Review: Sky Casino Blackjack
No online casino would be complete without a blackjack offering and Sky Casino is no different. Sky Casino has a multitude of blackjack variations available in both live and classic styles. For anyone interested in blackjack side bets there is constant action available at Sky Casino; we will get into some of the bets on offer further down this post.
We’d like to note that although you can’t really count cards in online blackjack, you can make the most of your game by applying optimum blackjack strategy. Click here for the Lemons & Sevens optimum online blackjack strategy guide.
Sky Casino Blackjack Variations
As with every online casino, Sky Casino doesn’t just have the one blackjack game. Sky Casino tries with relative success to keep punters playing blackjack by offering a range of variations, which we’ve reviewed for you below. For the purposes of this post, we’ve differentiated between virtual, or “classic” blackjack, and live blackjack - in which there’s a real croupier dealing via video feed.
Classic Blackjack
In the classic blackjack (non-live) offering at Sky Casino, there is an option simply called “Blackjack”. This game is the no frills version of blackjack we all know and love. BJ pays 3 to 2, dealer stands on 17 and there are no side bets.
The blackjack games at Sky Casino are developed by Playtech, and all of the other variations are fundamentally based on this classic, no frills version. Minimum bets are £0.25 and you can play between 3 and 5 spots at the virtual table.
Variations on classic blackjack
In total there are 9 blackjack variations and all of them use 6 decks with varying side bets available. Some examples of available side bets are the ever popular 21+3 and perfect pairs.
Be aware that surrender is not offered as standard on all Sky Casinos blackjack games; although one variation - creatively named Blackjack Surrender - does offer it. As a result this variation has the highest theoretical RTP at 99.66%. The only drawback here is that it is an adobe flash application so will become unplayable from December 2020. It remains to be seen if there will be another surrender variant of the game offered in place of it.
The highlight of Sky Casino’s classic blackjack for us is the Frankie Dettori Magic Seven Blackjack, in no small part because it has an accumulating side bet available.
The goal of this blackjack variant is to collect trophies from random trophy cards dealt each hand up to a maximum of 7. Each time you gain a trophy your bet will carry over to the following hand, meaning you usually don't have to place a new side bet each hand. The jackpot for this game is 7777:1 and has a theoretical RTP of 98.49% which is not too bad for a Blackjack side bet.
At 98.49% RTP Magic Seven Blackjack is a good side bet choice.
Another variation worth mentioning is the Cashback Blackjack game. This variation gives you the ability to cash out on a hand early. The amount you get will be based on your hand and the dealers up card. This is not the same as surrender and it goes without saying it is a bad option that you should never take. The theoretical RTP for Cashback Blackjack varies with playstyle but at its worst dips to just 93.89%.
Live Blackjack At Sky Casino
The live casino games at Sky Casino have just as many variants as the classic blackjack offering, albeit with slightly higher minimum bets of around £5. (Some variations have lower minimum bets but the RTP is much worse.) Again, all games are powered by Playtech and have full Sky Casino branding.
There are always seats available in live blackjack and the general rules are exactly what you would expect: blackjack pays 3 to 2, dealer stands on 17 and 6-8 decks are used.
Sky Casino’s live blackjack variants are all shoe dealt and hand shuffled except in a few cases such as Unlimited Blackjack or Quantum Blackjack. More on those variants below.
Quantum Blackjack
Min Bet: £1
RTP: 99.47% (Not including side bets)
Quantum blackjack has a continuously shuffled 8 deck shoe and only one spot on the table. Theoretically an unlimited number of players can participate at once. The cards are dealt in the usual way for blackjack and you get all of the options you would expect (hit, stand, double or split). The only difference in Quantum Blackjack vs. regular blackjack is that everyone is playing the same hand. If you choose to stand your total is locked in and any other players continuing in the hand will be dealt more cards until they either stand or bust.
There is also a builtiin side bet in Quantum Blackjack where random cards are assigned multipliers at the beginning of each hand. If these cards are then dealt during the hand, all players will win an amount equal to the multiplier assigned. A total of 3 cards can be given a multiplier for up to 1000x your bet.
If you want to play lower limits and still get the live casino experience with an added twist Sky Casino’s Quantum Blackjack is a great choice.
Unlimited Blackjack
Min Bet: £1
RTP: 99.54%
Unlimited Blackjack gets its name from the unlimited number of players it can support at any time. In Unlimited Blackjack, there are 5 spots on the table and you are free to play as many or as few of those spots as you like.
Similar to Quantum Blackjack, each player gets the same hand and has their total locked in once they choose to stand. The game then continues until the remaining players either bust or choose to stand too.
A nice touch here is the shoe dealt hand shuffled 8 deck setup rather than a continuously shuffled deck like in Quantum Blackjack.
If you like side bets then this is not the game for you as there are none available, however, if you find side bets get in the way of regular blackjack play and you want to play lower limits then you may want to give Unlimited Blackjack a go.
Allbets Blackjack
Min Bet: £1
RTP: 99.46%
If you really love blackjack side bets then Sky Casino’s Allbets Blackjack is absolutely the game for you. There are a total of 6 side bets available on this variation meaning something is always happening whether you win or lose.
The game plays similarly to Unlimited Blackjack with only 1 spot on the table and everyone playing the same hand. It uses 8 decks and is dealt from a hand-shuffled shoe.
You have the option to play 21+3, perfect pairs, lucky lucky, Top 3 and Buster side bets. Be under no illusion that these are good bets from a return-to-player or expected value point of view - no side bets are good. However if you usually find blackjack a bit boring these can certainly spice things up.
The best possible win out of all of these variations is Buster. With the Buster side bet, if the dealer busts with 8 or more cards AND you get a blackjack you will win an amazing 2000:1.
The RTP for the various side bets is as follows:
Top 3: 91%
Buster: 93.87%
Perfect Pairs: 95.90%
21+3: 96.30%
Lucky Lucky: 96.10%
Sky Casino Rewards Club
Sky Casino offers a players reward scheme called Players Club. You will earn 1 point for every £5 you wager at Blackjack and once you have 1,000 points, you can claim £10 in cashback. If you can’t be bothered to do the maths, that’s £10 for every £5,000 you wager.
Sky Casino’s Players Rewards is a tiered rewards system with 5 levels. Simply earn points to climb up the levels and earn better rewards. Once you get to the higher levels the cashback rate improves slightly - with the earn rate being £10 for £4,500 wagered at tier 2 and £4,000 at tier 3.
Click here for more details.
Sky Casino Blackjack Summary
Sky Casino really does offer something for every blackjack enthusiast. If you are a traditional Blackjack player just looking to put some hours in or a gambler looking for swingy side bets there is something for you at Sky Casino.
What’s more, the games run smoothly, and your money is protected at the standard ‘medium’ level of protection as laid out by the Gambling Commission.
For more information about the gambling offered by Sky, check out our review of Sky Poker.
You May Also Like
