Blackjack Odds: Odds of Winning Blackjack
Odds of Winning Blackjack
Unlike most other casino games, where the house edge is much higher, the odds of winning blackjack favour the player. In other words, blackjack is a casino game with the lowest house edge among all other casino games. That is why you should play this game more if you are looking to boost your bankroll. However, there is no guarantee that you will win and there is no way to know which card will come next.
It only means that your chances of beating the house are better when you play blackjack than any other game. That is one of the reasons why blackjack is in the group of most popular games both in online and land-based casinos.
However, to take full advantage of blackjack’s low house edge, you have to do a couple of things. First, you need to find a blackjack game variant with rules that favour the player. Then, you need to follow a perfect basic strategy consistently and with good focus.
Keep reading this article to learn which blackjack variants have favourable rules and odds, which games do not, and how to play optimally to keep the house edge low and win more when playing blackjack.
The House Edge in Blackjack Game Explained
The term house edge refers to the percentage of how much money the casino expects to make with this game in the long run. The classic variant of blackjack and a few other most popular blackjack variants have a house edge of below 1%. In simpler words, this means that the casinos make a profit of less than $1 for every $100 wagered on the game.
Not all blackjack variants have the same house edge. The exact house edge primarily depends on the house rules of the particular casino. The following are a few house rules that affect the edge and determine blackjack probabilities:
- The number of decks in the shoe.
- Whether the blackjack dealer stands or not on soft 17.
- The blackjack payout.
- The rules for splitting and doubling down.
- Whether you can surrender or not.
- Casino comps – the perks you get for betting and playing blackjack.
For some good player-friendly blackjack variants, we recommend you take a look at Casino Cruise, Pocket Play, or SuperSeven for some great blackjack table action.
High and Low House Edge Blackjack
A thing to know is that the fewer decks in the game, the lower the house edge. The house edge is much lower in a single deck game than in a six-deck game. Another thing to know is that the house edge is also higher in 6:5 blackjack payout tables than on 3:2 tables.
Besides that, the house edge further increases by 0.2% if the blackjack dealer hits on soft 17. If doubling down is allowed just on 9, 10, and 11, then the house edge increases in the range between 0.09-0.15%. If the player is only allowed to double on a ten-value card or 11, the house edge goes up from 0.17-0.26%.
if you can hit split aces or re-split aces, then house edge reduces by 0.03%, and if you can get more than just one card on each hand after splitting aces, the house edge reduces to a further 0.13%.
Although you may not use the surrender option that often, the blackjack variants that offer this option also come with a lower house edge.
House Edge In The Most Popular Blackjack Variants
The following are the most popular and widely played blackjack games in online casinos, along with their specific rules, and how they all influence the blackjack odds.
Single-deck Blackjack
The single-deck Blackjack offers the best odds you can find in casino games. The house edge is only 0.13% which is fantastic. However, most casinos do not offer a single-deck game anymore. Nowadays, blackjack table games come with multi-decks, mostly six decks.
Atlantic City Blackjack
Atlantic City Blackjack also has good rules for players. The casino edge is also low, coming at 0.36%. Among the rules that keep the edge low is that the dealer stands on soft 17, players can split any paint card or a ten-card up to three times, players can double down on any cards they receive, and also the late surrender option is available.
Las Vegas Blackjack
Las Vegas Blackjack is another low-edge game, with 0.4% on the side of the casino. In this variant, you can split just once and there is no surrender option. This variant comes with a few nice rules, including dealer standing on soft 17, player doubling down on any two cards, and players splitting any 10-value card (just once).
Vegas Strip Blackjack
Vegas Strip Blackjack comes with a 0.36% casino edge and is played with four decks. It features player-friendly rules such as dealer standing on soft 17, doubling down on any two cards, and splitting 10 or paint cards up to three times.
Vegas Downtown Blackjack
Vegas Downtown Blackjack comes with a 0.39% casino edge and is played with two decks. Here dealer hits on soft 17, players can double down on any cards and also after splitting, and you can split pairs up to three times.
Blackjack Games With A High House Edge
In the same way, as there are games with a lower house edge, there are also blackjack table games that you would be better avoiding due to their high casino edge. Knowing to identify these may help you save some money and play elsewhere. Let’s take a look at these high-edge games that you should avoid if you want to boost your bankroll.
- Decks in use. The fewer decks in the game, the better for the players. One-deck blackjack is the best for players, a two-deck game is also good, but six decks or eight decks, like most casinos have nowadays, increase the casino edge up to 0.48%.
- Dealer hits on soft 17. If the dealer is allowed to hit on soft 17, the house edge increases to 0.22%. This might not be such a big deal for some, but in general, it is better to go for table games where the dealer stands on soft 17. In such games, you can use a basic strategy and win good money.
- Whether re-splitting is allowed. Games that do not allow re-splitting of aces have a 0.08% higher house edge.
- Blackjack pays 6:5. Blackjack players should avoid tables with this payout as they have a 1.4% higher edge than tables with a 3:2 payout. That is a very big difference and can have a significant impact on your bankroll.
- No doubling down after a split. If this is not allowed after splitting, the casino edge increases to 0.14%.
- Doubling down only on specific hands. If the blackjack variant does not allow doubling down on any two cards, then the casino edge goes up to 0.18%.
- No surrender. If there is no such option in the blackjack game, the house edge is up to 0.08%.
The Basic Strategy for Lowering Down the Casino Edge in Blackjack
To help yourself against the casino edge, you need to apply the correct basic strategy when you sit to play blackjack. Sometimes you may get lucky and win good real money in the short term, but making mistakes in the long term means that the house will enjoy a higher house edge.
It is advisable first you learn the blackjack rules and then download some helpful correct play chart online, which will point you to how to play each blackjack hand in the most optimal way. The charts should make many things clear to you, such as when flat betting is advisable, when you should split, hit, double down, stand, or surrender.
Blackjack rules and basic principles that players follow:
- Always split Aces and 8s
- Always split 10s against the dealer’s low upcard
- Surrender your 15 against the dealer’s 10
- Surrender your 16 against the dealer’s 9, 10, or Ace
- Split 2s or 3s against dealers 2-7, otherwise hit
- Split 4s against dealer’s 5 or 6, otherwise hit
- Split 5s against dealer’s 2-6, otherwise hit
- Split 6s against dealer’s 2-6, otherwise hit
- split 7s against dealer’s 2-7, otherwise hit
- split 9s against dealer’s 2-9, except for 7, otherwise stand.
- Stand on soft 20
- Stand on 17
- Hit on 8, 9, and 10 and double down when the dealer holds 2-8.
- Double down on 11
- Hit on 12, but stand if the dealer shows 4-6
- Hit on 13, 14, 15, and 16, but stand if the dealer holds 2-6.
- Hit on soft 13 and soft 14, but double down if the dealer shows 5 or 6
- Hit on soft 15 or 16, but double down if the dealer shows 4, 5, or 6
- Double down on soft 17 if the dealer shows 3, 4, 5, or 6, otherwise just hit
- Double down on soft 18, against the dealer 2-6, hit if they have 9, 10, or Ace, in all other situations stand
- Double down on soft 19 against the dealer 6, in all other situations stand.
All these tips proved to be successful for many professional gamblers, but are great for beginners too. No matter if you play in your local casino or online, these tips should help you reduce the house edge and win more real money while playing blackjack. Of course, you should always gamble responsibly and play within your means.
Using a Card Counting System to Reduce House Edge
Counting cards is a strategy that many advanced players use when they play blackjack. Unlike other strategies and blackjack tips that help players reduce the house edge, the card counter completely eliminates the house edge by playing perfectly. They know which cards are about to hit, so they make correct decisions at all times. Occasionally, they may lose a few hands so they will not look suspicious, but their strategy is always winning.
An important thing to know is that using a card counting system is not illegal in casinos, but casinos do not like it and may ban players if they start winning too much. If you keep things quiet and low, there should not be any problem. However, card counting is impossible in online blackjack. That is because there is always a freshly shuffled deck after each hand, making card counting impossible.
So how does card counting work? With this strategy, the player assigns value to each card in the deck. Then, they determine which cards are left in the deck and which are gone, making perfect betting decisions as they play. By increasing bets, you can significantly increase profits.
There are lots of online tips on how to count cards and make the dealer bust, so dig deeper into the strategy and help yourself if you go into a land-based casino.
How To Turn Blackjack Odds into Player’s Favor
You can turn the odds in your favour and enjoy a low house edge if you apply a correct blackjack betting strategy as you play. Some strategies are based on aggressive betting, while others suggest a more cautious approach. In any case, all of them are regularly tested by blackjack players.
Some popular blackjack strategies are the Paroli System, the Martingale System, and the parlay System.
The Paroli system is about increasing player bets incrementally when they win. The Martingale system is about doubling down your bets after each lost hand. For example, if you lose $10 on the hand you played, you should bet $20 on the next hand, if you lose that one again, you should go with $40, and so on. You keep on doubling the bets until you win and after that, you go back to the original bet. The Martingale system is more suitable for players with larger bankrolls, so it is not advisable for newbies.
The Parlay system is a positive progression system, with which players are required to double their bet after each winning hand. Players bet their profits with this blackjack strategy, so an important thing is to set win limits not to get carried away and lose profits.
Understanding Casino Edge and Blackjack Odds
An important thing for every player to understand is the house edge. You should have a good understanding of house edge well before sitting down to play blackjack. That way you will know how much the casino pays out to the customers. The odds of winning at blackjack is also a piece of important information to know, and one of the essential things to check before playing.
All blackjack games have a distinct house edge. For example, Classic Blackjack has 0.5% house edge, European Blackjack has 0.62%, and Atlantic City Blackjack has 0.36% house edge.
All reputable online casinos have fair blackjack tables, regularly checked by independent regulatory bodies, so you should not worry about the fairness of games. The outcome of all games I completely random and there is no way for blackjack tables to be rigged in reputable casinos. However, although all games are random and fair, blackjack players still have disadvantages because casinos always have a slight edge and over a long period they will come out on top.
The house edge refers to the average percentage of money that the casino would collect over time. You can find this information quite easily at online casinos as it is usually stated in the terms and conditions of the casino.
By checking rule variations, the number of decks in play, and learning about expected value, players can apply a basic blackjack strategy to help them turn odds into their favour. A basic strategy can help you lower house edge to just 0.5% which is great for winning good money short term.
Can Blackjack Players Turn Odds In Their Favor?
In the game of blackjack, like in all other casino games, it is not possible to accurately predict which cards will fall and what the outcome would be. Of course, some skills and strategies are involved and both help, but ultimately the game relies on luck. It may happen for you to lose many hands in a row. However, you can boost your odds against the casino in a few ways.
Card counting is an option, although it’s difficult to apply it in online casinos, depending on the software they use. Following a cheat sheet also helps, as that way you will know how you should act in any given hand. Finally, you can choose to play those blackjack games that have a lower house edge to start with. In any case, learn the rules and the basic strategy for optimal play and you will increase odds in your favour.
Summary – Improve Your Winning Odds by Following Basic Strategy When You Play Blackjack
As we can conclude, blackjack has the low house edge of all casino games and players have numerous ways to turn odds in their favour. Besides following the valuable information here, another good thing is to make the first deposit into some reputable online casino, use casino comps and bonus balance to have more money to start playing.
With your real money balance, you can follow the specific tips about boosting the odds and win more at the blackjack tables. Many casinos offer good bonuses so explore a bit and choose the one where you will deposit and play. Keep the information mentioned here close and good luck at the blackjack tables.
