While it is now significantly rarer than multi deck variations, single deck blackjack was once one of the most widely-played online casino games. Especially popular in the 1960s and 1970s, single deck blackjack was found to be especially vulnerable to card counting, often providing skilled players with an edge of up to 1.5%. This lead many online casinos to discontinue it completely.
Multi deck games generally move faster and involve many more cards, which can make them much more difficult to effectively count. With the rise of online gambling, however, single deck blackjack has experienced a relative resurgence and is again being played alongside many other casino games at online gambling sites. However, most casinos have implemented rule variations to make the game less advantageous for card counters and blackjack experts. While it is difficult to find a site that offers single deck blackjack in its original form, the adjusted version can still provide exciting and entertaining game play.
Single Deck Blackjack Rules
For the most part, single deck blackjack is identical to the multi deck form of standard American blackjack played at many online and traditional casinos today. The only variations are relatively small and do not truly affect the game in a noticeable way. One major exception to this is how much players receive for a blackjack. While old single deck blackjack games paid out at the standard rate of 3 to 2 for natural blackjacks, most modern casinos have adopted a 6 to 5 payout model. While this may seem somewhat insignificant, this small change shifts the edge in the favor of the house by about 1.5%.
In single deck blackjack, players usually receive their cards face down, which means that other players are not able to see what cards other players have. The only way this affects the game is that it can make it difficult to count cards. It is a common misconception that the actions of other players can considerably affect the odds for other players, but this is statistically unfounded. Still, the face down card distribution method can make things problematic for card counters.
Choosing Online Single Deck Blackjack Casino Sites
Single deck blackjack is relatively hard to find online, which means that players must often accept rules that put them at a disadvantage in order to play. Ideally, you should find a game that remains as similar as possible to original single deck blackjack, but managing to do so is unlikely.
If an online casino is found that offers the game in its original form, extra care should be taken before depositing money and playing there. While a player may be excited to try this old fashioned form of blackjack, he or she should only do so if the prospective site can be verified as safe and secure. Failure to properly research an online casino can result in being scammed.
Tips for Playing Single Deck Blackjack
If possible, you should avoid single deck blackjack games that pay out at 6 to 5 rather than 3 to 2. Because of the adjusted house edge found at most online casinos, playing single deck real money blackjack without having perfected basic strategy for the game can result in heavy losses. Even with perfect strategy, the house has close to a 2% edge on the player, making modern single deck blackjack a difficult game to beat. In general, a player should never take insurance in single deck blackjack.
