1 and 2 deck blackjack games are sought after by blackjack players. The house is more in favor of the player compared to multi-deck games. It's also easier for players (to learn how) to count cards, track deck penetration and so on.
Legitimate gambling sites. But it's also because of these player advantages that many casinos have done away with their smaller deck blackjack games, or have altered the rules significantly to put the majority of the edge back in favor of the casino. So you'll be lucky to find a 1 or 2 deck blackjack game, either live or online.
Don't let that stop you from looking, though. There are many benefits to single deck blackjack games, which I've outlined below. Further below I've shared some methods that casinos use to lower the player's edge.
There are a number of benefits to playing at 1 or 2 deck blackjack casinos.
- More player blackjacks. The odds of being dealt a natural blackjack in a single deck game is 4.82%. With 8 decks your odds decrease to 4.75%.
- Less dealer blackjacks. The dealer is less likely to have a blackjack to tie the player if the player has one, because the one of 4 (or 8) aces have been used, drastically lowering the odds of the dealer having one.
- Deck penetration. Assuming the cards aren't reshuffled every hand, a single deck will be penetrated more than two decks, than 3, 4 and so on. The further a deck is penetrated, the more accurate a card counter's count, as well as his assessment of how many 10s and aces are left in the deck, and possibly, where.
- Card counting. Single and double decks are easier for players to count and keep track of.
- Great value for double downs. Similar to the reason for more player blackjacks, the chances of a player receiving a good card when double downing increases in a single and double deck.
Double deck blackjack is the most popular form of the game in Las Vegas locals market. This section covers where to play double deck blackjack in Las Vegas. The game is harder to find on the Strip or in. We offer Double Deck Blackjack with table minimums ranging from $10 to $50. Whether you are an experienced player or new to the game you will enjoy our player friendly rules. THE BASICS: Players may pick up their cards which are dealt face down. If the player wants a 'hit', they indicate so by scratching their cards on the table top by their bet.
The difference in any one of these points is miniscule, comparing the odds of a single deck to multiple decks. However, if you combine all of these points together, along with the various rules in favor of the player (like splitting aces, double downs after splits, etc), then it adds up to a significant advantage in favor of the player.
What Casinos Do to Lower the Player Edge
Obviously (it should be obvious, at least), the casino isn't going to stand around and let players have this massive edge. They're there to make money, after all. So assuming you can find a single or double deck blackjack game online, be aware that the casino may take the following actions to reduce your odds.
- Bad blackjack odds. In a single or double deck game, don't be surprised to see 6:5 payouts for natural blackjacks. That reduces the payout from $1.50 to $1.20 per $1 wagered. This adds 1.39% to the house edge.
- Dealer hits soft 17. This adds .22% to the house edge.
- Shuffle every hand. This applies only to live blackjack games, since online games shuffle every hand anyway. But shuffling removes the advantage of tracking deck penetration and getting a (more) accurate count.
- Anti-card counting policies. Some casinos have policies prohibiting card counters from playing. 5Dimes is an example of this. Card counters that try to take advantage of live dealer games may have their accounts closed and winnings confiscated.
In short, casinos will do everything they can to increase their odds in single and double deck games, as well as prevent (or discourage) advantage players from counting cards.
You've heard it time and time again – the fewer decks used in a game of blackjack, the better your odds.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why this is?
I got the inspiration to write this blog post after fielding a question from a buddy of mine who isn't much of a gambler. He's preparing to head to a bachelor party in Vegas and started to study blackjack. He noticed that everyone says 'fewer decks is better,' but didn't understand. After all, he said, the overall proportion of each rank of card is the same no matter how many decks are shuffled together.
This post is all about deck size and blackjack. We'll cover why fewer decks is better, in detail, and include a little bit of math where appropriate.
Fewer Decks = More Blackjacks
The main reason we say that fewer decks is better for players is that, in each deck, exactly 1/13th of all cards are Aces.
Yes, my friend was right, the initial proportions of card values to one another is equal no matter how many decks you play with. The reason you'll be dealt more blackjacks with a smaller shoe is that the impact of removing a card from the game is greater in a game with fewer overall cards.
Odds of Drawing Blackjack in a Single-Deck Game
Let's start by getting an idea of how often a player will draw blackjack in a single-deck game. To get to the probability of drawing a blackjack from a one-deck shoe, all you have to do is multiply the odds of drawing an Ace by the odds of drawing any card with a value of ten points. We know that a single deck of fifty-two cards contains four Aces and sixteen cards worth ten points – four tens, four Jacks, four Queens, and four Kings.
That means probability of drawing any Ace is 4/52, which we simplify to 1/13. Once you've drawn your Ace, the probability of then drawing any ten-point card is 16/51. Notice anything about those two numbers? The first probability is based on a fifty-two card deck, but since you've already drawn a card, you have to now work out the probability of drawing one of sixteen ten-point cards from a deck of fifty-one.
This change in the divisor is the reason why a smaller number of decks is advantageous to the blackjack player, and gives the house a distinct disadvantage.
If you want to get an accurate number of the likelihood of drawing a blackjack from a single-deck shoe, you actually need to double your result, since you could technically get a blackjack with either a ten-point card OR an Ace at the start.
All told, the probability of drawing a blackjack from a single deck shoe is 4.83%. That's the probability of drawing an Ace (1/13) multiplied by the probability of drawing any ten-point card (16/51), multiplied by two.
Odds of Drawing Blackjack in a Two-Deck Game
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. When we multiply those two together, then double the result, we get 4.78%.
Odds of drawing a blackjack in a one-deck shoe = 4.83%. Odds of drawing a blackjack in a two-deck shoe = 4.78%. By adding a deck (and not changing any rules of the game), the casino has decreased your likelihood of drawing a blackjack by 0.05%. Remember, though, that each one of those lost blackjacks would have been a win under standard casino rules at a 3:2 payout. Losing those 3:2 payouts makes a big impact on your bottom line, and on the casino's.
Why do Double Downs Work Better with Fewer Decks?
If you're following along closely, you've probably already figured out that the same phenomenon that makes blackjacks more likely with fewer decks probably also affects the likelihood of a successful Double Down. If you double your initial hand (6 and 5), you'll be more likely to draw a face card to form a total of 21 if the game uses fewer decks.
Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Chart
Here's where things get tricky – don't forget that your dealer also benefits from these changes at lower deck counts. It's not just the player that has a shot at more blackjacks. The reason why this fact doesn't impact the game as much as it might is that players win 3:2 for blackjack, while the house wins just even money. Also, the dealer can't Double Down, while the player can. That additional doubled-win gives the player a bigger advantage than the dealer.
Conclusion
All things being equal, meaning all rules being pretty much identical, a blackjack game that uses a smaller number of decks to build the shoe is advantageous for the player. One situation I'd warn blackjack players about – casinos that offer single-deck blackjack with a 6:5 or even 1:1 payout for player blackjack. The implication is that the casino is only willing to give you those improved single-deck odds in exchange for a reduced penalty at the point of player blackjack. In the case of games that don't pay the traditional 3:2, don't play them just because of the appeal of the single deck setup.