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Lesson 3.4 Game types
How Single and Double Deck Games Work
After this lesson, you will know why blackjack with one or two decks gives the house a smaller edge and which kinds of chart cells change. You will also know how to spot the 6:5 blackjack payout that some single and double deck games use.
Why fewer decks help you
A deck has 52 cards. In online blackjack, the software deals from a shoe – the box the cards are dealt from – that holds 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8 decks.
With fewer decks, each card that leaves changes the cards that remain more. This makes blackjacks and doubles work out slightly better for you.
| Decks | House edge (3:2 payout, dealer hits soft 17, double after split, basic strategy) |
|---|---|
| 1 deck | 0.04% |
| 2 decks | Between the 1-deck and 6-deck numbers |
| 6 decks | 0.62% |
The house edge is the share of each bet the house keeps on average. It is lower with one deck, but it is still there.
Most digital online games usually reshuffle every round, so card counting does not work there. The deck count matters only for the rule math.
A few chart cells change
Most of the basic strategy chart stays the same with one or two decks. A few cells change: some hit cells become doubles and some become splits.
Here is the 6-deck row for hard 9. You hit against a 2, double against 3 to 6, and hit against 7 to an ace.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
Here is the 6-deck row for a pair of 7s – two cards of the same value. You split against 2 to 7 and hit against 8 to an ace.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | P | P | P | P | P | H | H | H | H |
- On a 1-deck or 2-deck chart, hard 9 against a dealer 2 becomes a double.
- On a 1-deck or 2-deck chart, a pair of 7s against a dealer 8 becomes a split.
- A 1-deck chart has a few more changes, in soft hands and pairs too.
- Your stand, hit and split moves on hands like hard 16 or a pair of 8s stay the same.
- Use the chart made for your game's deck count and rules.
If you only know the 6-deck chart, you can still use it in a 1-deck or 2-deck game. You will miss a few extra doubles and splits.
Check the payout first
Some single and double deck games pay 6:5 on a blackjack instead of 3:2. This one rule costs you more than the fewer decks save you.
| Blackjack payout (6 decks, standard rules) | House edge |
|---|---|
| 3:2 | 0.62% |
| 6:5 | 1.98% |
| 1:1 | 2.88% |
A 6:5 payout adds about 1.36 percentage points to the house edge. That is much more than the gap between one deck and six decks.
- Read the table rules before you place a bet.
- Look for the words "Blackjack pays 3:2" or "Blackjack pays 6:5".
- Compare full rule sets in the house edge calculator.
A 6-deck game that pays 3:2 has a lower house edge than a 1-deck game that pays 6:5. Read more on the 6:5 blackjack page.
Practice: 25 hands
Only hands from this lesson. Your first answer counts.
The lesson on one card
- With the dealer hitting soft 17, the house edge is 0.04% with one deck, 0.62% with six.
- Two decks fall between those two numbers.
- With one or two decks, a few hit cells become doubles and a few become splits.
- Some short-deck games pay 6:5 on blackjack instead of 3:2.
- A 6:5 payout adds 1.36 percentage points, more than fewer decks save you.
- Always read the payout before you sit down at any table.
Check yourself
1. With standard rules and a 3:2 payout, which game has the lower house edge?
The 1-deck game
Right. With one deck the house edge is 0.04%. With six decks it is 0.62%.
The 6-deck game
Not quite. More decks raise the house edge. The 6-deck game has 0.62%, which is higher than 0.04% with one deck.
They have the same house edge
Not quite. The number of decks changes the house edge. Fewer decks give the house a smaller edge.
2. What changes on the strategy chart when you play with one or two decks?
Every row of the chart changes
Not quite. Most of the chart stays the same. Only a few cells change.
A few cells change: some hit cells become doubles and some become splits
Right. Short-deck charts turn a few hit cells into double cells and a few into split cells. Most of the chart stays the same.
Nothing changes at all
Not quite. A few cells do change. The chart made for your deck count shows those extra doubles and splits.
3. You see two online tables: a 2-deck game that pays 6:5 and a 6-deck game that pays 3:2. Other rules are standard. Which has the lower house edge?
The 2-deck game, because it has fewer decks
Not quite. Fewer decks help a little, but the 6:5 payout adds about 1.36 percentage points to the house edge. That cost is bigger than the gain from fewer decks.
The 6-deck game that pays 3:2
Right. The 6-deck 3:2 game has a house edge of 0.62%. The 6:5 payout costs more than the fewer decks save.
Both are the same
Not quite. The payout makes a big difference. A 6:5 payout raises the house edge much more than extra decks do.