Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. And for good reason too. It is a very exciting game. It is very easy to learn. Without much effort, you can reduce the house advantage to almost 0.
In general, easier the game to play, higher the house advantage. Slot machines are the easiest to play. Casino can easily have an advantage of more than 5%. But Blackjack is considered a game of skill. Therefore, the house advantage is under 0.5 %. That is if you bet $10, you will be expected to lose 5 cents. Assuming 100 rounds per hour, you will lose only 5 dollars per hour. This is one of the best odds you can get in a casino game. Comps you receive easily make up for the $5.
But you can take this to another level and turn the tables on the casino by counting cards.
Blackjack is played between player and the casino (dealer). Each card is assigned a value. Cards 2 – 10 are assigned their face value. Thus 2 has a value of 2 and 10 has a value of 10. Jack, Queen and King have a value of 10. Ace has a value of 1 or 11. Initially, player and dealer are each dealt 2 cards. The value of each hand is the sum of values of individual cards. Thus if player receives an 8 and a Jack, the value of player’s hand is 18.
Both player and dealer can draw additional cards. This is called hitting. If they don’t take any more cards, it is called standing.
If a hand has an A and the A is used as 11, then it is called a soft hand. Else, it is called a hard hand. If a hand has an A and the hand value exceeds 21, then A will be treated as a 1.
If a hand value makes 21 with just 2 cards, then it is a Blackjack. This will be possible only if one card is an A and the other is a 10 or J or Q or K.
Any hand with a value of over 21 is called a bust hand.
The following table gives some examples.
|
Individual cards |
Hand value |
Soft hand |
Comments |
|
2, K |
12 |
No |
K has a value of 10 |
|
3, 9, 7 |
19 |
No |
|
|
5, 10, J |
25 |
No |
This is a bust hand |
|
A, 3 |
14 |
Yes |
A has a value of 11 |
|
A, 5, 4 |
20 |
Yes |
A has a value of 11 |
|
A, Q |
Blackjack |
Yes |
Two card 21 |
|
2, 3, A |
16 |
Yes |
A has a value of 11 |
|
K, 2, A |
13 |
No |
A cannot take a value of 11 because hand value will exceed 21 |
|
K, 4, A, A, 7 |
23 |
No |
This is a bust hand. Even when A is treated as a 1, hand value exceeds 21. |
|
A, A |
12 |
Yes |
One A has a value of 11. Other A has a value of 1. |
|
A, A, 7 |
19 |
Yes |
|
|
A, A, 10 |
12 |
No |
Both As have a value of 1 |
Dealer’s rules of drawing or standing are well defined. As long the dealer’s hand value is less than 17, he must keep drawing additional cards from the shoe. In addition if the dealer has a Soft 17, then dealer must draw.
At the end, whoever has a hand value close to 21 without going over 21, wins. Blackjack wins over all other hands. If both player and dealer have the same hand value, the round ends in a push (tie). No money changes hands. If both go over 21, dealer wins. This rule gives house the advantage.
Example 1:
Player’s first two cards are 8 spades and 9 hearts. Dealer’s first two cards are Jack spades and 9 clubs. Player’s hand total is 17. Dealer’s hand total is 19. Dealer wins.
Example 2:
Player’s first two cards are 7 spades and 8 clubs. Dealer’s first two cards are 2 clubs and 7 spades. Player draws another card. New card is 4 spades. His new hand value is 19. Player stands. Dealer draws a card. New card is 6 clubs. Dealer’s hand total is 15. Since it is less than 17, dealer must draw again. Dealer draws 2 spades. Dealer’s new hand total is 17. Dealer must stand. Player wins.
Example 3:
Player’s first two cards are 8 and King. Dealer’s first 2 cards are 9 and 7. Dealer draws Jack. Player’s hand total is 18. Dealer’s hand total is 26. Dealer is over 21 (bust). Player wins.
Example 4:
Player’s first two cards are A and 5. Dealer’s first two cards are 8 and King. Player hand total is 16. This is a soft hand, since A is used as an 11. Player draws and gets a 9. Player’s hand total will be 25 if A is used as an 11. But now A takes the value of one and player’s hand total is 15. Now this is a hard hand. Player draws again and gets a 3. Both player and dealer have 18. This is a push. No money changes hands.
Example 5:
Player’ first two cards are 7 and 9. Dealer’s first 2 cards are 4 and 7. Player draws and gets a 7. Player’s hand total is 23. Player busts. Player automatically loses. Outcome of dealer’s play is irrelevant. Even if dealer also busts, player still loses.
Example 6:
Player’s first two cards are A and King. This is a Blackjack. Dealer’s first two cards are 9 and 7. Dealer draws another card and gets a 5. Dealer’s hand total is 21. Player wins.
Example 7:
Player’s first two cards are Queen and King. Dealer first two cards are A and 6. Since dealer has Soft 17, dealer must draw. Dealer draws a 10. Player’s hand value is 20 and dealer’s hand value is 17. Player wins.
The following table illustrates various scenarios.
|
Player hand value |
Dealer hand value |
Result |
Comments |
|
15 |
17 |
Dealer wins |
Dealer hand is closer to 21 |
|
20 |
18 |
Player wins |
Player hand is closer to 20 |
|
19 |
19 |
Push |
Both have same hand value |
|
Blackjack |
21 |
Player wins |
Blackjack beats all other hands |
|
21 |
Blackjack |
Dealer wins |
|
|
Blackjack |
Blackjack |
Push |
|
|
23 |
18 |
Dealer wins |
Player went over 21 (Bust) |
|
20 |
22 |
Player wins |
Dealer went over 21(Bust) |
|
22 |
23 |
Dealer wins |
Both hands busted. But dealer wins. |
So far, the rules are lopsided and heavily favor the house. If player mimics dealer play, then the house advantage is 8.15%. This is hardly exciting. But as you will see in the next sections, player has several other options that will reduce the house advantage to almost nothing.
Dealer’s play is well defined. If dealer’s hand value is less than 17 or is Soft 17, dealer draws another card. Otherwise, dealer stands. But the player has the choice of either drawing or standing. One of the two dealer cards is open and the other card is closed. The closed card is called the hole card. Player can look at his current hand and the dealer’s open card value and decide if he wants to hit or stand.
With this rule, house advantage is reduced to 4.83 %.
When player gets a Blackjack and dealer does not get a Blackjack, player is paid 3:2. For example, if player’s bet is $10 and player gets a Blackjack, player will be paid $15 (and his $10 bet back). If both player and dealer have Blackjacks, it is a push. With this rule, house advantage is reduced to 2.58 %. This is already better than most of the casino games.
On his first two cards, player has the option of doubling his bet. In return, player will exactly receive one additional card. For example, the player makes an initial bet of $10. Player’s first two cards are 5 and 6. Dealer’s open card is 6. Player makes an additional bet of $10. He receives one more card, a King. His new hand total is 21. His total bet is $20. Dealer ends with a hand value of 20. Player wins $20.
If dealer’s open card is an A, 10, Jack, Queen or King, dealer will check for Blackjack before player plays. If dealer has a Blackjack, play ends immediately. If dealer does not have a Blackjack, then player can use this knowledge to his advantage. In this way, player will never lose more than his original bet to a dealer Blackjack.
With this rule, house advantage is reduced to 1.20 %.
When the player’s hand has exactly two cards and both cards are of equal value, player can split the hand into two independent hands. Each hand is played separately. For example, player initially bets $10. Player’s first two cards are 8 spades and 8 clubs. Player splits the 8s and creates two hands. Player will make an additional bet of $10 for the newly created second hand. For the first hand with 8 spades, player draws 10 spade. For the second hand with 8 clubs, player draws a 4. Player draws again and gets a 7. Each hand is now separately settled with dealer’s hand.
If player’s hand is made up of 10 and Jack, player can still split as both cards are of equal value. Also note that after a split, a Blackjack is not possible. Even if any split hand is a two card 21, it is treated as a 21 and not a Blackjack.
With this rule, house advantage is reduced to 0.64 %.
All the statistics shown in the previous sections are for 6 decks. As the number of decks decrease, house advantage also decreases.
|
Number of decks |
House advantage (%) |
|
12 |
0.69 |
|
8 |
0.66 |
|
6 |
0.64 |
|
4 |
0.60 |
|
2 |
0.48 |
|
1 |
0.17 |
When dealer’s up card is an A, the player has the option of taking insurance. Insurance bet is half the original bet. If dealer ends up with a Blackjack, player will be paid 2:1 for his insurance bet. If dealer does not have a Blackjack, player will lose his insurance bet.
Example 1:
Player makes an initial bet of $10. Player’s first two cards are 8 and 4. Dealer’s open card is an A. Player makes an insurance bet of $5. Dealer checks for Blackjack. Dealer’s hole card is a Queen. Dealer has a Blackjack. Player loses his original bet of $10. But wins $10 on his insurance bet. Overall, the player does not lose or win any money.
Example 2:
Player makes an initial bet of $10. Player’s first two cards are 9 and King. Dealer’s open card is an A. Player makes an insurance bet of $5. Dealer checks for Blackjack. Dealer does not have a Blackjack. Player loses his insurance bet of $5. After player stands on his 19, dealer reveals his hole card. It is a 5. Dealer draws a 2. Dealer’s final hand value is 18. So, player wins $10. Player’s total win is $5.
Q1. For each of the following, what is the hand value? Is it a Soft or Hard hand?
a) A, 3
b) 8, 5, 4
c) A, 7, A
d) Queen, A
e) A, A, A
f) A, A, Queen, King
g) 9, 4, A, A
h) 9, 4, 8
Q2. Who wins in the following scenario?
|
|
Player hand |
Dealer hand |
|
a) |
A, 5, 3, 2 |
8, 7, 3 |
|
b) |
A, Queen |
King, A |
|
c) |
A, A, 7 |
10, 4, 5 |
|
d) |
10, A |
3, 7, A |
|
e) |
8, 4 |
6, 10, King |
|
f) |
8, 4, Jack |
8, 10 |
|
g) |
5, 9, 9 |
9, 6, Jack |
A1)
a) Soft 14
b) Hard 17
c) Soft 19
d) Blackjack
e) Soft 13
f) Hard 22 (Bust)
g) Hard 15
h) Hard 21
A2)
a) Player wins. Player has 21. Dealer has 18.
b) Push. Both have Blackjacks.
c) Push. Both have 19s.
d) Player wins. Player has Blackjack. Dealer has 21.
e) Player wins. Player has 12. Dealer busts.
f) Dealer wins. Player busts.
g) Dealer wins. Both bust. So, dealer wins.