Blackjack Odds and Payouts Guide – How to Improve Your Chances?

Blackjack Odds – The Games with the Highest Probabilities

Why do we play blackjack? It’s easy to keep house edge in check, which is reflected in the naturally high RTP. You can expect numbers in the neighbourhood of 99% for ‘return to player’. In other words, it’s all fair and square between you and the casino. Even so, by playing pro-actively, you can improve your chances to win. To do that, you’re supposed to be aware of what the odds in the game are. That would include knowing how likely each individual bet is to succeed. Based on the experience we had with some of the best blackjack games, we listed those that are statistically the most profitable.

When things pan out, it’s quite tempting to think that winning at blackjack is a piece of cake, while, in reality it’s not as easy as it seems. That’s so, because the situation changes dynamically due to the course of the game itself and the bets having different probabilities of success. Card counting is one way to take stock of the current situation, but it’s not easy to pull off. Staying pursuant to the concept of responsible gambling, we’ll give you an insight into the blackjack odds that come into play in a typical game of blackjack.

Your Probabilities Depend on the Bet

Dully placing the same wagers over and over again is never a recommended strategy. It will eventually get to you and, cause you to start making bad decisions. Throwing in some variety in the form of placing a side bet or two will help you not so much to win, as to avoid cramping your style. Just don’t make a meal of it! Blackjack side-bets are specific wager types that could depend on the blackjack variation (related to the name or theme).

The reality is that, they aren’t very cost-effective, at least not enough to justify a solid bet. Take this to mean that a bigger house edge is predominant. That’s not to say, all proposition wagers are the same – if anything, there’s good enough variance between the different types to prove otherwise. What we are saying is, it’s worth checking if how a side bet pays stacks up against the odds you’re actually backing.

How to Get the Best Blackjack Odds – Rules That Affect the House Edge

In the realm of online casinos, the house edge of a given blackjack variant is usually predetermined, although the occurrence of certain outcomes can affect it. Some circumstances will stymie your chances of winning while other will better them. You ought to learn the different situations like the back of your hand in order to know what’s the mathematically correct decision under the present circumstances. By consulting the next table, you’ll be able to observe in what situations and how the house edge is altered. Bear in mind that different casino rules may apply for each of the cases described below.

There’s an appreciable difference between land-based casino and online blackjack, which is partly due to the gameplay specifics of some software products. The silver lining of this, however, is that the irregularities in the game variations and rules can be balanced out with the right blackjack strategy. It’s said that with the correct tactical approach, players can reduce the house advantage even further. That doesn’t sound implausible, not even the slightest – considering the number of reportedly tested strategies that can be found online.

Blackjack Payout Odds – What Could You Win

Nailing a perfect 21 is always a thrill but doesn’t always pay the same. Don’t worry, most of the time you will get a 150% return on your bet – a solid 3:2 – but that’s not always the case. 6:5 is where we’d advise you to draw the line. Accepting anything below 6:5 clearly shows that one is out of step with the current online gambling standards. To help you draw a bead on the severity of the matter, we’d like to point your attention to columns number two and three. The numbers speak eloquently in favour of the casinos laying odds of 3:2 for a blackjack.

By and large, the action in most variations of the game develops along the same lines, except for an outlier that tops all other versions in that it grants you the freedom to do the unthinkable – switch cards. The variation known as Blackjack Switch is, in our estimation, the most profitable of them all, precisely because it gives you the right to swap cards between two hands. This is a big deal for one reason – it gives you a way out when you desperately want to improve the strength of your hand/hands. In the face of all criticism, the game stays fairly popular in the land-based casinos of Las Vegas, and doubly popular in the online venues.

Payouts and Odds on Blackjack Side Bets

We made it clear already that many of the versions have their signature side bets. Even if you are to encounter the same bet under the same name in different variations, the payout rate could be different. But to focus on that would be missing the main point – there are many proposition bets, some of which may very well catch your fancy. The rule they all obey is payouts increase with the difficulty of the bet. As always, we gathered the best of what’s available in the table just below this paragraph. Let us run you through the options.

It’s not hard to deduce that staking a Suited Trips bet will do you justice in the long run, given the payout of 100:1 and the 1% probability of success (1×100 = 100). That means there is no gap between what you should be paid and what you are getting paid. It should be known, though, that backing fair odds is one thing but making your bet work is a completely different story. You only have to be right once every 99 times to keep afloat… Because the players possessing such enviable patience are few and far between, many prefer to stake their chips on the second best – Coloured Pair or Perfect Pair – where the house edge is also minimal. You can try blackjack in any high stakes casino on the internet and we bet that you will like it a lot. We have also prepared a carefully selected list of the best high-stakes blackjack sites, so feel free to take a look.

Increase Your Blackjack Odds to Win – Top Tips

At some point, we mentioned there’s something you can do about house edge. The time has come to show you exactly what we mean by that. It has everything to do with controlling your betting patterns and choosing a suitable version where the blackjack odds against the house are acceptable. With this, you’re essentially laying the groundwork for a blackjack session where little could go wrong. In this manner, before long you’ll be able to make all the right decisions (from a statistical standpoint) – It’ll only take a little coaching. Feel free to avail yourself of the resourceful pointers listed below.

• Choose Your Blackjack Version Wisely – Make a mental note to keep exploring the boundless world of blackjack variations even if you already have a favourite one. There’s always some interesting spin on the original rules that may give you an edge, waiting to be found.
• Consider Using a Strategy – We hope to have brought you around to our point of view that using just about any strategy would be better than leaving it all in the hands of lady luck. Now think about what it would be like if you spent the time to study meticulously proven blackjack strategies. Exactly!
• Use a Strategy Chart – To reinforce the point made previously, we’ll add that you can find an abundance of strategy charts on the internet. Those can be used to great effect because they contain clear instructions on what the right move to make is in a given situation.
• Avoid the Insurance Bet –The math to dismantle the myth that insurance is good for you, is very simple. Insurance pays 2:1 while the odds of the dealer having blackjack when they show an ace is 9:4. (2.25 :1). Therefore, taking insurance is not a good long-term strategy.
• Remember that the House Edge Cannot Be Eliminated – The house edge is that annoying pecker that will keep pecking away at your finances as long as you keep playing – there’s no running away from it. Doing the reality check is not only sobering, but mandatory.
• Bet Wisely – This advice overlaps a bit with the “use a strategy one” but it’s still a good rule of thumb. You can do one better if you learn a thing or two about bankroll management. An astute bettor always thinks about how much they have left on the table, in their pockets…in their bank account.
• Consider Your Own Game Only – If you find yourself crowded around by spectators or you’re just playing at a table that’s full, remember to stay focus only on your own game. Whether the others are winning or losing won’t matter to the size of your stake.

The number one thing to keep in mind when playing at a real-life casino, is to keep yourself calm and collected. It’s easy to get distracted by the surroundings – lots of noises, people and a rollercoaster of emotions permeating the air. Though not playing poker, put your poker face on and get busy! The money isn’t going to jump over to your side of the table all by itself, and that’s why you’re there. Even so, you want to look the part. Throw on your best jacket and hit the tables in style!

Play Blackjack for Real Money

We’ve waited until the very end to assume that you’re ready to play for real money. Nobody wants to wind up in a precarious situation with money on the line, not knowing what to do. But after all that’s been said so far, it really feels that we can now talk about the possibility to play real money blackjack online. Just a quick reminder – always allow for the fact that there’s no escaping the house edge talk some sense into yourself, especially when you cop it sweet and rake in a big pot. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s see what the current top recommended casino is.

We didn’t pick the abovementioned operator for no reason. This is a casino that soared in popularity on account of a solid performance year after year. The company is licensed with the Gambling Commission and operates under the banner of fairness, just like many of the best blackjack sites. As far as bonus money goes – there’s not much left to be desired. Claiming the good-sized welcome pack is more than easy but playing through the wagering requirements is something else. Because the gameplay of blackjack is so above-board, you’ll be having a hard time clearing the wagering requirement by playing the game, be it live or in RNG mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

There’s one thing that synergizes with a well-written blackjack odds article and that’s an even better written frequently asked questions section. Setting the record straight on those hot topics is crucially important so we couldn’t resist giving you our take on them. As short as it may be, you will find some fundamental truths in this section, that will solidify and build on what you’ve already learned here.

More Blackjack Guides

A shapeshifter of time, the game has come a long way from where it started originally. The same goes for the odds of winning – they are not one and the same. So, it would be too early to draw a final conclusion just yet. Though this odds overview was fairly informative, you’d want to hear about the different rules and strategies used in the game. There’s also the promised strategy chart in a separate article, ready to be used. Clearly, there’s more where that came from – we have a bunch of other blackjack guides you are sure to find useful. Help yourself.