There are many things that collectively results in one Blackjack game being a much more playable game than other variants, and in this casino card game playing guide we will enlighten you on what those things are and just what exactly house edge is.
Let is start by letting you know what the house edge is when you find it mentioned alongside any individual Blackjack game. The house edge is what any casino, whether an online, land based or mobile casino site is expected to win from players playing any casino card or table game over the long term.
House edge is always described using a percentage, and one of the lowest house edge games you will be able to play online is found in Microgaming Casino Sites, and that game is the single hand Classic Blackjack game, which boasts a house edge of just 0.13%.
That house edge does of course mean that over the long term the owners and operators of Microgaming powered casinos are going to win off players just 0.13 of every 1.00 wagered on their Classic Blackjack game, which may not seem like a lot of money, and to be honest it isn’t and that is why anyone interested in playing Blackjack online should be looking to play that variant!
What Rules Affect the House Edge?
There are lots of different game play rules which both the Dealer and a Player need to abide by when playing any online, land based or even mobile Blackjack game, and the rules will always have an effect on the house edge of the variant you end up playing.
One thing that can and always will affect the house edge of any Blackjack game is the number of decks in play in the shoe ideally you will be best off looking for a game with the lowest number of decks in the shoe as those games usually boast low house edges.
Other things that can and will make the house edge high or low in value will be in regards to how the Dealer is obliged to play off his hand in regards to 17 valued hands, some variants require the Dealer to hit soft 17 hands and some variants will see the Dealer being obliged to stand any type of 17 hand he has dealt himself irrespective of whether that hand is a soft or hard 17 valued hand.
The Player rules also affects the house edge, for some games will let you surrender your hand when you have been dealt out a hand you do not like, but when surrender a hand you have to give up and lose half of the stake money you paid to set the game playing.
When and if a player can Double Down their hand will also have an effect on the house edge of any Blackjack game as will whether a player can split aces repeatedly or can be dealt out additional cards to any split Aces.
Winning Blackjack Payouts and House Edge
Finally let us now move onto enlightening you what the winning payouts you can be awarded with when you are playing any type of Blackjack game will have on the house edge, the standard winning payout you should be looking or attached to any Blackjack game are even money for all standard hands, 2 to 1 for a winning Insurance bet and 3 to 2 for a winning Blackjack hand which is any un-split Ace or Ten card that is dealt a ten or Ace card respectively.
You will find some Blackjack games offer a winning payout of 6 to 5 or even money for a winning Blackjack hand and those games should always be avoided as those payouts make those games have much higher and much less appealing house edges!
The 2 to 1 winning Insurance bet payout may seem generous but that bet is always optional and when you take it you will be making a very poor valued playing move as the house edge attached to that optional Insurance bet is massive, so never take if when offered to you by a land based Dealer on an online or mobile cyber Blackjack Dealer!
Conclusion
Apart from you being able to spot which Blackjack games offer the lowest house edges and are therefore the game you really ought to be playing to have the maximum chances of winning, there is no point in playing that game at an online casino if you haven’t mastered how to play it optimally.
For you are only ever going to benefit from a low house edge Blackjack game if on every single hand you have been dealt out you know how to play that hand perfectly, even one or two basic game play errors you make will increase the house edge of the variant you have chosen to play.
So before you every start to play any Blackjack game in a real money mode please make sure you know the best playing strategy for that variant, one way you can do that is to download and utilize a Blackjack Strategy Card which many websites have available, in fact most land based casinos sell strategy cards in gift shops found within those venues, and they are perfectly legal to use and will enable you to look up how every hand should be played.
