear the following tips in mind:

  • Remember That the Dealer Must Hit All 17s

    Although you’ll always want to get your hand as close to 21 as possible, it’s worth remembering that the dealer has to stop when they hit 17. This might affect your own treatment of hands worth 17 or 18.

  • Be Careful When Splitting Aces

    Remember that you only get one additional card for each of your two new hands when you split Aces. That’s not to say that splitting Aces is a bad move, just that it can be a little risky if you’re unlucky enough to draw two low cards.

  • Insurance Remains an Ill-Advised Bet

    There isn’t a well-known blackjack variation out there in which insurance mathematically represents a good bet, and Atlantic City Blackjack is no exception to that. You’re much better off becoming more familiar with Surrender, but…

  • Don’t Overuse Surrender

    Some players get overly fixated on Atlantic City Blackjack’s addition of the Late Surrender rule and, as a result, end up throwing away hands that they really should be playing. Consult our strategy chart when in doubt!

Where are the best places to play Atlantic City for real money?

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Adam Volz is an online gambling expert who specialises in researching and writing content to help players find the best casino for them. Expect Adam to use his attention to detail and experience working in different markets worldwide to find the best online casino experiences around!