The key consideration when having any sort of discussion pertaining to single deck Blackjack vs. multiple deck Blackjack is this: if any two games were to follow the same exact rules, then the rule of thumb is always to play with game with the least amount of decks involved in the mix.
And really, at least at first glance, the number of decks involved in a game doesn’t even seem likely to have any sort of impact on any given outcome. But the reality is quite the opposite and has everything to do with the how the removal of cards from typical deck affects the deck in its totality. The larger the effect, the better for the player.
Here are the basics of how this plays out during an actual game at the casino.
Fewer Blackjacks In Multiple
Like the match result in the ICC World Cup betting, a Blackjack result is the most valuable result on the table. A typical Blackjack pays 3 to 2. This opposed to the reality of when the house gets a Blackjack – in which case we only lose our original bet (not more).
Combine this with the statistic – and this has actually been tested over and over again – that from the average deck of cards played in the average game of standard Blackjack, a Blackjack result will on average occur once every 27.2 hands, every additional deck of cards added into the mix requires of the player an even bigger bankroll in order even only as much as stay in the game.
Compromised Doubling Down
The strategy of doubling down, too, is compromised in the event of multiple decks of cards being in play. Yet again, we have the odds related to the removal of cards at play.
Since we’re working on the premise of doubling down, we’re taking into account the hypothetical situation of a total of 3 cards removed from a deck or decks of cards. Since each additional deck pushes the odds more in favour of the house, doubling down too, isn’t quite as beneficial to the player when playing with multiple decks of cards than what it would have been had only a single deck been involved.
Debunking the Misconceptions
Despite the mathematical logic dictating everything that we do happen to know about multiple deck Blackjack vs. single deck Blackjack, many players continue to be swayed by a world of misconceptions pertaining to the actual odds.
This is probably due to more than a simple lack of mathematical prowess. One had only need to try and solve some of the common mathematical teasers available online in order to realise how true this actually is – and moreover, how easy it is to be convinced of an untruth.
The logic behind following a strategy is the same logic that applies here also. When working with mathematical probabilities, the best approach to be taken by the non-mathematical mind, is to accept that that which has been proven, must necessarily be true. There isn’t any moving room for emotion or a hunch – there are only facts.