Blackjack is one of the most known and recognizable games that frequently tops the list of most popular casino games. And there’s a good reason for that. It has simple rules that even a beginner can grasp but mastering a technique to play it can take a lifetime. The ideal proportion of skill and chance you need to use make it great for winning more often than at almost any other game. But that chance also depends on how many blackjack decks are in use while playing. But before we dive into it let’s start with the basics.
How to Play Blackjack?
Blackjack is a game with long history, but the rules of the game haven’t changed much from the very beginnings. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer by having a hand that totals higher than his but lower than 21. The player has an option to either hit, stand, double down, split or surrender. These are the basic rules but if you’re interested in more you can check them out here. After you do that, be sure to put them to practice by playing one of many available blackjack games at your favorite online casino Extreme and get a chance to win real money.
Why People Like It?
There are multiple reasons why people like and play blackjack that can be summed into a few most important ones. The first being the easiness of its rules. Just a little bit of practice will have you ready to play in a successful way. That means you don’t have to spend much time familiarizing with the rules. But you can spend time on learning how to improve your skills which certainly make the game more challenging.
And although luck plays a role in it like in any other casino game, those skills can reduce its part significantly. What those rules also do is that if you follow basic strategy they can reduce house edge to minimum. And the house edge is the most important thing to consider when discussing the differences between single and double blackjack decks.
Single and Double Blackjack Differences
When blackjack emerged in the casinos, there were just a couple of variations in play. But with time it went through significant changes, both in playing rules and gambling platforms used to play it. The main change being the number of blackjack decks used to play it. The traditional game involved just a single deck and changes made it went up to even 8. So, what are the differences between single and double blackjack decks? The simplest difference is the number of decks in a game. This is important to have in mind because depending on the number of cards in a game will depend your strategy if you want to win.
Playing Single Deck Blackjack
Single deck was a standard from the very beginnings and remains extremely popular to this day. In a single deck game, the number of cards in play is 52, which make it easier for player to figure out which cards will be dealt next. This in turn led to card counting which gave an unfair advantage to those who employed that tactic over those who didn’t. To prevent it from happening casinos introduced double deck. This way they levelled the playing field, but it also gave the house a higher advantage. Which doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its perks too.
Playing Double Deck Blackjack
Besides the number of decks in rotation there isn’t much difference in rules between a single and double blackjack decks. You still follow the same actions such as hitting, standing, splitting and doubling down. One thing you are not allowed is the option to surrender.
The objective of a double deck game is the same as any other variation of the game, but it uses two 52-card decks, which totals to 102 cards shuffled at the beginning. That means there are more pairing possibilities for your hand, which is probably the greatest advantage playing double deck holds.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Single vs Double Deck Blackjack
The most obvious advantage to playing single deck blackjack is the fact that you’re betting against the lowest house edge. But it helps only if you’re using good blackjack strategy. The fact that there are fewer cards in rotation also gives you more opportunity to hit because you have a better idea of what next cards to expect. Which is great if you’re good at counting cards. You can also double down or stand more often when things are favorable.
You can use the same strategies in a double deck game. But that leaves you with fewer options to either double down or predict which cards are bound to come up. This makes things tough if your strategy is based on card counting. The cards are more unpredictable, but there are more possibilities for pairing as we stated above.
Is Single or Double Deck Blackjack Better?
Having considered all of the above things, it seems that single deck blackjack decks take the edge over double ones. Fewer cards increase chances of predicting cards, the house edge is lower, and you can double down or stand more often. The only advantage of double deck seems to be the possibility of more pairings. But don’t let that fool you. Because today most single deck games offer 6:5 payout. Which means you won’t make a substantial profit when you win. It also increases the house edge up to staggering 1.45%. On the other hand, double deck blackjack tables usually have a 3:2 payout for the winning hand. Which means, that even though you’re at disadvantage regarding the number of cards in rotation, the payouts will be better.
In conclusion, if you are aiming at winning, go for the single deck games. But if greater payouts are what you strive for, than double deck is the way to go.
And if you want to have the best experience at playing both versions of blackjack decks be sure to check one of the many available games we have at your crypto friendly Casino Extreme.