Blackjack Odds At A Casino

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How Do You Calculate Blackjack Odds?

Blackjack is perhaps the only casino game that offers a skilled player a competitive advantage against the house. Provided players use basic blackjack strategy, card counting skills, and carefully select the right game, it’s entirely possible to whittle away the house edge. Caesars Games – a leading provider of online slot games – conducted extensive research into the best blackjack game available to players. One game comes up trumps every time, Single Deck Classic Blackjack!

Blackjack is the American variant of a globally popular banking game known as Twenty-One, whose relatives include Pontoon and Vingt-et-Un. It is a comparing card game between one or more players and a dealer, where each player in turn competes against the dealer. Players do not compete against each other. It is played with one or more decks of 52 cards, and is the most widely played casino. Blackjack - What Are the Odds? Plus articles and information on Casino-Gambling Boxing news, reviews, articles, interviews and forum. Start a free email account, homepage or even your own journal. Jan 18, 2011  Steve Bourie, author of the American Casino Guide, interviews Michael 'Wizard of Odds' Shackleford about blackjack. Mike answers some of the most.

Classic Blackjack Odds

Casino Odds On Blackjack

One of the world’s most renowned authorities on casino game probabilities is the Wizard of Odds. This comprehensive gambling portal provides in-depth information on the house edge of blackjack games, given specific rules of play. Let’s assume that 1 deck of cards is used in a game of Classic Blackjack. Several other assumptions need to be made to calculate the house edge, including the following:
• Dealer stands on soft 17
• Players can re-split Aces
• Players can hit split Aces
• Players can re-split to 4 hands
• Players can Double after a Split
• No Surrender and Blackjack pays 3: 2
• Players can Double on any first 2 cards
• Player does not lose original bet against the Dealer Blackjack

Given these rules, the player has a 0.23967% edge over the house. When using a basic strategy with a cut card, the player still has an edge over the house of 0.08797%. If a continuous shuffler is used, the player edge is 0.20097%. The house edge increases when the number of decks of cards increases. For example, if all the rules stay the same and 8 decks of cards are used, the house edge with optimal gameplay is 0.30518%!

Why Would a Casino Offer Classic Blackjack to Players?

Believe it or not, there are a handful of games provided by casinos that offer players a competitive advantage. Classic Blackjack is one of them. True, you are unlikely to find this game at many Atlantic City casinos or Las Vegas casinos for this reason. Classic Blackjack is played with just 52 cards comprising 4 suits (diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades) with 2-10 worth their face value, Aces worth 1 or 11, and Jacks, Queens, and Kings worth 10.
There is an important blackjack rule that you probably don’t want to miss. Look carefully at the table and see whether blackjack pays 3:2, or 6:5. The best variant of this casino card game is the 3:2 version. Consider the payouts if you place a $100 bet and you hit blackjack. On the one hand you can win $150, and on the other you can win $120 – it’s a no-brainer. Equally important is what the dealer does on 16 and 17. Most of the time, the dealer is required to draw to 16 and stand on all 17s. Sometimes, the dealer is only required to stand on soft 17 (Includes an Ace).

Easy Blackjack Tips to Remember

• Always split a pair of Aces
• Stand if your hand total is a hard 17 – 21 (no Aces)
• Stand if you have a soft hand total of 19 – 21 (includes Aces)
• Always hit if your hand total is less than/equal to 11 – you can never bust!
• A natural blackjack (10-value card + Ace) beats any hand total that sums to 21
• Always use blackjack strategy charts and odds calculators to stand the best chance of winning

How Hard Is It to Beat the Dealer in Blackjack?

The trick to playing blackjack well is knowing which games to play, which rules to select, and how to manage your bankroll well. Blackjack is primarily a skill-based casino card game. An element of luck is involved since players don’t know what the next card is going to be with any certainty. You cannot alter the cards you have been dealt – you can only manage the way you play them. A fixed set of rules requires blackjack dealers to play a certain way. Like all casino games, the house has an inherent advantage, which is typically limited to around 1% in blackjack.

You may be wondering why the house has an advantage over the player? The reason for this is simple: The dealer acts after the player. If the player busts, the dealer is not required to continue playing, and wins by default. Fortunately, there are multiple blackjack guides, articles, rules, charts, and calculators that can teach players the art of the deal. It’s important to understand key terms in blackjack such as:
• Hit – take another card.
• Double Down – opt for one final card, double your bet, and stand.
• Stand – take no further action and stick with what you have.
• Split – Split identical cards such as a pair of Kings, a pair of Two’s, into 2 separate hands with additional wagers on each hand.
• Surrender – this option (if available) allows players to surrender a bad hand for 50% of their bet.
• Choose 3:2 over 6:5 on Blackjack – this simply gives you a higher payout

The importance of basic blackjack strategy cannot be stressed enough. This is typically represented in a grid/chart which indicates the following:
• The dealer’s upcard versus the player’s hand
• Multiple combinations are possible from 2 – Ace (for the dealer) and all the available 2-card combinations for the player.
• Players must either hit, double, stand, or split depending on the cards the dealer is showing and the player’s hole cards.

Players are advised to select blackjack games that require a dealer to stand on all 17. This makes it easier for the player to win in the long-term. Another important point to bear in mind is that of card shuffling machines. If you are an experienced card counter, it is best to avoid these machines since it makes it difficult to keep an accurate count.

Perhaps the most important rule for the game of blackjack, or any casino game is effective bankroll management. If you’re playing Classic Blackjack, you must manage your bankroll well. Set loss limits and profit limits and always know when to walk away

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There are dozens of blackjack options in Las Vegas. The choices range from the number of decks dealt, whether double down after splitting, surrender and re-split aces are permitted, blackjack paying 3-2 or 6-5, as well as video blackjack and variants. We took to the Las Vegas Strip, downtown and the entire locals market to find the best and worst games available.

The OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos complete list below will help you find the game you’re looking for and which tables to avoid. These include sections related to location and type of game.

Blackjack Casino & Table Locations

North Las Vegas Strip

Our Las Vegas blackjack surveys break the Strip into three sections. The North Strip blackjack survey includes all casinos from Treasure Island up to Stratosphere. The North end of the Las Vegas Strip houses a modest amount of blackjack tables, with roughly five tables at each casino, some with better rules than others.

Central Las Vegas Strip

The Central Strip survey includes all blackjack casinos from Planet Hollywood and Cosmopolitan up to Harrah’s and Mirage. These casinos tend to offer higher limit tables with much better player rules. With Eleven casinos to choose from, they all offer a variety of good and bad blackjack tables.

Blackjack Odds At Casino

South Las Vegas Strip

Blackjack Odds At A Casino

Our South Strip blackjack survey includes all casinos south of Harmon. This runs from Aria down to Mandalay Bay. These are some of the more popular casinos on the strip, offering blackjack players a lot more than just the gaming tables. The majority of blackjack games are 6 and 8 decks, with a few 2-deck high-roller tables available.

Downtown Las Vegas

Our downtown Las Vegas section lists all blackjack casinos on Fremont Street and anything within walking distance of it. This includes Downtown Grand, California and Main Street Station. This is the “old” part of Las Vegas, but you can often find some great action at the blackjack tables when downtown.

Locals / Off Strip Blackjack

The locals blackjack survey includes any casino in the Las Vegas market that is not considered to be on the Strip or downtown. This ranges from Boulder Highway to Red Rock, and to properties that are within walking distance of Las Vegas Blvd. If you plan on playing blackjack at these casinos, be prepared to stay at the hotel overnight.

Las Vegas Blackjack Games

Single Deck Blackjack

Blackjack Table Odds

There are only two single deck blackjack games in Las Vegas that pay 3-2. El Cortez offers a $5 game that permits double down on any two cards. Silverton has a single deck game that only has double down on 10 and 11. Neither permits double down after splitting. All other Las Vegas single deck blackjack games pay 6-5.

Double Deck Blackjack

The best blackjack games in Las Vegas casinos tend to be double deck. The best is at M Resort. It has a $50 minimum bet and stands on all 17s. Players may double down on any two cards and after splitting. This game also permits re-split aces. There are several casinos on the Las Vegas Strip that offer this game without re-split aces.

Six-Deck Blackjack

The best six deck blackjack games in Las Vegas stand on all 17s. These great tables also have double down before and after splitting, surrender and re-split aces. Treasure Island offers these tables for $25. For $50, players will find it at M Resort MGM Grand. Higher end MGM properties have the game for $100.

Video Blackjack in Las Vegas

Vegas video blackjack was once a great way to get favorable rules for lower limits. Those days are over in Las Vegas. Most video blackjack machines pay 6-5 and you won’t find much better odds around town. The exceptions are at The D and Venetian, where you can still find video blackjack games that pay 3-2.

Basic Strategy Chart

Blackjack Variants

Get a complete list of all blackjack variants dealt in Las Vegas. Games include Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack and Super Fun 21. There are some interesting blackjack games that should be tried at least once, even if their rules and odds are not favorable, they may be entertaining to play.

Blackjack Odds Online Casino

Contact the Vegas Survey Team

If you have updates about a Las Vegas casino blackjack games or any comments regarding the exclusive survey contact us at @OUSC_Official or send us an email at [email protected].

Some house edge information in the blackjack survey was determined by using the Wizard of Odds Blackjack Calculator.