The number of decks used in blackjack affects many aspects of the game, including the house edge and basic strategy. The use of multiple decks of cards also makes it harder for players to count cards, a strategy that can give them an edge over the house.
The use of multiple decks in blackjack can also change the way the game is played, such as how much a player can win by splitting or doubling. Taking all of these factors into consideration, the number of decks in blackjack has a major impact on the overall odds of winning and losing.
In general, using fewer decks of cards decreases the house edge in blackjack. This is because the probability of getting a blackjack is higher with fewer decks, and the probability of a push in a blackjack-blackjack push is lower as well. Casinos typically compensate by tightening other rules in games with fewer decks, such as disallowing doubling on soft hands and after splitting, restricting resplitting, and requiring higher minimum bets. They may also pay the player less than 3:2 for a blackjack.
Traditionally, most casinos used single-deck blackjack games, which had the lowest house edge of any variation of the game. However, as card counting became more popular, casinos started adding more and more decks to the shoe. The extra decks make it more difficult for advantage players to keep a true count of the cards in play, as they need to tally up all the different values of each card.
Some casinos have taken additional measures to deter card counters, such as burning cards before reshuffling them or shuffling the deck after each hand. This can also help the house maintain a stable count by removing cards from the deck that would have otherwise been used in future hands.
While different rules have a distinct effect on the house edge of blackjack, more decks in the shoe further increases the house’s advantage. Despite this, there are some other objectives that drive casinos to add more decks to the game.
A primary reason for casinos to increase the number of decks in a blackjack game is to prevent advantage players from counting cards to gain an edge over the house. Using more decks makes it harder for players to keep a true count of the decks in the shoe, as they need to count each card individually. Although several methods have been developed to overcome this issue, it remains a significant challenge for blackjack advantage players.
Another reason for casinos to increase the number of decks is to speed up the game by reducing the amount of time required for shuffling and dealing. Adding more decks reduces the amount of time required for these processes, which can make the game move faster and allow more players to participate in the same session. This can lead to faster action and more betting, which in turn increases the profits for the casino.