What the house edge is
The house edge is the share of each bet the casino keeps on average, over a very long run. It is not what you lose in a night: one session is mostly luck, and you can win or lose far more than the edge suggests. But over thousands of rounds the edge is what you pay, so it is worth picking tables that charge less.
The rules that change it
These figures start from a good 6-deck game and assume perfect basic strategy. Each row changes one rule.
| Table rules | House edge | Change |
|---|---|---|
| The good game: dealer stands on soft 17, double after split, late surrender, blackjack pays 3:2 | 0.43% | - |
| Dealer hits soft 17 | 0.64% | +0.20% |
| No double after split | 0.57% | +0.14% |
| No surrender | 0.52% | +0.09% |
| Blackjack pays 6:5 | 1.79% | +1.35% |
| All four of the above | 2.23% | +1.80% |
Why 6:5 is the big one
On a 10 bet, a blackjack pays 15 at 3:2 and 12 at 6:5. That is 3 chips less, and blackjack comes up about once in every 21 hands. Three chips every 21 hands, on a 10 bet, is a loss of about 1.4% of what you bet. Every other rule combined costs less than that.
What it costs per hour
Take 70 rounds an hour at 25 chips a round, which is 1,750 chips bet. At 0.43% the house takes about 7 or 8 chips an hour. At 6:5 with the other rules the same (1.79%) it is about 31. At the worst combination in the table (2.23%) it is about 39. That is five times the cost for a game that looks identical.
The smaller rules
- Dealer hits soft 17 (H17) versus stands (S17): the dealer gets more chances to improve, and the edge goes up by about 0.20%. A few of your moves change as well.
- Double after split (DAS): being allowed to double on a hand you made by splitting is worth about 0.14% to you.
- Late surrender: giving up half your bet in a few bad spots is worth about 0.09%.
- Number of decks: fewer decks are slightly better for the player, but check the payout first.
How to read the sign
- Find the blackjack payout. If it says 6:5, look for another table.
- Check whether the dealer stands on all 17s. "Stands on soft 17" is better than "hits soft 17".
- Check whether you can double after a split, and whether surrender is offered.
- Compare the table minimum with your budget. A lower edge is no help if you are overbetting.
Set any combination in the house edge calculator to see the edge and the hourly cost. Pair it with basic strategy, since these figures assume you play every hand right, and see the house edge lesson for the same idea with a visual.