Blackjack is a popular card game and has lots of variations, including Progressive Blackjack, which is played in brick-and-mortar casinos as well as online.

The rules are the same for the classic game and there are varieties with slightly different gameplay.

How many decks casinos use in blackjack is the question we try to answer in this guide. We look at online vs real casino operators and compare classic European blackjack games with the new Bitcoin blackjack.

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How many decks are used for blackjack by land-based casinos?

Gambling operators make their own rules, including how many decks of cards for blackjack they plan on using.

When it comes to land-based operators, they can use anything from one deck to as many as eight decks, so the card totals range from 52 to 416.

How many decks do Las Vegas casinos use in blackjack also depends on the type of game chosen. High limit blackjack and low limit games can use a different number of decks, so it’s worth asking the question when you sit down at the table.

How many decks are used for blackjack by online casinos?

Internet casinos provide players with mobile blackjack varieties such as unlimited blackjack, for enhanced convenience. They also have more varieties of the classic game and how many decks of cards do online casinos use for blackjack also depends on this factor.

The thing about online operators is that they can shuffle the cards after each hand thanks to the software used. This is something to consider when crafting an online blackjack strategy that depends on how many cards are in play.

Do casinos say how many decks they use in blackjack? They surely do and online you can see this information next to the game of choice.

How many decks do casinos use for blackjack at live online casino tables is another question. As soon as you learn how to make money playing even CSGO blackjack, you can switch from RNG-based games to real dealers.

In this case, action is usually broadcasted from a land-based casino or gaming studio. This means that you can expect up to eight decks to be used or as few as one.

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Does the number of decks affect the house edge?

How many decks of cards do casinos use is more than a statistical curiosity.

✅ The number of decks used has an effect on the house edge, implicitly the odds of winning.

✅ Generally, the fewer decks are in play, the better the return to player, assuming proper blackjack tournament strategy and blackjack money management are used.

✅ The most direct impact is in regard to the odds of making a natural hand. If you’re dealt a card valued 10, you have a better chance to make a blackjack with a single deck than with a double deck in play.

Veteran players are even more interested in how many decks are used in blackjack games they fancy. They know when to surrender in blackjack and double your bet until you win using negative progression systems.

Fewer decks means that the dealer has a lower chance of making a natural and against the player’s own blackjack. Do you take insurance in blackjack depending on the number of cards used? The answer is still no, but this is particularly true in games with many decks in play.

Check out these games highlighting how many decks of cards are used in blackjack and the house edge:

Number of Decks

House Edge

Single deck
House Edge
0.17%
Double deck
House Edge
0.46%
Four decks
House Edge
0.60%
Six decks
House Edge
0.64%
Eight decks
House Edge
0.66%

Does the number of decks have an impact on card counting?

How many decks does the casino use in blackjack has a significant impact on card counting. This is easy to understand because when more decks are in play, it takes longer to reach the bottom. You would have to keep track of many hands and have a very narrow window of opportunity to take advantage of your slight edge. This applies to Zen count in blackjack, and plenty of complex strategies used in brick-and-mortar casinos.

Online, this doesn’t really matter because the cards are being shuffled after each hand.

Choosing between single deck vs multiple deck blackjack

Tip

Depending on your take on blackjack, you should be aiming for games with more or fewer decks in play.

👉 Generally speaking, it is better to choose fewer decks, simply because of the lower house edge.

👉 If you plan on counting cards, then you should definitely seek these games, for the reasons mentioned above. It goes without saying that the casinos are paying close attention to card counters in single deck blackjack games.

👉 If you never take insurance, then the multiple deck blackjack could be better, since the dealer has a lower chance to make a natural.

👉 In online casinos, this is irrelevant because the decks can be shuffled at any time.

FAQs: Your questions on the decks of cards for blackjack answered

There is no upper limit written in stone, but casinos usually use up to eight decks in their games.
Land-based casinos are more inclined to use a higher number of decks. Their online counterparts don’t really care that much because they can shuffle the cards at any time, using the software.
It is advisable to stick to single deck blackjack games because of the lower house edge. If you want to put your card counting skills to the test, this type of game is also preferable.
In the long run, you will make just as many natural blackjacks regardless of the number of decks used. On any hand when being dealt a 10, you have a better chance to make blackjack with fewer decks.

How many decks do casinos use in blackjack and why it matters

Whether you play blackjack in land-based casinos or online at live dealer blackjack tables, how many decks are used in blackjack is a relevant question. Expect anywhere from 1 to 8 decks, with most casinos choosing to increase the number as much as possible.

If you play online against the random number generator, how many decks do casinos use in blackjack doesn’t matter. Cards can be shuffled after each hand, so any card counting attempts are doomed to fail. If you have this type of skill, it is better to put it to the test in brick-and-mortar casinos using single blackjack decks. Just watch out for officials trying to spot such behavior.