The number of decks used has a major effect on the player’s chance of winning, because it affects the house advantage. All things being equal, fewer decks are always more favorable for the basic strategy player. One cause of this is that player blackjack is slightly more likely in single deck blackjack (because blackjack requires [...]
Each casino has a rule about whether or not the dealer hits soft 17, a rule which is printed on the table itself. In the “S17″ game, the dealer stands on all 17s. In the “H17″ game, the dealer hits on soft 17s. Of course, the dealer always stands on hard 17s. In either case, [...]
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 [...]
