Online Blackjack

The blackjack player will encounter many rule variations which affect the house advantage and therefore affect his chances of winning. Some rules are determined by law or regulation, others by the casino itself. Not all rules are posted, so the player may have to ask either beforehand or when the situation occurs. Over 100 variations exist.^[1]

The casino has a “house advantage” at blackjack just as it does at any other casino game. The primary house advantage in blackjack comes from the fact that if the player busts he loses, irrespective of whether the dealer subsequently busts. If a particular casino game has a house advantage of 5%, it means that – over the long run – the casino will win about 5% of any initial bet. As long as the blackjack player uses the best possible strategy (a strategy which is known as “basic strategy”), the house advantage in blackjack is usually less than 1%. This is very favorable to the player compared to other casino games. Of course, many blackjack players do not know basic strategy or do not follow it, so the true house advantage in those cases may be much higher.

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