What is Free Bet Blackjack?

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to talk maths. Let’s look over the statistics and RTP of Free Bet Blackjack.

When we first heard of the Free Bet Blackjack variant, we thought it looked promising. After all, doubling your money for nothing seems like a sweet deal, and the chances of the dealer hitting exactly 22 seemed slim.

We were wrong. As it turns out, the dealer busting on 22 happens a lot more often than one would think. After a bit of digging, it seems that just over 7% of all blackjack rounds end in this exact scenario. It’s quite disheartening to get a great hand and perhaps even a free split, only for it all to turn to nothing.

Ultimately, though, the best evidence we have is the game’s RTP. The creators of Free Bet Blackjack had to release exact figures for the house edge and RTP of the ruleset, and they’re not exactly great.

The RTP of Free Bet Blackjack is 98.96%. At least that’s the rate that applies to the original version that was developed by Geoff Hall for the Golden Nugget casino. While a few other versions have popped up online over the years, none offer a higher RTP.

Let’s compare that to the house edge of standard blackjack. Depending on the table’s rules, the RTP of classic blackjack ranges from roughly 99.20% to 99.51%. In other words, even the worst classic blackjack table boasts a higher RTP than even the best Free Bet Blackjack table.

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Is It Worth Playing Free Bet Blackjack?

Based on our research and the game’s odds – no, it’s not worth it. 

Our reasoning is simple. The higher the RTP of any gambling game, the better the game is for the player. If you’re not sure why, we suggest reading our guide to RTP in live casino games. It all comes down to expected value. The higher a game’s RTP, the more you can expect to win on average, and the less you’ll lose in the long run.

So does this mean that you should never play Free Bet Blackjack?

No, that’s not what we’re saying. The variant still has a few advantages. Namely, it’s much simpler. Not having to worry about Doubles or Splits makes following basic blackjack strategy a lot easier. 

In classic twenty-one, deciding when to Double or Split is a tough decision that takes a bit of know-how. These two moves are reserved for relatively uncommon situations. In most cases, they’re only good if you already have a strong advantage and are looking to exploit it as much as possible.

However, the fact that Doubles and Splits are free means they happen a lot more often. To some players, this makes the game more exciting and thus more enjoyable. After all, the goal of all gambling is to have fun. If you’re doing it just to win money, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Where to Play Free Bet Blackjack Live Online

If you’re looking to play this variant of blackjack online, you have a few options. Naturally, we firmly believe that live dealer blackjack is the best and most authentic way to do so.

Here are a few examples of Free Bet Blackjack games in live casinos, along with suggestions for the best casinos to play them on. Remember to click the name of any listed game to check out our full review for more info and additional casinos you can find it on.

Free Bet Blackjack by Evolution

Evolution was the first provider to bring this variant of the game to live casinos – no surprises there. It boasts the high production value and top-notch immersion that this company is known for.

However, it does have a few issues. Namely, the RTP for the game’s main bet is even lower than Geoff Hall’s original, standing at a disappointing 98.26%. This seems to be related to the fact that you can never “manually” double in this game, giving players even fewer options than the original version.

It’s likely the best edition of the ruleset you can find online in terms of its looks and game experience. However, the lacklustre RTP heavily hampers the players’ average profits.

Infinite Free Bet Blackjack by Evolution

The “infinite” part of Infinite Free Bet Blackjack refers to the fact that this game uses a one-to-many system for dealing hands. This means that all players share the same hand, but still get to make their own independent decisions. This approach comes with a number of advantages such as faster gameplay and a much lower minimum bet of just $1, compared to the regular version’s $5.

Surprisingly, that’s not the only advantage. The Infinite variant also offers 99.45% RTP, which is just under 0.20% more than the non-Infinite version. Frankly, we’re not sure why that’s the case. It might have something to do with the Six-Card Charlie rule, but that’s just conjecture.

Either way, if you want to play Free Bet Blackjack by Evolution, we highly recommend going with the Infinite version.

Free Bet Blackjack by CreedRoomz

CreedRoomz may not be as big and famous as Evolution, but they managed to deliver the best version of Free Bet Blackjack in online casinos.

Why? Because their tables actually offer 98.96% RTP, just like Geoff Hall’s original creation. This makes the ruleset objectively better than anything else currently on the market. Of course, it’s still worse than pretty much any regular blackjack table, but that’s just the nature of the Free Bet version.

Additionally, you don’t need to compromise on looks or presentation. The game looks great, plays great, and offers the classic 7-seat layout that many fans of the game know and love. It’s a bit harder to find than Evo’s games, but that’s pretty much the only disadvantage.

Conclusion

Push comes to shove, Free Bet Blackjack is not for everyone. It was never intended to replace the classic game, either. It simply offers an alternative for players who find the basic strategy of standard blackjack too complicated or simply don’t want to spend too much time memorizing it.

If you like seeing Doubles and Splits when you play blackjack, you’ll likely enjoy this version of Twenty-one. It can be a great way to break up the monotony of simply hitting or standing most of the time. 

Make no mistake, though. For most players, we still recommend simply using a blackjack chart and finding a classic table with the most player-friendly rules. It’s the best way to play, especially when it comes to maintaining you’re bottom line.

FAQ

• What is a free bet in blackjack?

The Free Bet variant of blackjack allows players to Double or Split without increasing their stake. Note that doing so is technically not “free” because you still have to offer up the initial buy-in.

• What is a free bet push?

In Free Bet Blackjack, the round is considered a push if the dealer hits exactly 22. This means that the full stake is returned to players, and the game moves on to the next round. In practice, it’s pretty much a “draw” round.

• Are there any side bets in Free Bet Blackjack?