1. House Edge Single Deck Blackjack
2. Single Deck Blackjack Strategy

. Single Deck Blackjack is played with one deck that’s shuffled after each round. The dealer must hit on soft 17 (a 17 with an 11-point Ace). Getting a 10-point card and Ace is a Blackjack, which pays 3-2. It’s not a simple effect. Additional decks change the game in a number of small ways, that just happen to work to the disadvantage of the player. One of the larger effects (but still small) is the probability of getting a blackjack. Blackjack House Advantage. The house edge of blackjack depends on the rules of the game. This includes the number of decks used or if double down, 2-3 or 6-5 blackjack and if surrender and resplit aces are allowed.The dealer hitting or standing on a soft 17 can also change the house edge. Single Deck Blackjack House. In blackjack the house edge is the statistical advantage the casino has over the player. At any blackjack table the dealer is the casino representative. By acting last in a hand, the dealer gains the advantage over the players by seeing their cards, actions and potential mistakes.

House edge means the percentage of the player's bet the casino wins on average. This is worth figuring out since the size of house edge has everything to do with how likely you're to win. Educated players always find the games with the least house edge possible and therefore win the most - or at least lose the least.

For example, if house edge is 1.89%, the player loses $1.89 on average out of every $100 bet he makes. Obviously the player doesn't lose that amount on every single bet; you might win two hands and then lose six hands in a row but in the long run the loss will be about $1.89 per bet. One of the goals of Gaming the Odds is to teach you all about perfect blackjack strategy and to minimize the house edge. You can find several house edge percentages for blackjack game variations below in order to help you to find the best games.

The Amount of Decks

Firstly, what kind of an effect the amount decks has on casino's advantage? The table below displays the house edge for a standard blackjack game: blackjack pays 3:2, the dealer stands on soft 17, doubling is allowed for any two cards and splitting to four hands is allowed.

Under those rules it would actually be profitable to play according to basic strategy with a single deck. It's always optimal to play according to basic strategy but in the vast majority of cases you're still going to have negative expectation.

Game and Rule Variations

Blackjack Games

Let's move on to the next table, which features other blackjack game variations and their house edges. In order to make it easier to compare these games, all the house edge percentages are for six-deck gamesunless otherwise stated.

* Played with a specific amount of decks (which isn't six).
** Multiple hands played but probability equal to standard blackjack.

The table above was made to give you some idea of which games are better to play than others. It's also important to remember that some casinos may operate with slightly different rules which either increase or decrease the house advantage of the game.

Blackjack Rule Variations

What about other rule variations, then? I'm going to list some of the more common blackjack rule variations and their house edges. The tables below consists of changes made to standard blackjack rules:

A couple of conclusions: first of all, the last section ('Blackjack Pays 6:5') shows you how unprofitable it is to play those games. Never play a game where blackjack pays 6:5.

Secondly, games where the player can resplit aces are preferable for the player. Try to find those games. It's also good for the player when the dealer doubles 17.

Blackjack Side Bets

And finally, blackjack side bets and house edges for them.

No, casinos didn't include the 'side bet' option just to give players a better chance of winning. As you can see, side bets are good for the casino and bad for the player even if they might make the game a bit more exciting.

Favourable Blackjack Rule Variations for the Player

Here's a list of blackjack rule variations favourable for the player:

• The less decks the better. (Games with one deck are the best.)
• Double down on any 2 cards.
• Blackjack pays 3:2.
• Resplitting aces allowed.
• Dealer stands on a 17.
• Early/late surrender.
• Low deck penetration (for card counters).
• Insurance (for card counters).

Favourable Blackjack Rule Variations for the Casino

• Side bets.
• Double down on 10 and 11 only.
• Dealer hits a soft 17.
• The more decks the better.
• Blackjack pays 6:5
• Low deck penetration (against card counters).
• No doubling down after splitting.
• Not allowed to resplit aces.

I suggest trying to memorize these lists and look for games with beneficial blackjack rule variations for the player. Rule variations in favor of the casino should obviously be avoided.

Blackjack House Edge: FAQ

Do bet sizes impact house edge in blackjack?

It makes no difference whether you bet $10 or $10,000 - the house advantage stays the same. The amount you lose or win per bet changes, of course, depending on how big of an edge either you or the casino's got.

Which blackjack game has the smallest casino edge?

Suggesting all games are played with six decks - which is a common size for a blackjack shoe - Spanish 21 has the best house edge for the player according to the blackjack house edge table on top of this page. Standard 21 Blackjack is good too since you can actually have the edge by playing perfect basic strategy with a single deck.

How big is the house edge if I count cards?

This depends on many variables, such as which blackjack card counting systems you're going to use. In case you're using a highly complicated system, play perfectly and manage to find a good game to play, you may have a significant edge (even 3% or 4%).

Additional Resources:

There is no denying that anyone can find a suitable blackjack. One of them is single deck blackjack. As the name implies, it is played with only one deck of cards.

In single deck blackjack, the main task of the player is the same as in other types of the game. The goal is to take cards that are worth more points than the dealer’s hand. The ideal total is 21 points. But this number of points should not be more than 21. If this happens, the player loses automatically. It’s as simple as that.

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Let’s get into some more details of how the game plays out and the pros & cons of playing with only one deck. Also, make sure to check out this Single Deck session from SlotLady to see how it works:

How to Play Single Deck Blackjack

You’ll notice throughout this guide that single deck blackjack in online casinos is very similar to other types. But there are some things that make it unique. For example, you are much less likely be dealt cards of the same rank (for example, Queen-Queen), as in, for example, six-deck blackjack.

Also, depending on how the deck is shuffled, you will have different levels of success with card counting. If you learn how to count single deck blackjack, you will find some advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand,card counters don’t have to wait nearly as long to get a favorable count. On the other hand, the deck might be shuffled after each round.

Online gambling sites allow you to play up to five hands at the same time. Thus, the speed of the game increases significantly, and players can receive more money (of course, if they manage to get consistent wins). For beginners, however, we recommend playing only one hand. Otherwise, you may get overwhelmed.

The Basic Rules

We’ve already established that you need to achieve a hand value that is higher than the dealer’s without busting. For clarification, a hand’s value is the sum of the card values. Here is what you should know about the card values:

House Edge Single Deck Blackjack

• Cards 2 through 10 are worth the same as their pip value.
• Face cards’ value (Jack, Queen, and King)is 10 points.
• Ace is either 1 or 11.
• The best possible hand is an Ace plus a face card or a 10, which gives you a two-card blackjack for a total of 21 points.
• If you get dealt a blackjack, you instantly win one and a half times of your bet.

Here is what you should know about the course of a game:

1. Before each move, the players place their bets.
2. The dealer deals one card face up to each player and one face down card to themselves. Then, they deal a second card that is visible to everybody.
3. They ask each of the gamblers at the table, starting with the one to his left, whether they want additional cards. Players can request as many cards as they want.
4. Once all the players are served their cards, the dealer draws cards as long as the total is less than 17. If the dealer gets a point total greater than 21, all players who haven’t busted win. If the score is between 17 and 21, all players who have a higher total win.
5. If a player is tied with the dealer, they get their bet back.

Depending on whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17, you’ll need to make slight adjustments to your single deck blackjack strategy. To understand these tactics better, you can look up special tables that instruct you on every single move during the course of the game.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Single Deck Blackjack

Single deck blackjack is a classic type of blackjack that has been around for hundreds of years. This variety has many advantages:

Single Deck Blackjack Strategy

• The single deck blackjack odds are absolutely the best. Facing a 0.15% house edge puts you on nearly a level playing field with the casino if you play a perfect game.
• The game is dynamic and thrilling.
• The single deck blackjack counting strategy is easier to follow.

Based on these advantages, you wouldn’t think there’d be many downsides to single deck blackjack. However, there are some drawbacks that you should be aware of:

• There might be unfavorable rules that increase the house edge.
• You’re very unlikely to earn many comps with this version of the game.
• The deck might be reshuffled too often, which could prevent effective card counting.

In Summary

If you’ve never played single deck online blackjack, it’s always a good idea to give it a shot. You can take advantage of the low house edge of the casino as well as practice an effective card counting strategy. At the end of the day, each variant of blackjack is worth trying because you can discover many great titles.

At CasinoChan, you have to perfect the opportunity to play single deck blackjack online and maximize your bankroll using a variety of strategies. After you have mastered the ability to play single deck blackjack, you can switch other exciting online casino games. Our catalog is full of classics as well as new gems that you’ve yet to see.