Players in blackjack are trying to come up with an advantage over the dealer. This advantage can be anything from getting a higher hand than the dealer to not being dealt a hand at all.
Odds are one factor that can affect how players try to achieve an advantage.
There are two types of odds in blackjack: basic odds and counting odds. Basic odds refer to the number of times that a particular card will be drawn before it is counted as part of a player’s hand. For example, a two is counted as one card, so the odds of getting two cards in any given hand is 2-1.
Counting odds, on the other hand, refer to the number of times that a particular card will be drawn before it is counted as part of a player’s hand regardless of whether or not it is part of a pair or an Ace high. For example, if you get a four on the first draw in a hand with no other cards, that card counts as one of your four cards and the odds of getting four cards in any given hand are 4-1.
When calculating your chances of winning at blackjack, you need to take into account both basic and counting odds. If you are playing with basic odds, be aware that if you get two cards that add up to thirteen (two tens and a nine), for example, those two cards will be counted as one card and your chances of winning decrease by 1/2 (from 3/4 to 2/3).
If you are playing with counting odds, however, those same two cards will still count as two separate hands and your chances of winning will not change.
The main thing to remember when playing blackjack is that the more information you have about the game, including what kind of odds are being used and what cards are being played, the better chance you have of winning. Odds can be an important factor in how players try to achieve an advantage over the dealer and should not be ignored when playing this popular casino game.
