We'll take a look at how the number of decks used in a game of blackjack impacts the house edge and card counting, and the number of decks used by land-based casinos.
To give you an idea of the statistical difference between one and two decks, let's look at the odds of drawing a blackjack when you start with 104 cards instead of 52. The probability of drawing any Ace from a two-deck shoe is 8/104. The probability of then drawing any ten-point card from the same shoe is 32/103.
Pai Gow Poker uses a standard deck of 52 cards plus one joker. A maximum of six players sit around the table along with the dealer. The object of the game is quite simple: to beat the banker. The banker can be the dealer, another player at the table, or a player-dealer 'team.'. Pia gowe. Exciting news: exclusively on PaiGow.com, you can now learn an improved Pai Gow strategy, designed by computer, that works much better than the traditional strategy. Find out more in our discussion of the Denenberg Strategy. Pai gow poker is the American version of pai gow – a Chinese dominoes game. Pai gow was introduced to the US market by Sam Torosian, who invented it based on the Asian model. Sadly for him, he didn't patent it and ended up losing a potential fortune. The game quickly gained popularity and nowadays is considered a classic.
- Jun 11, 2012 The decks are all shuffled together. Just ask the dealer how many decks are being used. The less decks, the better because you have a higher chance of getting Blackjacks and Running Counts become high True Counts faster, if you're not a card counter, ignore the the whole 'Count talk.'
- How many decks in casino blackjackBeautiful slot machines, casino games and JACKPOT slots - excitement is only a spin how many decks in casino blackjack away!
Technically there's no limit to how many decks of cards can be used in a game of blackjack. While a couple of friends playing at home can play a decent game of 21 using as little as one or two decks, casino blackjack is most commonly played with six to eight decks of standard 52 playing cards, excluding jokers.
How the number of decks affect the house edge
When optimal blackjack strategy is employed, the theoretical house edge for a game of 21 is less than 1% depending on the rules in play, making this the most player friendly of all casino card games. However, the house edge can vary significantly depending on the number of decks of cards that are used per game and the rules that are in place, with a 0.5% house edge typically reserved for fewer deck games with player-friendly rules.
As more decks of cards are added, the house edge becomes higher and higher, growing even further with the introduction of new rules that have been implemented by land based casinos to give the house an extra advantage (for example, excluding doubling on soft hands, offering lower payouts for natural blackjacks, unfair Soft 17 rules, etc).
The reason for the variation in house edge is that the more decks of cards that are used, the lower your chances are of drawing a natural blackjack (a hand with a 10 value card plus an ace), with fewer decks giving you a better chance. With fewer decks in use, the dealer also has a lower chance of drawing a natural blackjack against the player's natural blackjack, which means there is a lower chance that a pushed tie bet will occur.
Impact on card counting
Card counting is big in blackjack, with many players benefitting in big ways from being able to mentally calculate which cards have already been dealt versus which cards remain in the shoe in order to determine their next move.
With single deck blackjack, card counting could be mastered with some work even if you weren't the most mathematically advanced type, with many card sharks publishing bestselling books teaching their card counting methods. However, the addition of each and every deck of cards makes card counting that little bit more difficult, so counting is very difficult for casual players who might not have the time or the patience to master the technique.
Why some land based casinos use fewer decks
It wasn't too long ago that casinos around Australia used the single deck blackjack format, with similar rules to those we're used to seeing employed with online six deck blackjack games, which is what put the house edge around the 1% mark. As more players honed their blackjack strategy and card counting began to grow in popularity and effectiveness, the casinos had to put certain provisions in place to protect the house against these player-friendly rules.
Initially, casinos kept the single deck format but introduced some rules that were so unfavourable to players that recreational punters were turned off the game entirely, which is what led to the introduction of the higher deck games, which you'll find at some casinos. At Australian casinos like Crown Melbourne, Crown Perth and Star Sydney, blackjack games commonly use between four and eight decks.
However, to keep players happy by continuing to offer blackjack games using fewer decks of cards, some casino vendors imposed less player-friendly rules, like restricting splits, imposing lower betting limits and paying less for blackjack wins. So while players can benefit from using fewer decks, the unfair rules make the game work in the houses favour.
Free 100 hand poker games. These blackjack games using fewer decks and limiting rules have become favoured by Australian casino vendors as they are highly favourable to the house, much to the disdain of punters. Dedicated blackjack players should consider switching to play online where the probabilities and house edges are more favourable to the player.
Benefit of online play
Online gambling was made illegal in Australia as of September 2017 following the introduction of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, so for Australians the content on this page is informational in nature only. The information about online blackjack is intended exclusively for international readers.
Online blackjack games from leading developers like Microgaming and NetEnt are typically played with six to eight decks of cards, but with rules that are much more favourable to players than some of the sketchy rules being employed by land based casinos. Playing online gives players the chance to choose from several 21 variants, including Single Deck Blackjack, so you can hand pick games with better house edges using the player friendly rules that you prefer.
How Many Decks For Blackjack Games
Sign up at Casino Mate to claim your welcome bonus and choose between multiple blackjack variants using a different number of decks of cards.In the old days, Blackjack was a simple game that utilized a single, 52-card deck of playing cards. In modern times, the most common versions of blackjack are played with 6 or 8 decks of cards.
In Las Vegas, for example, 6-deck Blackjack is most common (though…more and more are starting to use 8 decks). Atlantic City casinos also offer 6 Deck Blackjack, as well as 8-Deck Blackjack. Another blackjack variation known as Spanish 21 often includes the use of 8 decks of cards and a much wider range of rule variations.
Of course, there are also many other variants of Blackjack you can find online. Most Microgaming casinos, such as Royal Vegas, will offer additional types such as Multi-hand blackjack. So read on for our focus on the basic games of Blackjack.
Vegas Strip 6-Deck Blackjack Rules
- All standard rules apply
- Dealer Hits Soft 17: Yes
- Double any two cards: Yes
- Double after Split: Yes
- Resplit: Yes (up to 4 hands)
- Surrender: Varies
Atlantic City 6-Deck Blackjack Rules
- All standard rules apply
- Dealer Hits Soft 17: No
- Double any two cards: Yes
- Double after Split: Yes
- Resplit: Yes (up to 4 hands)
- Surrender: Varies
Spanish 21 8-Deck Blackjack Rules
- All standard rules apply
- Dealer Hits Soft 17: Yes
- Double any two cards: Yes
- Double after Split: Yes
- Resplit: No
- Surrender: Yes
- Surrender after Doubling: Yes
- 5+ Card 21: Yes, bonus payouts for 5, 6 and 7 card 21, only before Double/Split.
- All 10's removed from decks (not Face Cards, just 10's).
Conclusion
How Many Decks In Blackjack At Mohegan Sun
There is little practical difference in 6 and 8 Deck Blackjack games. Be sure to check the rules of various Blackjack games, noting in particular whether the dealer Hits or Stands on soft 17. When the Dealer Hits Soft 17 (bad for the player), the house edge is higher; when the Dealer Stands on Soft 17 (good for the player), the house edge is lower.
