Blackjack is a table card game that is traditionally played with one deck of cards where the players try to get 21 as the total face value of the cards that they are holding. This game is actually against your dealer and the game is how you beat your dealer. This game is alternatively known as 21 since the ultimate goal is to get that as a sum.
Although it was originally played with one deck of cards as card counting became more common over the years the casinos started increasing the number of decks to deter card counters.
How Many Cards Are Used in Blackjack?
Traditionally blackjack was played with 52 cards, that is, one deck. But over the years casinos increased the number of decks to up to eight. Hence, now blackjack can be played with up to 416 cards with 96 face cards which are shuffled after each round. All the cards have their number as their respective values, except the face cards and the aces. The aces can have a value of 11 or 1 while the face cards each have a value of 10. The sum of the values of the cards in a player’s possession is called their hand value.
How Many Decks Are Used in Blackjack?
There is no upper limit to the number of decks that can be used. Originally only one deck of cards was used to play blackjack. But modern blackjack is played with six to eight decks, depending on the casino. This is done to increase the odds in favour of the house. As the number of decks increases so does the difficulty of keeping a count of all the cards. This gives the house a significant advantage.
Decks in Blackjack: One, Four, Eight or More?
This completely depends upon the casino where the game is being hosted. It can be played with any number of decks from one to eight, or even more. But usually modern casinos use six to eight decks to play the game. Increasing the number of decks is a strategy to deter card counters and hence increase the odds in favor of the house. With only one deck in play players can easily keep a count of the cards being dealt. Even beginners can use this technique quite easily. With increased number of decks it becomes tricky to keep a count of the value of the cards remaining in the shoe. But still it is not impossible, advanced card players use multi-deck card counting techniques to beat the house.
How Many Decks of Cards Are Used in Online Blackjack?
Usually six to eight decks of cards are used in online blackjack games. But even one deck of cards with randomised shuffling can be used to play. In the online mode the odds are always in favor of the house since the cards are not drawn from any ‘real’ deck but randomly generated with the help of computer algorithms. This makes it impossible for players to count the cards. The only exception is live dealer blackjack where real cards are used.
How Many Cards in Live Dealer Blackjack?
Live dealer blackjack is streamed online but it is really close to playing blackjack in a real casino as a live dealer conducts the game. Usually eight decks of cards are used in the game and cards are burned, which mean the top cards which are face down are removed.
Play Blackjack to Have Fun
Blackjack is an entertaining recreational activity that is readily available online. You could choose to play it against the computer or against real players online where you can bet real money. You could even play it with your own friends. This can be a fun way to spend leisure time depending on how good your strategic skills are!
FAQs
How many card decks do casinos use?
There is no specified upper limit to the number of card decks that casinos can use. But usually casinos use six to eight decks of cards in blackjack.
Can you count cards with 6 decks?
Yes, theoretically it is possible to count cards even when six decks are being used. But it is very hard to keep track of the cards with that many decks of cards in play.
How many decks do online blackjack games use?
Sometimes online blackjack do use real card decks to draw from but usually in online games the cards are generated randomly using computer algorithms hence making it impossible for card counters to keep track of the cards.
Why do casinos use multiple decks for blackjack?
Casinos use multiple decks for blackjack to deter players from counting cards as it is really difficult to keep track of the value of cards left in the shoe with six to eight decks of cards in the play.