High Roller Blackjack
Dec 15, 2020 High roller back, also known as high limit or high stakes blackjack, can mean different things to different players. Some players may feel like $25 is a lot to spend while playing, while others. However, not all high rollers are treated equally; those who bet a, say, $100 per game won't have the same treatment as those who leave a $1,000 per blackjack hand. Contrary to popular belief, whales don't normally add too much to a casino's bottom-line.
The history of blackjack dates back more than 300 years – the fact that it’s still going strong today, is testament to its enduring popularity with ordinary players and high rollers alike. This is, after all, a game that’s captured the imaginations of artists, writers, moviemakers, and more, which has only added to its growing appeal. An exciting, but simple and accessible game, blackjack has become a staple of not only bricks-and-mortar casinos, but also online casinos, especially those that offer live casino games. As for high limit blackjack, well that takes blackjack to the next level, with higher stakes and bigger thrills. Let’s explore further.
High Limit Blackjack: How to Play
Our recommended high roller online casinos all offer blackjack titles that might appeal to VIP players. When playing a traditional game like blackjack, but online and at a high-stakes level, players can potentially unlock even bigger results from their home or while they are on the move with their mobile device.
Blackjack is a comparing card game that’s played against a dealer, with up to three players accommodated at a table – the aim is to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible. A round of high limit blackjack will see all players at the virtual table being given two cards, which are all placed face down. The dealer has one face-down card and one face-up card. The player must then ascertain the strength of the dealer’s cards and predict the strength of their own hand in relation to that. By getting 21 or closer to 21 than the dealer, the player will win high limit blackjack. Players can also draw extra cards along the way – that is until they decide to do one of two things: “stay”, which means they’ll take no extra cards, or “bust”, which means they’ve exceeded 21 and will lose, in the process surrendering their entire wager to the house. If the player stays, the dealer must reveal their cards and even draw extra cards. A minimum of 17 in hand is required for the dealer to stay – once the number 17 is reached or exceeded, the dealer cannot draw any more cards. If the player has a higher number than the dealer and hasn’t exceeded 21, they’ll win the wager.
Rules and Terms for High Limit Blackjack
While blackjack is a game of chance, players can still engage in strategy to improve their chances of winning. That’s why it’s good to know the rules and understand the terminology employed. In high limit blackjack, there are 6 card decks from which the cards are dealt – each deck comprises of 52 cards. After each round, there is a shuffling of the cards by the dealer and the player decides on the wagering total. Once the amount has been chosen, bets are placed and the hand commences. A wager must be placed within a certain time limit – if not, the hand continues without that player. Once a hand is dealt, players cannot alter their wagering amounts, however, additional wagers such as “insurance” and “splits” may be supplemented throughout the hand. Players must complete “hitting” and either “stay” or “bust” in order for the dealer to show their cards. If both the dealer and the player hit blackjack at the same time, it’s regarded as a “push”, in which case the player’s wager remains on the table and the next hand ensues. Another noteworthy rule is that if a dealer exceeds 21 while still drawing cards, all active players for that hand will win their wagers. Cards 2-9 in blackjack are worth their face value, while Jack, Queen and King are all worth 10. As for the Ace, it’s worth 1 or 11 – it’s up to the player to decide. Let’s take a brief look at some of the terms used in high limit blackjack:
- Stand: If a player is satisfied with their hand, they can click the stand button, which keeps their hand at its present value – once the dealer finishes their hand, the game is completed.
- Hit: If a player decides their first two cards are too low, they can take an additional card – this process is called “hitting”.
- Split: If the player has two cards valued at the same amount, they will be given the option to split the cards into two totally separate hands – they’ll then be told to place another wager that is equal to the player’s original wager.
- Double: When the player receives their first two cards, they will have the choice to double their wagering amount and get dealt one more card – however, this is not possible if you’ve been dealt 21 or blackjack. Players can only double on cards valued at 9, 10 or 11.
- Insurance: By insuring themselves against the dealer’s hand, a player can protect themselves from the dealer if the dealer shows an Ace. Insurance will cost half of the wagering amount and is essentially an extra wager from the player. If the dealer does indeed have blackjack, the insurance feature pays 2:1 and the player loses the initial wager. If the dealer doesn’t have blackjack, the player loses the insured wager and the game carries on for the original wager amount.
- Surrender: This is when the player wants to back out of the game – by surrendering, the player loses half their wager. Before surrendering, the dealer must have checked if they have blackjack first.
High Limit Live Blackjack
Our recommended online casinos for high rollers all have live casino games, of which high limit blackjack is extremely popular with VIP players. Live casino games are table and card games that are streamed in high definition from a land-based studio onto players’ PCs or mobile devices. This means that VIP players can engage in high limit blackjack from the comfort of their own home or while on the move, while competing against an actual dealer in real time.
Top High Limit Blackjack Games
There are several blackjack titles that are popular with high rollers, which include:
- Evolution Gaming Live Blackjack
- Atlantic City Blackjack Gold
- Switch European Blackjack
- Vegas Downton Blackjack Gold Series
- Bonus Blackjack Gold
Our Recommended High Roller Online Casinos
To get the most out of playing high limit blackjack, we highly recommend choosing the right online casinos for high rollers to play at. VIP players play big and they need casinos that acknowledge that and are able to accommodate them. The casinos we recommend, like JackpotCity, Royal Vegas, and more, have loyalty programmes that can cater to those VIPs who want tailored offers, dedicated customer support, and VIP perks, all while in a safe, secure and responsible gaming environment.
High limit blackjack is a simple, accessible and exciting table and card game. However, it’s also a game of chance, so players should always try to ensure they have their rules and strategies in place in order to wager more and potentially win more.
The casinos featured on The High Roller Casino support responsible gambling, and in no way encourage players to wager in increments beyond their means. All material contained herein is purely for informational purposes.
Recommended High Roller Casinos
| Born | Donald Johnson 1962 (age 58–59) |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Corporate executive Blackjack player |
High Roller Craps Videos
Don Johnson (born 1962) is a professional gambler, blackjack player, and former corporate executive, who beat Atlantic City casinos for over $15 million during a six-month period in 2011.[1][2]
Gambling[edit]
At age 30, Johnson was hired to manage Philadelphia Park, a racetrack that evolved into the Parx Casino. After managing that and other racetracks, he served as a state regulator in Oregon, Idaho, Texas, and Wyoming. In the early 2000s, he founded Heritage Development, a Wyoming-based company that uses computer-assisted wagering programs for horse racing.[3]
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During the financial crisis of 2008, casinos became desperate to entice high rollers. In 2010, Johnson was made offers to play at the highest stakes. He negotiated several changes to standard casino blackjack in order to gain a mathematical edge.[4] These changes included dealers being forced to stay on soft 17, a 20% rebate where casino would refund 20% of his losses (20 cents to every dollar) for losses exceeding $500,000, six decks, re-split aces, and others.[5]
During a 12-hour marathon at the Tropicana, Johnson recalls three consecutive hands where he won $1.2 million, including one hand where he profited $800,000. Johnson bet $100,000 and was dealt two eights, which he split. Surprisingly, another two eights came, and he split again, wagering a total of $400,000. He was then dealt a three, a two, another three, and another two on the four hands, allowing him to double down on each hand. He was now wagering a total of $800,000. The dealer busted and Johnson ended up winning $800,000 in profit.[3]
Under these conditions Johnson was able to beat Tropicana out of nearly $6 million, Borgata out of $5 million, and Caesars out of $4 million. His total profits neared $15.1 million and seriously hurt casino profits. Though not banned from Tropicana and Borgata, the two casinos stopped Johnson from playing under those conditions and limits, while Caesars effectively banned him from playing.[3]
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References[edit]
- ^Donald Wittkowski (May 23, 2011). 'Meet the blackjack player who beat the Trop for $6 million, Borgata for $5 million and Caesars for $4 million'. Press of Atlantic City.
- ^Alan Farnham and Susanna Kim (March 21, 2012). 'Blackjack Player Who Won $15 Million From 3 Casinos Reveals How'. ABC News. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ abcBowden, Mark (February 27, 2012). 'The Man Who Broke Atlantic City'. The Atlantic.
- ^'This Man Won $15M at Blackjack, How Did He Do It?'. Bloomberg. January 21, 2014.
- ^'Don Johnson #2: How He Beat Blackjack'. AP Heat. March 8, 2013.