Blackjack players are always looking for an edge, and the number of decks used in the game changes the house edge. So, how many decks do casinos use for blackjack? Casinos use five different configurations, with many casinos using more than one at different tables.
Casinos use one, two, four, six, or eight decks in their blackjack games. Single and double deck games are popular with blackjack players, but casinos prefer to use six and eight deck shoes.
Single deck blackjack games are better for players, and eight deck shoes are worse for players.
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The Basic Blackjack Deck
Basic blackjack games use a standard deck of playing cards. The deck is the same deck used for most card games, including poker. The games that don’t use cards in casinos include slot machines, roulette, and craps.
If a casino uses more than one deck for their blackjack games, the decks are still basic decks of playing cards. A single deck blackjack game uses 52 cards, and a double deck game used 104 cards.
The cards are ace through king in four suits. In blackjack, the ace can be used as 11 points or one point.
Do Casinos Use Multiple Decks for Blackjack?
Casinos use multiple numbers of decks in blackjack games. The most common blackjack games in casinos are shoe games, but some casinos still offer games with one or two decks. Occasionally I see a casino with a four deck game, but this is rare.
A shoe game uses a device called a shoe to hold the cards. Blackjack games that use four, six, or eight decks are show games. Single and double deck games are called hand dealt games.
Single Deck – A single deck blackjack game uses one deck of cards. Single deck blackjack games are better for players than other blackjack games, assuming all other rules are identical.
Double Deck – Double deck blackjack games use two decks of cards. Double deck blackjack games are better for players than any other number of decks except single deck games.
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Four Deck Shoe – A four shoe blackjack game uses four decks of cards in a shoe. Four deck games are better for players than six and eight deck shoe games, but slightly worse than single and double deck games.
Six Deck Shoe – A six deck shoe uses six decks of cards. The only configuration worse for players is an eight deck shoe blackjack game.
Eight Deck Shoe – An eight deck shoe blackjack game uses eight decks of cards. Eight deck games are the worst configuration for players.
It might sound like the number of decks used in a blackjack game is a big deal.
But for most blackjack players it doesn’t make much difference. The difference in overall return is small.
If you want to get the lowest possible house edge, though, when all of the other rules are the same, the game with the fewest number of decks is better.
How Many Decks Is Best for Blackjack?
The best number of decks for a blackjack game is one. The best number of decks for the casino is eight.
But these statements assume that every other rule is the same. And this is rarely the case when you’re comparing two or more blackjack games.
For example, do you know if a single deck blackjack game that pays 6 to 5 is better or worse than an eight deck game that pays 3 to 2?
In this example, the eight deck shoe game is better than the single deck game.
And the amount paid for blackjack isn’t the only rule you need to consider. The ability to double after splitting pairs, what the dealer does on a soft 17, and how many hands you can split are all important considerations. Whether or not you can surrender is another rule that influences the house edge and returns.
The main rule to follow is if all of the rules are the same, the game with the least number of decks is better. But checking the number of decks isn’t as important as the other rules.
How Many Decks in a Shoe?
Blackjack shoe games use four, six, or eight decks of cards. But most casinos use either six or eight decks in their blackjack shoe games.
Casinos prefer shoe games over hand dealt games for two reasons. The first is that the house edge is higher in a shoe game than in a hand dealt game.
But the main reason casinos prefer shoe games over handheld games is because they can deal more hands per hour using a shoe. And the more blackjack hands the casino can deal per hour, the more money the casino makes.
When a dealer has to stop and shuffle the cards, it takes time. At a single deck table, the dealer has to shuffle the cards frequently. At a table using an eight deck shoe, the cards don’t have to be shuffled as often.
Does It Matter How Many Decks Casinos Use in Blackjack Games?
As a blackjack player, does it matter how many decks casinos use in blackjack games?
The truth is that the number of decks doesn’t matter for most blackjack players. Most blackjack players don’t take the game seriously enough to learn how to use basic strategy correctly, so the small difference in the house edge from the number of decks doesn’t matter.
But if you’re a high limit blackjack player or use advantage play techniques, the number of decks the casino uses is important. In these situations, you need to use every edge you can find, even if it’s a small edge.
As long as you’re a casual blackjack player who enjoys an occasional game, don’t worry about how many decks the casino uses. The other rules are more important. But once you get serious about playing winning blackjack, start looking for blackjack games with fewer decks.
Number of Blackjack Decks and Card Counting
In the last section, I mentioned that if you use blackjack advantage techniques the number of decks is important. The main way to gain an advantage in blackjack is by counting cards.
If you learn how to count cards, the number of decks used in blackjack games is important. Card counters work with small margins of profit, so an extra tenth of a percentage can be the difference between making a profit and losing money.
Casinos know that card counters prefer single and double deck games, so the casinos usually make the other rules worse in these games. The poor rules discourage card counters from playing these games.
As a card counter, the number of decks in a shoe game is less important than penetration. A six deck shoe with poor penetration isn’t as good as an eight deck shoe game with deeper penetration.
See also: Can You Count Cards in Online Blackjack?
How Many Decks Do Casinos Use in Online Blackjack Games?
Online casinos don’t always tell you how many decks they use in their blackjack games. But some casinos advertise single and double deck games.
But the way that online casino software operates, the number of decks usually doesn’t matter. All of the cards are shuffled by the software after each hand, so whether the casino is using two, six, or eight decks, your odds are the same on each hand.
If the rules are the same in a single deck online blackjack game as the other games available, play the single deck game. But, if an online casino doesn’t offer a single deck game, or if the rules aren’t as good as the rules at the single deck game, always play the game with the best rules.
Be sure to check out my friend’s website for more questions and answers about blackjack.
Conclusion
How many decks do casinos use for blackjack?
It depends.
But the common number is one, two, six, or eight. You might run across a four deck game occasionally, but these aren’t common.
When you’re looking for a blackjack game, the first thing you need to do is look for the game with the best rules. When two or more games have the same rules, pick the game with the fewest number of decks.
