Most standard casino blackjack games are played with multiple decks. In a typical blackjack game, the game is played with six or eight decks. Some Internet blackjack sites and live casinos feature a variation of blackjack that is played with a single deck. This blackjack variation is known as single deck blackjack. Single deck blackjack is a bit friendlier to the player and less friendly to the house in terms of the house edge.
When playing single deck blackjack, players are paid out at a 1.5 to 1 rate when they hit blackjack. Winning hands pay even money and losing hands naturally lose even money in single deck blackjack. In single deck blackjack, insurance can be purchased and pays two to one in the event the dealer has blackjack. Just like most blackjack games, players can split their paired hands, double down, hit, and stand in single deck blackjack games. In single deck blackjack, the dealer hits soft seventeen’s and the deck is shuffled upon completion of each hand.
When playing single deck blackjack, players should adjust the way they play to reflect the specific rules that single deck blackjack games have. Players should always hit when the card count is under seven. Additionally, players should hit when holding eight or nine and the dealer is showing an up card valued between seven and an ace. Likewise, a player should hit when holding a hand count of eight and the dealer shows a two, three or four. During the other instances, players should double down when holding eight or nine. Single deck blackjack players should additionally double down when they hold a ten and the dealer is showing anything other than a ten or ace (at which time, a hit is most appropriate). Players should double down when holding an eleven, regardless of the dealer’s up cards.
When playing single deck blackjack, the optimal strategy suggests that players stand far more often than they do when playing traditional casino blackjack games. When the dealer shows a low card, such as a four, five, or six – players are advised to stand if their next card could result in a bust. When the dealer shows a seven or higher, players are generally advised to hit when holding a card count ranging between twelve and eighteen. This adjustment in strategy suggests that the likelihood of the next card producing a bust is greater, which means players generally want to refrain from hitting to shift the risk of busting to the dealer in single deck blackjack games.
