Learn about Back Betting in Live Blackjack Games

Some online casinos offer Live Blackjack games that allow gamblers to place bets on the hands of other players at the table, whether or not they are seated at the table. This is called as back betting, and players who use this method are said to be ‘playing behind’ or ‘playing the backline’. Read on to know more about it here.

Playing the Back Line

A Live Blackjack table features a set of empty squares that correspond to each seat. These empty squares are the betting boxes, where gamblers put up their wagers for each hand. When a casino allows back betting, the active box can hold bets for as many as three people. This includes the player at the table and anyone who is back betting that player. The total amount in the betting box cannot exceed the maximum bet. This means that if there is a £100 limit, and the seated player bets £40, then the back-line players cannot wager more than £60 between them.

The player whose chips are placed at the front of the betting box makes all the decisions regarding whether to hit, double down, stand and so on. Technically, anyone can bet forward and take control of a hand, but Blackjack etiquette dictates that back-line players should always allow the seated player to take decisions.

Doubles and Splits

Many back bettors get confused whether they should follow the controlling player’s every move during a hand. The answer to this is no, they don’t have to. The explanation for this is somewhat complex.

As the back bettor holds no power when it comes to drawing cards, they can’t do anything on calls like hit or stand. But when there are additional bets involved, certain options become available to them. This is due to the fact that the seated player sometimes doesn’t have enough money to cover the extra wager.

If the seated player decides to double down, the back-line players have two options: follow the seated player and wager the additional amount or opt-out of the bet. If the back-bettors decide not to double their bet, they remain active and receives a payout on their original bet if the hand wins.

There are also two options available when the seated player decides to split after being dealt two cards of equal rank. The back bettors can either wager on each of the split hands or they can choose to play any of the two hands without wagering more money. This has no effect on the seated players as they play both hands as normal.

Surrendering While Back Betting

In some Live Blackjack games, players are allowed to surrender after the initial deal. This means that the back bettors forfeit their hand and half of their original bet in order to save the other half of the wager.

Back-line players can make the surrender decision independent of the seated player. For instance, if the seated player surrenders, you can continue to play your hand as normal. Conversely, you can choose to forfeit when the seated player stays in the round. In both cases, the result has no effect on the surrendering player. So, if you sit out and the other player busts, you don’t lose more than 50% of your wager. And if the controller wins the hand, you get none of the profit.

Back Betting: is It Worth It?

There are a number of advantages that come along with back betting. As there are limited seats when playing a Live Blackjack game, back betting allows the back-line players to still enjoy the action and win real money. It also allows gamblers to enjoy Blackjack without having to make any decisions. So, back betting is a great choice for novice players who have not mastered the Blackjack strategies.

Back betting is not just for the back-line players, but it can also be used by the seated players. The seated players can choose to play their own hand and also wager on another player at the table that may be on a winning streak. By doing this, the player has the chance to win on his own hand as well as on the other player’s hand at the table. So, seated players have even more chances of winnings while playing.

With back betting, players have more opportunities to win and they don’t even have to take part in the actual game. This option is a great way to boost payouts by betting on gamblers that have consistent winning hands.