Top Blackjack Casinos and Games for Irish Players
It’s no surprise that online blackjack is one of the most enjoyable games of cards due to its unique mix of luck, skill and strategy. Since the best blackjack casinos in Ireland are doing such a fine job of providing you with the most popular variations, we’ve decided to create the only blackjack guide you’ll ever need. We’ll tell you about the best blackjack games with the highest payouts, discuss how to pick the best variations of the game and explain specific blackjack rules. We’ll show you the bonuses you can pick up to enjoy a session of ‘21’ and how to use the most effective blackjack strategy.
Best Online Blackjack Casinos in Ireland
| Irish Operator | Bonus | RNG Games | Live Games | Variations | Get Bonus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bet365 |
up to 200 FS for New Players |
15 RNG Blackjack Games | 7 Live Blackjack Games |
|
Play TodayRead Review |
| 18+, Min €10 in lifetime deposits required. Offer must be claimed within 30 days of registering a bet365 account. Reveal prizes of 5, 10 or 20 Free Spins; 10 spins on Free Spins reels available within 20 days, 24 hours between each spin. Max. prize, game restrictions, time limits and T&Cs apply. | ||||||
| 2 | Mr Green |
100% up to €100 + 200 Free Spins |
23 RNG Blackjack Games | 59 Live Blackjack Games |
|
Play TodayRead Review |
| 18+ | Play responsibly | Player/game/validity restricted | Deposit and/or wager requirements apply | Any bonus money is subject to wagering requirements | Bet limits may apply | T&Cs apply | ||||||
| 3 | 888casino |
100% up to €140 + €88 Free |
10 RNG Blackjack Games | 133 Live Blackjack Games |
|
Play TodayRead Review |
| *New players only • Claim within 48 hrs • 14 day expiry • FreePlay (FP) wins credited as bonus & capped at €10, excl. JP wins • Valid for selected games • Bonus wins capped at €500, excl. JP wins • Pre-1st deposit only: Bonus wins & max redeemable amount capped at €100, excl. JP wins • 50x wagering – req. vary by game • Bonus expires in 90 days • Withdrawal restrictions, T&Cs apply. | ||||||
| 4 | Luckster |
100% up to €200 + 100 Free spins |
16 RNG Blackjack Games | 25 Live Blackjack Games |
|
Play Today |
| Full T&Cs apply. New players only 18+. Min. deposit €10. Wagering requirement apply 35x. Offer valis for 71hr. 100 spins includes 3 deposit. | ||||||
| 5 | Unibet |
up to €40 Casino Bonus |
34 RNG Blackjack Games | 48 Live Blackjack Games |
|
Play Today |
| 18+ begambleaware.org. New Customers only. Minimum Deposit €10 and Get €40 in Casino Bonus Funds. Debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, new customers must opt in and claim offer within 24 hours and use within 30 days. | ||||||
Before we discuss everything that makes online blackjack great, we must stress the fact that playing at the recommended operators has a series of important advantages. These online casinos are licenced that will keep your account information safe and sound and will guarantee more-than-fair game mechanics. There’ll be no more hoping to catch a spot at your favourite blackjack table in less-than-desirable company because playing blackjack online means your place is pretty much guaranteed, and the atmosphere is amazing. The other huge plus is that you get a chance to test the games before you play for real money and you can make the most of the strategies we’ll teach you.
Blackjack Rules – Let’s Review the Basics
To put everyone’s mind at ease, lets have a look at the classic blackjack rules. For most Irish players, this will be just a refresher course, but for those of you who just got bit by the blackjack bug, let’s make one thing clear: you’re not playing against other players, only against the house. Your objective is to beat the house and you can do so by not busting – going over 21 points – or by getting as close to 21 as possible. Scoring 21 points in the first go using an ace and any other 10-point-card is called ‘blackjack’ and has a special payout. The games can be played with anywhere from one to eight decks of cards, with one deck usually consisting of 52 cards. The ace can have a value of 1 or 11 points, cards ranging from 10 – K have a value of 10 points and cards from 2 – 9 hold their face value. The game kicks off with the player’s bet, followed closely by the dealer handing out cards. And now, for the blackjack basics: a player can stand, hit, double, split or surrender – here’s what the actions represent.
The blackjack table is self-explanatory: the squares are reserved for your cards and chips are used for cash. The ‘shoe’ is where the dealer keeps the cards and the yellow card indicates when the next re-shuffle will take place. The spot left of the dealer is known as first base and the spot to the right of the dealer is known as third base. I personally like to take this spot in a live game – can you think of a reason why?
| Action | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Stand | Player chooses to do nothing with his/her cards, waits for the turn to end |
| Hit | Player asks for another card – or more |
| Double | Player doubles his/her bet |
| Split | Player splits a pair of cards or any 10-point-cards |
| Surrender | Player chooses not to play his/her hand and loses half of the wager – but the dealer must check for blackjack first |
The Most Important Blackjack Variations
The most efficient way we can tell you how to play blackjack online at a casino begins with choosing a high-payout game. Software providers have been working round the clock designing the game that has it all: great graphics, fluid gameplay and a high RTP. All these very engaging blackjack games are designed to follow the basic rules, but they do have some modifications. For example, the difference between a classic game of blackjack and the variant known as Blackjack Switch is that the dealer stands on 17 in a classic game and hits on soft 17 in Switch. Also, classic blackjack will pay 3:2 vs Blackjack Switch, which pays 1:1. The RTP is significantly higher in Switch, up to an astonishing 99.87%. Let’s take a look below at some of the most enjoyable versions of blackjack.
Blackjack Double Exposure - Plays like the classic version of the game, except here the dealer’s cards are shown, or ‘exposed’, in other words. This version was developed by NetEnt and you’ll be able to recognise the crisp graphics a mile away. It’s played with eight decks, blackjack pays 1:1 and you’re able to take insurance, to surrender and to split. You have an RTP of 99.33% to your advantage, so if you follow the ‘Play Now’ link to your right, you’ll be able to play this variant with a bonus of up to €100.
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Perfect Pairs Blackjack - You’re playing against the dealer and you have several additional bets that you may use. The RTP of this game is 99.63% and blackjack pays 3:2. The same suit and value in a pair pays you 25 x wager, a pair of colour pays 12 x wager and a mixed pair pays 6 x wager. The dealer is forced to hit on soft 17, and you can take insurance, but you may not surrender. The game is played with a maximum of six decks.
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European Blackjack - This version was developed by Play’n GO and can be played for free at Casumo Casino. There’s more than meets the eye with the European version of blackjack because behind the soothing lounge music and the great attention to details, insurance pays 2:1 and blackjack pays 3:2. The dealer usually has to draw a card at 16 and you’re free to play to up to three hands. Wagers are extremely flexible, and you’ll find no side bets here. Best variant if you’re after a chill game of blackjack!
Play TodayT&C’s apply, must be over 18+! Gamble Responsibly. Click for more info!
If you’re after a tailor-fitted blackjack experience, make sure to check out the live dealer games. There is – without a doubt – something special about a live game where a pro dealer goes above and beyond to make sure you’re having the best time. The bet limits are more than flexible, you have the opportunity to be part of a Blackjack Party, you can play more than one game simultaneously and there’s no such thing as not finding a seat at your favourite table!
Blackjack Tips & Strategies to Help You Win
Before we discuss blackjack strategy or any other blackjack tips, we have to stress the importance of knowing the basic rules. The value of the cards, how the game is played and what you can do during a match – all of these can be practiced over and over in the free play version of the game, known as the demo version. The next thing every Irish player must do is select a game with the highest payout, like Blackjack Perfect Pairs, and grab a blackjack bonus, simply because it’ll increase your play time!
- ALWAYS 8’s and A’s gets split
- NEVER split 5’s and 10’s
- When dealer has 4-7’s, split your 2-3’s
- IF dealer has 5/6’s, split your 4’s
- IF dealer shows 2-7\s, split your 7’s
- Dealer has 2-6s or 8-9’s then SPLIT your 9’s
- DOUBLE 9 when dealer has 3-6
- Double 10’s but NOT when the dealer has 10 or A
- Double when you have SOFT 13-14 and dealer has 5-6
- Double when you have SOFT 15-16 and dealer has 4-6
- Double when you have SOFT 17-18 and dealer has 3-6
- Hit on 11 ALWAYS
- If dealer has 4-6 then STAND
- Stand on dealers 2-6 if you have 13-16
- STAND on 17 (hard)
- HIT when soft 17
- Stand on 18 (soft)
- Stand on 19 (soft)
Don’t worry – you won’t need to memorise all the information in the table. Just bookmark it and revisit it whenever you’re enjoying a game of blackjack. In time, these strategies will become second nature and you’ll understand when to go for the split, double or hit/stand. Card counting is perfectly legal, and while it might seem like a scene from the 2008 movie 21, we can assure you it’s absolutely real. The only real issue here is that you won’t be able to count cards in an RNG blackjack game. If you’re playing live, on the other hand, by all means give it a go – refer to the blackjack card counting strategy right here. For now, practice a simple set of rules – never take insurance bets, double when you’re holding 10s or aces and ALWAYS split 8s and aces.
Blackjack Bonus Explained – Wagering Requirements & Contributions
Because your bankroll is extremely important, we must pay special attention to all the blackjack bonuses we have available. Any online blackjack casino will require that the bonus money is wagered a few times and the game itself will contribute towards the wagering. Since nobody expects you to read all the fine print at the bottom of the sites, we’re compelled to give you all the information you might need to gamble informed.
| Operator | Bonus | Min Deposit | Wagering | Contribution | Get Bonus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 888casino |
100% up to €140 + €88 Free |
€10 | 50x | 10% | Play TodayRead Review |
| *New players only • Claim within 48 hrs • 14 day expiry • FreePlay (FP) wins credited as bonus & capped at €10, excl. JP wins • Valid for selected games • Bonus wins capped at €500, excl. JP wins • Pre-1st deposit only: Bonus wins & max redeemable amount capped at €100, excl. JP wins • 50x wagering – req. vary by game • Bonus expires in 90 days • Withdrawal restrictions, T&Cs apply. | ||||||
| 2 | Casumo |
100% up to €300 + 50 Free Spins |
€10 | 30x | 10% | Play TodayRead Review |
| 18+. New IE customers only. The welcome bonus contains 50 bonus spins on Wild Wild Riches and 100% bonus (up to €300). Bonuses must be wagered 30 times. Min deposit is €20. Play responsibly | ||||||
| 3 | Mr Green |
100% up to €100 + 200 Free Spins |
€20 | 35x | 10% | Play TodayRead Review |
| 18+ | Play responsibly | Player/game/validity restricted | Deposit and/or wager requirements apply | Any bonus money is subject to wagering requirements | Bet limits may apply | T&Cs apply | ||||||
As we can see, not all blackjack casinos have the same wagering requirements. Joining Casumo Casino will grant you access to a well-rounded blackjack portfolio structured on different wagering limits. Should you wish to go for the welcome package, you’ll be eligible for €300, but you’ll have to wager it 30 times before you can withdraw the winnings and the game of blackjack contributes 0% towards the requirements. On the other hand, 888 Casino offers a smaller bonus of €100, but its blackjack games will contribute 20% towards the wagering requirements (that’s €20 of every €100 wagered).
Our Expert - Assessment and Final Words
Mastering the blackjack basics is not as hard as you’d think, and with a little bit of practice, you’ll quickly be on the path to becoming the pro you’ve always dreamt of being. On your journey, there are a few things to look out for. The most important is to choose a licenced operator with a certified game portfolio. Online blackjack is incredibly fun as long as it’s played in a safe environment where you hold all the cards, so to speak (pun intended). Playing a top variant with a high payout while using an optimum blackjack strategy is a bulletproof way to fill your purse. Avoid insurance, stay away from side bets and don’t worry about tipping the dealer – unless you really want to, of course. Play live for the best experience and slowly transition into card counting – we’ve got you covered. We’ve provided you with every tool you need to start playing today!