Single deck blackjack provides the best chances of winning. At the beginning the single deck blackjack was the standard form of playing but players started taking advantage, however, casinos caught on quickly. Players started counting cards making their own strategy; therefore, casinos started implementing double decks or even more than two decks making it harder to count cards.
As single deck blackjack odds are higher for the player, casinos implemented different payouts. Making it more profitable to aim for the multi deck blackjack.
Casinos generally have 6:5 payouts for single deck blackjack while if it is multi decks the payout is generally 3:2.
Basic rules for blackjack single deck
The game consists in getting 21 points or getting as close as possible without exceeding 21. The first thing is to place a bet, after that the dealer will deal the hands. The player will get two cards and the dealer get one card face down and another card face down. The player now will decide if he or she stands, splits, hits or doubles down.
If the player is dealt an Ace and a 10 (21) form the start they get a blackjack. Getting a blackjack usually means the player won 1.5 of what they had bet.
* Hit: is to ask for another card.
* Stand: the player keeps their total and their turn ends.
* Doubling: it similar to hit but means the player doubled their bet and can only get one more card.
* Split: If the player gets two of the same card, they can divide it into two different hands. This also doubles the bet.
* Split / double is only allowed on the first move.
* The player can double on a hand resulting from a split, multiplying the bet three of four times.
* The dealers will hit until his or her cards reach 17 or higher
* Insurance: When the dealers face up card is an Ace, meaning they will get blackjack if their face down card is worth a ten, the player has the opportunity to place an insurance bet. Since if the dealer gets a 10, Jack, Queen or King, the player may feel the dealer will get a blackjack. Insurance bets pay 2:1. It allows the player bet up to half of their original bet. Meaning that if the dealer gets a blackjack, the player gets the amount of their original bet and does not lose any money in that round.
For example, if the player bets $100 and makes an insurance bet:
– If the dealer gets a blackjack, the player loses the round but doesn’t win or lose any money, since he won $100 from the insurance bet and lost $100 for losing the round.
– If the dealer doesn’t get a blackjack and the player wins the round, then he / she wins $50 because they lose the insurance bet.
– If the dealer doesn’t get a blackjack and the player loses the round, then he / she loses $150 ($100 of the original bet and $50 from the insurance bet)
Online and land-based Casinos may have different specific rules for one deck blackjack. Allowing the player to double down or not after a split or allowing them to surrender or not. Another rule that may differ is if the dealer must stand on soft 17 or not.
This rules may vary depending on the casino you are playing, whether it is an online one or not.
Tips and strategy
So, first and foremost the best single deck blackjack strategy you can use is to pay attention to the cards that have been played. Unlike multi decks games, single deck games allow players to remember every single card that has been played, giving them a considerable advantage. Another important tip is to always hit when you get 5-7. Always stand if you got an Ace and a 9 or 10. Same goes for 10-10. And always split if you have got 2 Aces.
You can also find on the internet a blackjack strategy single deck chart that tells you the best possible move for every possible hand. That way you will be playing with the least margin of error possible.
