Visiting a land-based or an online casino is a form of entertainment. Both enterprises have significant overheads, so they need to make a profit to exist. Once we get over this reality, we begin to accept there must always be a house edge and that it’s a small price to pay for a heap of fun.
Blackjack House Edge Explained
The house edge is the name given to the percentage a casino will win over the long-term in a particular game. The house edge over an inexperienced player in blackjack is around 2%.
What does that mean? Well, in simple terms, you can say that for every $100 you bet in blackjack, you’ll lose $2. Of course, there are wild short-term swings. You might finish a session a couple of hundred bucks up, or you might have a bad streak and lose $50 in a matter of hands.
However, in the long term, statistically, the blackjack house edge percentage stands at 2%.
Reducing The Blackjack House Edge
Say what? That’s right, you can bring the blackjack house edge down to around only 0.5%, but it means following a solid blackjack strategy. Knowing when to double down or split or having a better understanding of when to stand will significantly improve your chances of winning.
Learning a strategy is no hardship; there are charts you can print out that tell you the optimum play in every situation.
At 0.5%, the house edge for blackjack is one of the lowest profit margins of any casino game (except some video poker games). However, the management loves to keep the blackjack tables full because so many customers show up for fun and don’t grasp basic strategy. They will take another card when they should stand, or they won’t see the need to double down even if their first two cards total 11.
The blackjack house edge with basic strategy is there to take – you need to read up a little first.
How Does The House Edge Work In Blackjack?
The key advantage for the dealer is that the player acts first. Often, the player will bust, losing his stake, without the dealer having to do a thing. If the player stands, the dealer still has a chance of winning the hand.
However, variations in in-game rules (you can find several different types of blackjack in any casino) can swing the house edge even further in the house’s favor.
Take note of the number of decks, for example. The single-deck blackjack strategy house edge is slightly lower (around 0.25% lower) than games with multiple decks. That’s mainly because it’s easier for the players to keep track of the number of high or picture cards in play. We should note that card counting is frowned upon, but you can make more accurate guesses of what the next card might be.
Another rule that can change the odds is whether the dealer has to take another card on soft 17. If not, there may be times when the dealer standing on 17 wins him the hand. Other rules include whether you can double down after a split. If you can, the house edge falls by around 0.15%.
Does your blackjack game allow you to surrender, which means giving up your hand without taking another card? You get half your stake back, which can be a beneficial play for the player.
Finally, check the game’s odds for hitting blackjack. Traditionally, the casino pays out 3-to-2 for blackjack, so if you wager $10 and hit blackjack, you get $15 back. However, some casino games offer a miserly 6-to-5 return for blackjack. You can see how that hits a player’s bottom line. Get your right bet at https://www.casinositesreview.io/.
The Grind – How Casinos Make Money?
Casinos always have an in-built advantage as soon as you sit down and start playing. Over time, they will, on average, keep a percentage of every bet you make – that’s the casino house edge.
The house edge applies to the amount you bet, not the amount you start with. So, if you bet $100 and immediately win $1000, you haven’t changed the house edge; you just got lucky. The casino will continue to chip away at every other wager you continue to make.
You may win some rounds and lose others, but you’ll be betting with your winnings for some rounds. The effect of the house edge cutting into your money as you continue to re-bet is called “the grind.”
Let’s say you start playing online blackjack with a bankroll of $100. You choose to play $5 a hand – 5% of your entire bankroll. You play 20 hands an hour, betting $100 an hour. Of course, you can only do this if you continue to win, therefore using your winnings to fund your further bets.
After an evening’s play, you’ve racked up $2,000 in total bets. That’s 20 times the size of your original bankroll!
To limit the grind, you must only play games with a low edge for short periods. Here are four easy ways to beat the grind:
• Keep your bet-to-bankroll ratio small
• Keep your gaming sessions short
• Choose strategies and games with the lowest house edge
You can also help to keep the house edge on casino games low by earning free money. Most online casinos offer a range of promotions like a welcome bonus or no-deposit bonus.
With a casino bonus, you can win more by spending less. Make a deposit or claim free spins and see if you can multiply your money with minimal effort.
Some of the most popular bonuses at online casinos include:
• Welcome bonus deposit match
• No deposit bonus
• Free spins on popular slots
• Cashback on losing plays
• Loyalty program
The casino will always have a statistical advantage over its players with a house edge. But by making smart moves and selecting the right games, you can help to reduce the edge over time.
Learn Some Basic Blackjack Strategies And Enjoy The Game
While we’ve seen that some rule variations will reduce the blackjack house edge, learning a basic strategy is the most significant way to save some of your losses.