Good, Average and Bad Online Blackjack Rules

I don't think I need to say again that online blackjack games are among the most popular casino games or that online casino games can be found in all online casinos from the smaller ones to the most reputable. What I don't think anyone knows is that online blackjack games can offer in general the lowest house edge.

Guides on how to play online blackjack, how to understand online blackjack and online blackjack strategies can be found in tones of books, websites and almost every online casino sells blackjack strategy cards that help the beginner and intermediate player keep the house edge to a minimum.

On the other hand, this it doesn't mean that anyone can buy such blackjack strategy cards for a few bucks and in matter of hours while playing online blackjack he start to play online blackjack even with the house. Maybe this was available back in the 60’s or 70’s when casinos offered single deck blackjack games and positive rules like blackjack paying 3 to 2, dealer standing on a soft 17, doubling after splitting, and late surrender. So, back then a player could have faced a mere one-eighty of one percent.

Attractive but back to our ships in our days. Online casinos found ways to change the playing rules of the game to increase their take. So, for a player to be able to play for a maximum period of time and get the most of the game he must find the right online blackjack game offering the right rules. But let’s see what those favorable online blackjack rules are:

Average online blackjack rules – 78% house edge:

• it is played with six decks of cards
• pays 3-to-2 for a blackjack
• the dealer hits a soft 17 (H17)
• double down after pair splitting is not allowed
• double down on any two cards
• re-split up to four hands - except aces, which can only be split once and each split hand receives only one card
• no late surrender allowed

Good online blackjack rules:

• fewer decks – less than six decks

Example:
One decks games with the above rules results in a 26% house edge.
Two decks games with the above rules results in a 59% house edge.


• dealer stands on a soft 17

For example, if the average rules above would have had the dealer standing on soft 17 the house edge would have been reduced to 56%


• double down after pair splitting
• late surrender allowed

Bad online blackjack rules:
Double down after pair splitting not allowed and dealer standing on soft 17 – is six or more decks games. You can reduce the game if you manage to find online games with the same rules but with fewer decks – one or two deck games. Or you can look in six or eight deck games to also have the late surrender rule allowed if you want to reduce slightly the edge.