Exclusive Live Blackjack Games

888casino’s Live Blackjack arena is the ultimate blackjack playground. Play HD-quality blackjack games online, on PC, Mac, or mobile. It's your call – hit, stand, double, or split. Make your play today with live blackjack at 888 casino Canada. Our games stream direct to your screen, instantly. No lags, no disconnects, no interruptions. Its 100% seamless blackjack on every play.

The live blackjack games are hosted by professional dealers from secure gaming studios. These highly trained maestros are ready to deal you in, explain the rules, and help you to make your plays. This is personalized assistance par excellence. In no time at all, you’ll be ushered to your virtual seat, with a warm and friendly greeting from the blackjack dealer.

While the action’s taking place, a professionally trained dealer will deliver service with a smile. You can count on the 888 Live Blackjack Lounge to roll out the red carpet for you. World-class gaming technology ensures that every play occurs with absolute precision. The dealer gets through blackjack hands quickly and professionally during every session. Imagine playing a game of blackjack against an actual dealer? That's exactly what to expect with our live blackjack games at 888casino Canada.

Everything is 100% legit. The dealers, the blackjack action, and the payouts. You can win real money playing live blackjack online. This is no dress rehearsal; it is the real deal. As one of the world’s finest live blackjack providers, 888casino Canada brings all your favorite bet selections direct to your screen. You can Hit, Stand, Split, Double, or place Insurance bets as you see fit. We've got extra blackjack side bets available, including 21+3, and Perfect Pairs. These are a great side hustle in live blackjack, with big winning potential.

Want to hear the best part? You can play live blackjack games from the comforts of anywhere you roam. Our exceptional live casino games are fully compatible with PC & Mac devices, laptops, iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphones, tablets, and phablets too. It doesn't get much better than this player. Our exclusively-developed software is designed to deliver. Expect uninterrupted streaming from our secure casino studio direct to your screen. Our fully optimized software brings the hottest live blackjack games to you on every play.

How to Play Live Blackjack

Blackjack is a pretty straightforward game to play. You are tasked with beating the dealer’s hand total, without exceeding 21. Naturally, blackjack is the strongest hand you can form. It's a 21-value hand made up of just 2 cards, an Ace + 10-value card. You're not competing against all the other live blackjack players – it's you against the dealer in a battle royale for the ranking hand.

• Blackjack pays 3:2
• Tie hands are a push
• Insurance bets pay 2:1
• There is no doubling after splitting
• Only one split per hand in live blackjack
• Players can Double on any 2 initial cards
• The dealer draws to 16 and stands on all 17s
• Live blackjack is played with 8 decks of cards
• Splitting of equal-value initial cards is allowed
• Players receive a single card for every split Ace
• When the dealer shows an Ace, insurance is offered

Details of the live blackjack bet limits and game name are prominently displayed beneath the table icon. Simply hover your mouse over the table icon and you'll see the name of the dealer and the dealer's attractive photo.

You may also notice a fractional number displayed on the table. This indicates the number of active players at the table. So, 4/7 indicates that 4 players from a possible 7 players are seated at the table playing live blackjack. This is good news for you, since there are still 3 empty seats each with your name on it.

Once you’re ready to join a blackjack table, simply click on that table's icon. Fortunately, the Live Games Menu button can be chosen for any game, at any time, at 888 live casino.

The Rules of Blackjack

888 Casino Live Blackjack games are designed to host a maximum of 7 players per table. A professionally-trained blackjack dealer is ready to welcome you to the action. There are 8 decks of cards (52 cards per deck) with the following card values: cards 2-10 assume their nominal value, while Jack, Queen, and King, are valued at 10. The Ace can assume a value of 1, or 11, depending on the other cards in the hand. Soft hands include Aces valued at 11, and hard hands include Aces valued at 1, or no Aces at all.

The live dealer gives every player in turn ample time to place bets. Once that time expires, the dealer begins dealing a single card face-up to each player around the table. Dealing begins with the first player left of the dealer, and continues in a clockwise fashion around the table. The dealer will then deliver a second card face up, to each player in turn. After players have received their second cards, the dealer will deliver a second card to himself/herself, face down. You will instantly see the value of your hand on your screen – so no guesswork is required.

What is a Blackjack?

If the first two cards that you’re dealt have a value of 21, you have blackjack. That's the strongest possible hand in the game.

What is Insurance?

Blackjack insurance is offered to players every time the dealer’s face up card is an Ace. Insurance is known as a sucker bet in blackjack, but it's offered nonetheless. When you purchase insurance, you’re mitigating against the dealer having blackjack. Remember, if the dealer has blackjack you lose, even if you have blackjack.

The cost of a blackjack bet is 50% of the cost of your main bet in the base game. If you are playing C$100 blackjack games, the insurance bet would cost you an additional C$50. These bets pay separately to the main bet, and are added to your bankroll accordingly.

Once you place the insurance bet, the dealer takes that as a cue to peak at his/her hand. If the dealer has blackjack, and you don't have blackjack, then the dealer wins. If the dealer does not have blackjack (10 value card + Ace), the game continues.

If the dealers upcard is a 10-value card such as 10, Jack, Queen, King, no insurance option is presented to you. The dealer also won't check for blackjack in this case. If both you and the dealer have blackjack, it ends in a push. Your bet will be returned to you.

Hit, Stand, and Double Down

Canadian blackjack players from coast-to-coast understand these actions all too well. After your first two initial cards have been dealt, you have the option to try and improve your hand, or leave it as it is. Your options include Hit, Stand, and Double Down:

• Hit – you can continue hitting (requesting another card) until you get close to your desired hand value, or until you bust.
• Stand – this blackjack action locks your current hand value in place for the rest of the round. If you're satisfied with your hand total, you stand and wait for the dealer to reveal his/her hand total.
• Double Down – when you Double Down, you double the size of your bets and take just one more card. Of course, this option is risky if your hand total is greater than 11 since there are so many 10-value cards in the deck.

Splitting Cards

You can split a pair of initial cards of equal value to try and form a strong blackjack hand. When you split cards, you make separate blackjack hands. You will have to place a bet for each hand, equal to the main bet. You proceed to play each of these split hands as individual hands, by hitting, or standing as you see fit. There is an exception, with a pair of split Aces. You'll only get 1 extra card per hand, with no option to hit.

Blackjack Game Outcomes

If your hand total exceeds 21, you bust and lose.

As soon as all players at the table have completed their plays, the dealer will reveal the value of the pocket card. There are rules in place regarding when a dealer must hit and stand. A dealer hits on a hand value of 16 or less. The dealer has to stand on all 17s – hard 17s and soft 17s. The same rule applies to any hand value greater than 17.

There are two ways that a player can win a game of blackjack. If the dealer busts, you automatically win. Or, if your hand total is higher than the dealer’s hand total without exceeding 21 you win.

The player and the dealer will push when hand totals are equal. In this case, your original bet will be returned to you.

Blackjack is the strongest possible hand in the game. It beats a 3-card 21 and it beats 21 formed from split cards.

Blackjack Side Bets

Blackjack side bets are optional bets. In live blackjack, you have 21 + 3, and Perfect Pairs. These side bets are played in conjunction with the primary blackjack bets. The great thing about these optional bets is that you can still win even if you lose your main blackjack bet.

21+3

With this side bet, you can win if your initial cards + the dealer’s upcard make up any of the following combinations:

• Suited Three-of-a-Kind – also known as suited trips, such as 3 Kings of diamonds.
• A Straight Flush – 3 cards in sequence of the same suit, such as 9, 10, Jack of spades.
• Three-of-a-Kind - a triplet, but not of the same suit, such as any 3 unmatched cards.
• A Straight – 3 unsuited cards in sequential order, such as 5 spades, 6 hearts, 7 clubs.
• A Flush - 3 cards of the same suit, no sequence, such as 2 clubs, 8 clubs, Ace of clubs.

Perfect Pairs

As its namesake suggests, if you form a pair with your first two cards, you are a winner! There are different kinds of pairs, including perfect pairs of the same suit, colored pairs of the same color, and mixed pairs of different suits. Let's take a look:

• Perfect Pairs – 2 Queens of Hearts
• Colored Pairs – 5 of Hearts & 5 of Diamonds or Jack of Spades & Jack of Clubs.
• Mixed Pairs - Ace of Spades & Ace of Diamonds, or King of Hearts & King of Spades.

Blackjack Payouts

Blackjack	3:2
Winning hand	1:1
Insurance side bet	2:1 payout if the dealer has blackjack
21+3
Suited Three-of-a-Kind	100:1
A Straight Flush	40:1
Three-of-a-Kind	30:1
A Straight	10:1
A Flush	5:1
Perfect Pairs
Perfect Pair	25:1
Colored Pair	12:1
Mixed Pair	6:1

During live blackjack games, any malfunctions void all plays and pays.

Live Casino Games Menu

The live games menu allows you to switch tables, or choose a different live casino game. Your current game won't close out, until such time as you have been chosen for a new table. You can use the live games menu to browse all your options at 888 Live Casino Canada.

Blackjack Side Bets

Blackjack side bets are optional bets. They include 21 + 3 and Perfect Pairs bets too. These are played in addition to your main blackjack bet, not in place of it. You play side bets in much the same fashion as you play your main bets in blackjack.

Bet Placement

You can easily check the minimum/maximum stakes at your table by looking at the bet limits display. You will immediately be notified if your bet amount is too low or too high for the current table. Your balance displays your available funds. Provided you meet the bet minimum value, you can play for real money.