Atlantic City Blackjack

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Written by Ian Mac
Ian Mac
Ian Mac is a dedicated content writer and editor with consistent 5-star feedback when it comes to creating high-quality gambling content. He writes about casino bonuses, casino destinations and casino games including slots, roulette and blackjack.
, | Updated: October 3, 2024

Hardly there is another card game, which is as popular as blackjack is, and so much so that it is now an inseparable part of the portfolios of brick-and-mortar and virtual casinos. The card game has turned into a casino mainstay for a variety of reasons, and its relatively straightforward rules and action-packed gameplay is what keep most players glued to the blackjack tables. The low house edge and the opportunity to reduce it to a minimum is what further adds up to the appeal of the card classic.

Even though the origins of the game are still subject of a heated debate, most experts consider that the game was introduced back in the 1700s. Considering how long the blackjack’s history is, it makes sense that an array of variants of the classic were designed. Atlantic City Blackjack is among the most sought-after versions of table game that continue to hold the attention of gambling enthusiasts from all corners of the globe even today.

The game took off all the more recently, and the number of software developers that add variants of the card classic to their gaming suites is heavily on the rise. Let’s take a closer look at the rules of this variant of the card classic and some of the options players will have when they want to enjoy it over the Internet.

History of Atlantic City Blackjack

1How Did Atlantic City Blackjack Appear

Atlantic City Blackjack is one of the many variants of the card game, and, as it can be expected from the name, it originates from the Northern American state Atlantic City. As is the case with the majority of the other casino games, blackjack also has its origins in Europe, but its popularity started to spread like wildfire in North America, thanks to the European settlers.

2When Did The Game Reach North America

The game was brought to America in the 19th century, and initially, it did not make much of an impression there. Yet, it started to pick up steam after the rules underwent some changes, and all the more so after gambling was legalized in Nevada.

3How Did Atlantic City Blackjack Evolve

The game continued to catch on, but back in the 1970s, gambling was given the go-ahead and was limited exclusively to Atlantic City. This took place back in 1976, and the first casino welcomed its visitors two years later. To make the game more attention-grabbing for players, casinos twisted the rules and made it possible for them to go for the double down option no matter what cards they are dealt.

The game’s low house edge started attracting players from other states, and a few years later, it started to gain even more traction when online casinos began to sprout.


Rules and Fundamental Principles of Atlantic City Blackjack

It is hardly a surprise that Atlantic City Blackjack is so immensely popular among players as no other variant of the card classic offers as player-friendly rules as this one. The aim of the game, as well as the way cards are valued are exactly the same as with the rest of the variants of the card game available out there. Once again, gambling enthusiasts pit against the dealer, and the objective is to get as close to 21 as possible without exceeding this total.

Players who are looking to come to grips with Atlantic City Blackjack should bear in mind that initially, the dealer will get a face-down (hole card) and face-up card. Still, what sets Atlantic City Blackjack apart from the rest of the variants of the table game is that the dealer is allowed to “peek” at his/her cards. Needless to say, this works to the edge of players because if the dealer has a blackjack, they will only lose the amount they have initially staked, and will not lose money on feature bets.

While discussing the distinct features of Atlantic City Blackjack, we should also point out that eight standard decks (52 cards) are normally used. That being said, the game has a number of subtleties players should fully understand before they start making real-money bets.

Doubling Down in Atlantic City Blackjack
blank Splitting in Atlantic City Blackjack
blank Late Surrender and Insurance Bet in Atlantic City Blackjack
blank Dealer Standing Rules in Atlantic City Blackjack

Doubling Down in Atlantic City Blackjack

The rules of Atlantic City Blackjack are far more advantageous to players when compared to other versions of the card classic, and the option to double down on just about any hand total goes to show this beyond doubt. Besides, the option to double down is available also after players have split their hand, which is yet another beneficial rule to them. Still, they should bear in mind that doubling down can only be done on players’ initial hand.

This is not the case in European Blackjack, where players will be allowed to resort to the double down option only if the total of their hand is 9 through 11. In some casinos, the rules are even stricter, and to opt for the double down option, the total of players’ hands should be 10 or 11.

Splitting in Atlantic City Blackjack

When it comes to splitting pairs, players will certainly appreciate how relaxed the rules of Atlantic City Blackjack are. As they play, gambling enthusiasts can take advantage of the split option up to three times, which is to say that no more than four hands can be in play at the same time. One of the best things about such blackjack variants is that gambling enthusiasts can use the split option on just about any two cards if they have the same face value. Yet, it is important to note that this will not be the case when you want to split Aces, and doing so cannot be done more than once.

Something to bear in mind if you have chosen to enjoy such a blackjack variant and you have split ten-valued cards and you are dealt an Ace, your hand’s total will be 21, but this will not be considered a blackjack. When you split Aces, you will only get one extra card per Ace.

Of course, gambling enthusiasts should not forget that the rules might vary from one version of the card classic to another, and for this reason, they should not forget to closely examine its ruleset.

Late Surrender and Insurance Bet in Atlantic City Blackjack

Normally, Atlantic City Blackjack variants allow players to benefit from the late surrender option, which lessens the house advantage further. What this means is that gambling enthusiasts will only be allowed to give up their hand if the face-up card of the dealer is a ten-valued one or an Ace and he/she has already checked for a blackjack. If such is the case, the round will end right off.

Yet, overusing the surrender rule is easily something to avoid, and contrary to what many players consider, taking advantage of this option does not improve their chances of getting additional payouts. Instead, they should be rather cautious with it in order to make sure that they will not throw away good hands.

Players should consider going for the surrender rule when they are dealt a hard 16 while the hand of the dealer has a total 9 through 11. Another case in which using the surrender rule might be a good idea is when your hand’s total is 15, while the dealer is showing 10.

Yet, it turns out that this was not the case when the Atlantic City Blackjack variant first appeared, as back then, players were allowed to take advantage of the early surrender option. This is no longer the case, and presently, casinos only allow players to surrender their hand after the dealer checks his/her hole card. It goes without saying that the early surrender option is much more advantageous for players, which goes to explain why it is rarely found.

Dealer Standing Rules in Atlantic City Blackjack

One of the most essential specifications of such games avid casino fans should be mindful of is that the dealer is required to invariably stand on soft 17s. For starters, soft hands are such in which an Ace is dealt, and its value can be either 1 or 11. Needless to say, the opportunity to adjust the value of the hand players are dealt is something to look after as it effectively lessens the house edge.

As we mentioned already, the fact that the dealer peeks to check for a natural is also beneficial for players due to the fact that if this is the case, the round will end, and they will not incur any further losses.


Payouts Atlantic City Blackjack Offers

1Payout for Blackjack

Much like most other blackjack variants online and brick-and-mortar casinos offer, the odds at which players will be paid for blackjack in Atlantic City Blackjack are also 3 to 2.

2Payout for The Insurance Bet

As long as the dealer shows an Ace, gambling enthusiasts will be offered the chance to make an insurance bet, and thus to protect themselves and the bet they have made if the face-down card of the dealer happens to be a ten-valued one. If this is the case and players have taken the additional insurance bet, they will get 50% of the staked amount and will be paid at the rate of 2 to 1.

3Should Players Take The Insurance Bet

As likely as not, you might be asking yourself when you should take advantage of the insurance bet and when to avoid it. It is up to players to decide when the right time to use this additional bet is, and what they should consider when making up their minds is whether they will be able to effectively manage their funds. That being said, if you ask the experienced blackjack players whether the insurance bet is beneficial, the answer you are most likely to get is to steer clear of it. This is so because of the enormous advantage the house gains over players when they decide to use it.

In order to find out the chances of the dealer having a ten-valued card, we should consider that in a single deck of 52 cards, there are 13 cards of the same suit. Therefore, we see that the ten-valued cards are 4 for every 13 or 4/13. Thus, we get that the chances of getting the payoff are 30.8%, while the chances of losing are 69.2%. As we mentioned already, Atlantic City Blackjack is played with eight regular decks of cards, meaning that there will be more ten-valued cards, but the number of the non-ten valued cards will also be significantly higher. It is estimated that the edge the house gains over players when they go for the insurance bet exceeds 7%, which is a significant increase from about 0.40% when the ultimate strategy is used.



House Edge and RTP of Atlantic City Blackjack

The above-mentioned rules might vary a bit from one blackjack variant to another, and as you might already know, these changes will also have an impact on the house edge, and the profit players should expect to get.

blank House Edge for Odds of 6 to 5
blank House Edge for Odds of 3 to 2
blank Rules That Decrease the House Edge

House Edge for Odds of 6 to 5

Please note that the house edge will jump significantly if the rate at which the house pays is not 3 to 2 but 6 to 5. When players join a blackjack table where the offered payout is 6 to 5, this should serve as a red flag that the profit they should expect to get will be smaller.

House Edge for Odds of 3 to 2

Thus, if we assume that the blackjack variant you have chosen to give a shot offers a regular payout of 3 to 2 and you have placed a winning bet of $5, this means that you will collect a payout of $7.5. Still, this will not be the case if the offered payout is 6 to 5, as the payout gains players will collect for blackjack will be worth $6. In spite of the fact that the difference in the profit gains might seem negligible at first, gambling enthusiasts should bear in mind that it will become more pronounced over the long term.

Rules That Decrease the House Edge

The low house edge is easily what makes Atlantic City Blackjack variants instant attention-grabbers as if the house edge in regular variants of the card classic is around 0.5%, variants of this kind are even more advantageous for players.

If properly used, the late surrender option can help players reduce the house edge by 0.07%. Re-splitting Aces is also an option gambling enthusiasts can make use of, and if they decide to do so, the house edge will dwindle by 0.08%.

Still, it should be pointed out that the decrease in the house edge this rule results in is outweighed by the rule, which allows gambling enthusiasts to re-split their hands to a total of three hands, and which helps the house build its advantage by 0.01%.

As we said already, according to the ruleset of Atlantic City Blackjack variants, the dealer is required to stand of soft 17s, and this way, the house edge is reduced by another 0.22%. The opportunity to double down, no matter the total of their hand gives players an edge of around 0.25%, while the rule, which allows them to double down after they have split their hands gives players an edge of 0.17%.

Given that the Atlantic City Blackjack variant players have chosen sticks to the rules we specified already, the house edge will be around 0.39%. Of course, this might not always be the case as the ruleset might differ slightly from one casino to another, for which reason the first thing players need to do before they start placing real-money bets is to check the peculiarities of the preferred blackjack variant.


Is Atlantic City Blackjack Worthwhile

1Low House Advantage

It is hardly a coincidence that Atlantic City Blackjack variants are among the most sought after, and this is so mainly because of their player-friendly rules. When all of the aforementioned rules are combined, this results in exceptionally low house advantage, and therefore, higher expected returns.

Atlantic City Blackjack variants are hugely popular because it is relatively easy for inexperienced players to learn the ropes of the game and hopefully, to enjoy good returns.

2The Surrender Option

First and foremost, players will not lose that much of their funds if the dealer has a blackjack because he/she will peek to check if this is so. The late surrender option and the rule according to which the dealer needs to stand on soft 17s are also beneficial to players.

3Number of Decks in Play

As likely as not, the fact that eight standard decks are used is the only disadvantage of these variants of the card classic players might point out. All the more so if they prefer to make use of the card counting technique.


Strategy for Playing Atlantic City Blackjack

Decisions for Hard Hands

Decisions for Soft Hands

Moves for Pairs

Basic Strategy

Atlantic City Blackjack variants undoubtedly have a plethora of player-friendly rules, but gambling enthusiasts can enhance their performance by using at least a basic strategy. It is worth mentioning that the decisions we will focus on are based on the rules we already discussed.

Decisions for Hard Hands
Total of Players’ Hand Dealer’s Face-Up Card
# 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
5 through 8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D D D D H H H H H
10 D D D D D D D D H H
11 D D D D D D D D D H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13 S S S S S H H H H H
14 S S S S S H H H H H
15 S S S S S H H H SR H
16 S S S S H H H SR SR SR
17 S S S S S S S S S S
Legend
Symbol Description
H Hit
D Double Down
SP Split
S Stand
View more...

Best Atlantic City Blackjack Variants to Enjoy Online

Blackjack is an inseparable part of most software providers’ gaming suites these days, which makes it possible for players to enjoy a number of variants that offer attention-grabbing twists. This is exactly the case with the versions of the card classic we will focus on now.

blank Atlantic City Blackjack by Red Rake
blank Atlantic City Blackjack Gold by Microgaming
blank Multi-Hand Atlantic City Blackjack by Microgaming
blank Atlantic City Blackjack by Cryptologic
blank Atlantic City Blackjack by iSoftBet

Atlantic City Blackjack by Red Rake

Red Rake is a software provider, which is celebrated not only for the slots it creates but also for the table classics, and their take on Atlantic City Blackjack is easily worth checking. It is a multi-hand blackjack version, and giving it a try means that players can bet on up to four hands at the same time. It is important to note that the game is played using eight standard decks, and they will be re-shuffled prior to every round.

The look of this game indeed impresses, while the background sound will almost certainly make players forget that they are placing their bets through their computer. There is nothing extraordinary about the payouts players will be awarded as they place their bets or when the total of the dealer’s hand is 17 as in such cases, he/she cannot make more moves. As for the other options, blackjack aficionados are allowed to double down no matter the total of their hand and even after using the split option.

The creators of gaming content from Red Rake have chosen to add an extra thrill to the card classic, and have equipped it with the 21+3 side bet. Based on the cards of the first hand, the highest payout gambling enthusiasts can get is 100 to 1. Finally, before players give Red Rake’s Atlantic City Blackjack a shot, they should consider that its RTP is 99.54%.

Atlantic City Blackjack Gold by Microgaming

Microgaming is one of the best-known creators of table and card classics, and its portfolio comprises a plethora of blackjack variants. The game-making studio has come up with several Atlantic City Blackjack variants, and the one from its Gold Series is indeed one of the worthwhile options available out there. The offered payouts, as well as the dealer’s standing rules are exactly what players might expect from most other Atlantic City Blackjack versions online casinos offer.

That being said, the realistic design of the table and its elegant and sleek look draw the attention of avid casino fans right away. As for the rules, while playing Microgaming’s Atlantic City Blackjack Gold, gambling enthusiasts can make use of the surrender rule on their first two cards and given that the dealer does not have a blackjack. In spite of the fact that they are allowed to double down after a split, players should remember that they can use this option only on their first two cards.

Splitting is an option blackjack fans can take advantage of if they are dealt cards of the same denomination or value. Please note that gambling enthusiasts can use the split option up to three times in a row, and thus to end up with four hands at the same time. When they go for splitting Aces, however, they will get one extra card per Ace.

With this version of Atlantic City Blackjack, players can make use of the insurance bet if the face-up card of the dealer is an Ace.

Multi-Hand Atlantic City Blackjack by Microgaming

Microgaming’s Multi-Hand Atlantic City Blackjack is a variant of the card classic, which allows players to pick and choose from a number of chip denominations and decide if they wish to play one, two, three, four, or five hands at the same time. The game catches the eye with its crystal-clear visuals and smooth graphics, which is only natural, considering which gaming studio stands behind its creation.

As they take a closer look at the ruleset of this game, players will notice that the dealer needs to stand on all 17s. The number of decks used in this game is eight, while its RTP runs into 99.65%.

The split rules of this game are unlikely to surprise players as while Aces can be split only once, cards that have the same value or denomination can be split up to three times, which means that ultimately, there will be four hands on the table.

The double down option becomes active as soon as players have opted for a split or on the two cards they were dealt at the beginning of a new round. If the face-up card of the dealer is an Ace, gambling enthusiasts will be offered the opportunity to make an insurance bet, which pays at odds of 2 to 1 and does not cover any further hands.

If they wish, players can use the surrender option, but this will be possible only if they are not dealt any extra cards and the dealer does not have a blackjack.

Atlantic City Blackjack by Cryptologic

Cryptologic is one more software provider, which has given its best to respond to the preferences of fans of the card classic, especially those who are taken with the Atlantic City style. The game interface is easily user-friendly, and players are offered the chance to customize it in order to make sure that their betting session will be enjoyable. The game relies on eight standard decks, but what more experienced players might be pleased to find out is that they can bet on up to five hands at the same time.

What players will easily enjoy about this version of the card classic is that double downs are not restricted, and the option is available even after a split. Just like the above-mentioned variants of the card classic, the one which is sourced from the gaming suite of Cryptologic allows using the split option on any two cards, and even after players have split the hand they were dealt.

It can safely be said that the splitting rules are what make the creations of the provider stand out from the crowd as players can use the option just once. Fortunately for players, they will not be prevented from splitting the ten-valued cards.

If players do not think that their hand will bring them a payout, they can give up on it, but this will only be possible if the dealer has already checked for a blackjack.

Atlantic City Blackjack by iSoftBet

Atlantic City Blackjack by iSoftBet is also an option avid casino fans might be eager to explore because of its true-to-life visuals and intuitive design, which works equally well across all devices. This is blackjack variant players are most likely to be hooked on because of its authentic gameplay and low house edge.

The provider has equipped the game with eight standard decks and is equally appealing for players, no matter their bankroll, because of the wide array of chip denominations they are offered a choice from.

One rule of this blackjack variant players should be mindful of is that the dealer is required to stand on all 17s, but also needs to draw to 16. The surrender button becomes active on players’ first two cards but not if the dealer has a blackjack. The insurance bet, on the other hand, becomes active if the face-up card of the dealer is an Ace.

If they are about to split their hand, players should remember that they can play with up to four hands at the same time. Still, this rule does not apply to splitting Aces, which is possible only once.

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