Blackjack is by far the most popular table game at online casinos. The reason for this is that if blackjack is played to a correct strategy, the house edge is less than one percent. This is the lowest house edge of any table game. However, most casinos plan based on a house edge of around two per cent. This is simply because they know that most people will not play a correct strategy. Many players give the house a massive advantage by playing erratically (“I know the blackjack has to come right now!”). So, betting decisions made by the player actually affect the advantage that the house holds. In games like roulette, the house edge is 5.26%. Each spin is a completely independent event. The house edge therefore does not change, and cannot be influenced by the player.
In blackjack, events are dependent. This is because as each card is drawn, the possible outcomes of future draws change, as the deck has changes. The more big cards remain in the deck, the more the player is favored. Advantage constantly shifts back and forth between the player and the dealer. Herein lies the basis of card counting. Successful card counters know when the odds favor them, but card counting is a subject all on its own. The issue is that you do not need to be a card counter to bring the house edge down to near one percent.
A mathematically strategy is possible because the dealer and the player are constrained to a set of rules. Basic blackjack strategy has been known for years and many simulations have been run by experts to devise a strategy. With a basic strategy, the player will decide the action to take based on the exposed cards. This will involve hitting or standing on that basis.
In blackjack you want to beat the dealer and get as close as possible to 21. As the player always acts first, you want to sometimes stand on a lower hand in the hope that the dealer will draw a card that will result in a bust. Even if the dealers bust, players who have already bust always lose. Therefore, players have to learn how to play a hand correctly to insure the best outcome based on the mathematically correct strategy.
Blackjack is fun and allows for a correct mathematical strategy, and it is not hard to learn. The great thing about online blackjack is that you can play with the strategy chart right next to you, and make correct decisions on that basis.
By Ryan D.
Ryan is the editor of Online Gambling Insider