How To Beat Single Deck Blackjack

How to play blackjack

Single deck blackjack has often been looked at as the holy grail of the game because it offers players the best chance to win profits. In fact, the house edge is just 0.15% when players stick to blackjack games with a single deck. Long ago, single-deck blackjack was the standard and the only game in town. There are also slight variations in strategy when you play a 6 deck game versus a single deck game. Rather than teach you 9 different basic strategy charts for each variant of blackjack you will ever see, we decided to run our simulation against the games people will most commonly see and teach one basic strategy that is sufficiently effective.

How To Beat Single Deck Blackjack

Understanding the odds offered in any game of blackjack starts with understanding the basics of blackjack gameplay.

Standard 52-card decks are used. Non-face cards have the value of the number printed on them, while jacks, kings and queens are all worth 10, and aces are worth one or 11.

How to beat single deck blackjack gamesHow To Beat Single Deck Blackjack

How To Beat 6 Deck Blackjack

The game has a relatively simple goal: You take cards aiming to get as closeto 21 as you can without going over. Then, you can win in one of two ways: Either the dealer busts by going over 21, or you beat the dealer’s hand. You can also push and will get your bet back if you tie the dealer.

At the start of a game, you and the other players at the table place a bet.

Then, you, the other players at the table and the dealer each receive two cards to start. You and the other players act on your hands before the dealer and can take one of several actions depending on the cards you are dealt. If you hit and go over 21, you lose, regardless of what happens later with the dealer’s hand.

You make these decisions with only one of the dealer’s cards visible. There is no decision if you get dealt an aceand a card worth 10. It means you’ve hit blackjack and get paid 3:2 or 6:5 on your bet, depending on the specific rules of the game and whether the dealer also has blackjack. If the dealer also has blackjack, you’ll likely push depending on the specific rules of the game.

How To Beat Single Deck Blackjack Clash Royale

The actions available to you include:

How To Beat Single Deck Blackjack Simulator

  • Standing: Anytime you’re happy with your hand, you can stand. You’ll get no more cards and will get paid 1:1 if either the dealer goes bust or you beat the dealer’s hand.
  • Hitting: As long as you’re under 21, you can hit and draw cards to get closer to 21. You can continue hitting until you decide to stand or bust by going over 21.
  • Doubling down: You can double down after the first two cards are dealt, depending on the value of your hand and the rules of the game. You double your bet and you’ll get just one more card to go up against the dealer with.
  • Splitting: If you’re dealt a pair you can split the two cards into two separatehands. You double your bet and the dealer will give each hand a second card, allowing you to play each one separately. Depending on the cards and the rules of the game, you may even be able to double down after splitting or split again.
  • Surrendering: Depending on the rules of the game, you may be able to surrender, or give up your hand. You’ll get half your betback. It’s statistically proven to be a good play when you’ve got 16 against a dealer’s nine, 10 or ace, or 15 against a 10 or ace.
  • Buying insurance: If the dealer is showing an ace, you have the option of buying insurance. It costs half of your original bet size and pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack, making the hand a push for you. If the dealer doesn’t have blackjack, you lose what you paid for insurance and the hand continues. The house edge on insurance is a whopping 6.7%.