There aren’t many card games that are as old or storied as Blackjack. This casino classic has been around for centuries in one shape or another, and we’re able to trace its history back to some of the oldest card games played in Europe.
But many players now play Blackjack online, with many different varieties of the game available in the digital format. These are also split between purely digital Blackjack games and live casino Blackjack, which brings together online play with physical game components and a live dealer.
If you want to find out more about the differences between these formats, let’s dive into the key things that set live Blackjack and digital Blackjack apart.
1. Pace of play
One of the most notable differences between the two formats is their relative pace of play.
A game of live Blackjack runs at a set pace, with timers showing players the time frame they have to make decisions or place wagers. This helps to keep the game moving at a consistent pace, which is particularly important given the presence of the live dealer.
Plus, actions like shuffling and dealing cards take time due to the fact that the dealer is physically handling the cards. Even when a shuffling machine is used, this still takes longer to shuffle a deck compared to the near-instant shuffles of a computer algorithm.
Digital Blackjack games move at a pace set by the player, as there is no live dealer or timers to account for. Cards are dealt as soon as the action is initiated, with some animation included depending on the game in question.
2. Technology and game components
This is a very obvious difference, as live Blackjack makes use of physical playing cards where digital Blackjack is entirely pixel-based.
Not only does live Blackjack involve physical game components, but there’s also a lot of technology working behind the scenes. Live streaming the dealer and game table to online players involves an array of high-definition cameras and technology like optical character recognition (OCR).
OCR involves capturing the images of playing cards shown to the cameras and converting them into readable data for the game system. This allows for the online game interface to show the outcome of each deal in line with the live stream.
In games of digital Blackjack, the major technology at play is the random number generator (RNG). This computer algorithm is responsible for determining the outcome of every card draw, with thousands of numbers generated in any given second.
RNG makes it impossible to predict the outcome of any given action in the game, making sure that outcomes remain both random and fair.
3. Side bets and variety
In terms of variety, live Blackjack is a little more limited. There are plenty of different digital Blackjack games on offer online, ranging from standard rulesets to varieties like multi-hand Blackjack or Spanish 21.
But what live Blackjack games do often feature is a wider range of potential side bets for players to choose from.
A game of live Blackjack is definitely different compared to a fully digital one. Which of the formats players prefer is entirely down to personal preference, with each having different elements but plenty still in common.