Blackjack strategy: Single deck VS Multiple decks

If you have played Blackjack in your lives or have observed someone playing Blackjack, you must have seen that some games are played with a single deck of cards whereas other games are played with 2,4,6 and 8 decks of cards. But what are the key differences between single and multiple decks of cards and the advantages and disadvantages of each one of them? Let’s find out in this article.

How is single deck different from multiple deck Blackjack?

Single deck Blackjack games have always been the first preference for some players as it offers them various chances and opportunities to make great profits. The house edge stands at 0.15% if you choose to play a single deck Blackjack game.

Usually, it was the single-deck game that dominated Blackjack for a very long time. But in recent times many casinos have shifted towards adopting multiple deck games to make it more challenging for players. The strategy has proven to be working as they do not find counting cards difficult but it significantly increases the value of the house edge.

Even though casinos have reintroduced single deck Blackjack, players should know that it may not offer the best of odds at all. If you have ever observed closely, many casinos offer a payout of 6:5 for playing a single deck game whereas some of them do offer a payout of 3:2 when you play a multi-deck game.

For example, if you placed a bet of $10 on a multiple deck Blackjack game, you will only get $15 whereas you will receive $12 if you place bets on a single deck game with a payout of 6:5. Despite the increase in the house edge value, the decrease in the payout value of Blackjack does not seem worth it for a single deck game. So until and unless the casino offers a payout of 3:2 for single-deck Blackjack games, it is advised to stick to multiple deck Blackjack games.

The casinos implement some disproportionate variations on single-deck and multiple-deck games with regards to house edge values so that the casinos always have some kind of advantage over the players. These variations can include the dealer hitting 17, not allowing to double down after a split, no re-dividing the aces, etc. 

Card counters have developed numerous strategies for multiple-deck Blackjack games which involves complicated calculations and big risks of losing the card count. This is why casinos have to stay one step ahead as they have also invented their own set of strategies to counter the strategies adopted by the card counters who specialise in multi-deck card games. Some of them have begun to use continuous shuffle machines which just shuffle the cards.

With this being the case, you’d think that finding a single deck Blackjack is the greatest thing ever. However, there are actually some disadvantages to the subject as well, which is covered below along with single deck Blackjack advantages.

Even though there are advantages of playing single-deck games, there are also some disadvantages associated with it also, which are elucidated well in the next few paragraphs which focuses mainly on the advantages and disadvantages of the two variations of the Blackjack game.

Key advantages

The first advantage of a single deck Blackjack game is that you receive a very low house edge. A value of 0.15% takes you to a level playing field with the casino where your chances of making profits are at an all-time high. To achieve such a possibility, ensure that you have a good Blackjack strategy at hand which can definitely offer you such results.

This variation is also advantageous for card counters. In normal scenarios card counters usually deal with six to eight decks of cards which means they have to wait for a long time for their turn of favourable counts. But with single deck cards, card counters do not have to face such a thing as they do not wait longer for a favourable card count as a result of which they can place big bets.

Key disadvantages

Apart from the advantages mentioned above, there are some major drawbacks to single-deck Blackjack games. You will find that most casinos invent unscrupulous ways to bump up the value of the house edge. This makes it unfair as the house edge may seem higher than the multiple -deck Blackjack game. 

Casinos can increase the payout value from 3:2 to 6:5 which significantly increases the value of the house edge from 0.15% to 1.45% in case of single-deck games. This makes it slightly unfair than the multiple Blackjack games that keep their house edge value at 0.5% only. It may not seem like single-deck Blackjack games are worth the effort. Casinos can also apply unfair and unfavourable rules on single-deck games too which players should watch out for.

Both the variations are played with the cards facing downwards. Another trick used by the casinos to disrupt the card counters. Usually players who are ahead of you in your turn place the cards face down. Since the counters have no idea of what kind of cards they are holding, they choose not to value them in their card counting process. 

Another fallout of this single deck game is you will hardly receive any comps if you choose to engage with this variation. In the long run, it stands true that the casinos will not be able to make much profit off you, so they will not offer you with big comps either.

Casinos tend to offer low limit single deck Blackjack games to attract players to the table. This old technique usually works in their favour. They know when there are severe restrictions imposed on the betting limits, players will always and gradually shift towards high earning tables.