No, you can’t.

That, however, wouldn’t be a very good article, would it? Chances are, you’d forget about it immediately and be left none the wiser about how blackjack works, so allow us instead to tell you why you can’t beat the house, in the strictest sense of the word.

The House Always Wins

It’s not just a saying, it’s a fact. The house always wins, because if it didn’t, there wouldn’t be a house to go and bet with. We live in a capitalist world where people and organisations have to make money, so charity gambling doesn’t exist.

That said, the house has to keep it interesting for their customers, otherwise no one would walk through their doors or sign up for their sites. So, how exactly do they do that?

The House Edge

In the most basic of terms, the house edge is the share of every bet that the casino expects to keep in the long run. This is best explained by looking at slots. These games have something called a Return to Player percentage.

This percentage lets players know, on average, how much of their money they can expect to retain from every $100 wagered. If, for example, the RTP is 96%, they can expect to see $96 in their account at the end of their $100, whilst the casino will take $4.

In games such as blackjack, the house edge is a little harder to explain, not just because of how it works, but because it’s variable. Typically, the house edge in blackjack is between 0.5% and 2%, and this is achieved mainly by the fact that the dealer plays last.

This is best illustrated by the following example:

You and the dealer both have a hand of 15. You know that the dealer is bound to draw another card and wager that to beat them, you will have to do the same. What you don’t know, however, is that the next two cards in the pile are a nine and a Queen. So, if you both draw, you will both go bust, but because you have to make your move first, you go bust and the dealer wins. This is called a ‘double-bust’, and this is where the house edge lies.

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the house edge lies between 0.5% and 2%, though, which means there are ways that you can reduce it. But how?

The Best Blackjack Strategy

The game of blackjack is one of probabilities. Essentially, you are computing in your head at any given moment the likelihood of a card of a certain numerical order coming out of the pile.

Don’t worry, we’re not talking about card counting here – working out hand gestures is hard enough, never mind that – instead, we’re talking about probabilities.

To understand probabilities and make the most of them at the blackjack table, you don’t have to be an outstanding mathematician; you just have to do a little bit of research. It can be as simple as asking the dealer how many decks of cards they are using and, by eye, seeing how many high-value cards are on the table at any one time.

Or, you can spend a bit of time online researching the best strategies for each hand you are dealt. Then you will know that the probability of going bust on 12 is around 31%, whereas the chances of going bust rise to 58% on 15.

You can then use this knowledge, combined with the cards you can see on the table, to make a more informed decision when the dealer asks you to stick or twist.

The Worst Blackjack Strategies

The worst strategies in any sport or any game are those that are rigid and unchanging. What does the football coach with no Plan B do when Plan A isn’t working? How do you respond when your tactic of focusing only on utilities in Monopoly sees you winding up bankrupt?

If your answers to those questions are to do Plan A better or keep on trying with the utilities, then you’re not going to make a successful football coach, and you’re not going to win too many games of Monopoly.

So, steer clear of rigid blackjack strategies. We’re not going to name any specifically in this article, but if you see something based on maths that involves placing the same bet or sequence of bets, run.

These strategies might work hypothetically or with players who have unlimited budgets, but they don’t work for the likes of me or you.

So, now you know what the house edge is and how to reduce it slightly, what are you going to do next?

As online gambling laws vary from country to country, it is important to comply with local laws when enjoying the fun of gambling.