The probability of the coin landing heads up is one out of two, expressed 1 to 2 as a ratio. Another way to express the odds of a coin toss outcome is in percentages. Ask anybody what the odds are, and they will likely reply: 'fifty-fifty'. Heads Up Blackjack Odds Receive some of Heads Up Blackjack Odds the largest and easiest welcome bonuses and promotions. Enjoy bonus funds without losing access to all of your favorite slots and casino games as you fill the wagering requirements without even noticing. Heads up is indeed the only way to go for me because having the advantage I want to be dealt as many hands per hour as possible. It has nothing to do with the other players. Some prefer 1 or 2 players at their table so they can wong out in minus counts and let those players eat the small cards.
He plays close to perfect blackjack, the house edge over him is only 1% per hand. What is the optimal strategy to maximize the probability of (1) being up at least $1 at the end of the session (2) being up $100 at the end of the session (3) doubling up during the session, with the player immediately quitting the session once this condition is met. Heads Up Blackjack Odds New Heads Up Blackjack Odds Player Heads Up Blackjack Odds Welcome Bonus, players must deposit a minimum of £10 in one instance. The New Heads Up Blackjack Odds Player Heads Up Blackjack Odds Welcome Bonus will only be offered on your first deposit, unless otherwise stated. Players who do not wish to receive the Heads.
To fully understand the game of blackjack, you must understand and master blackjack odds. It's crucial to know how the casino gains its edge and how it helps them win. It's also important to understand blackjack odds such as the odds of hitting a 10 or the odds of being dealt a blackjack. You can read over these blackjack odds charts to help understand the logistics behind blackjack.
In most casino games of blackjack, the house advantage (the dealer advantage) is ~ 8%. The house gets this advantage by the dealer being the last player to act. By acting last, all other players have already made their decisions and could quite possibly bust before the dealer has his turn.
By using correct blackjack basic strategy, you can turn the casino edge in blackjack from 7%-8% down to 0.5%. If you correctly use advanced card counting techniques, you can often change blackjack odds and give yourself the advantage over the casino. Manipulating the house odds to your favor is the reason most casinos don't allow card counters to play blackjack.
It's very important to know the probability of your hand busting when you are holding any total in the game of blackjack. The following odds chart shows the blackjack odds of busting, depending on your current hand value:
Hand Value | % Bust If You Hit |
---|---|
21 | 100% |
20 | 92% |
19 | 85% |
18 | 77% |
17 | 69% |
16 | 62% |
15 | 58% |
14 | 56% |
13 | 39% |
12 | 31% |
11 or Less | 0% |
This interesting blackjack odds chart is the two card count frequency chart. This chart shows the percentage chance that you will be dealt a hand in each given value range. The most important frequencey to note is the chance of being dealt a natural blackjack (natural 21 value. The odds of being dealt a natural blackjack are merely 4.8%. Following this chart you will see that the most common two card hand, at 38.7%, is a hand totaling 1-16, which is considered a decision hand.
Two Card Count | % Frequency |
---|---|
Natural 21 | 4.8% |
Hard Standing (17-20) | 30.0 % |
Decision Hands (1-16) | 38.7% |
No Bust | 26.5% |
TOTAL | 100.0% |
This blackjack odds chart shows the dealer final hand probability. These are the percentages that the dealer will end up with a hand totaling each corresponding value (up to 16). Read over this chart to understand the odds that the dealer has to make his final hand.
Dealer Final Hand Value | % | Cumulative % Total |
---|---|---|
Natural 21 | 4.82% | 4.83% |
21 (3 or More Cards) | 7.36% | 12.19% |
20 | 17.58% | 29.77% |
19 | 13.48% | 43.25% |
18 | 13.81% | 57.06% |
17 | 14.58% | 71.64% |
16 | 28.36% | 100.00% |
The first two columns in this odds chart explain the dealer's chance of busting, depending on the up card that he is showing. You should note that the dealer has the highest chance of busting when he is showing a 5. The third column in this chart shows the player advantage of using basic strategy, compared to each up card the dealer is showing. You can see that the player has the highest advantage of 23.9%, when the dealer is showing a 5. When the dealer is showing any card that is 9 value or higher, the player is in the negative advantage range.
Dealer Up Card | Dealer Bust % | Player Advantage % with Basic Strategy |
---|---|---|
2 | 35.30% | 9.8% |
3 | 37.56% | 13.4% |
4 | 40.28% | 18.0% |
5 | 42.89% | 23.2% |
6 | 42.08% | 23.9% |
7 | 25.99% | 14.3% |
8 | 23.86% | 5.4% |
9 | 23.34% | -4.3% |
J,Q,K | 21.43% | -16.9% |
A | 11.65% | -16.0% |
When looking at the odds of removing certain cards from a 52-card deck, some cards have a much greater effect on blackjack odds. To create the strongest card counting system ever invented, you would have to incorporate all of these slight and subtle differences into the numbers to be a completely accurate system.
Removing every 5 from a deck cards would make the largest impact of improving your blackjack odds, as a player. On the other hand, removing every Ace from a deck of cards would make the largest impact on improving the odds for the casino.
Card | % Effect of Removal |
---|---|
2 | 0.40% |
3 | 0.43% |
4 | 0.52% |
5 | 0.67% |
6 | 0.45% |
7 | 0.30% |
8 | 0.01% |
9 | -0.15% |
10 | -0.51% |
A | -0.59% |
See also:
I have seen lots of search strings in the statistics of my Web site related to the probability to get a blackjack (natural 21). This time (November 15, 2012), the request (repeated 5 times) was personal and targeted directly at yours truly:
Oh, yes, I am very sure! As specified in this eBook, the blackjack hands can be viewed as combinations or arrangements (the order of the elements counts; like in horse racing trifectas).
1) Let's take first the combinations. There are 52 cards in one deck of cards. There are 4 Aces and 16 face-cards and 10s. The blackjack (or natural) can occur only in the first 2 cards. We calculate first all combinations of 52 elements taken 2 at a time: C(52, 2) = (52 * 51) / 2 = 1326.
We combine now each of the 4 Aces with each of the 16 ten-valued cards: 4 * 16 = 64.
The probability to get a blackjack (natural): 64 / 1326 = .0483 = 4.83%.
2) Let's do now the calculations for arrangements. (The combinations are also considered boxed arrangements; i.e. the order of the elements does not count).
We calculate total arrangements for 52 cards taken 2 at a time: A(52, 2) = 52 * 51 = 2652.
In arrangements, the order of the cards is essential. Thus, King + Ace is distinct from Ace + King. Thus, total arrangements of 4 Aces and 16 ten-valued cards: 4 * 16 * 2 = 128.
The odds to get a blackjack (natural) as arrangement: 128 / 2652 = .0483 = 4.83%.
4.83% is equivalent to about 1 in 21 blackjack hands. (No wonder the game is called Twenty-one!)
1) The previous probability calculations were based on one deck of cards, at the beginning of the deck (no cards burnt). But we can easily calculate the blackjack (natural) odds for partial decks, provided that we know the number of remaining cards (total), Aces and Ten-Value cards.
Let's take the situation heads-up: One player against the dealer. Suppose that 12 cards were played, including 2 Tens; no Aces out. What is the new probability to get a natural blackjack?
Total cards remaining (R) = 52 - 12 = 40
Aces remaining in the deck (A): 4 - 0 = 4
Ten-Valued cards remaining (T): 16 - 2 = 14
Odds of a natural: (4 * 14) / C(40, 2) = 56 / 780 = 7.2%
(C represents the combination formula; e.g. combinations of 40 taken 2 at a time.)
The probability for a blackjack is higher than at the beginning of a full deck of cards. The odds are exactly the same for both Player and Dealer. But - the advantage goes to the Player! If the Player has the BJ and the Dealer doesn't, the Player is paid 150%. If the Dealer has the blackjack and the Player doesn't, the Player loses 100% of his initial bet!
This situation is valid only for one Player against casino. Also, this situation allows for a higher bet before the round starts. For multiple players, the situation becomes uncontrollable. Everybody at the table receives one card in succession, and then the second card. The bet cannot be increased during the dealing of the cards. Hint: try as much as you can to play heads-up against the Dealer!
The generalized formula is:
Probability of a blackjack: (A * T) / C(R, 2)
2) How about multiple decks of cards? The calculations are not exactly linear because of the combination formula. For example, 2 decks, (104 cards):
~ the 2-deck case:
C(52, 2) = 1326
C(104, 2) = 5356 (4.04 times larger than total combinations for one deck.)
8 (Aces) * 32 (Tens) = 256
Odds of BJ for 2 decks = 256 / 5356 = 4.78% (a little lower than the one-deck case of 4.83%).
~ the 8-deck case, 416 total cards:
C(52, 2) = 1326
C(416, 2) = 86320 (65.1 times larger than total combinations for one deck.)
32 (Aces) * 128 (Tens) = 4096
Odds of BJ for 8 decks = 4096 / 86320 = 4.75% (a little lower than the two-deck situation and even lower than the one-deck case of 4.83%).
There are NO significant differences regarding the number of decks. If we round the figures, the general odds to get a natural blackjack can be expressed as 4.8%.
The advantage to the blackjack player after cards were played: Not nearly as significant as the one-deck situation.
3) The position at the table is inconsequential for the blackjack player. Only heads-up and one deck of cards make a difference as far the improved odds for a natural are concerned.
The probabilities in the first chapter were calculated for one trial. That is, the odds to get a blackjack in the first two cards. But what are the probabilities to get a natural 21 dealing an entire deck?
You, the player, can expect one blackjack every 3 decks in heads-up play.
We can devise precise mathematical formulas based on the Tens remaining in the deck. We know for sure that the casino pays 2 to 1 for a successful insurance (i.e. the dealer does have Ten as her hole card).
We start with the most easily manageable case: One deck of cards, one player, the very beginning of the game. There is a total of 16 Teens in the deck (10, J, Q, K). The dealer has dealt 2 cards to the player and one card to herself that we can see exactly — the face card being an Ace. Therefore, 52 – 3 = 49 cards remaining in the deck. There are 3 possible situations, axiomatic one:
Believe it or not, the insurance can be a really sweet deal if there are multiple players at the blackjack table! Let's say, 5 players, the very beginning of the game. There is a total of 16 Teens in the deck (10, J, Q, K). The dealer has dealt 10 cards to the players and one card to herself that we can see exactly — the face card being an Ace. Therefore, 52 – (10 + 1) = 41 cards remaining in the deck. There are many more possible situations, some very different from the previous scenario:
HA = {(R – T) – T*2} / R
where —
• Axiomatic one, buying (taking) insurance can be a favorable bet for all blackjack players, indeed. Of course, under special circumstances — if you see certain amounts of ten-valued cards on the table. The favorable situations are calculated by the formula above.
But, then again, a dealer natural 21 occurs about 5%- of the time — the insurance alone won't turn the blackjack game entirely in your favor.
Up until yours truly wrote such software, total elements in blackjack (i.e. hands) were obtained via simulation. Problem with simulation is incomplete generation. According to by-now famed Ion Saliu's Probability Paradox, only some 63% of possible elements are generated in a simulation of N random cases.
I tested my software a variable number of card decks and various deck compositions. I noticed that decks with lower proportions of ten-valued cards provided higher percentages of potential double-down hands. It is natural, of course, as Tens are the only cards that cannot contribute to a hand to possibly double down. However, the double-down hands provide the most advantageous situations for blackjack player. Indeed, it sounds like 'heresy' to all followers of the cult or voodoo ritual of card counting!
I rolled up my sleeves and performed comprehensive calculations of blackjack double-downs (2-card hands). The single deck is mostly covered, but the calculations can be extended to any number of decks.
At the beginning of the deck (shoe): Total combinations of 52 cards taken 2 at a time is C(52, 2) = 1326 hands. Possible 2-card combinations that can be double-down hands:
Evidently, there are 13 ranks. Nine ranks (2 to 9 and Ace) consist of 4 cards each (in a single deck). Four ranks (the Tenners) consist of 16 cards. Total of mixed pairs is calculated by the combination formula for every rank. C(4, 2) = 6; 6 * 9 = 54 (for the non-10 cards). The Ten-ranks contribute: C(16, 2) = 120. Total mixed pairs: 54 + 120 = 174. Probability to get a mixed pair: 174 / 1326 = 13%.
There are 13 ranks of 4 cards each. Each rank contributes C(4, 2) = 6 pairs. Total strict pairs: 13 * 6 = 78. Probability to get a mixed pair: 78 / 1326 = 5.9%.Total strict pairs = 78 2-card hands (5.9%, but...).
However, not all blackjack pairs should be split; e.g. 10+10 or 5+5 should not be split, but stood on or doubled down. Only around 3% of strict pairs should be legitimately split. See the optimal split pairsblack jack strategy card.Back to Forums IndexSocrates HomeSearch