One of the best things about online casinos is that you don’t need to adhere to high limits. In a real casino, the bets tend to start at $1 or $2 and go from there. They have bills to pay after all, and they also need to pay the dealers, so the last thing they want to do is let players buy-in for a few dollars and play with a few cents.
In online casinos there are no dealers to pay, the games are automatic, and the house earnings are all profit. This allows them to be a little more flexible when it comes to deposits and bets, and it also means they can afford to be a little more generous where bonuses are concerned.
If you want to spend very little and win a lot, then online blackjack games are perfect and it’s those games that we’ll cover in this guide.
What is the Minimum Deposit for Blackjack?
The average minimum deposit is $10, but this can vary from casino to casino. There are some that will allow you to deposit less and some that will tempt you to deposit more, but there are pros and cons to both of these:
- Why Less than $10 is Rare: Every time you make a deposit the casino stand to lose a very small percentage of the money. If it’s not going on credit card fees and other fees, it’s going to the third-party payment provider that they use. Then you have to consider that each member is a drain on the servers (albeit a partial one) and the customer support. If they were to offer you a minimum deposit of $5 they wouldn’t have a great deal to gain, if anything.
- Why You Should Deposit More: If you can afford to deposit more than do so, even if you have no intention of using those funds. All major blackjack casinos offer a matched deposit bonus, which means you can double your initial deposit. The more you deposit, the more you get, and this is a one-time-offer, so you need to take advantage while you can.
- Issues with No-Deposits: The no-deposit bonus seems like the perfect middle-ground for the player. They don’t have to deposit, but they still get a decent amount of money to play with. The problem is, it’s never as good as it seems. These bonuses are very limiting. Not only are they small, but they also come with large play-through rates and are limited to how much you can win. Imagine winning a progressive jackpot with $10 bonus cash and then finding out you can only claim $100 due to the Ts & Cs of the bonus.
What is the Maximum Stake for Blackjack?
There are popular games of blackjack out there that will let you bet hundreds of dollars per hand, but this is far from the maximum. Typically, if you want to bet in the thousands of dollars you will need to be part of the casino’s VIP program. These games are considered high-risk, both for the casino and the player, so they aren’t as freely available as you might think.
If you are part of a VIP program on a big online casino then you could play games of blackjack that let you bet upwards of $10,000 a hand. For most players this amount of money will be inconceivable, but there are players out there who bet this much on a regular basis and because they are often hard-working and always on the go, they are increasingly looking to online casinos to fulfil their high-stakes gambling needs.
What Blackjack Games Have the Lowest Limit?
The most basic games of blackjack have the lowest limits. If you play games like Double Exposure and Switch, then you may find that the limits are a little higher than usual. This is especially true for Switch, as the game’s unique features require you to play two hands at once.
If you focus on the following games then you should find low limits across the board:
- Vegas Blackjack
- Double-Deck Blackjack
- Pro Blackjack
- Pontoon
- Spanish 21
Minimum Deposits and Loyalty Schemes
One of the biggest issues with minimum deposits, and small-stakes play in general, is that it can be very difficult to earn points through loyalty schemes. But there are some ways that you can maximize the amount of points you receive without taking unnecessary risks:
- Use Bonuses: Your welcome bonus cash will count towards the loyalty scheme as well, so make sure you use this wisely and opt-in to the loyalty program as soon as you make your first deposit.
- Play Blackjack: It goes without saying, but blackjack is by far the best game to play if you want to maximize your return. It has a very low house edge and will therefore return a higher win rate and more loyalty points.
- Ignore Side Bets: As tempting as they might be, they will cripple your account balance so they are not recommended.
- Bet Small: Focus on quantity not quality. Don’t be tempted to bet for $2 a hand if you only have $10 in your account, you might earn more loyalty points in the short-term, but it only takes one short run of bad luck for you to lose all your cash and there will be no more loyalty points when that happens.
Tips for Limiting Your Risk when Playing Blackjack
There are also a number of things that you can do to limit you risk when playing blackjack online. The less risk, the less you lose and the less you need to reload:
- Find the games with the best house edge.
- Never take insurance.
- Focus on the dealer’s cards as much as your own.
- If you are playing on a live casino, try counting cards (it won’t work on a virtual one).
- Play single hand games of blackjack as opposed to multi-hand ones, as it’s easier to focus on what you are doing.