Blackjack

The most-played casino card game. Objective: get a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer without going over.

Under basic strategy (mathematically-optimal play for every hand vs every dealer up-card), blackjack has the highest RTP in the casino — 99.4% to 99.7% depending on rules variant. That’s a house edge of 0.3% to 0.6%, an order of magnitude better than slots.

Rule variants matter enormously:

• Number of decks — fewer is better (single-deck: 99.6%+ possible)
• Dealer stand/hit soft 17 — stand favours the player
• Double after split — allowed favours the player
• Insurance — always decline; it’s a −7% sucker bet
• Blackjack payout — 3:2 is standard; 6:5 shifts RTP to ~98.5% and should be avoided

At bonus wagering time, blackjack usually contributes 5-10% — see game contribution for the math.

See the wagering requirements guide and the advantage-play piece.