Atlantic City blackjack is a variant of 21 that originated out of the glitzy land based casinos of Atlantic City. It’s popular among players as the rules don’t vary much from classic blackjack, with only a couple of notable differences that are easy to get the hang of, making for a refreshing change when looking for a new blackjack game to try.
Featured Casinos
You won’t find Atlantic City blackjack in the walls of any non-USA casino as easily, making online casinos like AllSlots.com ideal for trying your luck at this exciting game. Read on to get an idea of the rules and then head to one of our recommended casinos to give Atlantic City blackjack a go for free or real money bets.
Where to play real money Atlantic City blackjack online
Microgaming has several versions of Atlantic City Blackjack which can be found at the following leading casinos:
1/ All Slots Casino
2/ Royal Vegas Casino
3/ Jackpot City Casino
International players can choose from standard Atlantic City Blackjack, Atlantic City Blackjack Gold, Atlantic City Blackjack Multi-Hand and Atlantic City Blackjack Gold Multi-Hand. These titles are all very similar with slight variations on gameplay which are easy to pick up once you know the standard rules of the game.
How to play Atlantic City blackjack
Atlantic City is very similar to classic blackjack, with the significant difference being that it is always played with eight decks of 52 standard playing cards, a dealer hole card is used and the player has the option of a late surrender. The aim of the game is to get a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible without busting, while beating the dealers hand.
If you’re not familiar with the standard rules of blackjack, check out our article for further details.
To play Atlantic City blackjack online, follow our links to register for an account with a reputable casino and locate Atlantic City blackjack using the search function or under the table games category. Click the plus or minus symbol to increase or decrease your bet and when your chips are ready to be played hit the ‘bet’ button.
Cards are dealt with the help of a random number generator (RNG) and you can watch the results unfold before your eyes, choosing to hit, stand, double, split or surrender with the buttons below the game table.
Rules of Atlantic City blackjack
While some rules may vary slightly depending on what venue you play at, the typical rules of Atlantic City blackjack are as follows:
- Blackjack pays 3 to 1 while a standard win pays 1 to 1
- Number cards are worth their face value, while J, K, Q are worth 10 and aces are worth either one or 11
- The dealer peeks for blackjack when dealt an ace or 10 valued card
- The dealer must stand on all 17s
- Blackjack is the strongest hand and automatically stands
- If player and dealer have tied hands (including a blackjack) the hands automatically push and your original bet is returned in full
Splitting cards
Splitting two cards of the same value is allowed in Atlantic City blackjack under these rules:
- The bet placed on your split hand is the same as your original bet
- A maximum of three splits is allowed per game, for four hands in total
- Splitting aces is allowed one per game, but if a split ace receives a 10 valued card it counts as a standard win and not a blackjack
Double down
A double down bet is allowed after your first two cards only, with the bet equal to your original bet amount. On a double down you are only allowed to receive one card and your hand will automatically stand. Double down is also allowed after a split.
Insurance
Insurance is allowed in Atlantic City blackjack under these rules:
- Insurance win is paid at 2 to 1
- An insurance bet is worth half your original wager
- Wins or losses on an insurance bet are separate from your original bet
- An insurance bet only covers your initial hand and does not apply to any splits or double downs
Surrender
One of the drawcards of Atlantic City rules is that players are given the option of a late-surrender. This option is only available on your first two cards and if you choose to surrender, you’ll only receive a return of half of your original wager. The dealer must check for a blackjack and return any insurance bets before you can surrender your hand.
Atlantic City blackjack strategy
The best strategy to apply to Atlantic City blackjack is the same strategy recommended for classic blackjack, with some different opinions as to when it’s best to take insurance or surrender. If you’re not familiar with basic blackjack strategy, read our detailed article to find out more.