A push in blackjack is a result that happens when both the dealer and player have the same value in their hands. This occurs in all types of blackjack and can also be seen in other casino games like roulette. When a push occurs, neither party wins or loses and the player’s bet is returned. This is a great way for players to increase their bankrolls without risking any additional money.
The House Edge
Every blackjack game has a different house edge, which is the amount that the casino expects to win from the players over time. Estimates of the house edge are made based on the assumption that players use basic strategy, which is a set of rules that minimizes the player’s expected loss. However, if the rules of a particular blackjack game change, the house edge can be dramatically increased or decreased. For example, some casinos allow doubling down on soft hands but not others. In these cases, the player’s expected loss will be higher.
The Objective
The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer by getting a hand value closer to 21 than theirs. This can be done by hitting, splitting, or doubling down. Each of these strategies has its advantages and disadvantages, but the most important thing to remember is that you are trying to beat the dealer’s hand, not the other players’.
Splitting
When a player is dealt two cards that have the same value they can choose to split them into two separate hands. Each new hand will receive an additional card and the wager on each is won or lost separately. Generally, the player can split up to four hands in total. Some casinos restrict the number of times that a hand can be split and some do not allow you to hit after splitting aces or 10’s.
Doubling Down
If a player feels confident that they have a good chance of beating the dealer, they can increase their bet by up to 2x. This is an excellent way to improve your chances of winning, but you should only do it if you have a strong hand. If you double down on a weak one, you will likely lose.
Insurance/Even Money
Some casinos offer the option to place a side bet on whether or not the dealer has a blackjack. This is usually offered before anyone plays their hand and pays out if the dealer has a blackjack. Taking this bet is generally not a good idea for basic strategy players, as it will drastically decrease your odds of winning. Only a highly skilled card counter should play this type of bet.
Some casinos have rules that make the dealer push on a 22, which makes it much more difficult for the player to beat them. This type of rule changes the basic strategy and should be avoided unless you are a very skilled card counter. However, some casinos are changing this rule in order to make the game more competitive and encourage more players to visit them.