Blackjack is a card game favourite to many casino players as it is known to offer some of the lowest house edge rates. In addition to that, players who learn how to use a basic strategy can further boost their chances of winning. As blackjack is a game of skill and chance, one could affect the outcome of every hand played by making the correct decision.
Along with using the correct strategy, the different rules of blackjack will also affect the house edge of the card game. While the single-deck version of blackjack is considered the ultimate choice for players, it is not as common to find offline and online. The reason for that is the number of decks having an impact on the house edge as well. More decks lower your winning chances, which is why six or even eight decks are commonly used by casinos offering blackjack.
If you want to know how the number of decks in blackjack affects the house’s advantage, we suggest you continue reading. That way you will know which variations of blackjack are the best to play and which ones to avoid. Moreover, you will learn how the number of decks may also affect other rules in the game, further changing the house edge.
Effect of Number of Decks on Blackjack House Edge
While the rest of the rules in blackjack are also important when choosing which variation to play, the number of decks is also crucial. If we compare different versions of blackjack with the same rules, the best option to play is always the one using fewer decks. If you are lucky enough to find a single-deck variation, you should definitely go for it.
As you may know, the house edge of any casino game will tell you your potential chances of winning. The lower the casino’s advantage, the higher your chances of landing fruitful results will be. The number of decks used in the card game will definitely affect the casino’s advantage over players, with the single-deck version having the lowest house edge rate.
| Number of Decks Affecting House Edge in Blackjack | |
|---|---|
| Number of Decks | House Edge |
| 1 deck | 0.16% |
| 2 decks | 0.46% |
| 4 decks | 0.60% |
| 6 decks | 0.64% |
| 8 decks | 0.66% |
As you can see, just by adding a second deck in the game, the house edge rises by 0.3%. Meanwhile, the difference in the casino’s advantage when the decks are further increased is not that significant. When you compare a game with four and six decks, the difference in the house edge will be just 0.04%. That said, if you juxtapose a single-deck blackjack game with a variation with eight decks, you will have the house edge surge by 0.5%. Seeing the way the number of decks affects the house edge, it is no surprise that this is the second most powerful rule in blackjack.
Why Single-Deck Blackjack Is the Ultimate Version to Play
As already mentioned, to play with the best possible player advantage, we recommend you to go for a blackjack variant using a single deck. Playing with just one deck is extremely beneficial for card counters and players using a basic blackjack strategy. Knowing the optimal move on every hand that is dealt will ensure a higher advantage for blackjack players. Combine that with using just one deck in the game, and your winning chances will significantly improve.
If you have mastered the skill of counting cards, the single-deck version is the best one for you. As you will have only four Aces in the game, you will have an easier time tracking them in the deck. Dealing with less information, in general, will allow easier card counting and a smoother blackjack strategic play.
The players who introduced card counting to blackjack fans were actually playing single-deck or two-deck versions of the card game. Naturally, they would not have issues utilising their counting skills in games using only a couple of decks at most. Having very few cards to count made keeping a running count much easier.
While playing with just one deck is very advantageous, there are also a few things to consider. As there will be just one deck in the game, it will be reshuffled every time it is fully used. For card counters, that would indicate that they will need to start a new count every time the deck has been dealt in the game.
Since there is only one deck used in the game, the gaming session will start with players placing their bets before any cards have been dealt in the game. That means that card counters will have no idea of the cards in the deck, making bet setting according to a certain running count impossible.
Why Casinos Add More Decks to Blackjack
As already covered, adding just one additional deck to the game of blackjack significantly increases the house edge. Even though that is good enough of a reason to add more decks to the game, there are also other objectives that prompt casinos to increase the deck number. No matter the reasons, however, the end goal is always to give the casino a bigger advantage.
One of the goals of casinos is to prevent advantage players from using card counting to gain an edge over the house. After the card counting system became extremely popular, casinos started adding more decks to the game. That way, keeping a running count gets trickier as there are more cards in the shoe to consider while playing blackjack.
The fewer decks are used in the game, the more accurate the count is going to be, giving players a better understanding of how they should handle their bets. Meanwhile, with more decks used in the game, card counters must concentrate to reach higher counts, which can lead to less accurate results.
Another reason why casinos choose to use more decks in blackjack is simply to increase their profit. Using more decks will ultimately lead to more hands being played in a single hour. That will also increase the casino’s potential return, leading to a higher profit per hour. Meanwhile, if the game uses only one deck, you will go pretty quickly through the entire deck. That would require the dealer to pause the game in order to reshuffle the cards. That slows down the gameplay, bringing the house fewer wins per hour.
When the blackjack variation uses more decks, the cards are typically reshuffled once two-thirds of the shoe has been discarded. The reason why the dealer will not use the entire shoe in the game before a reshuffle is to prevent card counters from getting a more accurate count. As more decks are being used in the game, advantage players are reaching a more accurate count only when they get closer to the end of the shoe. However, with multiple decks in the game, a cut card prevents this from happening.
Blackjack Rules Making Single-Deck Blackjack Less Appealing
As already mentioned, the number of decks is the second most important rule in blackjack, giving you an idea of whether the game is worth playing. However, even if you have come across a single-deck blackjack version, there is still a chance to stumble upon a game to avoid. The first thing to check about the blackjack variation you are about to play is the payout you will enjoy for a blackjack.
The standard payout for a natural blackjack is 3 to 2, ensuring lucky players a typical blackjack reward. However, you may come across blackjack games that will offer a payout of 6 to 5 for a natural blackjack. At first glance, this may not seem like such a significant difference but you should know that the 6 to 5 version increases the house edge by 1.39%. Some casinos take advantage of players who are less aware of all blackjack rules and offer single-deck variants that pay 6 to 5 for a natural blackjack.
While it is true that a single-deck version is usually the best blackjack option to play, if you are not offered the usual 3 to 2 payout, you should stay away from the said blackjack variation. No matter how much a single deck will bring down the house edge, it still will not be enough to compensate for the lowered payout.
Blackjack Rules to Look For
While we have covered the rule that can make even the single-deck version less appealing, we should also discuss the rules that give the player better winning odds. Of course, the ultimate blackjack game is one that features all rules that are favourable for the player. However, such versions of the card game are tough to find as they will drastically lower the house’s edge over players.
As casinos wish to maintain a somewhat high advantage, they tend to combine favourable and less favourable blackjack rules. However, some combinations of rules are better than others so it is useful to know what to ignore and what to look for in blackjack variations.
Even though a single-deck version is the best option to play, it is not so common at casinos, at least not with a standard 3:2 payout. The usual blackjack version that offers somewhat good rules is typically played with six decks, offering 3 to 2 for a natural blackjack.
The standard blackjack game that offers a mix of good rules would offer something of this sort:
- Six decks
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Doubling down after a split is allowed
- Double down on any two initial cards
- Resplit allowed up to four hands
- No surrender allowed
- No resplitting of Aces
The house edge of the aforementioned blackjack game is 0.43%, which is a rather good rate, compared to other variations of the card game. However, as this set of rules is giving players a rather huge advantage, this variation of blackjack is not that easily found at land-based casinos or even online casinos.
The Effect Changes in Rules Have on the House Edge
While different rules have a certain effect on the house edge in blackjack, adding more decks to the game further emphasises these changes. By taking a look at the way every rule combined with the number of decks changes the house edge, you can determine which blackjack options are the best to play for real money. We will take a look at several important blackjack rules and the way each one of them changes the player’s advantage when it gets added to the game.
When both the player and the dealer go bust, this results in a win for the dealer. The reason for that is the rule that the first one to bust loses the game. Since the player must act before the dealer, he/she is at a disadvantage, always busting first and losing his/her bet. If we compare this rule in a single-deck blackjack game and an eight-deck variation, we will notice that playing with more decks will give players a slightly bigger advantage. This is due to the increased chances of busting as the number of cards used in the game decreases.
As it was already covered, the payout for a natural blackjack is the most important rule to consider when choosing the variation to play. While the 3:2 payout will always be better than 6:5, with adding more decks to the play, the player’s expected return declines. If you are playing a single-deck version, the standard 3:2 payout will result in a potential player return of 5.91%. Meanwhile, that rate will drop to 5.89% when the game is being played with eight decks.
If players are allowed to stand on hard 12 to 16, while the dealer is not allowed to do the same will give a bigger advantage to the player. Adding more decks in the game when this rule applies will definitely hinder the player’s advantage rate. In a single-deck blackjack variant, when the player can stand on hard totals of 12 to 16, there will be less frequent busts for players who use basic strategy (14.74%). However, there will be more face-offs with the dealer, many of which will result in a win for the house (11.04%). In that case, the potential net gain for the player in a single-deck game is estimated to be 3.7%. If we alter the rules and use eight decks, the player’s advantage will drop to 3.3%.
If the player is allowed to double, the advantage he/she earns in a single-deck blackjack game is estimated to be 1.65%. Like most rules, this one is also affected by the number of decks used in the game. Apply the same rule to an eight-deck variation of the game, and the player’s advantage will be reduced to 1.38%. Doubling is more valuable in a single-deck variant as this option is most common in cases of players being dealt hard 9 to 11. Doubling is done with two cards, which may end up being smaller than average. If two cards are removed from a single deck after the player doubles on hard 9 or 11, the chances for the next card in the deck being a ten are estimated to be 32%. If the same situation is relevant in an eight-deck game, the probability of the next card from the shoe being a ten reduces to 30.92%.
If a player is allowed to split, this rule will further increase his/her advantage, provided a full basic strategy is being used. Yet again, the number of decks in the game will change the advantage the player is given when he/she is allowed to split. In a single-deck blackjack variation, the player’s advantage is estimated to be 0.54%. Add another seven decks to the game, forming a total of eight decks, and the player’s advantage will surge to 0.67%. The reason why splitting is more beneficial in eight-deck variants is that there are higher chances of landing a pair in the first two cards.
Conclusion
Whenever you are choosing the blackjack variation to play for real money, there are certain rules you should consider to make your gameplay more successful. One of the most important elements of the game of 21 to consider is the number of decks that are being used. That will directly affect the potential return you can enjoy and will enable you to choose the most suitable version of blackjack to play.
While blackjack used to be played with a single or two decks, the card counting trend forced casinos to take countermeasures, adding more decks to the play. Having more cards in the game would make card counting harder, ultimately affecting the accuracy of this method. Nevertheless, if you happen to come across a single-deck blackjack version, you should consider choosing it over variations with multiple decks.
Single-deck blackjack, however, is not that common in land-based or even online casinos, for that matter. Even if you come across a game using just one deck, casinos tend to give themselves a bigger advantage by altering the payout for a natural blackjack. While playing with a single deck is considered the ultimate blackjack game, there are a series of other important rules to consider before heading to a table with a single deck in play.
