Table games guide
Michigan Online Blackjack: Table Rules, House Odds and Where to Play
Michigan online blackjack tables differ most in the payout for a natural. A 3:2 table pays $15 on a $10 blackjack, and a 6:5 table costs more than any strategy error.
21+ and physically in Michigan. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-270-7117. Updated
Blackjack: Live blackjack each operator states.
- DraftKings: Since 2021;
- Caesars: 5 tables;
- Horseshoe: 5 tables;
- Hollywood: Greektown;
Reading a few rules before the first hand turns Michigan online blackjack into a game with known odds. When Michigan’s online casinos opened on January 22, 2021, blackjack was in the lobby from the first day, at least at DraftKings Casino, which launched with Bay Mills Resort & Casino and offered slots, blackjack and roulette at once. Michigan online blackjack has changed little since. The cards are the same, the dealer still stands or hits by a fixed rule, and your result still comes down to a handful of table rules that most players never read.
What should I check before I sit at a table?
The payout for a natural comes first. A 3:2 table pays $15 on a $10 blackjack while a 6:5 table pays $12, and that gap costs more over an evening than any strategy error you are likely to make. A rules panel that says 6:5 marks a table most players would rather leave for another one.
After the payout, three more lines matter: whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17, how many decks are in play, and whether doubling after a split is allowed. Each rule moves the house edge by a fraction of a point, and the fractions stack. A table with every player-friendly rule can carry a house edge near half a percent under basic strategy. A table with the unfriendly versions of those same rules can sit above two percent.
Most apps put this information behind an info icon or a menu on the table screen, though the exact label varies by operator. A rules check works at almost any blackjack table, and it takes under a minute. It runs in six steps:
- The table opens without a bet placed.
- The info, rules or help icon, often a small “i” or a menu button, opens the rules panel.
- The blackjack payout line should read 3:2.
- The panel lists the soft 17 dealer rule, the deck count, and the double and split rules.
- The minimum and maximum bet show on the table.
- The session budget and stop point are set before the first bet.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board licenses the operators, but it does not hand every table the same rules. Within one app, two blackjack tables can pay differently, so each table’s rules panel is worth reading. The rules panel decides.
How much do the table rules change the odds?
The effect of each rule is small on its own and large when they combine. The figures below are approximate house-edge changes under basic strategy, taken from standard blackjack math and not from any one Michigan operator.
| Rule | Player-friendly version | Unfriendly version | Rough effect on house edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural blackjack payout | 3:2 | 6:5 | About 1.4 points worse |
| Dealer on soft 17 | Stands | Hits | About 0.2 points worse |
| Number of decks | Fewer decks | Eight decks | Up to about 0.5 points worse |
| Double after split | Allowed | Not allowed | About 0.1 points worse |
| Late surrender | Available | Not offered | About 0.1 points worse |
The payout rule dwarfs everything else in the table. Say you play 200 hands at $10 a hand, which is $2,000 in total wagers. A 1.4-point penalty is about $28 of expected extra loss, on top of whatever the rest of the rules cost. Over a season of regular play that adds up to a real number, and avoiding it takes a minute of reading.
A natural blackjack becomes slightly more likely with fewer decks in play, which helps the player. Surrender, where the rules offer it, lets a player give up half the bet on the worst hands. Neither is worth a long hunt for a table, but when two tables are otherwise equal, the friendlier line is the better pick.
What does basic strategy actually do for you?
Basic strategy is a fixed decision for every combination of your hand and the dealer’s upcard. It does not beat the house, but it removes the expensive guesses. Played correctly at a 3:2 table with friendly rules, the house edge falls to roughly half a percent, which means an expected loss of about 50 cents per $100 wagered over the long run.
The full chart is not needed on day one. A short list covers the largest errors. The standard moves are to split aces and eights, never split tens or fives, double on 11 when the dealer shows anything but an ace, and stand on a hard 17 or better. A hard 13 through 16 should stand against a dealer 2 through 6, because the dealer is more likely to bust, and the same hands hit against a 7 or higher.
Online play helps here, because nobody is watching you check a chart, and a chart can sit open on a second screen. The app will not hurry you, and a slow, correct decision usually beats a fast one. Standard tables are random-number games that play instantly, so a low minimum is the cheap way to practice until the moves feel automatic.
Insurance deserves its own warning. The dealer shows an ace, offers a 2 to 1 side bet that the hole card is a ten, and the offer looks generous, yet it is a losing bet over many hands, and basic strategy declines it every time, even when you are holding a blackjack and the dealer offers even money.
Can card counting work at a Michigan online table?
At a standard online table, no, because the software shuffles again for every hand, so there is no shoe to track and no running count to keep. Counting is a skill for physical shoes dealt down to a cut card, and it carries a thin edge even there.
At the live tables, live dealer blackjack deals from a real shoe, which changes the picture in theory. In practice the operator decides how deep the dealing goes and who may keep playing. Counting works better as a hobby than as a plan. An hour spent drilling the chart is worth more to most players.
Which casino apps list blackjack?
Operator statements support a short list of four apps for Michigan online blackjack. DraftKings Casino launched with blackjack on January 22, 2021, Caesars Palace Online Casino advertises live dealer blackjack on its Michigan page, Hollywood Casino’s app advertises live dealer blackjack branded Hollywood Casino at Greektown, and Horseshoe Online Casino’s Michigan page lists blackjack among its games. The offers for those four appear below.
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Rank 01
Rating: 9.2/10
Best for: A $10 sign-up bonus before you deposit
Blackjack: 5 live tables, own MI studio
$10 sign-up bonus + 100% deposit match up to $1,000 + 2,500 Reward Credits
21+ MI players only. T&Cs apply. Bet with your head, not over it. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-270-7117.
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Rank 02
Rating: 8.7/10
Best for: Players who want 1,000 Flex Spins for a $5 wager
Blackjack: Listed since January 22, 2021
Wager $5, get 1,000 Flex Spins incl. 100 on Lightning Link
21+ MI players only. T&Cs apply. Bet with your head, not over it. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-270-7117.
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Rank 03
Rating: 7.8/10
Best for: Trying slots before the first deposit
Blackjack: 5 live tables, shared Caesars studio
Up to 500 spins in four drops of 125; the first 125 on sign-up, no deposit
21+ MI players only. T&Cs apply. Bet with your head, not over it. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-270-7117.
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Rank 04
Rating: 7.6/10
Best for: Players linked to Greektown and PENN Play
Blackjack: Greektown-branded live tables
100% back on net losses up to $500 + 30 bonus spins for a $5+ wager
21+ MI players only. T&Cs apply. Bet with your head, not over it. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-270-7117.
The four above are the apps named for blackjack. The full ranking and every welcome offer sit on the Michigan casino comparison, and the Caesars Palace review fits readers whose priority is live tables. The Greektown link is covered in the Hollywood Casino review.
Which table counts toward a bonus matters as much as which app hosts it. Operators assign blackjack a contribution percentage toward wagering, and it is often lower than the slot rate, sometimes zero. The contribution percentage in the offer terms is the figure that matters before a bonus is played through the tables, and the bonus guide explains how wagering works.
Is blackjack better online or in a Detroit casino?
Michigan’s three commercial casinos in Detroit, MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity and Hollywood Casino at Greektown, each tie into an online operator: BetMGM Casino, FanDuel Casino and Hollywood Casino respectively. A Detroit cage can be the place you cash out, but the table choice online can be wider, and the rules can be read without a dealer waiting.
Online has a few clear advantages. Leaving a bad table takes one tap, there is no travel or parking cost, and minimum bets at random-number tables can sit below what a casino floor charges. The trade is pace. A solo online hand finishes in seconds, so you play many more hands an hour than you would at a full table, and the house edge applies to every one of them.
A casino floor slows you down by design, with shuffles, other players and chip handling adding minutes. Chasing losses on a fast app table traces back to that pace, and players who set a deposit limit first cap the total at the amount chosen in advance.
Are blackjack side bets worth a few dollars?
Many tables add optional side bets next to the main hand, such as a pair bet on your first two cards or a poker-style bet using your cards and the dealer’s upcard. Side bets pay big for rare outcomes, and the house edge on them is much higher than on the main hand, often several times higher. The flash of a 25 to 1 payout hides that a long run of lost side bets is the likelier result.
Side bets vary by table, and the names change by game provider. Anyone trying one is better served by a small fixed amount, kept out of play while chasing a loss. The main hand is where basic strategy works, and it works only on that hand.
Players who trust their decisions often put extra money on the main bet rather than side bets, which keeps the money on the hand where strategy applies. The house edge on side bets stays higher at any stake.
How do I keep blackjack from running away from me?
Blackjack feels slow and safe, because hands are even money and the swings look small, and that feeling is how sessions get long. A table that deals a hand every 20 seconds can put hundreds of dollars through your account in an hour, even at a small stake.
Account settings usually offer time-outs, and a deposit limit set before play works best. Players can add themselves to the Michigan Responsible Gaming Database through the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline answers at 1-800-270-7117 for anyone whose gambling stops feeling like entertainment. Our responsible gambling page walks through each tool, and the slots guide covers the other main game type.
The rules panel at each blackjack table lists the payout, the soft 17 rule and the deck count. Because rules can differ from one table to the next, a note made at one table does not carry over to another.
FAQ
What does a 6:5 blackjack payout mean?
A natural blackjack pays $6 for every $5 bet instead of $7.50. On a $10 wager that is $12 instead of $15. The rule adds roughly 1.4 percentage points to the house edge, which is more than basic strategy removes. The payout line in the rules panel shows which version a table uses.
Which basic strategy move should come first?
Basic strategy splits aces and eights, never splits tens, and stands on a hard 17 or higher. Those three habits fix the most expensive beginner errors. A strategy chart takes a few evenings to memorize, and most apps let you play at low stakes while you practice. Hands vary by rules, so the table's rules panel matters.
Can you count cards at an online blackjack table?
Not at a random-number table, because the software reshuffles the deck for every hand and there is nothing to track. Live dealer tables deal from a real shoe, but operators set their own penetration and may restrict play they dislike. Counting is a long-term skill with a thin edge, not a bonus feature.
Should I take insurance when the dealer shows an ace?
Usually no. Insurance is a side bet that pays 2 to 1 and costs you money over time unless you are counting cards, which you cannot do at a shuffled table. Declining it is part of basic strategy, even when you hold a blackjack yourself and the dealer offers even money.
What are typical table limits for Michigan blackjack?
Limits differ by operator and by table. The minimum and maximum bet appear in the lobby tile or the table header, which is worth a look before sitting down. A session budget set in advance keeps a small minimum from turning into a long evening.