What Is Standard Deviation in Blackjack?

Standard deviation is a statistical term that measures the spread of a dataset. In blackjack, it can be used to measure the variability of player results.

A player’s standard deviation is calculated by taking the square root of the sum of the squares of their blackjack results. So, if a player has a mean result of 20 and their results are: 18, 22, 24, 26, 28, their standard deviation would be:

The standard deviation is a measure of how spread out player results are. A higher standard deviation means that results are more spread out, while a lower standard deviation means that results are more clustered around the mean.

In blackjack, a high standard deviation can be indicative of a player who is taking more risk. This is because they are more likely to see wider swings in their results, both positive and negative.

A low standard deviation, on the other hand, can be indicative of a player who is playing it safe. This is because they are more likely to see smaller swings in their results.

Of course, this is not always the case. A player’s style of play will also affect their standard deviation.

A aggressive player who bets big may still have a lower standard deviation than a timid player who bets small. It all depends on how often they win and lose.

In general, though, the standard deviation can be a useful tool for measuring risk in blackjack. Players who have a higher standard deviation are usually taking more risks, and players with a lower standard deviation are usually playing it safe.