How to Reduce the House Edge in Black Jack
In all casino games the house has a built-in advantage that will play itself out in the long run, but in blackjack it is possible for players to reduce this edge to a small percentage by playing properly. This is done by following a set of rules known as basic strategy, which determines when to hit and when to stand. In addition, proper technique when splitting and doubling down can also help to reduce the house edge.
A blackjack hand is a hand that contains an Ace and a card with a value of ten or more. It can be a hard hand (one with no tens) or a soft hand (one with one or more tens). A player’s total must be higher than the dealer’s in order to win the game. In case of a tie or if the dealer has a blackjack, the player loses.
The rules of the game vary from casino to casino and country to country, but most casinos offer a standard version of the game. Typically, the dealer will deal two cards face up and one card face down. If the dealer has a face-up card that is an ace, or a face-down card that is a 10, they will look at it to see if they have a blackjack. If they do, the player’s bet is collected and the game continues. If they don’t, the dealer will pay out the player’s bet at 1:1.
Before the dealer looks at their own card, the player can choose to take Insurance if they wish. This bet is made by placing a small bet on the table next to their original bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, they will pay out the bet at 2:1. However, it is generally unwise for players to take Insurance because it usually has a negative expected value for them.
After the dealer has viewed their own cards, the player can hit (ask for another card), stand (keep the current hand) or double down. A player can also choose to resplit aces once (if they have one) or after splitting. However, if the dealer has a blackjack they will not split or double down.
The game can be complicated to learn because there are many rule variations and it is often difficult to determine the true probability of a given hand. There are a few common rules that can be helpful in making this determination, however. For example, some games allow the player to surrender against a dealer’s blackjack before they check their own; this can be very beneficial for the player. Additionally, some games will not count a ten-card dealt to a split ace as a blackjack. This will significantly increase the player’s odds of winning.