Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. Especially among players who like to play games where the house edge is very low. It is one of the few games where you can even have an edge over the house. But is blackjack really the right choice?
The reality is that blackjack is not as good as it used to be. This is not an opinion, but a fact. In this article we’ll give you the disadvantages of playing blackjack. Does this mean you shouldn’t play blackjack at all? We’ll give you the answer in the sections below as well.
Winning at blackjack is hard
If you’ve read articles or books about blackjack before, you must have had the dream of beating the casino with their own game. Some articles make it seem so easy, like you can use blackjack as your personal bank account every time and pay out whenever you want.
The truth is that even when you know how to beat the game, it’s not easy, and you won’t win every time. In fact, most blackjack players lose in the long run. It’s easy to dream about beating blackjack, but when it comes down to it, you’ll find out soon enough that these dreams don’t come true.
The reason we discuss the disadvantages of blackjack on this page is because most people reading this are not winning blackjack players. Nobody knows the exact percentage, but it could well be that about 5% of all players leave the casino with a small profit or break even. Probably about 1% win in the long run. This means that 99% of players lose.
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It’s hard to find good games
Casinos are like businesses. They need to make a profit to stay in business. They do this by offering casino games where they themselves have an edge. This is not good or bad, it is just the way a casino operates. The casino must make a profit, or it must close its doors.
Smart casino owners are always trying to learn more about how to make more profit. The casino understands that every rule in blackjack variants on the tables change their earnings. They know that some game rules greatly improve their winnings. If it were up to them they would always play with the same rules.
On the other hand, the casino needs players at the table. This is the reason they try to find a middle ground. Some rules have been changed while still paying out 6 to 5. More and more casinos are paying out 6 to 5 instead of 3 to 2 for a natural blackjack. People have no idea how much this affects the odds.
Take into consideration that other game rules also have a lot of influence on the house edge. Many gamblers don’t pay attention and take a seat at a random blackjack table. Because of lazy gamblers, casinos can continue to offer these 6 to 5 blackjack payouts. The only way for casinos to offer better games is if players refuse to play on the blackjack tables with bad conditions.
Good casino bonuses are disappearing
In the early years of the online gambling industry, online casinos had good casino bonuses for players who liked to play blackjack. The welcome bonus could also be used on the blackjack tables. Nowadays, most online casinos have strict terms that stipulate that you cannot unlock the bonus with blackjack. You can only clear the bonus on online slots.
When you do find an online casino that allows you to play blackjack while a bonus is active, the wagering requirements are often much higher. While the wagering requirements are normally between 30x and 40x on average, with these bonuses it is up to 300x or 400x. This makes it almost impossible to unlock the bonus.
Fewer players and fewer tables
It seems that fewer and fewer young people are playing blackjack. If you meet them at the casino at all because nowadays they prefer to play on their mobile or tablet. Instead of going to the casino they can now play wherever they want. The moment casinos see that the revenue is decreasing because of the low attendance at the blackjack tables, the game is replaced by a game that does bring in revenue. This is the reason why every year the supply of blackjack tables is significantly reduced.
Why you should still play blackjack
Although we have discussed enough disadvantages of blackjack, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play blackjack. Blackjack is still one of the few casino games that allows players to apply a strategy to have a low house edge. It just gets harder over the years to get an edge on the house.
Blackjack is very easy to learn and comes with a low house edge, even if you don’t apply a strategy. You just need to keep the basic strategy tables with you and play with the right rules. The hardest part is finding good blackjack games. By playing blackjack online, you’ll have plenty of time to make the right decision based on basic strategy.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, blackjack is not as good as it used to be. The basics have remained the same for centuries, but casinos are smarter than before, and the younger generation seems to have less interest in the game. This means that there are fewer games available. The games that are still available are much worse. By playing at online casinos, you can be sure that you can choose the best blackjack variants.