When a player first starts playing he knows about the game of blackjack. He usually knows when to hold, when to hit, and when to stand. But usually they don’t know which blackjack they should be playing. Like ice cream there are tons of different flavors of the time-honored games and if you want to ensure you get paid well every time you need to know which style will serve you best.
The Decks Matter
Some players don’t notice, but different casinos have a different amount of decks when playing blackjack. It can go anywhere from one to 10 depending on the table. Obviously, to help a player beat the odds, it’s better to be playing against the house with one deck than 10 but make sure when you have a game with a low amount of decks that you know the other rules of the game.
For example on single-deck blackjack there are rules like the dealer stands on soft 17 or you lose the ability to split. This skews the odds out of your favor a little bit.
Generally the most balanced games of blackjack are the ones that offer six decks.
The Odds Aren’t Always in Your Favor
The standard rule for the game is that a blackjack pays 3-2. However, that is not always the case. Odds for blackjack can change depending on what casino you’re at and what type of blackjack you play. There are some machines that pay just 6-5 odds. Not a big deal to you? Well, according to the Wizard of Odds a blackjack player, playing the optimal way, could lose $2.60 an hour to the house, a player playing 6-5 odds can lose $14.
A Dealer Should Hit, Not Stand on Soft 17
This is probably the rule that gets changed on people the most and sometimes players don’t realize it before it’s too late. It’s better for a player to face a dealer that hits on soft 17, thus increasing the chances he busts out. The house gets a 0.22 percent advantage when the dealer can stand.
In the end the best blackjack is one that uses six decks, pays 3-2 odds and the dealer must hit on soft 17.