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Types of blackjack: rules and house edge of each game
Online casinos offer many types of blackjack. They look alike, but a few rules change what each one costs you. Here is every game on this site side by side, with the house edge worked out by our engine.
- All types of blackjack at a glance
- Classic and European blackjack
- Fewer decks: single and double deck
- Games with special rules
- Multi-hand and 6:5 blackjack
- Other names you may see
- How to tell which type a table is
- Questions
01All types of blackjack at a glance
Every game below is blackjack: you play against the dealer, closer to 21 without going over. The differences are in a few rules.
The two number columns give the house edge of each game with each of the two dealer rules for soft 17.
| Game and what is different | Dealer hits soft 17 | Dealer stands on soft 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Classic blackjackThe dealer gets a hole card and checks it for blackjack before you play. | 0.62% | 0.40% |
| European blackjackThe dealer takes the second card after you play. A dealer blackjack also takes your doubles and splits. | 0.73% | 0.52% |
| Single deckOne deck instead of six. Our table has no double after a split. | 0.18% | −0.01%* |
| Double deckTwo decks instead of six; the other rules as classic. | 0.39% | 0.19% |
| Multi-hand blackjackYou play up to 3 hands against the same dealer hand. Rules as classic. | 0.62% | 0.40% |
| Free Bet BlackjackFree doubles on hard 9–11 and free splits; in return a dealer 22 is a push. | 1.10% | 0.79% |
| Spanish 21The 10s are taken out of every deck. Your 21 always wins, and some 21s pay a bonus. | 0.84% | 0.44% |
| Double Down MadnessYou can double after you have taken more cards, not only on the first two. | 0.39% | 0.18% |
| Blackjack SwitchYou play two hands and may swap their second cards. Blackjack pays 1:1 and a dealer 22 is a push. | 0.54% | 0.15% |
| 6:5 blackjackClassic rules, but a blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2. | 1.98% | 1.76% |
House edge = the share of your first bet the casino keeps on average, with the best strategy for that game (its own chart). 6 decks and 3:2 unless the row says otherwise; the dealer checks for blackjack except in European blackjack. Multi-hand: per hand. * Below zero: with exactly these rules the player has a tiny edge.
Lowest to highest, dealer hits soft 17. The order changes with the rules: compare the last column of the table above.
Compare games by their rules, not by their names. Two games with the same name can have different rules and a different house edge.
02Classic and European blackjack
These two are the base games. They differ in one thing: when the dealer gets the second card.
Classic blackjack
American rules, hole card- The dealer gets two cards at the start, one face down (the hole card).
- With an ace or a ten-value card showing, the dealer checks for blackjack first. If it is there, the round ends and you lose only your first bet.
- Our default table: 6 decks, the dealer hits soft 17, double after a split, blackjack pays 3:2.
Play classic blackjack →
European blackjack
No hole card- The dealer gets one card at the start and takes the second one after all players have acted.
- If that card makes blackjack, you also lose your doubles and splits.
- The strategy chart changes in 4 cells compared with the classic game with the same rules.
Play European blackjack →
European blackjack explains the no-hole-card rule in detail. The blackjack rules page lists every rule a table can change.
03Fewer decks: single and double deck
With fewer decks, each card dealt changes the odds of the next one more. With the same other rules, the house edge goes down.
Single deck
One deck of 52 cards- Each card dealt changes what is left in the deck more than in a 6-deck shoe.
- The chart changes in 12 cells compared with 6 decks and the same rules.
- Check the payout: at 6:5 our single-deck table would have a house edge of 1.57%, more than 6 decks at 3:2 (0.62%).
Play single deck →
Double deck
Two decks- Two decks, 104 cards.
- The chart changes in 4 cells compared with 6 decks and the same rules.
- Other rules as in our classic game: the dealer hits soft 17, double after a split, 3:2.
Play double deck →
| Same rules (dealer hits soft 17, double after split, 3:2) | House edge |
|---|---|
| One deck | 0.04% |
| Two decks | 0.39% |
| Six decks | 0.62% |
| Eight decks | 0.65% |
Our single-deck game has no double after a split, so its edge in the first table is higher than in this one.
04Games with special rules
Each of these games adds a rule in your favor, and most take something back with another rule. The house edge shows the result with the rules we use.
Free Bet Blackjack
Free doubles and splits- Free doubles on hard 9, 10 and 11, and free splits of every pair except tens. The casino puts up the extra bet.
- In return, when the dealer finishes on exactly 22, every hand still in play is a push. That happens in 7.4% of rounds.
- It has its own strategy chart.
Play Free Bet Blackjack →
Spanish 21
No 10-spot cards- Each deck has 48 cards: the four 10s are removed; jacks, queens and kings stay.
- Your 21 always wins, and some 21s pay a bonus: five or more cards, 6-7-8 and 7-7-7.
- Our table allows doubling on any number of cards and late surrender. Without these rules the house edge is higher.
Play Spanish 21 →
Double Down Madness
Double on any number of cards- “Double” stays available after you hit: you can double a three- or four-card hand.
- Otherwise classic rules, 6 decks of 52 cards.
- The extra doubles lower the house edge, but they also put more money on the table.
Play Double Down Madness →
Blackjack Switch
Two hands, swap cards- You bet on two hands and may swap their second cards once.
- A blackjack pays only 1:1, and a dealer 22 is a push for every hand still in play.
- If you never switch, the house edge jumps to 9.84% per hand.
Rules and switch checker →
Each game page has the rules we use and the full chart for that game. Rules of these games vary from casino to casino; a table that drops one of the helpful rules has a higher house edge.
05Multi-hand and 6:5 blackjack
- Multi-hand blackjack is classic blackjack where you play up to 3 hands at once. The house edge per hand stays 0.62%; more hands put more money on the table each round.
- 6:5 blackjack is not a separate game. It is classic blackjack with a blackjack paid 6:5. That one rule raises the house edge from 0.62% to 1.98%, the highest in the table above.
A 10 bet on a blackjack pays 15 at 3:2 and only 12 at 6:5. The payout is printed on the table or in the rules screen.
06Other names you may see
- Pontoon is a British relative of blackjack with its own words: “twist” for a hit, “stick” for a stand. Its rules differ a lot from one game to another, so we do not give it a house edge here.
- Names like Vegas Strip or Atlantic City blackjack. A name does not tell you the rules. Read the game's rules screen: number of decks, the soft 17 rule, doubling, surrender and the payout. Then compare with the classic rows above.
- Live dealer or digital. A digital game is dealt by software and usually reshuffles every round. A live dealer game is dealt from a shoe by a real dealer on video. The house edge depends on the rules, not on the format.
Put a table's rules into the house edge calculator to see its exact house edge.
07How to tell which type a table is
- Payout. “Blackjack pays 3 to 2” or “6 to 5”.
- Hole card. Does the dealer check for blackjack? If the dealer takes the second card after you play, it is European.
- Soft 17. “Dealer hits soft 17” or “dealer stands on all 17s”.
- Decks. 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8.
- Special rules. Free doubles, dealer 22 pushes, no 10s, double on any number of cards, switching.
Then use the chart made for that game. The strategy chart generator builds one for any classic or European table; the game pages above have the charts for the special games.
To learn the games step by step, with practice, take the game types track of the academy.
Questions people ask
What are the different types of blackjack?
The common types online are classic (hole card) and European (no hole card) blackjack, single and double deck, multi-hand, and games with special rules such as Free Bet Blackjack, Spanish 21, Double Down Madness and Blackjack Switch. They share the goal of the game and differ in a few rules.
Which type of blackjack has the lowest house edge?
With the rules we use and the dealer hitting soft 17, the lowest on this page is Single deck at 0.18%. With the dealer standing on soft 17 it is Single deck at −0.01%, just below zero: with exactly those rules the player has a tiny edge. Another casino's rules can change the order, so compare the rules of your table.
What is the difference between American and European blackjack?
In American (classic) blackjack the dealer takes a hole card and checks for blackjack before you play. In European blackjack the dealer takes the second card after you play, and a dealer blackjack also takes your doubles and splits. With 6 decks and the dealer standing on soft 17, the house edge is 0.40% and 0.52%.
Is multi-hand blackjack better than one hand?
No. Each hand has the same house edge, 0.62% with our classic rules. Playing more hands puts more money on the table each round, so the average loss per round grows.
Does 6:5 blackjack count as a type of blackjack?
It is classic blackjack with a lower payout for a blackjack. That rule alone raises the house edge from 0.62% to 1.98% with otherwise standard rules.
How the numbers are worked out
Classic, European, single deck, double deck, multi-hand and 6:5: our exact engine, the same one that builds the strategy charts. Free Bet Blackjack, Spanish 21, Double Down Madness and Blackjack Switch: an exact calculation for each game, each checked by an independent simulator of our own (within its margin of error). Split hands are treated as independent. Every figure assumes the best strategy for that game and the rules named on its page; a 6:5 payout is worked out from the share of paid blackjacks.