Is Blackjack Basic Strategy Profitable?

blackjack is a tough game, there’s no doubt about that. But is it really that tough to beat? The answer may surprise you.

To begin with, let’s take a look at the house edge in blackjack. The house edge is the percentage of each bet that the casino expects to keep over the long run.

For example, if the house edge is 5%, then for every $100 you bet, you can expect the casino to keep $5.

Now, let’s compare the house edge in blackjack to other casino games. Roulette has a house edge of 5.26%. Slot machines have a house edge of 7% or more.

Even Keno has a house edge of around 25%. So, when you compare the house edge in blackjack to other games, it’s actually not that bad.

But here’s the thing: the house edge is only part of the story. The other part is what we call “variance.” Variance is how often you win or lose compared to what the odds say you should win or lose. For example, if you’re playing a game with a 5% house edge, you should lose about 5% of your money over time.

But in practice, you might win some sessions and lose others. That’s variance.

And blackjack has a lot of variance. Why? Because it’s a game of skill.

The better you are at counting cards and making strategic decisions, the lower your variance will be. And that means you’ll have a better chance of winning money over time.

So, is blackjack basic strategy profitable? The answer is yes – but only if you’re willing to put in the effort to learn and master basic strategy. If you’re not willing to do that, then blackjack probably isn’t the game for you.