Blackjack Pays 6 to 5: How the Payout Changes Your Game

6 to 5 blackjack is a table where a blackjack – an ace plus a 10-value card (10, J, Q or K) as your first two cards – pays 6 for every 5 you bet, so a 10 bet pays 12 instead of the 15 a 3:2 table pays. That smaller payout adds about 1.36 percentage points to the house edge, and basic strategy cannot remove that cost.

• What 3:2, 6:5 and 1:1 Mean
• What 6:5 Costs You
• How Often the Payout Matters
• 6:5 Compared With Other Rules
• Where the Payout Is Shown on an Online Table
• Does 6:5 Change Basic Strategy?

01What 3:2, 6:5 and 1:1 Mean

The payout ratio tells you how much a blackjack pays compared to your bet. You also get your original bet back.

The picture shows a 10 bet. At 3:2 you get 15.

At 6:5 you get 12. At 1:1 you get 10.

The ratio only changes the blackjack payout. A normal winning hand still pays 1:1 on every table.

You can check other bet amounts with the payout calculator.

02What 6:5 Costs You

The house edge is the share of each bet the game keeps over time. The lower the payout for blackjack, the higher the house edge.

These numbers use the standard rules: 6 decks, the dealer hits soft 17, double after split is allowed and there is no surrender. Only the blackjack payout changes from row to row.

Moving from 3:2 to 6:5 adds 1.36 percentage points to the house edge.

Victoria's tip

If you see two online tables with the same rules, pick the one that pays 3:2. The payout changes the house edge more than any other rule on this page.

A 1:1 table costs you even more. Read more on the house edge page.

03How Often the Payout Matters

You get a paid blackjack about once every 22 hands. A paid blackjack means the dealer does not also have blackjack.

The ace counts as 11 here, so the ace and the king make 21. Every time a paid blackjack appears, a 6:5 table pays you 3 less than a 3:2 table on a 10 bet.

• Paid blackjacks make up about 4.53% of all hands.
• Each of those hands pays 15 at 3:2 and 12 at 6:5 on a 10 bet.
• The more hands you play, the more of those smaller payouts you collect.

046:5 Compared With Other Rules

Other table rules also move the house edge. The table below puts them next to the 6:5 payout.

The 6:5 payout costs more than any other rule on this list. See how the dealer plays soft 17 on the soft 17 page, and try different rule sets in the house edge calculator.

05Where the Payout Is Shown on an Online Table

Online tables show the blackjack payout before you place a bet. The payout line tells you what this hand pays:

Check these places:

1. The table felt. Many games print a line such as Blackjack pays 3 to 2 or Blackjack pays 6 to 5 across the middle of the table.
2. The rules or help screen. Open the info button in the game. It lists the payout next to the other rules.
3. The paytable. Some games show a list of payouts for each bet type.

Victoria's tip

Read the payout line before your first bet at any new table. Two games that look the same can pay blackjack differently.

For a full list of rules to check, see the blackjack rules page.

06Does 6:5 Change Basic Strategy?

No. The blackjack payout does not change the moves on the basic strategy chart.

You play every hand the same way at 6:5 and at 3:2.

For example, with hard 16 you stand against a dealer 2 to 6 and hit against a dealer 7 to ace. The full chart is on the blackjack strategy chart page.

• Basic strategy lowers the house edge.
• Basic strategy does not remove the house edge.
• Basic strategy cannot make up for a 6:5 payout.

Questions people ask