Twenty-One is almost the friendliest attraction found in a casino. Even if novices know little more than easy-to-learn basic strategy of blackjack and sometimes act on gut feelings, the House only has an approximate 2.5% advantage, lower than any other table or slot. Now imagine how successful someone could be armed with a little more knowledge than “basic”.
This is where blackjack calculators are extremely valuable. Standard 21 dealt from a single deck is a simple diversion, but operators added bespoke rules and side bets into different versions while also expanding number of decks used to as many as eight. At this point, even experts can get tripped up and make mistakes.
However, now thanks to the Internet, determining how these changes affect House odds is merely just a few clicks away. Check boxes of applicable variables, hit “calculate”, and instantly make informed decisions on numerous intertwined factors.
Best Blackjack Calculators
Casino Advantage: This calculator is especially valuable because tons of gaming sites abound, each with unique sets of rules. Land-based operators usually abide by uniform regulations, with few choices available.
Often rules balance out, some favoring hosts and others customers. Casino, or House Advantage calculators sort these odds out and present results clearly. Sophisticated tools account for very minor advantages, for example, whether the table employs a cut card, which favors dealers’ chance of success. Approximately 7,000 combinations are boiled down to a single, understandable total via these permutations.
Strategy Advisor: Plenty of advanced blackjack theories rattle around promising to flip House edges on their head and needless to say, most are straight garbage and shouldn’t be listened to. Even though a single “best strategy” may not exist for people to rely upon, a plan suiting skill level and style may be available.
That is the theory behind strategy advisors, matching users with individualized plans after a short self-rated evaluation. After entering decisions, data is analyzed to provide advice on how to improve them.
Game Calculators: Special blackjack variations such as Spanish 21 (a 48-card deck with 10s removed) are no longer a mystery thanks to certain game calculators. After trying these, players understand how odds are stacked against them, after all, casinos are not introducing new 21 products to be nice to customers. Statistics always favor the House.
Calculators for each specific version gives exact probabilities in every type of situation and suggests mathematically correct decisions.
Bankroll Calculators
Several online calculators help 21 enthusiasts manage the financial side of careers. Depending on appetite for risk, size of starting bankroll, available session time, and goals, they reveal a probable range of results for what lies ahead.
One of the most popular calculators was in existence long before the Internet, “Gambler’s Ruin“, determining probability of increasing stakes prior to going broke. Numbers entered are 1) amount of beginning bankroll, 2) target win percentage, 3) length of session time, and 4) ante size.
By monkeying around with initial data, users learn the potential Risk of Ruin and can plan sessions accordingly. Although, many would argue trying to predict the future in this way is nothing more than a fool’s errand.