The live dealer genre is certainly intuitive and entertaining but with so many different games out there it can be difficult to pick one. To help you with this, we would like to bring to your attention HD Live Blackjack by NetEnt. This game brings the full live dealer experience in high-definition video, further increasing the immersion. In terms of gameplay, HD Live Blackjack is played with 6 decks and the dealer draws on 16 while being required to stand on soft 17s. The RTP values are also quite good, exceeding 99%.
Basic Rules and Payouts
HD Live Blackjack is not at all difficult to play and if you are already familiar with the basic blackjack formula then you will feel right at home. Like most other live blackjack games, there are a limited number of seats at the table, in this case, there is room for seven players. You occupy a seat and start playing. The aim is to beat the dealer’s hand without going over 21. Winning a normal hand will get you a payout of 1:1 while scoring a blackjack will net you the standard 3:2. You have the basic blackjack actions at your disposal, e.g. hit, stand, split, etc. The betting limits of HD Live Blackjack allow for both high rollers and casual players to make good use of their bankrolls, though, of course, the specific limits may vary from casino to casino.
Insurance
When the dealer draws an Ace as their opening card, you will be given the opportunity to put down an Insurance bet. This is completely optional and it consists of half of your main bet. If the dealer draws a 10-value card and hits blackjack, you will win the Insurance bet and receive a payout of 2:1. This will effectively cover the loss of your main bet and keep your bankroll intact. Whether you should take this bet is up to you. There is a good percentage of the blackjack player base that does not approve of this bet since it does not offer profit. Still, it may prove useful in certain situations and the choice falls upon you.
Double Down
Doubling Down is an effective way to increase your winnings potential. Whenever you have a hand that has a good chance to beat the dealer’s you may want to consider increasing your bet by Doubling. When you do this, the dealer will give you one more card and you will stand automatically. This is only available on your opening hand, adding more cards to it will remove the option to Double Down. You can also Double when you split hands.
Splitting
Splitting identical hands is allowed in HD Live Blackjack, allowing you to create two separate hands from a same-value pair. Doing so will separate the two cards and an additional card will be added to each hand. Moreover, you will also add an additional bet for the extra hand. From this point on, each hand is independent of the other and each can win or lose. HD Live Blackjack allows you to split only one hand for a maximum of two at any given time. Even if you are dealt the same card after a split, you will not be able to create more hands.
HD Live Blackjack House Edge and RTP
Before you jump into any game you should read up about its inherent casino advantage and the RTP values. HD Live Blackjack comes with favorable rules and as such, the odds offered are some of the best in the industry. More specifically, the house edge is 0.50% which makes for a return-to-player percentage of 99.50%. While blackjack as a genre, generally has low house edge values, this game is good even by those standards. You cannot go wrong playing HD Live Blackjack and we are sure that you will have a great time doing so.