You don’t have to play games for very long to realise that the house edge is the biggest elephant in the room imaginable.
Online casino forums are bursting with talk about lowering the house edge at a blackjack table, or just steering clear from certain online blackjack games altogether.
If you’re a stickler for a low house edge, you’ll want to read this post, where we’ll have a quick glance at how to lower the house edge when playing at your favourite blackjack tables.
WHAT IS THE HOUSE EDGE IN BLACKJACK?
Also known as the house advantage, the house edge is the casino’s advantage over the player expressed as a percentage of the player’s bet. In plain terms, this mechanic is an online casino’s way of making money in the long term.
The blackjack house edge percentage usually hovers around the 2% mark for inexperienced players. This means that for every €100 a player wins, the player loses €2.
In the short term, the 2% might not necessarily come into effect, especially where winning streaks are concerned. Furthermore, employing basic strategy decisions — synonymous with the most ‘correct’ play possible — will further reduce the house edge.
With that said, blackjack’s 2% house edge will always play out in the long term and blackjack players can only make the correct decision every so often. Bad fortune and mistakes are bound to occur at some point.
HOW DOES THE HOUSE HAVE AN EDGE IN BLACKJACK?
As a gambling game, blackjack has a very unique way of factoring in its house edge.
Seeing as the player acts before the dealer, the player has a good chance of busting and losing their stake before the dealer has to even lift a finger.
If the player stands, the dealer can still win the hand — by landing a blackjack, or as close to that as possible.
Considering how the game is played, blackjack has a very special and effective way of incorporating the house edge. With that said, there are other factors that affect how the house edge works, and these can be found in the game rules.
For example, if the dealer hits on soft 17, the house edge will slightly decrease. Can you double down after a split? If yes, the house edge will fall by around 0.15%.
The surrender rule also affects this subject. Some blackjack variants offer the option of surrendering, that is, discarding your hand and receiving half your stake in return.
HOW TO CALCULATE THE BLACKJACK HOUSE EDGE?
Before looking to calculate the house of a blackjack game, take into account each variable that affects it, including:
- Whether the natural blackjack payout is 3:2 or 6:5.
- Whether it is a single-deck blackjack variant or a multi-deck game.
- Whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17.
- Whether players can double after a split.
- On which range players can double (any two cards, nine to 11 or 10 to 11).
- How many cards players can resplit to.
- Whether resplitting aces is allowed.
- Whether hitting split aces is allowed.
- Whether surrendering is allowed.
There are several online calculators that allow players the option of toggling each of these variables on or off in an attempt to provide the best estimation of their game’s house edge.
We recommend using such calculators since it is quite laborious to calculate the house edge on your own, especially if math isn’t your favourite subject.
In order to get to know the above variables of the blackjack casino game you want to play, we suggest consulting the game’s rules. If the information you seek is not stipulated there, try watching other people play, or simply ask the dealer (in the case of live blackjack) or casino.
HOW TO REDUCE THE BLACKJACK HOUSE EDGE?
Simply put, the best way to reduce the house edge of most casino games that aren’t fully reliant on luck is by incorporating some sort of basic strategy.
What defines a ‘correct basic strategy’? A basic blackjack strategy boils down to a set of rules (or suggestions) on how each possible hand should be played.
Here’s a very basic example. Imagine being dealt a hand of A – 9. In this case, any basic strategy will suggest that you stand, since hitting will most likely result in a bust. Strategies get much more specific than that, of course, but this shows the basic premise of a blackjack strategy.
Playing any blackjack variant with a predetermined strategy can low the casino’s edge to a lowly 0.5%, which is why we definitely recommend using one in most blackjack games.
Furthermore, placing even-money bets and avoiding to take insurance will further reduce the house edge. With that said, it is up to you to evaluate the size of your bankroll and play as you see fit.
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