Playing Blackjack and the Dealer Always Wins? Find Out Why and What You Can Do About It
Published December 15, 2021 by Elana K
When it comes to casino games, blackjack has one of the lowest house edges, and yet, for many players, it seems like the blackjack dealer is always winning. Is this true, or is it just a skewed perception?
When it comes to casino games, blackjack has one of the lowest house edges, and yet, for many players, it seems like the blackjack dealer is always winning. Is this true, or is it just a skewed perception?
In any casino game, the reality is that sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. But in blackjack, the expectations of winning are high, both because the game is so straightforward and because it has a low house edge. So when you end up losing, it can be a heavy blow.
If you’re an avid blackjack player and feel like the dealer is always winning, read on to find out why. There may be something you can do about it.
Why Does it Seem Like the Dealer Always Wins in Blackjack?
Blackjack is a mixture of luck and skill. While there’s nothing much you can do to change your luck, you have the ability to work on your skills. When you do so, you may find that it no longer seems like that blackjack dealer is always winning.
Here are 4 reasons why it seems like the dealer is always winning, along with advice and tips for upping your game.
1. The House Edge
Casino games are designed with a built-in house edge, odds that the casino will win more than the players. Different games have different edges, and blackjack has one of the lowest. Blackjack has a house edge of .5% when you use optimal playing strategy, but that edge can rise to 2% if you don’t follow basic betting strategies. Additionally, the number of decks a dealer uses directly affects the house advantage.
Even players who use an optimal betting strategy will find that, if they play for an extended amount of time, they are more likely to lose than to win. This is another built-in aspect of casino games, and it’s why land-based and online casinos do their best to keep you playing their games—they understand that the longer you play, the more they stand to win. Keep this in mind when playing so that you don't end up spending hours at the blackjack table (and quite possibly losing a lot of money).
2. Poor Player Choices
Part of the house’s strategy relies on players making bad decisions or mistakes. While blackjack is one of the simplest casino games out there, players can still make bad decisions, like hitting or standing when they shouldn’t or missing the opportunity to split.
Additionally, some players choose poor strategies, like the Martingale strategy, which involves doubling up on losing bets and reducing winning bets by half. This strategy is designed to prevent players from losing too much money and to ensure the odds of winning at least 1 hand—but today, many experts don’t recommend it since it can result in big losses and force you to leave the table.
Since bad choices and strategies can end up costing you the game, it can be a good idea to brush up on blackjack strategies so that you keep the house edge to .5% and improve your chances of winning.
3. Side Bets
Many players are tempted to place side bets in blackjack to increase their potential wins, but in actuality, it’s the house edge that increases. Plus, when the player loses, the losses are greater. There are 3 main side bets in blackjack: Insurance, 21+3, and Perfect Pairs.
Insurance: This is the most common side bet, allowing you to cover yourself if the dealer has an ace facing up. The bet requires half of your original stake and pays out at odds of 2:1. While the odds are certainly tempting, remember that the most you can do is to break even and the worst you can do is to lose more money.
21+3: This side bet uses the 2 cards of your hand plus the dealer’s 1 up-card to create winning poker combinations, including a flush, straight, 3 of a kind, straight flush, and suited triple. With this type of side bet, too, the house edge increases significantly.
Perfect Pairs: You can win this side bet if you’re dealt 2 of a kind as a mixed pair (2 cards of the same value but different suits and colors), a colored pair (2 cards of the same value and color), or a perfect pair (2 of the same card). Each of these bets has increasingly good odds, ranging from 5:1 to 25:1. While these odds are tempting, remember that the house edge can rise anywhere between 3% to 11%.
While side bets may make the game more interesting, we recommend avoiding them when possible since they can end up costing you a lot more money.
4. Continuous Shuffling Machines
Card counting is an age-old blackjack strategy that involves keeping a count of high and low valued cards that are dealt and betting more or less depending on whether you or the dealer has the advantage.
Today, card counting is made nearly impossible because dealers use CSM, continuous shuffling machines, and online blackjack shuffling is automated. As cards are continuously shuffled in between rounds, more of your bankroll is exposed to the house edge. Therefore, we recommend brushing up on solid blackjack strategies as opposed to card counting.
Is Blackjack a Fair Game?
Asking if blackjack is a fair game is like asking if any casino game is fair: the answer is yes, casino games are designed to be fair in that the dealer/house doesn’t cheat or resort to trickery in order to win. They don’t need to—casino games are designed with a built-in house edge. This doesn’t make them unfair, it’s just the nature of the games. When you sign up to play blackjack or any other casino game, it’s important to understand what you’re signing up for.
