After originating in 1700s France, Blackjack, known as Vingt-et-Un – or Twenty-One – has since become one of the most popular casino games of all time.
Not only can you enjoy Blackjack at your favourite casino venues, but you can also play Blackjack at a casino online, from anywhere you have internet access, on any compatible device.
No matter how you decide to play, it’s important to know the different variables that might affect the likelihood of winning, whilst enjoying the game of chance.
Read on to find out more…
Deck size
One of the biggest factors that can impact gameplay is the size of the deck, or number of decks used. A standard game of Blackjack can involve anything from one to eight decks of cards, which can affect the house edge.
Essentially, the fewer decks used, the more likely a Blackjack is to occur.
This is because, in one deck, exactly 1/13th of the cards are Aces, and the probability of being dealt one of these is higher with a smaller deck of cards. By adding more cards to the deck, the chances of receiving an Ace decrease, as there are now more of the other cards in the mix.
When a second deck gets added, the probability of drawing a Blackjack is reduced by 0.05% – from a 4.83% chance, to 4.78%. This might seem small, but most casinos offer winning payouts of 3:2, and losses can add up.
Think of this on a bigger scale, when you play Blackjack with eight decks of 52 cards all shuffled together. Whilst there are more Aces, and more Kings, Queens and Jacks providing you with the value of 10, there’s also a higher chance you’ll get one of the other number-valued cards. Therefore, overall gameplay is moved to a much larger scale, and the house edge is increased.
Despite this, Blackjack remains the casino game with one of the lowest house edges. But, in order to keep this even lower, playing at a table with fewer decks involved is recommended, amongst new and seasoned players alike.
Basic strategy
Another thing to be aware of when enjoying a game of Blackjack, is the basic strategy. Your knowledge of this can have an impact on your winning chances as you’ll benefit from knowing the best moves to make based on the cards you have in your hand (whether you want to ‘stand’, ‘hit’, ‘split’, ‘fold’ or ‘double down’.
You can access strategy cards at most casinos, and sometimes refer to this throughout gameplay so you can clearly see which of these options is likely to give you the best outcome from the hand you have been dealt.
Despite this, it’s worth remembering that Blackjack is a game of chance, and whether you play with fewer decks or use a strategy card, a win is never guaranteed.
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With your newfound knowledge of Blackjack, and some ways to try and improve your winning chances – do you think you’ll be attempting to beat the dealer anytime soon?