Atlantic City Blackjack Guide

Atlantic City Blackjack is one of many blackjack variants that’s gained a lot of popularity due to its straightforward rules, easy gameplay, and low house edge. As you can imagine, it’s a popular blackjack game in Atlantic City in the United States, but it’s also widely available and played at online casinos in the UK.

Atlantic City Blackjack online offers some fun twists on the standard version, but it’s still similar enough to make it easy for every blackjack player to try out. Find out more about this blackjack variant in our Atlantic City blackjack guide!

Atlantic City Blackjack Explained

For the most part, Atlantic City Blackjack is like regular blackjack, making it ideal for players who have played a few blackjack tables before. However, some player-friendly rules and a favourable house edge make it stand out from regular blackjack. This fun twist on classic blackjack makes it a big hit amongst players.

In the next section, I’ll walk you through the basic Atlantic City casino blackjack rules.

Atlantic City Blackjack Rules

Before playing Blackjack Atlantic City online, you should be aware of the specific game rules and how they vary from what you might already know. Below, you can find the Blackjack Atlantic City rules explained.

• Atlantic City Blackjack is usually played with eight decks, like any American Blackjack game.
• The dealer always checks for blackjack if they have an Ace or a 10.
• The dealer stands on any 17, including a soft 17.
• Doubling down is allowed on any hand. It can also be done after splitting a pair.
• Splitting is allowed up to three times but only on cards equal in value.
• You can split Aces once. You’ll receive one more card if you split a pair of Aces, and you won’t be able to take any more cards.
• Late surrender is offered if the dealer has an Ace or 10 and checks their hole card for blackjack. The insurance bet is also available.

How to Play Atlantic City Blackjack?

For the most part, Atlantic City Blackjack variants can be played like any standard blackjack game. If you’ve never played blackjack before, I suggest brushing up on the basic blackjack rules first. You can also follow the detailed steps below to learn how to play Atlantic City blackjack games.

• Place your bets by placing your chips on the table.
• The dealer deals two cards to each player (facing up).
• Decide whether you want to hit or stand. Splitting or doubling may also be options at this point.
• When every player has played their hand, the dealer takes their turn.
• The dealer plays their hand according to the house rules described above.
• If you beat the dealer with a higher hand value, you win even money. However, if you have an Ace and a ten value card as your first two cards (known as a natural), you’ll be paid 3:2.
• You also win with any hand value (under 21) if the dealer busts.

Atlantic City Blackjack Charts

The best and most effective Atlantic City Blackjack strategy is to follow a basic strategy chart. This is the recommended strategy for most blackjack games because it’s a statistics-based guide that tells you how to play any hand you’re dealt according to what the dealer is showing.

The trick to using basic strategy properly for this variant is to find an Atlantic City Blackjack chart. It’s largely the same as a standard basic strategy chart, but there are a few tips and rules you’ll want to keep in mind to ensure you’re making the right moves. I’ve summarised the most important information below:

• Use a 4-deck to 8-deck basic strategy chart.
• Your hand can be found on the left-hand side of the chart. Remember to use the chart according to whether you have a soft or hard total.
• The dealer’s card is always found in the top row of the strategy card.
• Remember that late surrender is available in this game. Most blackjack charts indicate when surrendering is the ideal option and the second-best move to make if it’s not available.
•  If you’re following basic strategy, avoid taking the insurance bet. This applies to all blackjack games.

Atlantic City Blackjack Payouts

Next, let’s talk about the payouts in this version of online blackjack. Atlantic City Blackjack tables have a standard paytable, so you’ll know what to expect if you’ve played traditional blackjack games. For those who might not be familiar with these, I’ll summarise the payouts you can expect if you’re successful.

For a regular blackjack win, which means you’ve won because your hand has a higher total value than the dealer’s, you get even money (1:1). If your first two cards are an Ace and any 10 value card, you’ll win a 3:2 payout. This is a natural blackjack and is always a win, except against a dealer’s blackjack. In this case, the result is a push, and you get a refund of your original bet instead of a payout.

The House Edge in Atlantic City Blackjack

The house edge in Atlantic City Blackjack is around 0.50%, the same as in regular blackjack because the rules aren’t so different. However, it’s very important to understand that this game has a low house edge when played with the right strategy. Without an accurate basic blackjack strategy, the casino can have a significant advantage.

It’s also worth mentioning that the casino always has an advantage, and even with the most expert blackjack skills, it’s impossible to eliminate it. There’s also an element of chance because you can’t predict what cards you’ll get. That’s why the surrender option in this version makes it a popular game, although early surrender, which works more in your favour, isn’t available.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Atlantic City Blackjack

Atlantic City Blackjack offers multiple advantages, including game rules that work in your favour rather than the house’s. However, as explained above, the casino will always have an edge, and no variant can be considered ‘perfect’. Let’s compare some of the pros and cons of this blackjack game.

➕ Advantages	➖ Disadvantages
✅ This variant has player friendly rules with the dealer hitting until they reach any 17.	❌ It isn’t easy to play this blackjack variant using the card counting strategy because eight decks are typically used.
✅ The late surrender rule applies. Not many blackjack variants offer this option.	❌ Some Atlantic City casinos may offer even money for a blackjack instead of the usual 3:2 payout.
✅ Late surrender is offered if the dealer has an Ace and a card with a value of 10.	❌ The probability of getting a blackjack decreases slightly with multiple decks in play.
✅ Basic blackjack strategy can be applied, using a 4-8 deck chart.
✅ Widely available at brick and mortar casinos and online casino sites.

Atlantic City Blackjack Strategy Tips

Although blackjack strategy for Atlantic City is largely the same as basic blackjack strategy, minor adjustments should be made to ensure you’re playing your hand right. I suggest keeping the following strategy tips in mind:

• Remember that in this game, the dealer hits until they reach a soft/hard 17, which means they can’t improve their hand further. Consider this rule if you have a hand total of 17.
• If you split Aces, you can only get one card for each new hand. While splitting Aces is always recommended when following basic blackjack strategy, it’s important to realise that it can be risky if you get two low cards.
• Although late surrender is allowed, don’t get too comfortable with this option. It should only be used when your strategy chart states to do so.
• As always, the insurance bet should be avoided. Surrendering is better than taking insurance, but as explained above, don’t overuse it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Atlantic City Blackjack