Betsoft Gaming Blackjack

Betsoft blackjack is available, even though they're most well-known for their dazzling selection of video slots, which are all 3D. These animated slot machine games are hugely popular with gamblers, but even slots player sometimes like to play a little bit of blackjack. This page is aimed at them.

We can't really publish a page about Betsoft without pointing out what a great job they do with their slot machine games. They use the same kind of state-of-the-art animation techniques that are used in animated movies at the theater these days. They've recently started focusing on making games available specifically for the mobile market, too.

We have tried all their table games, and they bring the same level of 3D detail to the table games (including blackjack) that they do their slots.

They offer several different versions of blackjack. The rest of this page focuses on explaining which games they make available, which ones are best for players, and what the best strategies are for playing these games.

You should know ahead of time that the house edge quoted assumes that you're using basic strategy when you play. If you're ignoring basic strategy and just playing your hunches, you can just ignore the house edge figure anyway. You're giving up such a large percentage (1% to 3%) by not using basic strategy that it's almost irrelevant what the house edge is.

Games Available

Here's a list of the blackjack games available at Betsoft powered properties:

This game allows you the option of discarding ("burning") your 2nd card. In order to burn this card, though, you have to make a side bet of half your original wager. It's similar in that respect to taking insurance. The house edge for this game is 0.54%.

Single Deck Blackjack has the dealer hitting a soft 17, but you are allowed to double after splitting. You're only allowed to double on a 10 or 11. You can only split once. The dealer does peek for blackjack. Surrender is not offered. As the name of the game implies, only 1 deck is in use. The house edge for this game is 0.38%.

Super 7 Blackjack has the dealer standing on a soft 17. You're allowed to double on any 2 cards, and you're allowed to double after splitting. The game uses 6 decks, and the house edge is 0.46%.

This game also requires the dealer to stand on a soft 17. You're allowed to double after splitting, but doubling is only allowed with a total of 10 or 11. The dealer peeks for blackjack, and, as with all the other games from this company, surrender is not an option. 6 decks are in play, and the house edge is 0.65%.

This is how Betsoft's American Blackjack looks online.

European VIP Blackjack is another game option where the dealer stands on soft 17. Doubling after split is allowed, but doubling is only allowed on a total of 9, 10, or 11. This is the only blackjack game from Betsoft that doesn't have the dealer peeking for blackjack. Surrender is not allowed, and the game uses 6 decks. The house edge is 0.66%.

Pontoon is an online game originally developed by Realtime Gaming but which has since been adopted by several online casino software companies, including Betsoft. A pontoon is the same thing as a blackjack, but in this game, it pays 2 to 1 instead of 3 to 2. Any 5 card hand also pays off at 2 to 1. As always with these blackjack variations, they have several rules which offset this seemingly generous rules variation. For example, you don't get to see the dealer's up card, and the dealer wins all ties. The house edge is around 0.38%.

This is the same game that other casinos call Spanish 21. The game uses 6 decks, but they remove all of the 10s (but not the face cards) from each deck. The dealer hits a soft 17, and you're not allowed to re-double. The house edge for this game is 0.76%, making it one of the worst blackjack games available at Betsoft casinos.

The best blackjack game is the Single Deck Blackjack, with its 0.38% house edge. We cover the correct basic strategy decisions for the game in this next section.

Betsoft Blackjack Strategy

The difference between a strategy and tactics is one of scope, but in blackjack, we also often discuss a concept called "basic strategy". A strategy is an overall approach to an endeavor. Tactics are individual decisions.

For example, your overall blackjack strategy might be to memorize basic strategy and only play the game with the lowest house edge. You might have further elements to that strategy—maybe you always quit when you're ahead by a certain amount or if you're behind by a certain amount.

We've seen some gambling math experts deride money management strategies like loss limits and win goals. We understand their point. You can't improve your chances of winning or decrease your chances of losing through those types of tactics.

But you can use such an approach to make sure you don't waste all the rent money gambling. You can also use such an approach to occasionally go home a winner—not all gamblers are able to quit while they're ahead.

An example of a tactic might be to always split aces and 8s. That tactical decision is a part of basic strategy, which is a shorthand way of describing the correct way to play every possible hand in a game of blackjack. The correct decisions are based on the dealer's up card and the total that you have.

Hard hands are hands with only one possible value. Hands with aces that can count as 1 or 11 are considered soft hands. But if you have to count the ace as 1 in order to avoid busting, that's also considered a hard hand.

Hard hands are actually pretty easy to play.

• You'll always hit any hard total of 9 or less, no matter what up card the dealer has.
• If you have a hard total of 10, you'll usually double down. You'll only hit if the dealer has a 10 or an ace showing, though. That's because the chances of the dealer having a blackjack are much higher in that situation, so you don't want to put more money into play.
• If you have a hard total of 11, you'll always double down, regardless of what the dealer is showing.
• The only tricky hand is a hard 12. If you have a hard 12, you'll usually hit. But you'll stand if the dealer has a 4, 5, or 6 showing. Those are the 3 up cards that result in the highest likelihood of the dealer going bust.
• A hard 13 through hard 16 is played the same way. You'll stand if the dealer shows a 6 or lower, and you'll hit if the dealer shows a 7 or higher.
• You'll always stand if you have a hard 17 or higher.

• You'll always hit any soft total of 17 or less.
• You'll always stand on any soft total of 19 or more.
• The only tricky hand to play is a soft 18, and it''s not that tricky. You'll stand on a soft 18 or less if the dealer has an 8 or less showing. If the dealer has a 9+ showing, you'll hit.

• One of the most common blackjack sayings is "you always split aces and 8s". This is the correct strategy advice for this variation.
• Another common blackjack saying is "never split 4s, 5s, or 10s". If you have any of those pairs, you just play them according to their hard totals.
• You'll split 2s and 6s if the dealer has a 7 or less showing.
• You'll split 3s and 7s if the dealer has an 8 or less showing.
• You'll only split 4s if the dealer has a 4, 5, or 6 showing.
• You'll split 9s if the dealer has a 6 or less showing. You'll also split against a dealer 8 or 9.

In all other cases, you'll play the hand according to its hard total.

Recommended Betsoft Casinos

Quite a few high quality casinos offer Betsoft games. We review many of them on our site. Below we've included some recommendations for reputable casinos offering Betsoft games along with links to our reviews of them and a few notes about each recommendation.

BetOnline

BetOnline is one of our favorite choices. Not only have they been in business for over a decade, but they still accept real money players from the United States. They also offer a number of options for bettors besides casino games—you can also bet on sports and play poker. They don't offer bingo, though. They offer a 25% bonus on all deposits, but there are wagering requirements. And blackjack doesn't count toward those wagering requirements. The house edge is too low.

• Read Review

GTBets

GTBets is a relatively new Sportsbook which also offers casino games. New players are eligible to get a 100% deposit bonus of up to $250 on their first deposit. They don't offer poker, bingo, or any live dealer casino games—just sports betting and casino games like slots and blackjack. Still, if those are the betting activities you prefer, this is one site worth checking out.

• Read Review

Slots.lv

Slots.lv only offers casino games and bingo games. They offer a signup bonus of up to $5000. You won't find any kind of sports betting or poker here, but the slot machine games they offer are top notch because of the Betsoft programming that they run.

• Read Review

TopBet

TopBet is mostly a sports betting site, but they also offer casino games. New customers are eligible for a $250 signup bonus. Besides the Betsoft games, they also make AceGaming games available to their customers. They've been in business a respectable period of time now, too—5 years.

• Read Review