Blackjack is a diverse casino game with multiple variants, rules, and a different number of decks in the shoe depending on where you play. In this guide, we will look at how to play the two deck Blackjack strategy.
- Best Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Plans
- Best Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Plan
- Best Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Tactics
- To use the basic strategy, look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
- Double deck blackjack basic strategy chart from Blackjack Review. Fine points include whether the dealer hits soft-17 and allows double after splits.
You can get the edge at blackjack in single- and double-deck games by: Playing in games that have good rules, including a 3-2 payoff for a blackjack. Using the basic playing strategy for playing ever hand dealt to you. Varying your bets based on the running count.
As with any Blackjack system, the two deck Blackjack strategy comes with quite a few variables depending on the casino you are playing at. You may also see two deck Blackjack referred to as ‘Double Deck Blackjack', and needless to say, you play Blackjack on a table with two decks of 52 cards (104 cards) in the shoe.
Every casino scrutinises its Blackjack games, and it is this due diligence that helps the gaming team decide which rules to apply to Blackjack tables that make it to their casino floor or an onlinecasino's Blackjack section.
As ‘2 Deck Blackjack' has a lower house edge compared to 4, 6, and 8-deck games, many casinos either avoid this variation, add high minimum bets, and/or apply less liberal rules. The other solution is to not include 2 deck Blackjack tables at all.
You will find out later on in this guide how difficult it is to find double deck Blackjack games, and when you do, you will need to make sure you are ready to take on some of the restrictive rules casinos tend to add to this variant.
Luckily all 2 deck Blackjack tables come with several basic strategy charts to prepare you for the varying rules applied to double deck games.
Below we will walk you through the easy to learn steps you need to take to choose the correct basic strategy chart so you can quickly learn how to play 2 deck Blackjack tables whether you find them at a land-based casino or onlinecasino.
We will cover the following topics in this guide:
- Rules that influence Two deck blackjack strategy
- Using Table Rules To Apply The Correct Basic Strategy Charts
- Two Deck Basic Strategy Charts In Action,
- Where can you play 2 deck Blackjack?
- Play Blackjack at mBitcasino
Rules That Influence Two Deck Blackjack Strategy
Every Blackjack strategy that you apply to your session whether you are playing an 8 deck, 6 deck, 4 deck, or 2 deck Blackjack strategy, you should always be using ‘basic strategy'. This is the key ingrediant to not only playing winning blackjack, but to reducing your losses by playing ‘perfect Blackjack‘.
To figure out which basic strategy charts you should use, you need to understand the different rules applied to Blackjack tables.
Dealer Rules
Nearly all ‘Two Deck Blackjack‘ games use the rule ‘dealer stands on 17' (H17) referring to hard 17 and not a soft 17. For the benefit of those that do not know, soft 17 is any hand that totals 17 using an Ace as one of the cards. That Ace can count as 1 or 11. For example, A-6, A-4-2, or A-3-3 are all soft 17 hands.
Soft 17 counts as an 11 on Blackjack tables that use the H17 rule, and as such, the dealer is perfectly within his or her rights to hit the 11 total. On the other hand, if the table rules state that the dealer must ‘stand on all 17s' or ‘dealer stands on soft 17' (S17), then you are in luck because this rules works in your favour.
In our ‘12 Pro Strategies on how to win at Blackjack' guide, we mention that when the ‘dealer stands on soft 17' this increases your house edge by 0.22%. All that being said, you are unlikely to find a 2 deck Blackjack table with this rule. For that matter, very few 4-deck, 6-deck, or 8-deck tables include the S17 rule.
When you are looking at basic strategy charts, the first clue to which chart you should use is the dealer rules:
- Dealer stands of hard 17 = H17
- Dealer stands on soft 17 = S17
Splitting
When it comes to choosing basic strategy charts, you only need to know whether you can double down after splits.
- Doubling Down After Splits Allowed (DAS)
- No Doubling Down After Splits (NDAS)
Doubling Down & Surrender
There are a few other blackjack rules you may need to adjust your basic strategy to. You may find specific basic strategy charts for 2 deck blackjack strategy or your Double Deck Blackjack, H17, NDAS basic strategy chart will include adjustments/alternatives for the below situations.
Make sure that before you play, you understand how these adjustments affect your double-deck game, or any game of blackjack for that matter.
- DOA = Double Down Allowed On Any First Two Cards
- D10 = Double Down Only On 10 or 11 Totals
- RSA = Re-Splitting Aces Allowed
- ESR = Early Surrender
- LSR = Late Surrender
House Edge
This is not so much a rule, but we thoght we'd include this as an interesting fact. The fewer decks in play on a Blackjack table the lower the house edge which is why single-deck Blackjack is so popular.
When you add just 1 addiitonal deck of cards making the game double deck Blackjack, the addition of the extra deck subtracts 0.34% from the house edge.
Here's how additional decks of cards affect the house edge:
- 2-deck blackjack: subtract 0.34% from the house edge
- 3-deck blackjack: subtract 0.45% from the house edge
- 4-deck blackjack: subtract 0.5% from the house edge
- 5-deck blackjack: subtract 0.53% from the house edge
- 6-deck blackjack: subtract 0.55% from the house edge
- 7-deck blackjack: subtract 0.56% from the house edge
- 8-deck blackjack: subtract 0.57% from the house edge
As 2 deck blackjack has a lower house edge compared to 3+ deck blackjack games, usually the casino will pull back that additional house edge by adding less liberal rules such as no splits on Aces or double down on 10 or 11 only. These rules can then even up the double deck versus 6-deck or 8-deck tables.
Another tactic used is to still allow liberal rules on double deck Blackjack tables, but increase the minimum bet.
Using this theory, the casino is banking on the long run outcome of the house edge working in its favour. With the higher losses from lost bets with a high minimum amount, the table will make as much as its 6-deck and 8-deck games with a lower house edge.
Blackjack Pays 6-5
Some casinos see the threat of the lower house edge of 2 deck Blackjack games as so high that they apply the Blackjack pays 6-5 rule. This rule increaes the house edge more than any other rule – 1.4% to be precise which is a sizeable chunk!
No matter what the variation of Blackjack is, unless there is something special about the rules, just walk away from any Blackjack table with the 6-5 Blackjack pays rule.
The only exception that we can think of is Double Exposure Blackjack but even then, most casinos will use 8 decks for this game to make up for the added advantage of seeing both dealer's cards, while also restricting other rules such as double downs, DAS, and H17 rules.
Using Table Rules To Apply The Correct Basic Strategy Charts
The only way to play perfectly sound mathematical double-deck Blackjack is to use basic strategy charts. Players that do not play or learn basic strategy potentially hand over around 2% to 3% back to the house. That's a significant amount when you consider most Blackjack games have a house edge of 99.5%!
In order to choose which basic strategy chart you use, you need to get answers to the following questions:
- Does the dealer stand on soft 17? (H17 or S17)
- Is Doubling down is allowed on any 2 cards?
- Is doubling down after splits permitted?
- Is surrender allowed?
Once you know the answers to these questions, you can apply the correct basic strategy rules to your game.
There are a few other blackjack rules you may need to adjust your basic strategy to. You may find specific basic strategy charts for 2 deck blackjack strategy or your Double Deck Blackjack, H17, NDAS basic strategy chart will include adjustments/alternatives for the below situations.
Make sure that before you play, you understand how these adjustments affect your double-deck game, or any game of blackjack for that matter.
- DOA = Double Down Allowed On Any First Two Cards
- D10 = Double Down Only On 10 or 11 Totals
- RSA = Re-Splitting Aces Allowed
- ESR = Early Surrender
- LSR = Late Surrender
House Edge
This is not so much a rule, but we thoght we'd include this as an interesting fact. The fewer decks in play on a Blackjack table the lower the house edge which is why single-deck Blackjack is so popular.
When you add just 1 addiitonal deck of cards making the game double deck Blackjack, the addition of the extra deck subtracts 0.34% from the house edge.
Here's how additional decks of cards affect the house edge:
- 2-deck blackjack: subtract 0.34% from the house edge
- 3-deck blackjack: subtract 0.45% from the house edge
- 4-deck blackjack: subtract 0.5% from the house edge
- 5-deck blackjack: subtract 0.53% from the house edge
- 6-deck blackjack: subtract 0.55% from the house edge
- 7-deck blackjack: subtract 0.56% from the house edge
- 8-deck blackjack: subtract 0.57% from the house edge
As 2 deck blackjack has a lower house edge compared to 3+ deck blackjack games, usually the casino will pull back that additional house edge by adding less liberal rules such as no splits on Aces or double down on 10 or 11 only. These rules can then even up the double deck versus 6-deck or 8-deck tables.
Another tactic used is to still allow liberal rules on double deck Blackjack tables, but increase the minimum bet.
Using this theory, the casino is banking on the long run outcome of the house edge working in its favour. With the higher losses from lost bets with a high minimum amount, the table will make as much as its 6-deck and 8-deck games with a lower house edge.
Blackjack Pays 6-5
Some casinos see the threat of the lower house edge of 2 deck Blackjack games as so high that they apply the Blackjack pays 6-5 rule. This rule increaes the house edge more than any other rule – 1.4% to be precise which is a sizeable chunk!
No matter what the variation of Blackjack is, unless there is something special about the rules, just walk away from any Blackjack table with the 6-5 Blackjack pays rule.
The only exception that we can think of is Double Exposure Blackjack but even then, most casinos will use 8 decks for this game to make up for the added advantage of seeing both dealer's cards, while also restricting other rules such as double downs, DAS, and H17 rules.
Using Table Rules To Apply The Correct Basic Strategy Charts
The only way to play perfectly sound mathematical double-deck Blackjack is to use basic strategy charts. Players that do not play or learn basic strategy potentially hand over around 2% to 3% back to the house. That's a significant amount when you consider most Blackjack games have a house edge of 99.5%!
In order to choose which basic strategy chart you use, you need to get answers to the following questions:
- Does the dealer stand on soft 17? (H17 or S17)
- Is Doubling down is allowed on any 2 cards?
- Is doubling down after splits permitted?
- Is surrender allowed?
Once you know the answers to these questions, you can apply the correct basic strategy rules to your game.
Examples of Basic Strategy Charts To Choose:
- Double Deck Blackjack, S17, DAS
- Double Deck Blackjack, S17, NDAS
- Double Deck Blackjack, H17, DAS
- Double Deck Blackjack, H17, NDAS
Two Deck Basic Strategy Charts In Action
Just to give you an idea of how a basic strategy chart work, we will give you a couple scenrios. You can then find two deck blackack basic strategy charts here at Wizard of Odds to compare.
Basic Strategy Contingency Rules & Legend
Before you begin, make sure you understand the meaning of each letter and combination of letters on a basic strategy chart. You will also see that there are contingency rules in place for games that include additional rules on top of the S17, H17 DAS/NDAS rules.
- H – Hit
- S- Stand
- D – Double
- Dh – Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
- Ds – Double if allowed, otherwise Stand
- P – Split
- Su – Surrender
- Suh = Surrender if allowed; otherwise hit
- Sus = Surrender if allowed; otherwise stand
Double Deck Blackjack, S17, DAS
In this scenario your hand is an A-7 and the dealer's upcard is a 9. On the basic strategy card for a table with the above rules it states you should act using the following sequences when your hand is an A-7:
- Double on dealer upcards 3 through to 6
- Stand on dealer upcards 2, 7, or 8
- Hit on dealer upcards 9, 10, or A
The correct move here is to hit.
Double Deck Blackjack, H17, DAS
You switch tables and now the dealer rules are ‘dealer stands on 17' and doubling down after splits is allowed. Your hand turns out to be 4-4 while the dealer's upcard is a 5.
There is only one move here accroding to the two deck blackjack H17 DAS basic strategy chart, and that is to split.
Double Deck Blackjack, S17, NDAS
Now in this scenario your hand is a A-2 and the dealer's upcard is a 6. Now this is where basic strategy charts allow for a contingency plan. On this table, let's assume the D10 (Double Down Only On 10 or 11 Totals) is in action.3
You refer to the basic strategy chart it says:
- Double Down if allowed, otherwise hit (Dh)
As you cannot double down on a 3 total or any total (DOA), the correct move in this situations is to ‘Hit'.
Double Deck Blackjack, H17, NDAS
Where can you play 2 deck Blackjack?
We had a good look around to see where you can find 2 deck Blackjack games in gambling hot sports such as Las Vegas, at online casinos by checking which software providers offer operators 2 deck Blackjack tables, and we also looked at live dealer casinos.
Here is what we found:
Land-Based Casinos
In places like Las Vegas, there are only a handful of casinos that host 2 deck Blackjack. The lowest minimum bet in Vegas is at Aliante which is $5 while the next in line are the Bally's and 4 Queens casinos with a $25 minimum bet, and Aria, Caesar's Palace, and Bellagio offer double deck Blackjack with a $100 minimum bet.
The reason for the higher than normal minimum bet at many of these casinos is that 2 deck Blackjack has a lower house edge versus the more common 6-deck and 8-deck games.
Virtual RNG Operated Online Casino 2 Deck Blackjack Games
As for online casinos, to date, most software providers avoid developing 2 deck Blackjack games. As such, the only notable onlineBlackjack developer to release 2 deck Blackjack tables is Real Time Gaming (RTG). These are all virtual RNG games that are set by default to 2 decks but most operators change this to 4 decks because of the higher house edge.
Live Casino 2 Deck Blackjack Games
It took a lot of research to find out exactly how many decks each live casino platform offers with their live dealer Blackjack games, and there are no live Blackjack tables from any of the top live casino platforms that offer 2 deck Blackjack.
Play Blackjack at mBitcasino
At mBitcasino, you have the choice of multiple ways to play blackjack. For virtual Blackjack tables, check out our virtual blackjack section.
Games from BGaming include 6-Deck Blackjack Surrender (99.404%) RTP), 6-Deck Multihand Blackjack (99.24% RTP), 6-Deck Multihand Blackjack Pro (99.4% RTP), and 8-Deck Double Exposure (99.3% RTP), and 8-Deck Pontoon (99.503% RTP). There is also 1 virtual table game from Amatic which is 6-Deck Blackjack 21. You can also play 5-Deck Blackjack (3-hand) by Habanero!
There is also a selection of live Blackjack tables from eZugi while the largest number live Blackjack games with the largest variation of tables are from our Evolution live casino games. We recommend the immense fun of Party BJ and a whole new way to Blackjack as Evolution removes 64 cards which are all 9s and 10s from its 8-deck Power Blackjack novelty way to play live Blackjack table games!
Let's be honest. You'll probably never make it as a card counter.
If you're serious about winning more when you play blackjack, then I encourage you to utilize the following Best Blackjack Strategies I'm about to share with you.
Note: The following strategies can be used in all games unless stated otherwise. How to find out if you have a gambling problem occurred. The strategies discussed below also assume you are a recreational player, and not a card counter.
Still, blackjack offers relatively good odds for players who understand a few simple rules.
I tapped into my inner circle to find out how rookies can win at the table.
Training Wheels
The cards, the cash, the cocktails. As a game, blackjack just looks cool. In casino movies from 'Rain Man' to '21' to 'Vegas Vacation,' Blackjack plays a major role and is one of those iconic casino games everyone wants to give a shot.
If you're new to the game or a casino veteran in need of a refresher, here's what every blackjack player needs to know about basic strategy. Hopefully your luck is a bit better than Clark Griswold's.
To start a game, each player is dealt 2 cards, usually face up, from a shoe usually with four, six, or eight decks. You can find single- and double-deck blackjack at higher stakes. The dealer also is dealt 2 cards with only one of those face-up. The dealer has a major advantage in getting to act last.
A player dealt an ace and a 10 or face card hits a 'natural' 21, also known as blackjack. The player is paid immediately in most circumstances at 3-to-2 (bet $200 and win $300), although more casinos have gone to the inferior 6-to-5 payout (bet $500 to win $600).
If the dealer is also dealt a blackjack, however, the hand is a push. No win, no loss.
Blackjack strategy is pretty simple: If your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer's, then you win. Also, if the dealer happens to bust (go over 21), you win. It sounds easy, but there are more caveats and things to remember.
Hit Me
The worst hands you will get at blackjack are hard 12 through 17. The reason is that no matter what the dealer's upcard happens to be, you stand to lose more hands than you will win in the long run.
One exception: in a soft 17 game with two or more decks, a 17 vs. a 6 is a slight winner. In other words, virtually all these hands are overall losers for blackjack players.
Surprised?
Here's one more grave statistic. You are going to be dealt one of these losers about 4 out of every 10 hands.
So what's a blackjack player to do when 40% of the time you are going to get a 12 through 17 whether you like it or not?
Since you can't change the cards that you are dealt, the best you can do is follow the basic playing strategy for hard and soft hands. You'll still take your lumps but you'll lose less money in the long run when you follow the basic strategy than if you depend upon divine intervention, or worse, play by the seat of your pants.
Maybe you've seen someone playing blackjack in a movie say 'hit me.' That means you're taking another card in the quest to get the elusive 21. A tap of the finger or hand also works, and the dealer will deal you another card.
When to Stand
You 'stand' when you don't want any more cards. Usually this happens when you hit a 17 or higher and sometimes even lower depending on the dealer's card.
A simple waving of the hand as if saying 'no' will do the trick. The dealer will then go on to the next player.
Soft 17
If you have a 'soft 17,' that means you have an ace and 6. Because an ace counts as 1 or 11, this hand can be either 7 or 17 and a player isn't hurt by taking a hit as a 10 won't bust this hand.
Dealers must draw until reaching 17 or higher, but usually must hit a soft 17. Staying on all 17s works in the player's favor. Different casinos have different rules dictating the dealer's move on soft 17.
Don't Take Insurance
A bet players can make when the dealer's upcard is an ace. The player can usually bet half of his bet and 'insure' some of his bet against a Blackjack. This is a sucker bet and a loser in the long run.
Splitting Hands
The casino rules for pair splitting are pretty straightforward. When you are dealt two cards of the same value, you may split them into two separate hands.
For example, if you bet $5 and receive a pair of 2s, you have a single hand totaling 4. You could play the hand as a 4 and draw additional cards or you could split the 2s into two hands.
You activate the pair splitting option by placing another equal bet next to the original bet on the layout. If your original bet was $5, then you would place another red chip on the layout. Largest casino gaming company in the world today. Do not place your chips on top of the original wager. Simply place it next to your original bet.
By doing this, you are signaling the dealer that you want to split your 2s, and play two hands. One hand has a $5 bet and contains a 2, ditto for the second hand. You must play out your first hand (to your right) before you are permitted to play out the second hand.
Best Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Plans
Got two 10s?
Never split, that 20 already has a high likelihood of being a winner.
Two fives?
Another hand that's a keeper. That 10 has a nice likelihood to get another high card, hopefully, an ace and the win.
Double down
When a casino allows you the option to double down, it means you can double the amount of your initial bet in return for receiving one, and only one, drawcard.
The best player-friendly doubling rules are when you can double down on any two cards.
The two variables that determine whether or not you should double down are the total of the cards in your hand and the dealer's upcard. As a general rule, the hands you are most likely to double are hard 8, 9, 10, and 11, and the soft 13 (A-2) through 18 (A-7) hands.
Players are allowed to (and should) double their bets on certain hands for an extra score.
The catch to doubling down is the player will only receive one card, so if you pull a 3, and have 13, you're done. Consider carefully before making this move.
It's important to know the best strategy when it comes to splitting and doubling down
Play basic strategy
Memorizing the right way to hit, stand, split and double down your hand is a must if you want to win long term. You can cut the house edge from 1 to 2 percent to 0.5 percent by following a few simple rules.
Best Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Plan
A good base looks like this:
- Stand when your hand is 12-16 when the dealer has 2-6.
- Hit when your hand is 12-16 when the dealer has 7-Ace
- Always split Aces and 8s
- Double 11 versus the dealer's 2-10
- Hit or double Aces-6
Pro tip: Purchase a basic strategy card in the gift shop so you don't have to memorize all this.
To win at blackjack, you need to get closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over. That sounds simple, but a key to blackjack for beginners is understanding the odds and basic strategy of when to draw another card (hit) and when to stop (stay).
This blog will cover what every blackjack player needs to know about basic strategy. So, you'll get the basic rules, strategy, and lingo so you can feel comfortable playing real money blackjack online or in a brick-and-mortar casino.
Conclusion
Blackjack is one of the best games in the casino for a player, but it's important to learn basic strategy if you want to take it seriously and have the best odds of winning. With numerous cards valued at a 10 or 11 (10, jack, queen, king, ace), there are a variety of things to consider when it comes to hitting, standing, doubling down, or splitting.
There are numerous resources to check out and learn the best strategy when playing blackjack, and it's highly recommended. Applying the strategy perfectly can reduce that house edge down to as low as .05 percent.
Best Double Deck Blackjack Strategy Tactics
There's also one more thing to remember: Unlike the movies, players are not allowed to touch the cards. Simple hand movements are the norm in most games. Gamble on.
