Blackjack, which is the most popular game in online casinos, is also known for its strategies. If you have been a casino player for some time you will know which strategies I am talking about here. Most of the casino strategies we follow today were originated from blackjack, including the famous card counting technique.
Card counting is a casino game strategy that involves predicting the next hand based on the remaining cards in a pool. In the streets of casinos, it is infamous as a cheating method of beating casinos. In most casinos, it is prohibited and you might be thrown out if you were found counting the cards. However, that doesn’t stop people from trying.
Card counting is not illegal. The worst a casino can do is throw you out from their premises or ban you for life. Now, if you are wondering whether card counting is actually possible, then the answer is yes. Although it takes years of practice and dedication to actually master this strategy, it is worth it.
Any blackjack game with more than 2 decks will be dealt from a shoe. Shoe games are completely beatable by card counting. The increased number of decks DOES decrease the advantage of the game, but that is often counterbalanced by other factors like better rules and more tolerance. Blackjack in Las Vegas can use one to eight decks. How many decks may not make any difference to a beginner player who knows just knows and plays basic strategy without paying attention to the cards played. However, the main thing you need to pay attention to is the rules of the specific table AND blackjack payouts. If you’re serious about blackjack card counting, you then’ll have many techniques to select from. Each system varies based mostly on its diploma of accuracy and complexity. Bets settled At a casino blackjack table, the dealer faces five to seven playing positions from behind a semicircular table. Between one and eight standard 52-card decks are shuffled together. At the beginning of each round, up to three players can place their bets in the 'betting box' at each position in play. However, when it comes to casinos, we can see that the commonest number of decks is between 6 and 8 decks. We are talking about the standard decks, without using jokers in the process, of course. The reason is simple, they are not used in the game itself, so they need to be removed. Does This Number Have an Effect on the House Edge?
Card counting is said to be a definite winning strategy for casino games, especially for blackjack. As per rough calculation, this technique is known to increase the player’s long-term winning odds by as much as 102% in a casino game. It doesn’t get better than this.
The things are, however, a little different when we talk about online gambling. Online casinos are more strict, based on automatic software and have less to no human intervention. So, the real question is whether card counting is possible in online blackjack or not.
Card Counting in Online Casinos – Deck Penetration
The simple answer to your question is No. Card counting strategy is not at all usable in online blackjack or any other online casino games, including live casinos.
Deck penetration is a term closely related to the strategy of card counting. It refers to the percentage of cards that have been dealt at a given time. For example, if the dealer is in the half of a 6-deck game, that means you have 50% deck penetration. The deeper is the dealt set of cards, the higher is the penetration rate, the fewer cards are on the table, and the easier it is to make a count or a prediction of what the next card will be.
This is not possible in online casinos as the decks are automatically reshuffled after each hand in an online blackjack game, so it is impossible to count cards.
In live blackjack games, however, the cards are not shuffled after each hand, but the dealers are given instructions to shuffle the cards (deck) at close to 50% deck penetration to minimize the chances of anyone using card counting strategy. The number of cards on the table is way too high before 50% deck penetration to make any prediction for the next card. So, again it is impossible to count cards in live casino gaming.
There are different methods of card counting, out of which Knockout (KO) and Hi-Low are the two most famous ones. If you are planning to try your hand at this blackjack strategy, you should research about these two methods.
How Many Decks Of Cards Are Used In Blackjack In A Casino
Blackjack is one of the popular card games, which is available in various traditional and online casinos. Many beginners do not have any idea about the number of decks used in this activity. Blackjack puts an impact on the house edge, as well as cards.
If you want to learn this game, it is essential to know basic concepts about it. You must know how many cards are required to play it. Many online casinos like www.slotsheaven.com allow you to play Blackjack with free spins and all the necessary instructions. If you do not know how to initiate, you can easily read the instructions and start playing.
In the following write-up, we will discuss how many decks of cards casinos are using for this game. We will assume it for most of the casinos to get a rough idea of Blackjack. If we consider the game technically, then there is no such thing.
There are plenty of variations, which require different decks of cards. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how many a deck of 52 cards in Blackjack is used. Let us discuss this in detail.
Number of Decks Required to Play the Game
Generally, if you want to involve yourself in a decent activity, you can start with only 21 cards. In most of the casinos, there are usually 6 to 8 decks used. All the 52 cards are included, and joker cards are excluded. Therefore, you have to choose the right variation to play it with your estimated number of decks.
There are plenty of variations, but you have to understand them before you start playing. You must know how to play with a high number of cards altogether. Experienced players know how to deal with a large number of decks.
How It Affects the House Edge?
If we consider the game of 21 cards, then the estimated house edge is relatively less than 1%. There are specific rules that you must follow. There is a difference in the house edge, and it can vary as per the number of decks. It is found that at least 0.5% of the house edge is entirely reserved for some deck-based activities.
The instructions of the game make it player-friendly, and people follow them while initiating themselves in it. You have to remember one crucial thing, the more the number of decks, the more will be the house edge. Nowadays, players can get an extra advantage because of the rule’s change by various land-based casinos.
Many things are now removed, like low payouts, removing doubling of soft hands, change in the Blackjack rules, etc. If you are trying the game for the first time, it is necessary to take a few decks.
There are more chances of winning if you try out with a few cards. No player wants to lose the deal, and it is crucial to follow the rules and choose the best variation with more chances of winning.
How It Affects Card Counting?
The procedure of card counting in Blackjack is quite significant and crucial. Many players calculate cards for the deal to win in many ways. The main aim is to win big, no matter how it is possible. If you are not good at calculation, you must consider the game played with one deck. It does not require advanced mathematical calculations.
If you want to learn the technique of card counting, then you should explore various books or online platforms for in-depth knowledge. The counting of each card in the available decks is quite a difficult task for most casual players. It requires training, and one must master it. You must have patience and knowledge to do such a job.
Why Do Traditional Casinos Use Few Decks in Blackjack?
It was recently found that casinos near Australia play Blackjack with a single deck in the same format as that of a traditional 6-deck game. The house edge was the same in both cases, i.e., 1%. When many people knew how to play Blackjack, the procedure of card counting become popular.
The rules are made in such a way that it safeguards the house. Therefore, in the beginning, many casinos introduced the game with one deck with unfavorable rules, which players did not like. All the recreational punters switched off this activity, and that’s how high-deck games were introduced.
In this way, players became happy and satisfied with the game. They continue playing Blackjack with more chances of winning. But in some casinos, there are plenty of rules that are not player-friendly, including restricting splits, limits on bets, etc. There is no denying that many people benefit from the few deck games, no matter how unfair the rules.
The game was in favor of the players. Now, it is found that most of the dedicated and experienced players are switching to the online platforms to win more. There are more opportunities if you play online, including the favorable house edge.
How is Online Playing Beneficial?
How Many Decks Of Cards Are Used In Blackjack At The Casino
Many of the online Blackjack games are played with six to eight decks of cards. If we talk about rules, then the rules are quite favorable to players. There are 21 variants, and a player is free to choose anyone as per his choice. You can play Blackjack with player-friendly rules with more chances of winning.
The Bottom Line
How Many Decks Of Cards Are Used In Blackjack
Now, the doubt of the number of decks used in Blackjack is quite clear. There are different variations, and a player can choose anyone with different rules. As a newbie, you have to learn different techniques and pick the right variation, in which you have more chances to win.
The game is quite challenging for casual players because they do not calculate the house edge and may lose a lot. If you want to improve your chances of winning, it is better to start working on yourself.
Counting Cards Single Deck Blackjack
It does not matter whether you are investing your time in online or land-based casinos; you can win only when you choose the right variation of Blackjack.