Quick answer: We build every guide from official sources (the casino's own rule documents, state regulators and federal law), note the version and date of each document, and check house edge figures against published analysis before we print them. If we can't confirm a fact, we leave it out or label it clearly.
The Promise
Most blackjack sites say their information is "accurate and up to date". Here is what that means for us, step by step, so you can judge it yourself.
Where our facts come from
| Priority | Source | What we use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casino rule documents (the official rules each venue publishes for each game) | Decks, soft 17, doubling, splitting, payouts, what happens when the dealer draws blackjack |
| 2 | State and territory regulators (for example the VGCCC in Victoria) | Rule approvals, rule change notices, player protection rules |
| 3 | Federal law and agencies (Interactive Gambling Act 2001, ACMA, ATO) | What is legal online, how blocking works, tax questions |
| 4 | Published mathematical analysis of blackjack and its variants | House edge and strategy changes for each rule set |
| 5 | Player reports (forums, reviews, reader emails) | Leads only. We use them to find what to check, never as proof |
The Reality Check
How we read a casino rule document
Think the sign on the table tells you everything? Here is the catch: it rarely does. The detail lives in the rule document, so for each one we:
- Record the version number and the date it took effect.
- Read the whole game section, not just the summary (the clause about what you lose when the dealer draws blackjack is often several pages in).
- Note every variant the venue offers (standard blackjack, Blackjack Plus, Pontoon and so on), because the rules differ between them.
- Name the source in the guide, so you can check it yourself.
How we work out the house edge
- Start from the full rule set of that exact game (decks, soft 17, doubling on 9-11 only, splits, blackjack payout, no hole card rules).
- Use published analysis for that rule combination, and compare more than one source where we can.
- Show the key rule effects separately (for example 3:2 versus 6:5 blackjack), so you can see what drives the number.
- Flag uncertainty. If sources disagree, we show the range and explain why, rather than picking the most dramatic figure.
How we test the free game
Before we publish a change to the game, we check that it opens in a normal browser with no download, plugin or sign-up, works on common devices (Chromebooks, laptops, phones and tablets), states its own rules clearly and never uses real money.
What to watch out for
Let us be honest about the limits of any guide, including ours:
- Table minimums change often (sometimes by the hour), so treat any minimum we list as a guide and confirm it at the venue.
- Rule documents get updated. Always check the "Updated" date under the title.
- The house edge is a long-run average. In one session anything can happen, and no strategy removes the edge (good play only lowers it).
Pros and cons of our method
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Official documents, version and date noted | We can only be as current as the latest published rules |
| Uncertain figures are labelled, not hidden | Some pages show a range instead of one neat number |
| Readers can report errors to a real inbox | Fixes take time, because we check every report against the source |
The Final Verdict
I have spent 10 years reading casino terms, and the lesson is simple: a guide is only useful if nobody else is steering it. So we don't rank or recommend real-money online casinos, casinos don't review our guides before we publish, and every Play Now button opens the free game.
Found a mistake? Email [email protected]. Meet our author, David Thorne, or read about us. If gambling is causing problems, see our responsible gambling page.