How Blackjack Deck Size Affects the House's Edge

Most Blackjack players are always looking for ways to improve their chances of winning at the table. One of the easiest ways of meeting this objective is to find a game that offers a 3:2 payment when a natural blackjack is dealt.

The house has a relatively higher edge for a blackjack game of 6:5. The house edge gets even higher whenever the players fail to use a perfect basic strategy. A majority of casinos usually allow the players to use a strategy card. Unfortunately, despite knowing how strategy cards help, some players opt not to use them altogether.

Number of Decks

Punters can use another option to improve their edge, even though it is often overlooked - determining the number of decks. Blackjack players should embrace the fact that the house's edge is directly proportional to the number of decks in play. The fewer the number of decks, the lower the house's edge.

Playing single-handedly with fewer decks, however, is not the only way to lower the house's edge. Players can also take advantage of a number of blackjack rules to make the game more player-friendly. When all the rules in blackjack remain the same, the house will have a lower edge irrespective of whether it pays 3:2 or 6:5.

Gameplay Differences Based on Deck Size

There is a difference in how both single and double-deck games are played compared to six and eight-deck games. The six and eight-deck blackjack are the ones that players commonly see in the casinos. The cards are dealt face-up from a continuous shuffle machine or a shoe.

For the single and double-deck blackjack, the dealer pitches the cards to the players face down. For a player to hit, he is required to swipe the card. Once the player flips the card over if he is dealt with a blackjack. To split or double, the player flips the cards and adds money to his wager.

Basic Blackjack Rules

Some basic blackjack rules may be applied differently in different casinos. A good example is that players are not allowed to touch the money when they are ready to stay. The player, thus, should slide the cards under the wager without touching their wagers in any way.

Blackjack players have different preferences. For example, some may prefer a game that uses a continuous shuffle machine while others dislike it. The pitch blackjack games, however, seem to be the preference for many. This is because it lowers the house edge, makes it easier to track cards, and the game is a little slower.