How Is Blackjack In The Casinos Favour

Different blackjack rules have different rules. It's still the same game, but how the dealer plays her hand might vary from casino to casino or even from table to table.

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Some of these rules benefit the player, while some of them give the house a bigger edge.

Knowing the difference can inform your decisions about which games you're going to play.

The basic measure used to compare blackjack games is the house edge. This is the statistically predicted amount you'll lose on average over time. It's expressed as a percentage, so you can use it to estimate how much money you'll lose to 'the grind' over a long period of time.

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• Rules that Favor the Player Late Surrender – Some casinos allow you to surrender your hand, giving up only half your bet instead of the whole thing, after the dealer checks for blackjack. At casinos that do not allow late surrender, players must surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack.
• To card count properly, whether in an online blackjack game or in a casino, all that you are doing is keeping a running tally based on the face value of any cards revealed. Learn how to count.
• In the standard game rules, the dealer has a 2.4% advantage over the player. Casinos don't need to rig anything. Casinos may also offer additional ‘prop' bets, such as insurance, perfect pairs, etc. These bets, while offering high win odds, often have a house advantage of 5% or more.
• Players May Not Understand Probabilities Well Enough. If you're not trying to count cards, then you.

For example, if you're playing for $10 per hand and getting in 80 hands per hour, you're putting $800 per hour into action. If you're facing a house edge of 1%, your expected loss is $8/hour. If the house edge is 0.5%, your expected loss is $4/hour.

In this post, I examine some of the biggest rules changes and how they affect the house edge for the game.

The Old-School Standard Set of Blackjack Rules

If you went to the old Strip in Las Vegas during the golden age of blackjack – the 1960s – you would have faced a game with the following set of rules:

• You'd be dealt cards from a single deck. The dealer would be required to stand on a soft 17 or higher. You'd be allowed to double down on any 2 cards.
• You would NOT be allowed to double down after splitting, but you would be allowed to re-split. (The exception would be aces – no re-splitting of aces, even then.) If you did split aces, you'd only get 1 more card. You'd have no surrender option available.

With this rule set in place, the house edge would only be 0.01% if you played with perfect basic strategy. That's as close to a break-even game as you could ever hope for.

You won't find a blackjack game like that anymore – not even online or in Downtown Vegas.

Here are the biggest changes in the rules that affect the house edge for the modern variations of the game.

The Number of Decks in Use Are a Big Deal

Most people already know that a single deck blackjack game is better than a game with more decks – everything else being equal.

If you double the number of decks – using 2 decks instead of just 1 – you're looking at raising the house edge by 0.3%. Increase the number of decks to 8, which is the standard in most casinos now, and you're looking at raising the house edge by 0.6%.

That doesn't sound like much, but it's the difference between a house edge of 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.1%, If you're putting $800 per hour into action, you're looking at increasing your average hourly loss from $4 to $6.40 to $8.80.

And the more you risk per hand, and the more hands you play, the more that tiny 0.6% costs you.

So, look for games with fewer decks as much as possible.

Does the Dealer Hit or Stand on Soft 17?

If the dealer hits on a soft total of 17, the player loses more in the long run.

How much more?

The house gets an extra 0.20%. Again, that doesn't sound like much, but combine that with an 8-deck game, and you've added 0.8% to the house edge.

Of course, if those were the only 2 changes you made to that old-school version of blackjack I wrote about in the intro to this post, you'd still be playing a pretty good game.

But those aren't the only rules variations you'll run into. Not by a long shot.

When Can You Double Down?

Being able to double down on any total is a big deal, mathematically. After all, you're basically being given the option of putting twice as much money into action when the situation is good.

In some casino blackjack games, though, they only allow you to double down on a total of 11. That's a terrible rule for the player. That's 0.78% to the house edge. Being allowed to only double down on 10 or 11 is much better. That only adds 0.26% to the house edge.

Some casinos get even more granular than this. They might only allow you to double down on 9, 10, or 11. In that case, it increases the house edge by 0.14%.

But, you're in a lot better shape in a casino where you're also allowed to double down on soft totals and on 8s. Those don't seem like that many situations, but they're common enough to have a significant effect on the house's edge.

What Are the Rules for Splitting?

Some casinos don't allow re-splitting. That's obviously not idea for the player, but in a single deck game, it doesn't make that much difference because the situation comes up so seldom.

It only comes up when you get the same card again, and in a single deck game, you only have 4 of each card. The probability of getting to re-split is low.

How low?

The math is easy. You get dealt a pair of 8s. You have 50 cards left in the deck, and only 2 of them are 8s.

This means that the probability of getting another 8 is 2/50, or 1/25. That's 4%. Of course, you get 2 shots at it, but it's still going to happen so rarely that it's almost insignificant.

But blackjack IS a game of inches, so let's look at the effect on the house edge. If you're not allowed to re-split any pairs, the house edge increases by 0.03%.

What's the Payout for a Blackjack?

The biggest rule that favors the player in a real money blackjack game is the payout for a natural. It's such a big deal that I've written an entire post just about the importance of naturals in blackjack.

But let's look at a theoretical game that only pays out even money for a blackjack. Assume they change nothing else from that break-even game I used as an example.

It becomes 2.32%, which means that the basic bets at baccarat or craps are better for the player than a bet on this blackjack game.

It's rare to find a casino that offers a game that pays even money on a blackjack. The casinos that do normally provide a lot of other big rules changes to make the game more attractive to the player.

But you will find casinos offering a 6 to 5 payout on blackjack, and that still have a big effect on the house edge. This adds about 1.5% to then house edge.

Some players get confused about the difference in payouts between a 6/5 game and a 3/2 game. Some people even think 6/5 is better because a 6 is bigger than a 3.

Think about it this way, though – what's the payoff for a bet of a single unit when you're getting 3 to 2 odds.

It's 1.5 units, or 1.5 to 1.

What's the payoff for abet of a single unit when you're getting 6 to 5 odds?

It's 1.2 units, or 1.2 to 1.

Everyone knows that $1.50 is more money than $1.20, right? Just say no to 6/5 blackjack. Those games almost always have a huge house edge that you're better off staying away from.

Antes in Blackjack

In Oklahoma, the casino will charge you an ante to play a hand of blackjack.

But it's not really an ante at all. It's a fee. You can't win any money on it, so it's not a bet like a standard ante in poker is. So, if you bet $5 on a hand of blackjack in Oklahoma, you have to pay 50 cents for the privilege. That's 10% of your bet that's a guaranteed loss.

Guess what that does to the house edge?

Yeah, I don't play blackjack in Oklahoma, either – it's a lousy bet. But, if I were to play blackjack in Oklahoma, I'd play for the highest stakes I could to minimize the effect of the ante on the house edge.

After all, who wants to add 10% to the house edge for any casino game?

All of This Assumes You're Using Basic Strategy

One thing that's important to point out is that the house edge figures listed in this post – or really, any post about blackjack – assume that you're making the mathematically optimal play in every situation.

This is called being a 'basic strategy' player.

You can find explanations of basic strategy in any good book on blackjack. You can also find charts and tables on various websites. In fact, the basic strategy section on this website is a great tool for learning basic strategy.

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You should never deviate from basic strategy no matter how strong your hunch is. Hunches are not psychic phenomena. No good evidence exists in support of that idea.

The dangerous thing is that – because gambling is random – sometimes your hunches will be right. And the human brain is built to look for and give meaning to these kinds of events.

You'll wind up believing that your hunches are more accurate than they are unless you track your hunches carefull. It's called confirmation bias, and it will cost you money.

Just learn basic strategy and use it on every hand.

Conclusion

It's a good idea to learn what the changes to various blackjack rules do to your expected return in the game. Picking a good game is an important part of getting the best odds in the casino.

But, if you don't use basic strategy, it doesn't make much difference which game you play.

Knowing more about the rules of blackjack can give you an advantage when playing the card game online. Basically, the rules are simple, which is why it is still popular these days. While this article might offer you some ideas on how to play the game, it may not guarantee you to win every time.

How Blackjack Works

First of all, you need to get a hand with a value closest to 21, but without going over. The hand that gets over 21 is a bust, but each player is going against the dealer and not with each other. Therefore, each player should beat the dealer's hand.

In the game of blackjack, the suits don't count. So while number cards have equal value to their number, all picture cards are worth 10. On the other hand, aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is more beneficial to the one holding the hand.

There are betting limits in casino tables, which are commonly posted as maximum and minimum bets. A player can join the game by sitting down at an open seat and placing a bet in the marked area on the table, which is just in front of her or him.

How Online Blackjack Works

Online casinos can be traced back in 1995 when the first gambling site offered just the game of poker. Today, more and more gambling sites provide all types of casino games, which include but not limited to blackjack. In fact, there are also options for sports wagering and lotteries.

Just as how the regular blackjack works, playing online can be a bit more exciting. But it is advisable to play online blackjack if you have no prior experience with the game. This is due to the fact that online casino software serves as a great guide for those who are uncertain of the intricacies involved.

Making Bets – It begins with you as you pick the amount of money you are willing to bet on a hand. The range of bets will depend on the type of casino you are going to play. However, the common amounts played include $1, $5, $25, and $100. Simply go on the next process by clicking the 'Deal' button so you can receive your cards.

Playing The Hand – After the cards are dealt, you will be prompted with some options to Hit, Stand or Double Down. If you receive a pair, you will have an option to Split. After choosing an action, the software will deal the cards to yourself and the dealer.

When the hand is done, you will either pay or get paid based on the bets, which depend on the outcome of the hand. Only then can you pick the option to Rebet, which will bet the exact same amount on the next hand. However, you can also pick your next wager manually.

Help Screen – This option can help if you are unsure of anything. This is provided even as the game is a fairly straightforward process. When you click the Help button, you will be able to see the rules of the game that you are playing. This also includes how each card is worth, how to play, how to win, and what the house rules are.

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Depositing And Withdrawal – This is an important process that you shouldn't miss before playing blackjack. Take note that there are no universal payment solutions for depositing or withdrawing. This is because some countries are not given access to certain options for payment.

You may determine this by checking out the cashier page of the casino in order to ensure that a payment solution that you are going to use is supported. Then, you have to ensure that you have the funds before starting to play. Good thing though is that the casino will provide help in depositing and withdrawing money, making things easier for you.

Advantages Of Playing Online Blackjack

• Convenience
• Lucrative signup bonuses to new players
• Better rules compared to brick-and-mortar casinos
• 24-hour customer service
• Avoid the hassles of annoying complainers, smokers, and talkers

How Is Blackjack In The Casinos Favourite

Disadvantages Of Playing Online Blackjack

• May take several days if you want to get your money back unlike brick and mortar casinos
• Specific playing requirements to obtain bonuses offered by the site
• Often lack customer service
• Operating gambling sites is illegal in the U.S.
• Can be addictive to some players compared to manual blackjack
• Can't provide the ambiance and camaraderie compared to land-based casinos

Security Of Players

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Some players are wondering that most gambling sites are located offshore without any local oversight. Nevertheless, cheating and hacking on some poker sites have become a thing of the past. In fact, major online gambling sites have protection software to avoid issues and many are licensed and audited by third-party companies.

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