Single Deck Blackjack

Blackjack is undoubtedly one of the most popular table games you can play at any live or online casino. Vegas casinos are normally stacked to the brim with blackjack tables, with countless thousands enjoying the game and having a great time at all hours of the day and night.

Its popularity also stems from its simplicity and the fact that its one of the few casino games online that the house doesn’t have a significant edge over the player.  This makes players not only want to play longer, but also entices them to check out all the other table games and slots that particular casino has to offer.

Single deck blackjack is one of those games that not only significantly reduces the casino’s precious advantage, but it’s a game that can be beat – and we’ll go over some quick facts and numbers regarding this uber popular blackjack variation.  We even have a great infographic (posted at the bottom) that you can follow as well that’ll help you know what to do when confronted with certain cards against the dealer.

If you need a refresher course on Blackjack, please check out our other Blackjack FAQ page here:

>> How to Play Blackjack Online

What is Single Deck Blackjack?

Single deck blackjack is exactly what the name says, with casinos using just one deck of 52 cards in this game. Most blackjack games use anywhere from 6 to 8 decks per game, so naturally the advantage of playing with one deck can be more profitable at times, rather than using 6, 7, or 8 decks.  The shoe that holds the deck is also normally reshuffled every few minutes since hands get dealt out to players at a more rapid rate than multi-deck tables.

It’s been proven through a few different studies that the first thing  most blackjack players do when they enter a casino is look to see if single deck blackjack is available. Players know that this game is one of the only blackjack variations that can be more rewarding than other traditional types, and the easiest way to monitor the cards through card counting.

Single Deck Blackjack House Edge

The house edge lowers down to a minimum of only 0.05% with playing with the one deck, this can be very rewarding to the players. This is an advancement for the players chances to increase the overall odds. With this being said, it’s a good thing to keep in mind is that when you’re playing with fewer decks the better your own odds are since the house advantage is reduced.

The explanation as to why the single deck blackjack games can be more profitable is due to the fact that there are fewer cards that are played, so this means each card is much more apparent in terms of the card value. Players will also have a better understanding of what the outcome of the game will be after a few cards are dealt. For the card counter, this is an easy walk in the park.

Players wonder sometimes why everyone isn’t playing the single deck blackjack, since the house advantage is so low. Well, this is due to the casinos having knowledge that the games odds are not in their favor. It’s not something a lot of casinos make public and for the most part a lot of pit bosses don’t run a ton of single-deck games as is.  However, certain casinos like the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada, frequently advertise their numerous single deck blackjack tables to entice more action to their other games.

With this being the result, players searching for the single deck blackjack game could be on a wild goose chase. The casinos realized a long time ago that it’s just too easy for card counters to get the best of them playing the single hand decks, so they offer the more well known 6 to 8-deck versions of the game itself to keep counters away and to keep the game more pure.

Single Deck Blackjack Quick Guide

This infographic shows you how to play single deck blackjack when you get certain hands and helps you plan out a good strategy against the dealer when he/she shows certain Up cards.  This will greatly increase your chances of making the right plays against the house and to surrender your hand when it’s just not worth it to even bet against the dealer’s hand.