Best online blackjack casinos in Canada 2024

Online blackjack in Canada

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games at online casinos in Canada, along with slots, roulette, and poker. Its popularity is due in part to it being a relatively easy game to play, and it’s known for having the best odds in gambling. The game is traditionally played with one, two, four, six, or eight decks of cards, so if you’re good at card counting, this is the one for you. Many online casinos in Canada offer a wide variety of blackjack games, including live dealer options.

• 1
  Find a safe and legal online blackjack Canada casino and sign up for an account. Make a deposit and go to the blackjack section.
• 2
  Choose a variation of online blackjack and wait for it to load. You could also choose a live casino blackjack game if you’d like to play with live dealers and others.
• 3
  In a standard online blackjack real money game, you and the dealer will each be dealt two cards. The aim is to beat the dealer by getting a score as close as possible to, but not over, 21. This is based on the value of your cards. Face cards are worth 10, and Aces can be worth either one or 11.
• 4
  Either hit, meaning draw another card, or stand, meaning stick with the cards you have. Remember if you go over 21, you’ll bust and instantly lose the game.
• 5
  You'll find out whether you or the dealer got closer to 21 as the dealer’s cards are revealed. If you and the dealer had the same score, it’s called a push, and your bet is returned.

How do online blackjack odds work?

The odds can vary due to the different combinations you can play and the pure randomness of the game. What we can determine is the odds of drawing certain cards which can help your game play. The odds, or the probability, of you drawing a card with any value is around 7.69%. But if we look at the odds of you drawing a card worth 10, so any 10s, Jacks, Queens, or Kings, is 30.7%.

How much are cards worth?

• Cards 2 to 10 are worth their numerical value (i.e. 3 is worth 3)
• Kings, Jacks, and Queens are worth 10
• An Ace can be worth 1 or 11

• BSE: Basic Strategy Edge meaning you can get better odds using your basic strategy
• DOA: Double Down on any of your initial cards
• D10/11: You can only double down on 10s and 11s
• DAS: Double down is only allowed when you split a pair
• ESR: Early surrender allowed. You won't find this often, but when you do you can surrender your initial hand when the dealer has a natural blackjack (21)
• H17: This means that when the dealer has 17 (as soft hit) he must hit
• LSR: Late surrender. You can surrender your hand, only losing half of your bet when the dealer gets a non-natural blackjack (21)
• O/U: You can bet over and under thirteen
• RSA: You can re-split Aces
• S17: The dealer must stand on soft 17 (stick on 17)

What does it mean when I “bust”?

If the total of your cards exceeds 21 then you are said to have “bust” and your hand is folded and your bet is lost. The dealer can also bust under the same circumstances.

What does it mean to “hit”?

Whenever you draw a new card to add to your hand you are said to “hit”.

What is “insurance”?

Insurance is a side bet, of up to half your original bet and can be made when the dealer's "upcard" is an ace. If the dealer has a natural 21 your insurance bet pays out at 2:1.

What is a “push”?

A push is a tied hand that causes your original bet to be returned to you.

What does it mean to “surrender”?

Surrendering is when you “fold.” Some tables allow surrender and some do not. This might sound negative, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. When early surrender is allowed, you can surrender your hand if the dealer is showing an Ace and only lose half your bet instead of all of it.

Is it better to surrender early if I don’t have good cards?

If you surrender early you only lose half your bet, so in the long run it seems to make a lot of sense to get out if your cards are bad. However, it is always a risk because even what seem to be really bad hands can end up winning if played right, and the dealer busts. There are no sure things on the casino floor.

• 17th century

  The first ever reference to a game similar to blackjack came in a Spanish tale called Rinconete y Cortadillo, in the 17th century. There are some who think that the game dates back even further, though, possibly even back to the time of the ancient Egyptians.

• 18th century

  There are other theories as to the origins of blackjack, too. One of the most widely supported is that it originated in France in the 18th century, with a game known as Vingt-et-Un. References to this game can be found in the book Round Games with Cards, which was written by Baxter Wray in 1891. In this book he describes the game as a popular one.

• 21st century

  Regardless of where the original form of blackjack originated, it gradually spread around both France and Spain. From there, it began to migrate to the casinos of the United States, where it was referred to as twenty-one – a name still commonly used to refer to the game today. Single deck blackjack is still by far the most common game type.

Ready to play blackjack online in Canada?

Now you've learned basic blackjack strategy, some quick tips and blackjack game types, you’re ready to start.

Check out our top-rated Canada online blackjack sites again below. If you want to practice before playing real money blackjack, play for free at Casino.org.