Many blackjack players have heard the phrase “The casino always wins”, or “The dealer always has the advantage”. But few people understand why, so let’s try to answer the question “Why is the dealer favored in blackjack”.
The rules of blackjack in a casino are that you first place a bet. The dealer does nothing with the money and does not place any bets. So, in each game, you bet, by putting your money into play and the dealer only when you win.
Dealer advantage, casino advantage, or house edge are different names to describe the advantage of the casino over the player in other words -the percentage a casino will win over the long term.
So, we can conclude that the dealer does not need to win, he needs you to lose. So according to statistics in 28% of games, you will get too many points, the dealer has about the exact statistics depending on the additional rules for him. And now let’s imagine that you lose together with the dealer. Your money is not returned to you, and the dealer gets your bet, that is, he won. This percentage is called house edge, and it can have different values, but we will take 8%.
So, if you go deeper into the statistics, the player’s chances of winning are close to 46%, while the dealer has 46% + 8% house edge (games in which you both lose).
Why is the dealer favored in blackjack?
It is easy to understand why people think that dealer has an advantage over the player. Because casinos need to have a stable income to make a profit and not go bankrupt.
But casinos in our days think not just about themselves, so casinos produce bonuses and promotions to satisfy players. Player wins or not it’s a question of time and luck.
Different establishments have different edges and it can range from 15% to 0.5%. It is advisable to play games with the lowest edge so that the player’s chance of winning is as close as possible to the casino’s chance of winning.
At a short distance, after playing a few games you certainly will not notice how this chance works, but the longer you play the more you will be under the influence of the house edge
What affects the house edge?
- Your understanding of the game and strategies
- Rules for the dealer/game (should he hit or stand on soft 17? What can you split, and double rules…)
- Other additional rules (Method of casino paying 3:2 or 6:5)
- Dealer advises (sometimes, better not to trust them)
From a mathematical point of view, blackjack is the best game for earning money because there are many factors that can affect your chances of winning and not losing more money. Now, having the answer to why is the dealer favored in blackjack, you can understand how to use it and what to look for.