There are a lot of blackjack rule variations out there, and not all are created equal. Certain rule variations favor you, while others favor the house. Being able to distinguish between favorable and less favorable rules with these top four blackjack rules will help you win more money from this popular table game.
3-2 vs. 6-5 Blackjack Payouts
Take the blackjack payouts for example. Certain Single-Deck Blackjack games pay 6-5, which doesn’t seem that different from the standard 3-2 payout. But when you crunch the numbers, the 6-5 version results in a $12 payout on a $10 bet instead of a $15 payout. That adds up.
To Hit or Stand on Soft 17
Another rule variation is the dealer hitting or standing on soft 17. Most blackjack games have transitioned to the dealer hitting on soft 17, but if you spot games where the dealer stands, play them. At Slots.lv, we have one blackjack game that follows this old pro-player rule, and it’s Double-Deck Blackjack. That variant has a 0.22% house edge; change the soft 17 rule to the dealer hitting, and the edge almost doubles to 0.42%. The only drawback: there’s no surrendering.
Thou Shall Surrender
The option to surrender favors you – not the house. This option lets you forfeit your hand and retrieve half your wager. It’s an excellent action that should be used when the dealer has a 9, 10 or Ace, and you have a 15 or 16.
Theoretically there are two types of surrender: early surrender and late surrender. The early surrender lets you surrender your hand before the dealer checks for blackjack, whereas the late surrender requires the dealer to check for blackjack before you have the option to surrender. The former decreases the house edge by 0.6% and the latter decreases the edge by 0.08%. Very few casinos still offer the early surrender option, but you’ll find late surrender buttons in all of our six-deck blackjack variants.
Fewer Decks, Smaller House Edge
There’s a reason casinos trim the player options for Single-Deck Blackjack. The more decks used in a game, the higher the house edge. Let’s see how the house edge changes as more decks are added. For this example, we’ll assume the dealer hits on soft 17, and you can double after a split.
Single-Deck: 0.007%
Double-Deck: 0.379%
Six-Deck: 0.615%
Eight-Deck: 0.644%
These four rules will improve your chances of success. Next time you’re wandering around the casino, wondering which blackjack you should play, try to find a game that:
- Offers 3-2 payouts for blackjack
- Requires the dealer to stand on soft 17
- Lets you surrender
- Uses fewer decks