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.
- Blackjack Basic Strategy Practice
- Blackjack House Edge
- Printable Blackjack Basic Strategy Card
- Blackjack House Edge
The House Edge in Blackjack Explained. The house edge in blackjack might need to be explained to new gamblers. People in the business often talk about the “house edge” and how it’s so low in blackjack, but the basic terminology can sound Greek to beginning players.If you don’t know what the basic terms, then it’s hard to appreciate why blackjack is a much better game to learn than.
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.
| Number of Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Single Deck | -0.03% |
| Two Decks | +0.25% |
| Four Decks | +0.38% |
| Six Decks | +0.42% |
| Eight Decks | +0.44% |
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.
| Game | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Atlantic City Blackjack | +0.42% |
| Blackjack Switch | +0.58% |
| Double Attack Blackjack * | +0.61% |
| Double Exposure Blackjack | +0.67% |
| European Blackjack | +0.62% |
| Multiple Action Blackjack ** | +0.42% |
| Pontoon Blackjack | +0.45% |
| Spanish 21 | +0.37% |
| Super Fun 21 | +1.40% |
| Three Card Blackjack | +2.10% |
| Vegas Downtown Blackjack | +0.62% |
| Vegas Strip Blackjack | +0.53% |
* 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:
Blackjack Basic Strategy Practice
| Dealer Hits Soft 17 | |
|---|---|
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +0.15% |
| Two Decks | +0.45% |
| Four Decks | +0.59% |
| Six Decks | +0.63% |
| Eight Decks | +0.66% |
| Player Can Only Double 9-11 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +0.11% |
| Two Decks | +0.36% |
| Four Decks | +0.48% |
| Six Decks | +0.52% |
| Eight Decks | +0.54% |
| Player Can Only Double 10-11 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +0.26% |
| Two Decks | +0.48% |
| Four Decks | +0.58% |
| Six Decks | +0.61% |
| Eight Decks | +0.63% |
| Dealer Doubles on 17 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | -0.03% |
| Two Decks | +0.25% |
| Four Decks | +0.38% |
| Six Decks | +0.42% |
| Eight Decks | +0.44% |
| Player Can Resplit Aces | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | -0.06% |
| Two Decks | +0.20% |
| Four Decks | +0.32% |
| Six Decks | +0.35% |
| Eight Decks | +0.37% |
| Blackjack Pays 6:5 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +1.36% |
| Two Decks | +1.62% |
| Four Decks | +1.75% |
| Six Decks | +1.78% |
| Eight Decks | +1.80% |
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.
| Side Bet | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 21+3 Blackjack | +3.20% |
| 21 Madness | +23.00% |
| Bonus Blackjack | +24.00% |
| Match the Dealer | +3.10% |
| Perfect Pairs Blackjack | +4.10% |
| Royal Match Blackjack | +6.50% |
| Super Match Blackjack | +2.60% |
| Super Sevens Blackjack | +11.70% |
| Bust It Blackjack | +7.00% |
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%).
Blackjack House Edge
Additional Resources:
The house edge in blackjack might need to be explained to new gamblers. People in the business often talk about the “house edge” and how it’s so low in blackjack, but the basic terminology can sound Greek to beginning players. If you don’t know what the basic terms, then it’s hard to appreciate why blackjack is a much better game to learn than most other online casino games. After this explanation, I hope you understand why blackjack is the game to play in a casino
Basic Facts about the House Edge
Printable Blackjack Basic Strategy Card
Several basic facts should be known about the house edge. First, most casino games have a built-in house edge. This is a legal according to state gambling laws, so the casino or bingo parlor can stay in business. If a house edge didn’t exist, then it would be a 50/50 proposition whether a gambling house could stay in business. In fact, given the fact that casinos have to pay employees, the utility bills, state fees, and taxes, they would almost certainly go out of business without a house edge. Most casino games put you at a disadvantage from the word “go”.
Second, the more strategy is required in a casino game, the lower the house edge is. In other words, if you have to learn tips for beating the game and can affect the outcome with good decisions, then the game tends to have oddsstacked a little more in your favor. Games like blackjack and video poker fall into this category, as they can have a house edge of 1% or less. Games which don’t require strategy, such as slots, keno, baccarat, and roulette, the odds are going to be longer. This stands to reason, because a casino can assume that a certain number of players won’t know the rules to a game, so the bad players will increase the average house edge enjoyed by the casino. A game of slots is going to have the same house edge, no matter if the person playing has never gambled or is a 30-year veteran of the casinos.
What Is a House Edge?
The house edge is the amount of money (as a percentage) of a player’s wagered cash that the casino keeps. If the casino is expected to keep $1 out of every $100 you wager, then the house edge would be 1%. If the casino is expected to keep $5 out of every $100 wagered, then the house edge on a game would be 5%. The house edge assumes that the casino is keeping some percentage of the money you bet.
In rare cases, casinos offer games with a slight positive expectation, meaning for every $100 you wager, you would expect to receive back more than $100 (if you played optimally). The games with a positive expectation are used to drive customers into the casino by word of mouth. Most of the time, the game has a negative expectation–that is, the average player expects to lose money.
Why Play against a House Edge?
Blackjack House Edge
The obvious question a player might ask is why you should play against a house edge. This advantage the casino has doesn’t apply to everyone. Not all players of a negative expectation game are going to lose. In fact, if the house edge is set at 1%, almost 50% of those players are likely to walk out of the casino with a little money. One player might walk out with $20. Another might lose $30. One player might get real lucky and win $500 at the blackjack table, while another gets real unlucky and lose $600. The point being, every gambler at the table has slight odds against them, so the sum total of those players is likely to give the casino the advantage. Because it’s gambling, even this is certain, especially over a single day, a single week, or even a single month.
Not all gamblers are the same, either. High limit players called “premium players” for medium sized high rollers and “whales” for top-end high rollers also come into a casino. The size of these player’s bets are so large than their wins can wipe out the profits of a thousand low-dollar players’ losses, or make the casino a lot of money if they go on a losing streak. Since high rollers also face a house edge, casinos are in stiff competition to lure these players to their establishment, so they often offer a lower house edge on the same game for high rollers. So the more you bet, the lower the house edge tends to be. That’s why a Las Vegas casino might offer European roulette in the private high roller lounge, but only offer American roulette for everybody else.
Blackjack House Edge
Anyone wanting a definite idea of the house edge they face on a particular game of blackjack can go to a blackjack house edge calculator, which are found online. These tools let you input factors such as the number of decks used, whether you can double after a split, whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17, and whether a surrender rule is in effect. Each of these factors changes the odds, but when you input these into the calculator, you’ll be given optimal and realistic results. Optimal only means the theoretical house edge, while realistic results calculate the average efficiency of a player using basic strategy.