Every casino game has a house edge, some more than others, just to make sure that the casino ends up profitable in the long run. Even though there isn’t an option to avoid the house edge in casino games like blackjack, there are some strategies that can help you minimize it, which means that you’ll win more money.
There is no secret that the house always wins in the long run, but the goal for every blackjack player is knowing when to walk away at the peak of their earnings. That is why most blackjack players use unique strategies, a blackjack calculator, or other tools to help them minimize the house edge of blackjack.
In today’s article, we will learn more about the house edge of blackjack, how it works and how can you minimize it to a point where you walk away with some profits in your pocket.
Blackjack House Edge
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games just because of its low house edge compared to other games in the industry. The house edge is a percentage a casino will win over the long-term, and in Blackjack, the average house edge for the inexperienced player is around 2%.
But what does this mean?
To put it simply, the blackjack house edge suggests that you’ll lose $2 for every $100 you bet in the long run. Of course, the game of blackjack has short-term swings where you can win a lot of money, but if you play this game continuously, there is a good chance that you’ll walk away 2% less money than you’ve started with.
However, since blackjack is a game that doesn’t depend only on luck, and players can use their skills to increase their winning chances, there is a way to lower the blackjack house edge and win more money.
How does the House Edge work in Blackjack?
Before you can try to lower the house edge of blackjack, it is really important to understand how it works in the first place.
The key advantage for the dealer is that the player acts first. This means that often the player will bust, losing his bet, without the dealer having to do anything. Even if the player stands, the dealer still has a chance of winning the hand.
With that said, there are many different factors that play an important role in blackjack’s house edge.
For example, it is really important to know the number of decks used on a Blackjack table. Games that use a single deck have a slightly lower house edge of around 0.25%, compared to blackjack tables that use multiple decks.
The reason for the lower house edge is that players are able to keep track of the number of high or picture cards in play, which will help them make a better decision. However, most casino games use multiple decks on a Blackjack table.
Additionally, some blackjack tables allow you to surrender and lose only half of your stake, which also decreases the house’s edge.
Reducing the House Edge in Blackjack
As we mentioned before, there are a couple of ways you can reduce the house edge in blackjack down to around 0.5%, but in order to do that, you’ll need a solid blackjack strategy.
In other words, players need to learn when to double down, split or stand, to decrease the house edge of the game.
Learning such a strategy is not very difficult and you don’t have to be a professional blackjack player in order to lower the house edge of the game. Since this is one of the oldest games in a casino, many professional blackjack players have created their own strategies ranging from simple to complex card counting systems.
Even though you can theoretically reduce the house edge of blackjack to 0.5%, the house will still win in the long term. This means that there is no way you can successfully beat the house at any given moment since the game is designed in a way that involves many different combinations that cannot be predicted with any strategy.
However, reducing the house edge means that there is a lower risk of you losing your money.
Learn Basic Blackjack Strategies
The house edge in blackjack may have been tied to the set of rules, the main way you can reduce is by learning a blackjack basic strategy. It is important to understand that Blackjack is a game that involves many different outcomes that can be mathematically calculated to see which is the most probable outcome.
This is why using a strategy can help you identify possible options where you can take advantage of the game and make some profits. With that said, the most important thing to learn is how to make the right action. Learning when to stand, double down, or hit is crucial when reducing blackjack’s house edge.