Benefits to Shuffling after each hand of Online Blackjack

Does it matter if online casino blackjack games re-shuffle every hand?

Almost every online casino blackjack strategy on the world wide web points out this crucial aspect of the rules. In online games, the cards are re-shuffled after every hand. This is important because it means strategists will not be able to count the cards in an RNG-based game. But the real question is… does it matter?

If you planned to count card, then yes, it matters very much. But how does it impact the player’s overall expected return? The truth is, there are actually benefits to shuffling after each hand of online blackjack. For one, you don’t have to worry about keeping up with the card count! But there’s more to it than that.

Benefits of RNG Online Casino Blackjack Games

I’ve read numerous speculations by actual online players as to the benefits of automatic reshuffling. They include things like not having to tip a live dealer, playing one-on-one without other players, and getting in more hands per hour. It’s also been said that shuffling the deck after a specific depth is reached (at live casinos) works against the player.

We’ll examine each of these theories and see whether they really do afford an advantage to playing blackjack online.

No Tipping

Obviously this is true. You can’t tip a computer. In a land-based casino, it’s not required to tip, but it is good etiquette. Unless you lose all of your chips before walking away, a kind dealer always deserves a little something extra. Common procedure is to tip a few dollars if you’re placing $5-$10 bets, and a least $5 if your wagering $25-$100. If you win, a more generous tip may be in order.

Playing online blackjack means you don’t have to tip at all. Every tip comes out of your profits, so this really is a notable advantage to players of online blackjack games., having a significant effect on your rate of investment (ROI).

1-on-1 Player vs Dealer

Playing heads-up against the dealer with no other players might seem like an advantage, but it’s really not. The odds of receiving a specific card or set of cards does not change no matter how many players are present.

More Hands per Hour

Playing online will definitely increase your hand rate. Not only are you the only player, it’s all automated. Playing more hands in any given period of time isn’t necessarily a good thing, though. It will not increase or decrease your odds of winning in any way. It can, however, increase the speed at which you lose money. With an strategic RTP of 99.5%, playing 120 hands an hour at $5 per bet comes to a probable loss of $3 per hour. Playing the same odds with other players, at a rate of about 30 hands per hour, would result in a theoretical loss of $0.75 per hour.

Shuffling After Depth Deck

In a land-based or live casino blackjack game, the deck or shoe is usually reshuffled after reaching a specific depth. This actually works against the player. As the famous Wizard of Odds, Michael Shackleford, advises:

“…more cards will be dealt when the shuffle point is reached in a deck rich in small cards than one rich in big cards. In other words, in a physical casinos the player will see slightly more small cards than large cards over the long run, which is bad for the player.”