Blackjack Casino Odds
How to Play Blackjack - Learn basic blackjack rules in this simple step-by-step guide to playing. Discover how to bet and improve your odds of winning! If you’re willing to put in a little work, blackjack offers the best odds. I’m talking about a.5 percent casino edge, depending on which table you’re sitting at. (Meaning for every dollar you gamble, you’ll lose only half a penny on average.) But to get these ultra-good odds.
Along with the thrill of the game, what people love about Blackjack is that skill and strategy help boost the odds. It’s a great game for players because there’s a chance to beat the casino’s advantage.
How Blackjack odds work
Odds work differently in Blackjack than in other casino games. That’s because in Blackjack, the outcome for every round is dependent on previous rounds – unlike games such as Roulette, where the odds are the same for each spin.
Blackjack cards are removed after play, so the composition of the deck changes – and so do the odds.
House edge and Blackjack
What is the house edge?
The house edge is the small percentage of all wagers that the casino expects to win. It’s the way the house guarantees its long-term profit on all games, and the edge on each game is different.
The casino builds in certain rules to give itself an advantage.
How the house edge works
The casino gains the edge in blackjack. The way it works is that players are dealt cards before the dealer, and will be the first to lose, regardless if the dealer also busts in the same round.
How to improve your odds
Blackjack is a game of chance, but a player’s skill and decisions can affect the outcome. A player can stand or hit as they wish, unlike the dealer, who must always stand on 17-21 and hit on 16 or less.
Simply by following the rules of basic strategy – making correct choices to hit, stand, double and split – players could improve their odds and reduce the house edge to about .5% per cent.
Blackjack vs. Other Games
Casino Blackjack Machine Odds
House edge across various games is a useful way to compare the advantages of players vs. the house.
In Blackjack, the house edge can be as low as .5% – one of the lowest of all games at the casino, compared to 5.26% for Roulette. That results in a much more even playing field between players and the house for Blackjack.
Tip
In order to minimize the house edge for Blackjack, players must correctly use the basic strategies of the game.
Tip
It’s good to remember that no matter how well you play, you can’t eliminate the house advantage. Even the best players can lose over time.
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Introduction
Blackjack Odds Explained
Live dealer blackjack rules vary quite a bit. All are dealt from a shoe, with about 50% penetration. I think nobody allows re-splitting any pair. In other words, one split only. Most stand on a soft 17. The most variable rules seem to be on surrender and the dealer peeking for blackjack.
Special mention should be made about the Ezugi game, where early surrender against an ace is allowed. The effect of this rule variation is a reduction in the house edge of 0.39% to a low 0.11%. Personally, I think they don't understand what they are doing and this rule won't last once they realize how beneficial it is to the player.
It is difficult writing live dealer software reviews when I don't have access to play or watch the games. This was the case with Ho Gaming and Vivo Gaming.
As to the appearance of the table and dealer, please refer to the screenshots at the bottom of the page, especially for Usoft.
Odds Comparison
The following table shows the configurable rules, to the best of my knowledge, at various brands of live dealer studios. An explanation of the column headings follows the table.
Live Dealer Blackjack Comparison
| Brand | Play | Decks | Soft 17 | DAS | Peek | Surr. | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaya Software(Live) | Vera John Casino | 8 | Hit | No | No | No | 0.71% |
| Asia Gaming(Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.62% |
| BetConstruct(Blackjack) | Casino British | 1 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.43% |
| Evolution Gaming(Infinite Blackjack (with six-card Charlie)) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.45% |
| Evolution Gaming(Live Dealer Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | No | No | No | 0.72% |
| Extreme Live Gaming(Blackjack) | Leo Vegas | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.62% |
| Ezugi(Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.11% |
| Ezugi(Unlimited) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.35% |
| FashionTV(Blackjack) | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.41% | |
| Fresh Deck Studios(Blackjack) | Super Slots | 8 | Hit | No | Yes | No | 0.62% |
| Gameplay Interactive(Blackjack) | Casino777 | 6 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.46% |
| HO Gaming(Blackjack) | Vera John Casino | 8 | Hit | No | No | No | 0.6% |
| LuckyStreak(Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | No | 0.49% |
| Net Entertainment(Common Draw Blackjack (Live Dealer)) | Casoo Casino | 6 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.59% |
| Net Entertainment(Live Beyond Live Blackjack) | Casoo Casino | 6 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.59% |
| Playtech(Unlimited Blackjack (Live Dealer)) | BitStarz | 8 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.5% |
| Usoft Gaming(Blackjack Unlimited) | Playhub Casino | 6 | Hit | Yes | Yes | Yes | 0.43% |
| Visionary iGaming(Early Payout) | Sloto'Cash Casino | 1 | Stand | Yes | Yes | No | 0.69% |
| Visionary iGaming(Blackjack) | Sloto'Cash Casino | 6 | Stand | Yes | Yes | No | 0.69% |
| Vivo Gaming(Blackjack) | BitStarz | 8 | Hit | Yes | Yes | No | 0.5% |
| Wirex Gaming(Blackjack) | 8 | Hit | Yes | No | No | 0.56% | |
| Xprogaming(Blackjack) | Tusk Casino | 6 | Stand | Yes | No | No | 0.54% |
Column headings:
- Brand: Live dealer studio and in some cases the particular game.
- Decks: Number of decks used. Penetration tends to be about 50% everywhere.
- Soft 17: What the dealer does with a soft 17.
- DAS: Is double after a split allowed?
- Peek: Does the dealer peek at hole card for a blackjack. In cases where there isn't a hole card, the value in the table indicates if the player will lose his original bet only (yes) or everything (no) if the dealer eventually gets a blackjack. Sometimes the dealer will peek only under 10 or under an ace. Possible values are:
- Yes = Dealer always peeks with either a 10 or ace up.
- No = Dealer never peeks. Player will lose all money bet doubling and splitting if the dealer gets a blackjack
- Ace only = Dealer peeks only under an ace up. If no hole card is taken, 'ace only' means the player will lose his original bet only if the dealer gets a blackjack starting with an ace up, but everything if starting with a 10 up.
- 10 only = Dealer peeks only under a 10 up. If no hole card is taken, '10 only' means the player will lose his original bet only if the dealer gets a blackjack starting with a 10 up, but everything if starting with an ace up.
- Surrender = Can player forfeit half his bet and not play the hand? This option is generally offered only after the dealer peeks for blackjack, but in the Ezugi regular game (as opposed to unlimited), the player may surrender before the dealer peeks.
- Edge = House edge
Screenshots
Asia Gaming.
FashionTV.
Ho Gaming.
Evolution Gaming.
Blackjack Casino Odds
Wirex.
In the Usoft game, the dealer will flash when any player gets a blackjack.
Blackjack Early Payout and regular blackjack by Visionary iGaming.
Blackjack early payout and conventional blackjack by Net Entertainment.
Written by: Michael Shackleford