This single deck blackjack is one of many versions of blackjack offered on our bitcoin casino. This variant of blackjack is played with a single deck of cards, unlike standard blackjack. Usually you would have 4-8 decks in play, which you can read more about in our blackjack guide.
How to Play Single Deck Blackjack?
The main objective of Single Deck Blackjack is to get a hand value of 21 or as close as possible to 21 before the dealer without busting or going over. An alternative is to stand and have the dealer bust. Before the game starts, you place a bet. Then you and the dealer are dealt cards. The dealer is dealt one face up card and one face down. You are dealt two face up cards. Based on the cards in front of you and the face up card of the dealer you decide whether to stand or stop drawing cards, hit or draw more cards, double down or place another bet or split cards.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Single Deck Blackjack
Many blackjack fans consider Single Deck Blackjack as the holy grail of standard Blackjack mainly because it gives played the best chance to increase their bankroll. As a rule of a thumb, blackjack games that are played only with one or a few decks have lower house edge than Multi Deck Blackjack games. In Single Deck Blackjack, the house edge is just 0.15%. This may seem quite tempting, but the game also has a few disadvantages.
Advantages
As already mentioned, the biggest advantage of Single Deck Blackjack is that it has the lowest house edge. However, to take advantage of the low house edge, players should understand the game and its rules as well as use good blackjack strategy. Otherwise, the house edge will increase no matter how many decks the game has.
Single Deck Blackjack is also a favorable variant for card counters. When playing blackjack with six or eight decks players wait longer till they get favorable counts. With Single Deck Blackjack, they can get a favorable count fast. However, it should be noted that card counting works when playing the game in brick and mortar casinos, because on the Internet card are shuffled after each hand.
Disadvantages
Single Deck Blackjack also has a few disadvantages. Even though it has low house edge, some casinos modify its rules so the house edge of the variant may end up being higher than that of eight deck blackjack. For example, some casinos pay 6 to 5 for blackjack instead of 3 to 2 increasing the house edge from 0.15% to 1.45%. Having in mind that you can maintain a house edge of around 0.5% with both single and multi deck blackjack games, it might not be worth the effort to search for Single Deck Blackjack games.
Rules
If the total value of your cards is closer to 21 than the dealer’s, you win as much as you have wagered. If you have Blackjack, you win 3 to 2 times your bet. This is assuming that the dealer doesn’t also have Blackjack. Aces count as either 1 or 11, dressed cards as 10, the remaining cards according to their number values. If the total of your cards exceeds 21, you bust and lose your wager. If you have the same card total as the dealer, from 17 and up, no one wins and you get your stake back in a so-called “PUSH”. Blackjack beats a score of 21.
The Single Deck Blackjack game at our casino follows the standard “Las Vegas Strip” rules, with some exceptions:
- The deck is shuffled after each round.
- Players can split only once.
- Players can double after splitting.
- The player can double only on 10 and 11.
- Players can split to 2 hands.
- No late surrender.
- The dealer checks for Blackjack if his open card is a 10 or an Ace.
Placing a Bet
To place a bet, select a chip denomination from the bottom of the game screen. Once selected, click on the desired bet marker on the table to place a bet. Continue to click on the bet markets to increase your bet.
Playing Tips
To increase or decrease the speed of the card dealing animations in single deck Blackjack, use the small > >> >>> controls at the bottom of the game screen. This will change the speed of the dealing animations.
Betting Limits
The minimum wager in Blackjack is $1.00, and the maximum wager is $50.00.
Single Deck Blackjack Player Options
Split
If your first two cards are of the same value, you may split them in to two separate hands, placing a second wager of equal value. You then proceed to draw cards as usual. However, if you split two Aces, you get only one additional card for each hand. If you split two Aces and one of your hands totals 21, this is not considered Blackjack, but 21.
Double Down
When you have been dealt two cards and think that one more card will give you a position to beat the dealer’s hand, you can double down. Your wager is doubled and you are allowed to hit and receive just one additional card. Player may only double if their hand shows 10 or 11.
Insurance
Insurance is a game of its own within Blackjack. It gives you the chance to protect yourself when you believe that the dealer might have Blackjack. If the dealer’s first card is an Ace, he is considered to have a fair chance of getting Blackjack. If you believe that the dealer’s dark card is of value 10, you may buy insurance against the dealer’s Blackjack at the price of half your initial bet. However, if the dealer doesn’t have Blackjack, the insurance pays 2 to 1, corresponding to the amount of your initial bet. If you have bought insurance while the dealer doesn’t have Blackjack, you lose your insurance. Your initial bet is then settled by comparing your cards with the dealer’s. Should you and the dealer both have Blackjack, the game results in a push.
Dealer Rules
The dealer must draw cards until he has at least 17; the dealer hits on soft 17 (this is when the dealer has an Ace which counts as 11). If the dealer gets 16, he must take another card. The dealer may not decide whether or not to draw a card based on your hand but must abide by the existing dealer rules. In the following section, you will find some general advice for beginners on a basic single deck Blackjack strategy.
Single Deck Blackjack Strategy
| Dealer’s Open Card is: | Hit on: | Stand on: |
| 3, 4, 5, or 6 | 11 and lower soft* 17 and lower |
12 and higher soft* 18 and higher |
| 7, 8, 9, 10, face card, or Ace | 16 and lower soft* 17 and lower |
17 and higher soft* 18 and higher |
- An Ace can count as 1 or 11. A “soft” hand refers to a hand with an Ace that counts as 11. A “soft 17”, for example, is an Ace and a 6. A player with an Ace has the advantage of being able to change the Ace’s value to count as 1 when 11 would cause a bust. In single deck Blackjack, a hand with an Ace that counts as 1 is called a hard hand.
| If the dealer’s open card is: | Split: |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 | 2s, 3s, 8s, and Aces |
| 8, 9, 10, face card, or Ace | 8s and Aces |
| If your first two cards total: | Double if the dealer’s open card is: |
| 11 | Anything except an Ace |
| 10 | Anything except a 10, face card, or Ace |
Remember that it may be risky to double down, since you receive only one additional card.
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