Reducing the House Edge

By using the reduce the house advantage the player is able to significantly reduce the house advantage. In blackjack it varies according to the rules that the particular casino employs or the variation of the game. However, the player may reduce it by using the optimal strategy. For example, if the game has a 4% house edge, it means that in the long run the casino will win 4% of any initial bet.

But if the player uses the best possible strategy (the basic strategy) the house advantage in blackjack will drop to less than 1%. In comparison to other casino games in this sense blackjack is very favorable to the player. Unfortunately, most of the blackjack players know nothing about the optimal strategy and therefore usually even increase the house edge.

Soft 17 Rule

One of the most important blackjack rules is the Soft 17 rule. The fact whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17 slightly changes the house edge and the way the player should play in some situations. The rule varies throughout different casinos so the player should be aware of whether the dealer hits on soft 17 or stands on it in the particular game. However, this usually is not an issue as most of the casinos note it by putting H17 – the dealer hits on soft 17, or S17 – the dealer stands on soft 17, right on the blackjack table.

Card Decks

Another important factor in blackjack is the number of card decks that is used in the game. A simple explanation is this – the less decks are used the better it is for the player. Playing blackjack with only one deck of cards favors the player the most. However, a single-deck game usually has other restrictions in order to increase the house edge, therefore the player should always be aware of all the rules that the particular game employs and how do they affect the house advantage.

The following table illustrates how the number of decks increase the house edge:

Surrender Rule

Another option which is favorable to the player is the Surrender rule. It allows the player to give up half of their bet and forfeit the hand. This option is useful when the player's odds of winning the game are really low, for example when having a hard 16 with the dealer holding any card from 9 to A. The rule is also often called the Late Surrender as the player may only take this option after the dealer has checked for blackjack.

Resplitting

Resplitting is also a blackjack player-favoring option which after a split of a pair other than aces allows to split the third card of the same value. The player then has to bet on the third hand respectively and then play the game with three hands. Some casinos put no restrictions on the number of splits and allow unlimited resplitting.

Although most of the casinos allow only one more card to be dealt next to each ace after the player had split aces, some of the game variations are not that restricted. At some casinos players are allowed to resplit the aces or hit the split aces. This increases the player's chances of winning and reduces the house advantage. However, casinos which allow resplit or hit split aces are not very common. Another rule which reduces the house edge is Double after Split – it allows the player to double their bet on one or both of the split hands.

No Hole Card

Some casinos may also offer a no hole card blackjack variation. In this game the dealer is only dealt one open card and waits for the player to complete their hand. Only when the player is finished, the dealer would deal the rest of their hand. This game variation is more popular in European and Caribbean casinos rather than US. The game employs a slightly different basic strategy and increases the house edge by 0.1%.

Different Payouts

Although the standard payout in blackjack is 3:2, there are some exceptions. For example video blackjack uses the 1:1 payout structure, whereas some casino tables may also offer 1:1 or 6:5 payouts which significantly increase the house edge. These are usually applied in order to reduce the player advantage in games employing rules more favorable to the player, like using a single card deck.

Side Bets

The most popular blackjack side bet is Insurance. This bet is offered if the dealer's open card is an ace. Insurance bet is equal to half of the player's initial bet and is put on a specific place on the table, marked Insurance. The bet pays 2:1 in case the dealer has a blackjack. Insurance is offered before the dealer checks their hole card for blackjack so nether the player nor the dealer knows whether the side bet will pay off. As soon as the bet is placed the dealer checks their hole card and if it's a blackjack the player is payed the insurance bet 2:1 and loose their initial bet. However, if the dealer does not get blackjack, the insurance bet is lost and the game goes on in it's regular order.

Although it might seem wise to insure oneself against the dealer blackjack as there is a fairly high possibility that their hole card will be valued at 10, it is actually a poor bet to make. The chances of dealer getting a blackjack in case their open card is an ace are approximately one-third which seems rather high, although if you look at it from the player's perspective you'll see that there is a higher possibility for the dealer not getting a blackjack. And if you would look at the house edge of the insurance bet you would see that it's around 7% which is very high. This means that it is not wise to go for the side bet and the best choice is simply to avoid it.

However, in some cases the insurance bet may appear to be a good one. In a single deck game which is played by more than one player or in a multi-hand game. If the dealer gets an ace as their open card and there are no ten-valued cards on the table, the chances of the dealer's hole card being a ten or higher (except for the ace) increase and therefore the insurance bet should be made.

Even Money Bet

Another type of insurance is the Even Money bet. When the player has a blackjack and the dealer's open card is an ace the casino offers to pay out 1:1 instantly without the dealer looking at their hole card for blackjack. This might be tempting because if the dealer also gets blackjack the game is a push and the player wins nothing. However, the odds of dealer getting blackjack are not that high as the player already has one of the ten-valued cards. So players should avoid taking even money and go for the whole payout.