How Is Online Blackjack Changing the Role of the Dealer?

In today’s world, digital casinos are everywhere, and people from all walks of life are starting to engage with them. Fans of these casinos will know that this is a world that’s constantly changing, that never stands still, that puts innovation at the core of everything it does.

So much alters in this space that it can be tricky to keep up, although news feeds from some of the top casinos are certainly making efforts to help us do so… and reading these is worth the time investment because sometimes, you’ll come across real gems that make your gaming experience ten times better. Live blackjack, for example, is one of those innovations that you might have missed if you’re not following the trends.

The game of blackjack has long been one of the world’s favorite ways of gambling, but it’s moved with the times thanks to the introduction of live-streamed online games. These games have a human dealer on the screen, so let’s take a look at how they carry out their role compared to the way they worked in the past.

No Need to Check Bets and Handle Chips

Start playing a live blackjack game and you’ll see that the dealer is usually dressed the way you’d expect them to be in a smart casino, although in some cases their outfits are designed to fit the overall theme instead. The dealers are freed from some important tasks, though, as they don’t need to handle any chips or confirm which hands have won. These things are done automatically, meaning that the dealer explains what’s happening but doesn’t need to worry about moving chips across the table.

That’s not all, though. The first thing we notice when looking through the current selection of online blackjack versions is how big and varied this market has become. Names like American Blackjack, European Blackjack, and Pirate 21 reveal that this is no longer a game that’s only played a single way. Side bets including Perfect Pairs and random multipliers are now used to add extra excitement in some versions. While many of those games are played on a virtual table without a dealer, we only need to click on the live casino tab to find a selection of games with dealers being live-streamed.

Dealers Now Act Like Presenters and Entertainers

While the previous point might make it sound as though the dealer’s job is now less interesting, the truth is that this change has freed them up to take a more active role in entertaining the players. Like the clothing, this varies according to the theme and style of each game. In those games with a light-hearted theme, the dealer will be encouraged to have some fun and entertain the player as much as possible by chatting between rounds and maybe telling some jokes or anecdotes when there’s time to do so.

In more serious games, like those played at VIP tables for high-rollers, the dealer is more likely to be asked to focus on presenting a professional image. This helps to explain why there are now so many live versions of blackjack. As well as the rules being adapted in some cases, they also allow players to find the kind of presentation style that best suits them.

The Interactive Element Remains

Following on from the areas we’ve already looked at, it’s easy to see how the interactive nature of online blackjack has influenced the dealer’s role. If we look at classic examples of blackjack being shown in popular culture, the idea of talking to the dealer is often portrayed as something that adds an extra edge to the game. In Licence to Kill, James Bond asks the dealer to raise the limit. He then starts a conversation with the dealer when the leading lady, Lupe Lamora, replaces the original croupier.

The interactive element has become a crucial part of the appeal of blackjack almost since playing on the internet became an option. The earliest versions of online blackjack lacked the human dealer, but since live-streaming technology made this possible, it has added a new dimension to the way we play. Users can add comments in the chat box that’s present in some games, allowing them to talk to other players and the dealer. When the game is between betting rounds, the dealer may take the opportunity to reply to the comments that have been made recently, giving the game an authentic live atmosphere.

The Fundamentals Are Still Present

If you were to take a blackjack dealer from the last century and sit them down in a live casino studio, would they be able to understand what was happening and adapt to this new way of working? It seems likely that our time-traveling dealer would have little problem understanding the way the game is played, as it’s not changed overall since the very early days.

It’s clear that new technology has been added, with additional rules also included in some blackjack versions… but the fundamentals are still there and it probably wouldn’t take very long for the dealer to get up to speed. They still give out the same number of cards and follow similar rules to work out what their own cards should be. They still interact with players, although they now rely on tech to let them do this effectively. As for the players, the classic ways of playing blackjack still apply.

The changes we’ve seen in online blackjack in recent years have added to the appeal for players, but in many ways, they’ve given dealers a more interesting way of working too, as they can now concentrate on entertaining the players at their table more freely.