Understanding the House Edge

The house (casino) has the advantage in every game it offers, meaning casinos offer only games in which the odds make it likely that they—not you—will make money in the long run. This built-in advantage is called the house edge. But part of blackjack’s appeal stems from its relatively favorable odds compared to other casino games. If you play blackjack using the tips and strategies in this chart, you can reduce the house edge to almost nothing.

Blackjack is most often played using the following rules:

The house edge in this form of blackjack is approximately 0.50%, meaning if you play perfectly, for every $100 you wager, you’ll give the house a mere 50 cents. Here’s how blackjack’s house edge compares to that of other casino games:

Variations in the rules affect the house edge either positively or negatively. In the table below, values with a “+” sign are good for the player, while values with a “–“ sign are bad for the player. For example, doubling down after splits has a value of +0.14%. Since this variation is good for the player, it reduces the house edge from 0.50% to 0.36%.