Hands per hour can be dealer dependent as some are faster and more dexterous than others. Other factors are number of players at the table, side bets, players' decision times etc. I regularly play over 200 hands per hour one on one. Wong did some studies on this subject using Atlantic City six deck games. How many cards are dealt per hand? The books tell us that the average hand in Blackjack (including the dealer hands) contains about 2.7 cards. I thought I would look at this a bit further. We always temper this estimate by saying that the number of players can affect the.
Optimal blackjack bet sizes, including zero when you do not have an edge, are based on mathematics and computer simulations. These are the amounts you would like to bet if you could bet any amounts you want. But of course you cannot bet anything you want — your bet size is subject to constraints. There are minimum and maximum bets. Only certain bet sizes are accepted. If casino employees are scrutinizing you to evaluate your ability, you might impose additional constraints on yourself. On negative counts: If you cannot bet zero, then bet the minimum you can get away with. If you play a spot, that spot gets cards. If you leave that spot blank, the dealer does not give it any cards. Playing one more hand thus uses more cards, and may mean fewer rounds before the shuffle. For example, if enough cards remain for three more head-up rounds of one hand each, you will get only two rounds if you play two hands each round. Which makes more money, three single hands or two double hands? The answer depends on how much you are betting per hand. It also assumes that the dealer will not have to shuffle until at least one subsequent hand. (If this is the last round before the shuffle no matter how many hands you play, then optimally if you have an edge you should spread your money over as many hands as possible.)
Alone and High Limits
If you are alone at a table, if you have an advantage, if your optimal bet size for one hand is less than the table maximum, and if another round will be dealt after this one, then it does not matter much whether you bet one hand or two, but do not go to three hands. To go to two hands of optimal bets is to bet about 150% as much per round as to play one hand per round. And to add a second hand is to use about 150% as many cards. You will get 2/3 as many rounds before the dealer shuffles, but you will be betting 150% as much per round, so two hands at a time has the same profit potential as one hand per round.
Adding a third hand and making optimal-sized bets would add 12% to your total bets but would use 33% more cards, and thus result in lower overall profit potential.
If you are the only customer at a table and the dealer has the advantage, your optimal action if you stay is to play one hand at the minimum. To play two minimum bets at a time would be to bet twice as much on each of the two-thirds as many rounds before the shuffle, for 33% more unprofitable action.
Therefore, if you are the only customer at the table, it makes sense to play one hand at a time whether or not you have the advantage. This advice holds if your optimal one-hand bet size is less than the table maximum.
Alone and Low Limit
If you are the only customer at the table and your optimal single-hand bet is more than the table maximum, then your optimal total bet on two simultaneous hands will be more than 150% of the table limit. In this case, you will be better off with two hands per round. You will get two-thirds as many rounds before the shuffle, but you will be betting more than 150% as much per round.
One Other Player and High Limit
If there are other players at the table with you, your adding an extra hand adds a smaller proportion to the total cards used on one round. You would bet 50% more with two optimally-sized bets instead of one, but with one other player you would use only 33% more cards per round. This means you are better off playing two hands if there is another customer at your table and you have an edge.
Do not go to three hands of your own; your third hand would use 25% more cards but your total bets (with optimal bet sizes) would increase by only 12% per round.
More Other Players
With two or more other hands played besides your own, you definitely have a larger expected win rate playing two hands yourself when you have an edge. Increasing to three hands of optimal-sized bets will win you a tiny bit more money but will attract a lot of attention that you may not want.
Another Argument for Fewer Hands
Your optimal bet size changes as your advantage changes, and you would like to estimate your advantage as closely as possible. Playing fewer hands means estimating your advantage more often between shuffles, hence more precisely. For example, suppose you are playing two hands at once, and suppose your first hand is 10-10. Your second hand can be thought of as coming from a pack that is poorer by two 10s than the pack you used to estimate your advantage to select your bet size. Had you known in advance that those two 10s would not be available to your second hand and to the dealer, you would have bet less on your second hand. The existence of this precision factor suggests being hesitant about playing another spot when a few cards could cause big changes in the count per deck.
Summary
Generally, if you are alone with the dealer you are better off playing one hand, and if there are other players you are better off playing two hands when you have an edge.
Excerpted with permission from the e-book version of Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong.
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Blackjack, unlike other gambling games is not considered a game of chance, it is one that you can win if you start applying some knowledge. Unlike many other games where the result depends on player luck only, this game provides probabilities depending on the player decisions. Therefore, in order to win you have to know what your probabilities are now and how and when to increase them.
Are online casino winnings taxable in canada. Before we take a look at player and dealer blackjack odds, we should consider all the parameters that affect the odds in the game.
The easiest way for you to calculate the odds in blackjack is by using our free House Edge Calculator. This tool will help you to count player odds and the probabilities of dealer going bust on various dealer's up cards.
Blackjack Rules Variations
Blackjack variations were created to entertain players and provide them with a chance to win more money on side bets. Each rule variation affects the house edge, some rules making a big, others making a minor difference. Most common rule variations can be found at our House Edge Calculator in the «Rules» window. Now, let's take a closer look at the rules and see how they affect the odds in the game.
NOTE: The rules chosen in the table below are most favorable for the player.
Number of decks
The first thing a player should consider when choosing a table is the number of decks used in the game. The more decks there are - the less odds the player has. (See the table - Probabilities – Number of decks)
How Many Blackjack Hands Are Dealt Per Hour Per
Dealer hits or stands on soft 17
The main rules of the game are usually written on the table felt and it may say either dealer hits or stands on soft 17. If according to the rules dealer hits soft 17, the game gives the house a 0.2% extra edge.
Rules for doubling
This rule is sometimes called the 'Reno' rule, which restricts doubling only to certain hand totals. Double 9 - 11 affects the house edge increasing it by 0.09% (8 decks game) and 0.15% (1 deck game). Double 10-11 increases the house edge by 0.17% (8 decks game) and 0.26% (1 deck game).
Doubling after Split
If the casino allows a player to double after he splits a pair, the player will get a further edge of around 0.12%.
Resplitting
Most casinos allow players to split again after he/she splits a pair and is dealt another card of the same rank. However, if the casino does not, this means the odds favor the house. As the best hands for splitting are a pair of Aces and 8s, there may be a special rule for Splitting Aces. If the casino allows the player to re-split Aces, the player gets a 0.03% extra edge. Moreover, in most cases if the player splits Aces, the casino will deal only one card per hand and that's it. Allowing players to hit on a hand of Split Aces gives the player an edge of 0.13%. We do not consider this rule in our calculator due to the fact it is almost never used, especially online.
Good for player- 1 deck of cards (house edge 0.17%)
- Doubling allowed on any cards
- Doubling allowed after Split and after Hit (player edge 0.12%)
- Early surrender is preferable
- Dealer stands on soft 17 (player edge 0.2%)
- Resplitting any cards allowed (player edge 0.03%)
Extra Rules Affecting Blackjack Odds
European No-Hole-Card Rule
Some blackjack variations are played with a hole card that is dealt to the dealer only after all the players have played their hands. This rule affects player strategy when playing against dealer up 10 or an Ace. In a typical hole-card game the player would know whether the dealer has a Blackjack or not before he makes any decisions. In this game, however, the player is risking a lot more if he decides to double or split. This rule adds 0.11% to the house advantage. However, there may be some casinos that allow the player to push on all the additional bets (doubling down and splitting pairs) if the dealer happens to have Blackjack.
Another Payouts on Blackjack
The classic payout on player Blackjack is 3 to 2. However, some casinos change the payout to increase the house edge. The payout on blackjack thus may vary from 1:1 to 6:5. As a Blackjack hand frequency is approximately 4.8% (see the table Two Card Hand Frequency), the payout of 1:1 will increase house edge by 2.3% and the payout of 6:5 - by 1.4%. The first rule (1:1) is only rarely found , while the second (6:5) can be found at some tables with a single deck blackjack game. The payout on Blackjack is generally written on a table felt.
May 16, 2019 In casino poker, you play for table stakes. This means that you play with the chips that you have on the table. You're not allowed to go into your pocket for more money in the middle of a hand. If you run out of chips you announce that you are 'All IN' and you will only be eligible for the money in that pot up to that point.
Best tip
for odds seekers
The easiest way to choose the game with the highest odds is to play blackjack with no extra special rules. Do not forget where your basic odds are hidden - chance to Split, Double Down and get a 3 to 2 payout on Natural.
Dealer wins Ties
Another disadvantage for the player is when the rules of the game say that dealer wins all ties. This rule is almost never used in the classic games, though it can be found in some blackjack variations.
Insurance
The Insurance bet is a casino trick that gives the house a huge edge. The main factor why many players take this bet lies in the fact it costs only half of the original one. However, when the player takes Insurance every time he plays the game, the house edge may raise up to 7%. Added to all the other rules the casino sets on the game and you will see why probabilities are worth learning if you want to quit winners.
How Many Blackjack Hands Are Dealt Per Hour Chart
Side Bets
All blackjack games that offer side bets seem to be the biggest attraction for blackjack lovers. However, if you consider blackjack odds on these bets, you will notice that no matter how big the jackpot is (as in progressive blackjack rules) or how great the payout is for the pair (as in perfect pairs rules), the odds still favor the house and you are not likely to win.
Blackjack Probabilities charts
Another Payouts on Blackjack
The classic payout on player Blackjack is 3 to 2. However, some casinos change the payout to increase the house edge. The payout on blackjack thus may vary from 1:1 to 6:5. As a Blackjack hand frequency is approximately 4.8% (see the table Two Card Hand Frequency), the payout of 1:1 will increase house edge by 2.3% and the payout of 6:5 - by 1.4%. The first rule (1:1) is only rarely found , while the second (6:5) can be found at some tables with a single deck blackjack game. The payout on Blackjack is generally written on a table felt.
May 16, 2019 In casino poker, you play for table stakes. This means that you play with the chips that you have on the table. You're not allowed to go into your pocket for more money in the middle of a hand. If you run out of chips you announce that you are 'All IN' and you will only be eligible for the money in that pot up to that point.
Best tip
for odds seekers
The easiest way to choose the game with the highest odds is to play blackjack with no extra special rules. Do not forget where your basic odds are hidden - chance to Split, Double Down and get a 3 to 2 payout on Natural.
Dealer wins Ties
Another disadvantage for the player is when the rules of the game say that dealer wins all ties. This rule is almost never used in the classic games, though it can be found in some blackjack variations.
Insurance
The Insurance bet is a casino trick that gives the house a huge edge. The main factor why many players take this bet lies in the fact it costs only half of the original one. However, when the player takes Insurance every time he plays the game, the house edge may raise up to 7%. Added to all the other rules the casino sets on the game and you will see why probabilities are worth learning if you want to quit winners.
How Many Blackjack Hands Are Dealt Per Hour Chart
Side Bets
All blackjack games that offer side bets seem to be the biggest attraction for blackjack lovers. However, if you consider blackjack odds on these bets, you will notice that no matter how big the jackpot is (as in progressive blackjack rules) or how great the payout is for the pair (as in perfect pairs rules), the odds still favor the house and you are not likely to win.
Blackjack Probabilities charts
Number of decks | House Advantage % |
Single | 0.17 |
2 | 0.46 |
4 | 0.60 |
6 | 0.64 |
8 | 0.66 |
The quantity of decks increases the house advantage with each extra deck added to the game. Look for games with the smallest number of decks. However, some games offering a chance to play with 1 deck may only still provide low player odds due to low payouts on Blackjack and other rules. Be sure to check them before you play.
Hand value | % frequency |
21 | 4.8 |
17-20 | 30 |
1-16 | 38.7 |
No Bust | 26.5 |
The table on the left describes how often the following hands can appear. The hands are the first two-cards dealt to the player. The frequency stands for the average number of times dealt per deck of cards. As you can see, the most frequent hands dealt are the 'Decision hands' that demand knowledge of blackjack strategy.
Hand value | % of busting |
21 | 100 |
20 | 92 |
19 | 85 |
18 | 77 |
17 | 69 |
16 | 62 |
15 | 58 |
14 | 56 |
13 | 39 |
12 | 31 |
11 or less | 0 |
In this table you can see the probability of going bust on any hand if the player decides to Hit. This means that with 0% you can never go bust when hitting a hand of 11 or less. As you can see, the table is for hard hand totals as you will 100% bust if you Hit on a hand of hard 21.
Card | House edge % (when cards removed) |
2 | 0.40 |
3 | 0.43 |
4 | 0.52 |
5 | 0.67 |
6 | 0.45 |
7 | 0.30 |
8 | 0.01 |
9 | -0.15 |
10,J,Q,K | -0.51 |
Ace | -0.59 |
You probably already know that in blackjack small cards in the deck favor the dealer while big ones favor the player. In this table you can see that removing 2s from the deck adds a 0.40% of advantage to the player, while if 10's are taken out - the odds are 0.51% for the house.
Dealer Face Up Card | Dealer Bust % | Player Odds % (Using Basic Strategy) |
2 | 35.3 | 9.8 |
3 | 37.56 | 13.4 |
4 | 40.28 | 18 |
5 | 42.89 | 23.2 |
6 | 42.08 | 23.9 |
7 | 25.99 | 14.3 |
8 | 23.86 | 5.4 |
9 | 23.34 | -4.3 |
10,J,Q,K | 21.43 | -16.9 |
Ace | 11.65 | -16 |
Blackjack probabilities are calculated due to different parameters, including the dealer up card. The table on the left depicts how likely it is that dealer will go bust with certain up cards and what the player odds are in this very situation. For example, the highest player odds are when the dealer shows a 6, as he is most likely to go bust with this hand. The lowest player odds are when the dealer's up card is a 10 or an Ace.
You can count the players and casino odds any time you play with the help of our House Edge Calculator. The tool helps to find the probabilities for any game rules and the results can be calculated for all parameters.
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