When you play blackjack, there are certain things you need to be aware of in terms of how the rules of the game affect your profit potential.

Casinos are NOT going to tell you that the chances of making money on their game are less than if you play against their competitors!

So, what is it that you need to know in order to play the game of blackjack in a way that gives you the best odds against the casino?

Well, you need to look at the rules that the casino offers for each blackjack game, and use them to your advantage along with the basic strategy.

Basic Strategy

Basic strategy is mathematically proven to cut the casino edge in blackjack if played correctly.

The casino's initial edge in the game is 5.75%, but by using basic strategy correctly, it is possible to reduce the casino edge to around 0.5%

Increasing Your Advantage Further - Look for Favourable Rules

A player can increase their advantage using basic strategy further by card counting, which shifts the odds of success in their favour.

For card counting to be effective, a player needs to play blackjack games with favourable rules.

Here are some rule variations and the effect that they have on a player's long-term profits.

Favourable Rules for the Player
Early surrender +0.62%
Late surrender Single deck +0.02%
Double down after splitting +0.13%
Drawing to split aces +0.14%
Re splitting of aces +0.03%
Double down cards any number +0.20%
2:1 payoff blackjack +2.32%

Unfavourable Rules for the Player
no doubling on hard 11 -0.89%
no doubling on hard 10 -0.56%
no doubling on hard 9 -0.14%
no doubling soft hands -0.14%
dealer hits soft 17 -0.20%
dealer takes no hole card -0.13%
2 decks (v single) -0.35%
4 decks (v single) -0.51%
6 decks (v single) -0.60%
pairs no re splitting -0.05%

The conclusion from this is obvious:

Correct Play + Favourable Rules = Optimum Advantage for Players

An Example of the Casino Edge in Card Counting

Let's look at card counting and the influence of the casino rules in relation to the number of decks. This is a critical consideration for any player before they play a game. Card counting is the only way to get the odds in a player's favor.

With a single deck game, player against the dealer - a +2 count is a 2% advantage to the player. If the number of decks is increased, then we have more cards to be dealt, which in turn increases the number of cards left, which then reduces the odds of success for the player.

Blackjack Card Counting is based on Probability

Card counting does not attempt to "predict" the card sequence; it is simply looking at the probability of cards coming out the deck.

Obviously, the more cards to be dealt the less effective a probability theory such as card counting will be.

Card counting is the only way to get the edge away from the casino and favorable to the player, so it is important to play with the most favorable rules that you can, in order to maximize your bankroll and payouts.

It does not matter how well you can card count if the rules are against you! Your skills will not be used to their full potential in terms of getting payouts.