It’s official, mobile gamblers now outnumber those who use their desktops and laptops to gamble. For a couple years now developers have been focusing almost entirely on the mobile market as a result and while this has left a lot of desktop gamblers in the dark a little, it has broadened the horizons of many mobile gamblers and given them a host of new games and features to play with.
One of those is live blackjack, a game that is taking the online blackjack world by storm and attracting a huge number of Android players.
What is Live Blackjack?
Simply put, live blackjack is an online variant of blackjack that takes place in a real casino setting. The table, the dealer and the cards are real, but everything else takes place within or behind a computer.
The dealer makes the same moves they would in a real casino, only when they deal the card it passes over a sensor that quickly reads it. This happens with every single card that is dealt and allows the computer to read the game as if it was a virtual game. The dealer then completes the game as normal and because the computer knows what each card was, where it was dealt and what move the player made, it knows who wins and who does not.
It works very smoothly and it’s an amazing experience when you sit down and play for the first time. This is made all the more amazing by the fact that these games work on Android devices. They are adapted to better suit the smaller screen and the touch-screen feature, but besides those minor changes everything else is the same as it is for a desktop player.
Are Live Blackjack Games Legal on Android?
Both Android and iPhone have issues with online gambling, likely stemming from the fact that they are American companies (and online gambling is tightly restricted in the US) as well as the fact that online gambling makes life easy for money launderers and other criminals.
There can be restrictions on what apps are allowed and what apps are not, and these restrictions can be contradictory and confusing. But the good thing to note is that you can download apps even if they are not in the Google Play Store, as many of them are not.
As long as online gambling is legal where you are (and it is legal on licensed casinos here in Canada) then you will not have an issue.
Apps vs Web Browser
As the saying goes, “There is an app for everything”. These little programs have taken over our lives and there seems to be a generation of people out there who believe that the internet is a giant app factory. Everything they do, whether it’s shopping on eBay/Amazon, chatting with friends, checking social media or even reading the news, it all takes place on apps.
They barely touch their web browsers, and as a result they don’t seem to know that they can use their browsers to access most online casinos. If they don’t find the app in the app store then they assume the casino is not mobile compatible and they move on.
But that’s not the case. If a casino has an Instant Play feature (also known as No Download) as many do these days, then it can be played using a mobile browser. It is not as quick and it is not as responsive, but it’s certainly a better option than giving up on the casino altogether.
In fact, most of the casinos we play these days are through our web browser. It’s the same with sports betting. We got so fed-up of apps that constantly needed to be updated, were always logging us out and were filled to the brim with ads, that we started using mobile browser casinos instead. We got into the habit of it and we haven’t been able to shift that habit.
So, if you can’t find the app in the app store and you can’t download it anywhere else either, don’t give up hope. There is still an option and in our opinion it is a very good option.
Live Blackjack for Android Features
There are many different blackjack variants available for Android. They can differ quite significantly from casino to casino, but if you want the best game possible, one that offers top playability and a low house edge, look out of the following:
- Side Bets: A game with no side bets is always better as these features are designed to reduce the odds and get more money out of the player.
- Decks: The fewer the decks, the better your chance of winning. This rarely makes a difference in virtual blackjack games, but it makes a big difference in live games.
- Capacity: There is a Bet Behind feature that gives queuers something to do, but you really want to be playing yourself and for that you need a casino that can accommodate a lot of tables and a game that can accommodate a lot of players.
- Stake Sizes: The bet range in live blackjack games is closer to that of a real casino than a virtual one. You will struggle to find games that let you bet for less than $1 per hand, so small stake players should do their research in advance if they want to avoid being drawn into betting with more than they can afford.
The Best Live Dealer Blackjack on Android
Microgaming are the developer currently leading the way in this sector and the one that you should be looking to if you want the best games. They were one of the first to launch a live dealer casino and as the biggest and oldest developer around, they also had the money, the experience and the reach needed to rapidly expand their live dealer offerings before anyone else.
Microgaming software can be found on some of the best online casinos in the world, including many of the casinos we recommend right here on this site, and their software never fails to work on mobile devices. We have personally been using Microgaming casinos on Samsung Android devices for the last three or four years and we have yet to encounter a major issue.