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Single Deck 6:5 Blackjack
As you have no doubt heard, adding more
card decks to the game of Blackjack increases the house edge. In
fact, most players will tell you that
basic strategy affords a player
the best odds when the game is played with just one deck.
Interestingly enough, a number of casinos have introduced the
single-deck game lately, but as you may expect, there is a catch.
In fact, the new game offers players hands down the worst odds of
winning of all the blackjack games.
While casinos lure the player in with the single deck, many players
don't notice the seemingly slight change of rules in these games. Look
carefully however, and you will see that an most of the new single-deck
tables, the Natural Blackjack
payout has been reduced from 3:2 down to 6:5. (This is
why these games are also known as "6:5 Blackjack".) Look at how this
affects your winnings for a $20 bet:
| Payout Ratio |
Bet Amount |
Payout Amount
|
| 3:2 |
$20 |
$30 |
| 6:5 |
$20 |
$24 |
In the game of Blackjack, the house edge is derived from the fact that
the player busts first, and loses the bet even if the house subsequently
busts as well. To partially offset this, the player is given various
"perks", such as high payout for
Natural Blackjack,
the ability to Split or
Double Down. By reducing the
payout for Natural Blackjack, the casino gains a much bigger advantage
over the player than they surrender by having only a single deck of
cards in play.
In fact, the player is likely to lose between 1% - 1.5% more at this
new single-deck game than at more traditional forms of Blackjack. This
means that if you are playing $20 hands, you will lose roughly $20 more
for every 80 hands played.
In promoting this game, casinos are taking advantage of the fact that
a large number of players have heard that single-deck games offer them
an advantage (however slight), but few realize what they give up by
accepting smaller payouts for Natural Blackjack. So if you have a
friend or a relative who is planning to play Blackjack at a casino,
make sure to tell them to stay away from the 6:5 tables. If they
try to prove to you that single-deck games are better, send them this
page as proof!
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