Which blackjack games have the best odds?

When playing at any casino, it’s fair to say that we’re all looking to win. With that being the case, it’s hardly surprising that blackjack is the game of choice for so many. It has the lowest house edge of any other casino game meaning that the odds are really in your favour. Read more about the best odds for blackjack.

If you want to make the most of this low house edge, you’re going to need to know which blackjack games are the best to play. With so many variants to choose from what’s for certain is that they are not all created equal. 

Read on to learn more about the house edge in this casino classic as well as discovering the blackjack games that you should be playing.

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Single Deck Blackjack

What does the house edge mean in blackjack?

When playing blackjack, the house edge tells you how much profit the casino expects to make from the game. This isn’t just based on a single hand: it is over the long term. The appeal of blackjack is that the house edge is usually less than 1%. This means that every time someone wagers $100, the casino expects to make less than $1 in profit. You can see why this makes the game so popular amongst online casino fans!

The exact house edge can vary. There are numerous factors that come into play and can influence this. These include:

  • How many decks are being played with 
  • The payout for a blackjack
  • If the dealer stands or hits on soft 17
  • The specific blackjack rules for doubling down
  • Rules for splitting
  • If you’re allowed to surrender

Playing with one deck is great from the player’s point of view. For every deck that is added, the house edge increases. The house edge also increases if the casino pays 6:5 rather than 3:2 on blackjack.

The blackjack games that you should be playing

Now we know more about what can affect the house edge in blackjack, let’s take a look at the games that give you the best chances of winning. Here are some of the most popular variants that come with a low house edge:

Single-deck Blackjack – best odds for blackjack

This version of blackjack may not be as widely available as it used to be, but there is good reason for that. Casinos are not huge fans. This is the game that has the lowest house edge of any other casino game that exists. By using just a single deck, the house edge goes all the way down to 0.13%.

Atlantic City Blackjack – best odds for blackjack

This version of blackjack comes with some rules that are extremely player-friendly. These rules see the house edge being as low as 0.36%. Here’s a look at just what the rules are:

  • The dealer stands on soft 17
  • Players can double down on any two cards
  • When it comes to splitting, a player can split any K, Q, J, or 10 up to three times
  • Late surrender 

High Stakes Blackjack – best odds for blackjack

This can be a little off-putting for those who are new to the game. The fear of having to wager a larger sum on each hand can make some a little uneasy. With a minimum bet standing at $50 per hand, it is certainly much higher than in other versions, but that doesn’t mean that there is reason to overly worry. Thanks to having the same player-friendly rules as Atlantic City, the house edge here also comes in at 0.36%.

Vegas Strip Blackjack – best odds for blackjack

This has to be one of the most popular blackjack games out there. With a house edge of 0.36%, you can understand why players can’t get enough of this one. What is it that leads to the house edge being so low? Well, it’s down to those player-friendly rules again that we saw in Atlantic City. 

Vegas Downtown Blackjack – best odds for blackjack

Not quite as player-friendly as some of the examples we’ve looked at so far, Vegas Downtown Blackjack has a house edge of 0.39%. Still pretty low! What keeps the house edge down here is the fact that only two decks are used as well as these rules:

  • The dealer hits on soft 17
  • Players are able to double down on any two cards after splitting 
  • Players are able to split pairs up to three times

Vegas Blackjack – best odds for blackjack

Coming in with a house edge of 0.4%, this one is a little higher than those that we have already looked at. However, when the house edge is still below 1%, you’re not going to find any other casino games that can compete. The house edge is slightly raised here as the rules only allow you to split once and you’re not able to surrender. 

Blackjack rules to avoid

The blackjack games that we’ve looked at so far all come with player-friendly rules. It’s thanks to these rules that the house edge is quite so low. However, there are games out there where the rules aren’t quite so attractive. Here’s a look at those that push up the house edge:

Blackjack payout

It used to be the case that a blackjack would always pay 3:2. However, there are now games where this is 6:5. By making this change, the house edge goes up by a huge 1.4%. That on its own makes any game that implements this rule one to avoid.

Whether a dealer hits or stands on a soft 17 has an impact on the house edge. If the rules state that the dealer hits then the house edge will increase. This time it only goes up by 0.22% so it is not quite as dramatic as the first example above. However, it still makes sense to find a table where the dealer stands instead.

No double after split

When you’re prevented from doubling down after splitting, the house edge increases by 0.14%.

Limitations on doubling

Some blackjack games will restrict when you can double down and not allow you to do it on any two cards. When this is the case, the house edge increases by 0.09%.

No surrender

A house edge will increase by 0.08% if the rules don’t allow you to surrender.

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Blackjack Vegas Strip