Blackjack House Edge Without Basic Strategy
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- Basic Strategy Blackjack
Here are a couple of rules to follow regarding basic strategy for single-deck blackjack: Do not opt for the insurance bet as it raises the house edge to a high 5.9% in single-deck blackjack. If you are not able to re-split a hand treat it as a hard total hand and follow the strategy for that hand as per the tables below. The basic strategy for single deck blackjack depends mainly on a few factors. 'On the Basic stratagy calculator off this site the house edge for playing perfect basic stratagy on a 6D H17 NS DA is.66%. I understood this to mean that if you played an infinite amount of hands betting 10 $ a hand you would lose on average 6.6 cents a hand.
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Playing and mastering blackjack are very different things. Mastery of blackjack starts with understanding the house edge and recognizing how it can impact your game.
Understanding the house edge is vital for becoming a player that is capable of taking on the house. Without further ado, let’s look at how to reduce the house edge.
The basic playing strategy is a set of guidelines that gives you the optimal way to play every hand dealt to you when the only information you have is your hand and the dealer’s up-card.
Basic strategy is the mathematically correct way to play every hand because over time it will maximize the amount of money you will win and minimize your losses.
The reason that the game of blackjack is subject to mathematical analysis is because it is, inherently, a numbers game; that is, blackjack has a fixed set of rules.
What Is the House Edge?
The casino house edge is the mathematical advantage that a casino has over its players.
This advantage changes by game, and is typically represented as a percentage and denotes the amount of return that the house can expect to receive over time.
It also represents the percentage of losses that the player will likely incur over any measurable amount of time.
This does not mean that the player can’t win more or even turn a profit, it only means that the house will take some money in the long run.
How Much is the House Edge in Blackjack?
The house edge in blackjack is relatively small, with it being as low as 1% when a basic blackjack strategy is implemented correctly.
In blackjack, the house edge comes from the dealer having a hidden card about which the player has to make assumptions.
In addition, if the player busts, the dealer wins, even if they then bust in the same round. Learning blackjack odds and strategy makes this less of an issue.
Blackjack Odds
I’ll admit, understanding blackjack odds is more difficult than it is for other casino games. This is attributed to the randomness of the draw and the number of different combinations.
Regardless, there are some ways of determining the odds of drawing specific cards. The initial probability of drawing a card of any value is just under 8%, based on there being 13 different possible options.
However, seeing as Jacks, Queens and Kings all have a value of 10 in blackjack, the odds of drawing a card valued at 10 is 4/13, which is a probability of 31%.
Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart
As a result, the house edge can be reduced simply by having an idea of the odds of drawing certain cards.
For example, if you happen to draw a Jack and a King, then you know that the odds of drawing yet another 10-value card are much reduced. Please don’t though. Keep your 20 and your money, most of the time.
Now that you have a basis for understanding the house edge, let’s take a look at some basic strategy.
Surrender
You should surrender a hand when your chance of winning is less than one out of four hands, i.e., your expected loss is worse than 50%.
This means that statistically, if playing the hand has less than a 25% chance of winning and therefore greater than a 75% chance of losing, you will save money in the long run by just surrendering.
Besides reducing the house edge, surrender also has this benefit: it will stabilize your bankroll, meaning surrender will flatten the fluctuations in your bankroll, compared to a game where surrender is not offered and you have to play all your hands to completion.
Logical Splits
There are three main reasons why it makes sense to split rather than to employ an alternate strategy. You should always split when:
- You will win more money on average (bold strategy)
- You will lose less money on average (defensive strategy), or
- You will turn a losing hand into a winning one (offensive strategy).
Double Down
Most of the time when you play blackjack you must play defensively because the dealer’s hand has a likelihood of beating your hand. But the logic for doubling down is you get to go on the offensive at the best possible time – when the dealer has a relatively high probability of busting or when you have the edge over the dealer on the hand.
The logic for doubling on soft hands isn’t always clear to players so they often pass up the opportunity.
The reason you double on soft hands is not so much to outdraw the dealer as it is to get more money on the table when the dealer is vulnerable to busting (shows a low-value upcard of 2-6).
If you follow the hard doubling down basic strategy, your gain will be about 1.3 percent. Learn when to double down on soft hands and you’ll gain another 0.13 percent.
Take a 6-3 against a dealer’s 5 upcard. If you doubled down and drew a 2 for an 11, the only way you could win the hand would be if the dealer busted.
If you hadn’t doubled down, you could have drawn another card to your 11 and improved your chances of winning. Nevertheless the right play is to double down because of the extra money you put into action. Here’s why.
Hit’em Hard…..or Soft
The most common mistake made by novice blackjack players is to always stand on their stiff hands because they are afraid to bust.
Stiff means a hand that can be busted by a one-card draw; for example a hard 12 through 16.
However, this is a big mistake when the dealer’s upcard is a 2 through 6. Since you know the dealer must hit stiff hands by the rules of the game, you should:
- Not risk busting your stiff hand (resulting in an automatic loss) when the dealer’s up-card is 2-6 because she may end up with a stiff hand
- Instead, stand pat, let the dealer draw, and hope she busts
There is one exception to this rule and that’s when you are dealt a 12 and the dealer’s upcard is a 2 or 3.
Consequently, the percentages are slightly better for:
- Hitting a hard 12 against a dealer’s 2 and 3 up-card rather than standing.
When the dealer shows a 7 through A upcard, there is a strong likelihood she will end up with a pat hand (i.e., a 17 through 21). Therefore, when you hold hard 16 or less, and surrendering, pair splitting, or doubling is not an option, the percentages are better if you hit your hand even at the risk of busting until you achieve at least a hard 17.
Reducing the House Edge in Blackjack
There are a variety of ways to reduce the house edge in blackjack.
As previously mentioned, the simplest is to learn a basic blackjack strategy and commit it to memory before you play. A basic blackjack strategy is a set of rules, usually presented in a chart, which tells you how to play your hand after it is dealt.
For example, if you are dealt a soft 17 (Ace, six), the chart compares it to the dealer’s upcard and informs you of how to act. In some cases, using a basic strategy can reduce the house edge to just 0.5%.
If you want to lower the house advantage, studying the basics of blackjack strategies is a good place to start.
In addition to basic strategy charts, several strategies have been developed to reduce the house edge in blackjack even further.
Unlike the basic charts, which only focus on the total value of your hand, these strategies look at what cards make up your hand and give specific actions depending on the cards, they’re called composition-dependent strategies.
In most cases, by using a composition-dependent strategy along with the existing basic strategy charts, it’s possible to reduce the house edge to as little as 0.18%, which is basically breaking even.
Conclusion
Blackjack is one of the best games in the casino for a player, but it’s important to learn basic strategy if you want to take it seriously and have the best odds of winning.
With numerous cards valued at a 10 or 11 (10, jack, queen, king, ace), there are a variety of things to consider when it comes to hitting, standing, doubling down, or splitting.
There are numerous resources to check out and learn the best strategy when playing real money blackjack, and it’s highly recommended. Applying the strategy perfectly can reduce that house edge down to as low as .05 percent.
There’s also one more thing to remember: Unlike the movies, players are not allowed to touch the cards. Simple hand movements are the norm in most games. Gamble on.
Understanding blackjack odds and house advantages will help you decide how to choose the best possible type of online blackjack. Read all about online blackjack odds and house advantages.
If you understand what your odds are when playing online blackjack, you’ll also be able to tell how to maximize your chances. And you’ll also start to realize what facets of the game affect those odds.
Online blackjack players may get into the game without much planning. Maybe you’ve played a little casino blackjack and want to have some fun online. Or you could be new to blackjack and want to try it where there’s less pressure.
Still, you should always look at online gambling as you would an investment. Learn as much as possible about the potential of that investment. Understanding online blackjack odds and house advantages is a great way to start that process.
In this article, we’ll explain the concepts behind online blackjack odds and the house advantage. We’ll talk about how you can control the odds in some respect by knowing what factors affect it. And we’ll also answer some of the most popular questions people ask about these concepts.
What Is the House Advantage?
You’ll sometimes hear it called the house advantage or the house edge, but it refers to the same thing. Basically, the vast majority of casino-type games are stacked against the player over the long run. This is how casinos and online gambling sites stay in business.
Some games have bigger house advantages than others, based on the rules and built-in odds. The good news about the online blackjack house edge is that it’s one of the lowest among most casino games. That’s part of the reason why it’s so popular.
How is Blackjack House Edge Calculated?
House edge is always measured as a percentage and is the inverse of the player’s payback percentage. If a specific game yielded a percentage of 100% exactly, you could be expected to break even playing it over the long haul. That makes the house advantage zero.
There are very few real money casino or online casino games that come in at a payback percentage of 100% or better. If you want to calculate the house edge all you have to do is subtract the actual percentage of payback from 100.
For example, imagine a game that is listed with a 98% payback percentage. The house edge would thus be 100 minus 98, which is 2%. Think of it this way—the lower the online blackjack house advantage, the better it is for the player.
This figure doesn’t include loyalty rewards you might earn from casinos or top gambling sites. If you can find a game with a very low house edge (ideally less than 1%) and consistently earn these rewards, you can make a profit in the long run.
Online Blackjack House Edge
Assuming standard rules and a player who knows how to make the right decisions in every circumstance using basic strategy, you can expect a payback percentage of around 99.5% to 99.6% for online blackjack. That means an online blackjack house edge or around 0.4% to 0.5%, which is very small. That sounds great, right?
Well, as we’ll explore, you won’t always be able to get standard rules in the online blackjack games that you play. The other key part of is the one about the player using strategy.
If you go into your online blackjack game without learning the basic strategy about when to hit, stand, double, split, and so on, your percentage will drop and the house edge will rise. That’s why you should always prepare by learning proper strategy beforehand, which we’ll discuss more below.
Blackjack House Edge Without Basic Strategy Tactics
What Affects Online Blackjack Edge
Here are some of the rule variations that will help you determine the online blackjack games with the best odds:
- Blackjack payback: You should be looking for the standard payback of 3:2 whenever you are dealt a two-card 21. If you play a game where the payback is 6:5 or lower, the house edge rises.
- Dealer “soft 17” rules: Ideally, you’ll play an online blackjack game where a dealer has to stand on a “soft 17.” This is a 17 with an ace where the ace is valued at 11 instead of one. In games where the dealer can still value the ace as one in these situations and hit, the house edge rises.
- Decks used: The more decks that are used in online blackjack, the worse it is for the player. That’s because it will make blackjack a little bit harder to get.
- Split and double rules: Ideally, you would be able to make these plays in any situation as often as you want. Some online blackjack games restrict how many times and which cards can be used. The more restrictions, the worse it is for the player.
- Surrender: Novice players might not realize it, but being able to surrender your hand after a disadvantageous deal to lessen losses is an excellent strategy. If surrendering isn’t allowed, it works against you as a player and raises the online blackjack house advantage.
Online vs. Offline Blackjack Odds
For the most part, the odds for online and offline blackjack are moreso affected by the rules listed above than anything else. The big difference in the two is created by the fact that card counting, which can give an expert player an advantage, is extremely difficult in online blackjack.
Card counting only works when a lot of cards are out of play. But computer dealers reshuffle decks after every hand in online blackjack. That keeps all cards in the decks constantly in play and eliminates any house edge reduction from card counting.
You might be able to find some online blackjack games using live dealers. Unfortunately, even these games feature much more frequent shuffling than you would find in a casino. Therefore, the card counting edge you might gain is pretty much minimal to nonexistent.
How Strategy Affects the House Edge in Online Blackjack
As we mentioned above, it’s crucial to play online blackjack with proper strategy. Many people go into the game with homemade strategies that are actually hurting their chances to win. The more mistakes you make while playing online blackjack, the higher the house advantage becomes.
For example, one basic strategy that beginners use is one where they assume that the dealer’s hidden card has a value of 10 when making their decisions about whether to hit or stand. The problem is that, in actuality, the dealer has a less than 1 in 3 chance of having a card with a value of 10 hidden.
You’re better off taking the time to learn proper online blackjack basic strategy as devised by experts. This should lower the house edge a few percentage points.
That might not seem like much. But when you’re playing many hands per hour, it can start to mean several dollars at a time, maybe more depending on the size of your bets.
Advanced Strategy and Online Blackjack House Edge
In most cases, when people are talking about advanced strategy in blackjack, they are talking about card counting. An expert card counter can often bring up payback percentage two points or so, which can make the difference between profit and loss.
As we said above, however, card counting is pretty much worthless in online blackjack. One other advanced strategy that might help improve online blackjack odds bases your decisions about how to play the hand on the numerical value of each card, rather than the total value.
Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine
In other words, if you had a 13 that was comprised of a 10 and a three, you might be advised to play it differently than if you had a seven and a six. This strategy can shave a hair off the house edge, less than a percentage point. Yet even small advantages like that can help if you’re going to be a long-term online blackjack player.
How to Learn Online Blackjack Strategy and Minimize the House Edge
- Memorize lists of rules. These rules might say things like “always split aces and eights” or “double on 11.” You can find such lists containing a handful of general rules or ones that have dozens of specific plays on them.
- Get a strategy chart. A blackjack strategy chart has rows and columns that connect every card value the player has with what the dealer has been dealt. In each box where those rows and columns connect, you’ll find a symbol letting you know whether you should hit, stand, or perform any other action.
Blackjack House Edge Without Basic Strategy For Dummies
FAQ About Online Blackjack Odds
Do Online Blackjack Odds Differ Based on What Online Casino I Choose?
It isn’t so much the online casinos you choose that affects the online blackjack odds. Instead, it’s more important which rules they use.
You might find certain online gambling sites with different variations even within the single site. The bottom line is knowing which rules work in your favor and yield the best online blackjack house edge.
Should I Play an Online Blackjack Variation With Great Potential Payback Even If the Rules Are Confusing to Me?
You have to find the right set of online blackjack rules to lessen the house edge. But you also have to play with correct strategy.
If you’re a bit confused about the game you’re playing, that will lead to bad decisions. And those bad decisions will likely eliminate any edge you might have gained from the favorable payback. It would be better for you to play a standard game and play it well.
Will Blackjack House Edge Matter If I Only Play Every Once in a While?
Not nearly as much. If you’re only going to be a part-time online blackjack player, luck will be more of a factor in your results than any mathematical house edge.
Once you start playing on a regular basis, you should be trying to keep the house edge as low as possible. Over the long term, your results will be determined by the mathematical characteristics of the game once the luck evens out.
Conclusion on Odds and House Advantage in Blackjack
Basic Strategy Blackjack
We hope that you now have a good handle on what online blackjack odds and house advantages are all about. And we especially hope that it leads to you choosing your game wisely and making the most of your online blackjack play.