If you’ve ever played USA online blackjack then you should probably be aware that online blackjack has one of the lowest house edges of any casino game. In simple terms, the house edge is the advantage the casino has over the player and indicates how much the player can expect to lose during an average session. Here we take a look at the house edge in blackjack and what factors impact it, which should help you choose the game with the lowest house edge.

What is the House Edge?

The house edge is a little like the profit margin the casino builds into games. It is expressed as a percentage and a totally “fair” game, such as flipping a coin with odds of evens for either outcome, has a house edge of 0%. Blackjack typically has a house edge of around 1%, which means that on average, if you played 100 hands at $10 a time you would expect to be just $10 down in total. In roulette the house edge is 2.70% for a single zero game and 5.26% for double zero, whilst slots can be as high as 20%!

Use Basic Strategy

In roulette and slots, your decisions do not alter the house edge, however in blackjack, like video poker, they do. In order to achieve the “advertised” house edge, the lowest possible within any given ruleset, you must follow basic strategy as any deviation will increase the casino’s advantage and, ultimately, decrease your bankroll.

What Affects The House Edge

Different casinos offer slightly different rules and game variants when it comes to blackjack and various factors have an impact on the house edge. In order to pick the most profitable game of blackjack it pays to know a few basic factors that either help or hinder your chances and here are five of the biggest.

1. Decks – the fewer the better, ideally one, certainly fewer than eight
2. Blackjack Full Pay – NEVER play blackjack if a “natural” is paid at odds lower than 3/2
3. Soft 17 – look for a game where the dealer stands on soft 17
4. Double – if you can double on any cards great, if not doubling on 9-11 is better than just 10 or 11
5. Split Aces – the ability to split aces reduces the house edge significantly