What is Free Bet Blackjack?

Free Bet Blackjack is a variation of the popular card game of blackjack. It allows players to Split or Double Up for free once per round, as opposed to standard blackjack in which you have to double your stake if you want to use those moves. However, this comes at a price – if the dealer ever reaches 22 they don't bust as usual, and the round is considered a push.

That's the short explanation of what Free Bet Blackjack is and how it works. If you want to know more, this article contains an in-depth explanation of how the variant works and a closer look at its rules. We'll also go through the statistics and RTP of this interesting ruleset while comparing it to the standard variation.

If you're looking to play Free Bet Blackjack online, we'll also list a few of the best live casino tables that offer it.

Free Bet Blackjack has its pros and cons, but the general consensus is that it's not better than the standard rules of twenty-one. If you want to know why, check out the RTP section of this article.

Table of Contents

Free Bet Blackjack Rules

Free Bet Blackjack is simply a variation of the common casino card game you’re probably familiar with. If you know how to play blackjack, you’ll quickly pick up the basics. If not, we suggest starting with our blackjack tutorial for beginners.

Let’s start with the similarities. The core gameplay loop of Free Bet Blackjack is pretty much identical to the standard variant. The goal is to draw cards until you get as close as possible to 21 without going over.

The gameplay happens in turns. Once it’s your turn, you get to pick between the usual four moves – Hit, Stand, Double, or Split. Hitting and Standing works as usual. These two moves are merely used to control how many cards you draw, hoping to reach the standard 21 mark. Winning still pays 1:1, and getting a 21 with your first two cards is a Natural Blackjack, paying 3:2.

The card values are also the same as on any other blackjack table. 2-9 cards count as their face value, while 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings all count as 10. Aces can be either 1 or 11.

Now let’s move on to the three major rule changes that separate Free Bet Blackjack from the standard variant. These include:

Free Double
Free Split
Push on Dealer 22

1. Free Doubles

The decision to Double Up mostly works the same, but it does not require you to Double your stake if your two-card hand total is 9, 10, or 11. Any winnings collected from that round are indeed doubled, but you don’t have to pay anything more than your initial stake. As usual, though, you automatically draw one additional card after doubling, and you can’t make any more moves after that.

The free double happens automatically, and it only happens if your first two cards add up to 9, 10, or 11. However, you can still “manually” double if your hand total is not 9, 10, or 11. In this case, you still have to double your initial stake. If you choose to Double Up in Free Bet Blackjack instead of taking a free Double, the rules are the same as on standard blackjack tables.

2. Free Splits

Similarly, Splitting is free if your initial two cards are of the same rank, unless the cards have a value of 10. This applies to all 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings.

You can only Split once, after which the two cards behave as separate hands. The two hands both use your initial stake to calculate payouts.

However, you can only decide to Split or Double once per round. You cannot re-split in Free Bet Blackjack, and Doubling after a Split is not allowed.

Unlike Double, you can’t “manually” split under any circumstances. You can’t Split a pair of 10-value cards, and the Split is free in all other cases.

3. Dealer Doesn’t Bust on 22

Everything we just talked about probably seems like a great deal. You get to potentially double your winnings without risking any additional money. It sounds like a dream, right?

Well, there’s an additional rule that throws a wrench into the works. It makes sense when you think about it. The house has to compensate for potentially paying out more money to players at no additional risk.

In standard blackjack, if the dealer busts if they ever go over 21. This means that all players at the table win automatically unless they went over 21 as well.

However, in Free Bet Blackjack, if the dealer does not bust if they hit exactly 22. Instead, the round is considered a push. This means that your full initial stake is returned to you in full, but you don’t win anything. Note that if the dealer gets to 23 or more, they still bust as usual.

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Basic Strategy

Knowing when to do what in blackjack is a complicated issue, and the same applies to Free Bet Blackjack. Thankfully, there's an established strategy which relies on charts. You can find these charts here.

Odds and RTP

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.

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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.

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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.

Play CreedRoomz Free Bet Blackjack at the VBet Live Casino!

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?

Yes. Theoretically, most blackjack side bets are perfectly applicable to this variant as well. Most tables offer classics such as Perfect Pairs and 21+3. However, there is also a side bet that’s specific to Free Bet blackjack called Push 22. This side bet wins if the dealer draws exactly 22, paying 11:1 odds. Sadly, this side bet also has an extremely high house advantage.

Is Free Bet Blackjack better?

No, free bet blackjack is statistically worse for the player than most standard tables. If you want to know why, check out the Odds and RTP section of this article.

What is Free Bet Blackjack?

Free Bet Blackjack Rules

1. Free Doubles

2. Free Splits

3. Dealer Doesn’t Bust on 22

Basic Strategy

Odds and RTP

Is It Worth Playing Free Bet Blackjack?

Where to Play Free Bet Blackjack Live Online

Free Bet Blackjack by Evolution

Infinite Free Bet Blackjack by Evolution

Free Bet Blackjack by CreedRoomz

Conclusion

FAQ

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