Live Blackjack in New Zealand Online Casinos

Now that you’re fascinated by live blackjack, it’s time to learn how to get started. First of all, you need to find a top live blackjack casino and choose the game you want to play. Once you launch the game, you’ll see a dealer, a table with markings, virtual chips, and game options like sound (on/off), live chat, bet history, stats, and an adjust screen size button.

Some blackjack tables have seven seats open, so you choose one to join. You’ll notice that a blackjack table is simple, with only a few markings on it. Some of the phrases you’ll see are “Blackjack pays 3 to 2”, “Dealer must stand on 17 and must draw to 16”, and “Insurance pays 2 to 1.” These are just examples as different tables may have other rules printed on them. 

Once ready to play, you’ll place your first bet by choosing the virtual chips on the screen that fit your budget. You might find NZ$5, NZ$10, NZ$25, NZ$50, NZ$200, and NZ$500 chips and so on. A timer will appear on the screen, mostly giving players about 15 seconds to place their bets. 

After the time is up, the croupier will deal each player two face-up cards while also dealing two for themselves, one facing down. In live dealer blackjack, cards are worth their face values, except for face cards (J, Q, K) worth 10 points. The Ace card is the only exception having a value of either 1 or 11. 

Once the cards are dealt, you’ll have about 10-15 seconds to make your next decision. The available options include the following: 

• Stand: Deciding not to take any more cards.
• Hit: Requesting for an additional card from the dealer.
• Split: If your two cards have the same face value, you may split them into two hands and the dealer will add one extra card for each hand. You’ll then need to place an extra bet for the new hand which is equal to the first bet you made.
• Double Down: In exchange for your commitment to stand after receiving one more card, you get to double your initial bet.

After everyone at the table has decided on their next move, the croupier will show their face-down card and play their hand. You win if your hand is a blackjack ‘21’ or higher than the dealer.

Online casinos have wagering limits when playing live dealer blackjack. After checking multiple blackjack 21 live casinos, we observed that most casinos allow minimum bets of NZ$5 to NZ$10. As for the maximum stake, the amount is between NZ$5000 and NZ$10,000. High-roller tables come with way higher bet sizes.

Every casino game has rules, and blackjack with live dealers is no different. Since the game happens in real time, these rules make the game flow easily with no hitches. Some of the basic live blackjack rules you’ll find include:

• Blackjack uses one to eight 52-card decks, and all number cards (2-10) have a face value. Face cards, including Jack, Queen and King, score 10 points, and the Ace can have a value of 1 or 11.
• The dealer usually hands players two cards, both face up and leaves himself with two, one face-up and the other face-down.
• Blackjack’s goal is to have a hand closer to 21 than the dealer’s, but it’s a bust if it’s over 21. If you bust, you automatically lose your bet.
• After each player decides to stand, hit, double down or split, the dealer takes their turn.
• The dealer can either hit or stand. Players who didn’t bust immediately win if the dealer’s hand exceeds 21.
• If the dealer has a valid hand, the cards are totalled, and each player’s hand is compared to the dealer’s. If a player has a better hand than the dealer, they win. If the player and dealer tie, the player’s original stake is returned. 
• A perfect hand combines an ace with a 10, Jack, Queen or King and is known as a ‘Blackjack’.

Anytime a question arises, live blackjack dealers usually address it using the live blackjack online live chat. You may also use the feature to communicate with fellow players throughout the game. 

Besides the immersive live experience, Kiwi players love live blackjack because of the variations they can play. The point is that you are not limited to one version or software provider; instead, you can play many options. 

You can enjoy exciting and unique live blackjack games from long-standing software providers like Evolution, Playtech, Visionary iGaming and LuckyStreak. Below you will find more about the top live blackjack providers and some of their best titles. 

Launched in 2006, Evolution provides some of the best online live blackjacks in New Zealand. The company currently has studios in Romania, Belgium, Spain, Malta, and a few other countries. Their live dealer blackjack games come with superior video quality, excellent audio and professional dealers.

Out of its portfolio of 150+ games, some of the live blackjack variants you can play include Speed Blackjack, Infinite Blackjack, Lightning Blackjack, Free Bet Blackjack, Power Blackjack, Salon Prive and VIP Blackjack.

Players choosing these games also have access to special features like:

• Blackjack Side Bets: You can place Perfect Pair and 21+3 side bets for better payouts.
• Bet Behind Feature: Make bets on the outcome of other players’ hands.
• Initial Decision Buttons: Make your plays before you receive prompts so that the game plays out faster. (This only works on Live Blackjack, Lightning Blackjack, Salon Prive, VIP Blackjack, and Blackjack Party.)

Regarding table limits, Evolution Gaming’s live blackjack tables usually range from NZ$5 to NZ$10,000.

Started in 2014, LuckyStreak has made a name for itself by creating fun blackjack titles, and its signature style is sizable tables and cards. As a plus, each of its live casino blackjack titles comes with features like Side Bets, Bet Behind, and Pre Decision buttons (similar to Evolution’s Initial Decision buttons).

The games come with a statistics feature that shows the winning hands of other players and has a help page where you can see the rules for that specific game. Another reason you’ll enjoy playing LuckyStreak live blackjack titles is their high RTP of 99.39%. As for the table limits, you can place minimum bets of NZ$5 and maximum bets of NZ$5000. 

You can always count on new and exciting things from Playtech because of its stellar reputation since it was founded in 1999. With blackjack variants like Quantum Blackjack, Majority Rules Speed Blackjack, Cashback Blackjack, and AllBets Blackjack, Playtech constantly comes up with innovative ways to spice things up. 

Most of Playtech’s tables are located in studios in Europe and Asia, with the former having a more incredible selection of blackjack tables than the latter. Their BJ tables have a chat function, sound option, camera view selection, assistance, general settings, audio settings, player history, and side bets.

Depending on the table you choose to sit at, Playtech blackjack games usually provide you with one of two interfaces: a fully modern one or an older one. Playtech’s blackjack titles also come with side bets and a Bet Behind feature. Bets on Playtech blackjack tables can start from NZ$1 to NZ$5000.   

Visionary iGaming is one of the first companies to present a live game portfolio on the market, having humble beginnings in 2008 and subsequently booming to where it is today. Visionary iGaming’s studio is quite impressive, with casino carpeting and even background noise mimicking a busy casino. 

Considering this powerhouse was founded in 2008, it is surprising that it only has two blackjack variants. Visionary iGaming provides both standard live blackjack and Blackjack Early Payout, with the latter being one of their biggest successes because of its early payout addition. Before each round, you have 15 seconds to place your bets and 10 seconds to decide whether to hit, double down, or split. You can place side bets on Perfect Pairs and Rummy (21+3) on Visionary iGaming blackjack and wager as little as NZ$5 and as much as NZ$2000.

Blackjack is one of the simplest card games you can play, and live blackjack in New Zealand online casinos is a big hit. Whether you’ve played blackjack in a land-based casino before or it’s your first time playing, you’ll find the game straightforward. Thanks to the many live blackjack variations available, you can choose a game that fits your budget and the one from your favourite provider. Our list of the top live blackjack in New Zealand online casinos will give you the best options to explore this exciting game.