Blackjack is the marquee table game for casinos and ever since gaming went online, software developers have always made sure the game is available in whatever format is popular with players. Tablets show off the beauty of blackjack like no other device. The landscape of the game is compact and the entire table can easily be fitted into any of the many different sizes of carry-with-you tablets on the market. Game play is easy to follow on any hand-held device. Let’s take a look at online blackjack across the most popular platforms, Apple’s iPad and Google’s Android.
[showSites]
Apple iPad Blackjack
Apple invented the tablet category in the marketplace, magically creating a machine that no one actually needed but everyone wanted. Realistic game play practically jumps off the Retina HD display screens on the iPad. Blackjack players use the iPad for practice and training games played for no money and also to play for real money.
Since the United States does not legally allow online casinos to accept real money from Americans, Apple does not allow customers to download apps that conduct real-money gambling. The free download blackjack apps that exist often work by selling chips to players – a couple of dollars for a few thousand chips and millions of chips for $50 or more – and players use their stake to play no-risk, recreational blackjack.
Since these apps make their money selling chips it is a fair question to wonder whether the games are rigged to drain players unnaturally fast of their chip stack. In a legitimate blackjack program the house should maintain a less than 1% edge against basic strategy and a player should expect runs of hot and cold hands over periods of time. If the app selected does not replicate these conditions, move on to another provider.
Real money casinos often offer versions of their online houses that feature free play with fake money. The intention here is to make novice blackjack players comfortable with the strategies and rhythms of the game in hopes that a conversion to real money is the inevitable next step. Don’t be surprised if your virtual bankroll grows to outsized proportions in these free game scenarios – remember that you should break a little less than even in any long run of sustained blackjack play.
Long-established blackjack apps always have player reviews to help evaluate the realism of game play. Your task is to evaluate the realism of the reviews. Many online product reviews are paid comments either by the app developer (pro) or a competitor (con). While online blackjack is a great way to pass the time not many satisfied customers are going to be moved enough to take to a keyboard and herald its praises to the world.
If iPad blackjack players want to do more than hone strategy, the tablet can be used to access online casinos through the Safari Internet browser baked into each Apple device. Set up an account, fund a bankroll and push real chips onto the virtual blackjack table felt. Game variations are sometimes more limited playing online than with a casino’s mobile app but you can always find a familiar game of twenty one wherever table games are played.
Android Blackjack
Google seized the opportunity to build a mobile operating system ahead of dominant industry leader Microsoft and indeed the Android platform is the most popular in the world, installed on tablets from many manufacturers. The same caveats apply for Android devices as for iPads – research local regulations, decide whether you want to play blackjack for fun or money and make an informed appraisal of the apps in the Google Play store.
Tablet Blackjack Games
When playing online blackjack on the go from a tablet there will not be as many game variations as those found from an online casino’s own software. Aside from slight differences in splitting options and surrender rules the blackjack played on tablets varies little from app to app. Some allow playing multiple hands, up to three. Experiment with the different free apps or real money play apps, if available, to find one that suits your blackjack-playing goals.
When seeking blackjack through online casinos several software developers have done more than tweak a few lines of code and developed games designed for the tablet format. These include:
NetEntertainment
Net Entertainment (NetEnt) formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1996 and was an early mover into the mobile device development game. NetEnt’s Blackjack Professional Series boasts a 3D look and art card animations that dance on a tablet screen. Players can play up to three hands and with the Double Jack side bet on the first two cards can win up to 100X the initial stake. Insurance pays 2 to 1 and the dealer must stand on all 17s.
Microgaming
Microgaming established the world’s first online casino in 1994 and the British outfit has been an industry leader ever since. In mobile their tablet blackjack requires no download for online casinos. Microgaming’s native apps for Apple IOS, Android and Windows will play on virtually any tablet on the market.
Playtech
Operating out of the Isle of Man, Playtech has been a go-to provider of online sports betting, online casino gaming and online bingo since 1999. To bring their suite of table games to smartphones and tablets Playtech developed Mobile Hub, an integrated content deliver system to maximize the gaming experience on smaller screens. Playtech’s blackjack games will play on any tablet from entry-level machines to the highest resolution iPads.
The tablet may be the device no one needed but it found its apogee in online blackjack. The portable device is ready for a game anytime, anywhere. The cards look almost life-size and the table is the perfect dimensions to be recreated realistically on screen. Players can risk real money or use the tablet as the ideal training device to prepare for high-pressure, high-stakes action. When tablets came on the market not many blackjack players were standing pat, it was a universal cry of “hit me.”