Better Poker

Blackjack is the most widely played casino game in the world as the mix of skill and chance together with its simplicity appeals to gamblers.

The aim of the game is the same regardless of the rules in place, that is you have to reach a total of twenty-one without going over, or busting as it is called.

Even though the aim of Blackjack is the same across different variations, the version of the game that you play can change the advantage that the house has over you.

While there is no such thing as a perfect Blackjack strategy, there is a basic strategy that can be used that can reduce the house’s advantage to less than 1%, which is another reason the game is so popular.

In response most casinos feature several Blackjack variants that have a higher casino edge and helps them increase their revenue from this game.

The first variation is the number of decks used at one time. Whilst not very common, some online casinos offer a single deck blackjack game.

This popular Blackjack game features a house edge of just 0.17%

The disadvantage of this blackjack variation is that you will generally find a number of additional rules that help the house.

In comparison using four decks of cards in Blackjack will give the casino an advantage of 0.6%. And if you’re playing the variation with 8 decks of cards, which is the most common one, the house edge goes up to 0.66%.

A common rule in place in most casinos is that the player will only receive one extra card when they split a pair of aces.

The reason for this is that if you were allowed to Hit after splitting Aces, this would effectively lower the casino edge by 0.13%. If you consider that the casino’s edge is only 1% then this is a meaningful reduction.

However, most online casinos allow a player to “double-down” on a split pair, other than aces, even though this gives a 0.12% advantage to the player.

The largest variation will come when players get a natural blackjack.

On average you can expect to hit a natural blackjack in 4.8% of hands. So if we deviate from a typical 3:2 payout for a natural blackjack hand, this puts the odds on the casino’s side.

If you’re playing a blackjack game where the payout is 6:5 then you should know that this reduces your edge by 1.4%. Furthermore, some casinos that payout only at 1:1 have a huge advantage of 2.3%.

Before you start playing blackjack for real money, it is advisable to first have a look at rules of the blackjack version you want to play and check the edge that the casino has over you.

The best table would be one that plays four decks, makes the dealer stand on soft-17, offers late surrender, allows you to double after a split, allows you to double any two cards and pays out 3:2 on Blackjack. If you find one that does this, please let me know!

To learn more about online blackjack, please go to this Blackjack Games review page. To see the latest online promotions, please go to this Blackjack Promotions guide.

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