Bovada, one of the most reputable gambling sites on the online market, recently added live dealer blackjack to their already impressive online casino game suite. The addition helps Bovada expand their gambling platforms for users and allows US and Canadian residents access to live dealer blackjack on a site they already know and trust. Bovada also owns several smaller sister casino sites that will likely follow in offering the new live dealer games.
If Bovada sounds familiar, it is because it is one of the top rated sites for North American players to use. Thousands of players frequent the side for their online casino, poker and sports betting operations. Up until recently, live dealer games were not available. It was only a matter of time before Bovada adapted to market demands and developed games for the live dealer platform. More and more online gambling operators are beginning to introduce live dealer games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat. Players like the real-life aspect to these options. There is also more transparency present when you can actually see the dealer in a brick-and-mortar casino environment.
When it comes to blackjack, especially online blackjack, the biggest question from players is in regards to the rules. Bovada has made their online live dealer blackjack policies clear in that games will be played with 6 decks shuffled manually by the dealer (players will be able to see this take place). The dealer will hit on soft 17 hands. Players can split once and if you split aces you will receive an additional card. You have the option of doubling any 2 cards and you can even double after a split has been made. Bovada also provides a late surrender option. The format works the same as their traditional online blackjack in that if a player doesn’t make a move in the allotted turn time an action will be chose for you based on basic blackjack strategy.
Their payout structures are 3/2 for standard blackjack. Any pairs side bet payout is 11:1. Rummy side bet payouts are 9:1. Statistics say that with these protocols in place, the house edge sits at 0.58%. By industry standards, this is considered a decent edge for live dealer blackjack. Bovada’s video blackjack games feature a 0.1% house edge on single deck and 0.24% house edge on double deck games.
The expected return for live dealer blackjack is established at 99.42%. Minimum bets come in at $10 and Bovada caps their live dealer blackjack wagers at $3,000. There are a couple of additional features worth pointing out. For starters, live dealer games can only be played with funds deposited in your account. Bets placed in LD blackjack will not go towards wagering requirements on bonuses. Another feature is back betting, which is placing a bet on another player. In this situation you have no control over their wagering – i.e. if they double down so do you.
So far it appears that live dealer blackjack is a success at Bovada. We expect special bonuses in the future that do go towards live dealer games. Perhaps there will be alternative versions of blackjack offered as well.