3:2 vs 6:5 Blackjack: Why the Payout Sign Matters

A blackjack, or natural, is an ace plus a ten-value card as your first two cards. On a traditional table it pays 3 to 2: a 10 bet wins 15. On a 6 to 5 table the same hand wins only 12. Because naturals come up roughly once in every 21 hands, that smaller payout adds well over one percentage point to the house edge, which makes it one of the most expensive rule changes a blackjack game can have. The payout is printed on the felt or listed in the game's help screen, so it is easy to check before you play.

What the two payouts look like in money

Some 6:5 tables set minimum bets in multiples of five so the payout comes out in whole chips, which is one small clue to watch for.

Why a small difference costs so much

The arithmetic can be done on the back of a napkin. A 3:2 payout returns 1.5 times the stake as profit; a 6:5 payout returns 1.2 times. The gap is 0.3 of a bet every time you are dealt a natural. Naturals arrive about once in every 21 hands, and when the dealer also has one, the hand is a push rather than a win. Spread 0.3 of a bet across roughly twenty-one hands, allow for those pushes, and the extra cost comes to around 1.4 percent of everything you wager.

To put that in perspective, a well-played blackjack game with good rules can have one of the lowest edges in the casino. The 6:5 payout alone can multiply that edge several times over. Other rule changes, such as the dealer hitting soft 17 or limits on doubling, usually cost far less.

Because the edge applies to total turnover, a fast table at 6:5 can drain a budget surprisingly quickly. Our guide to how casinos make money explains why turnover matters more than the size of any single bet.

Where 6:5 tends to appear

• Single-deck games. Fewer decks normally help the player slightly, and 6:5 is often paired with single-deck tables to make them look attractive. The payout change usually outweighs that benefit.
• Low-minimum tables. Cheaper entry points are sometimes paid for with a worse payout.
• Some online and electronic versions. Digital tables vary widely, and a few variants pay even money on naturals in exchange for other rule changes.

Not every table in a venue follows the same rules, so it is worth walking a little further to find a 3:2 game if one is available.

How to check before you sit down

1. Read the felt. The line usually says "Blackjack pays 3 to 2" or "Blackjack pays 6 to 5" in large letters.
2. Look at the placard beside the table, which lists minimums, maximums and key rules.
3. Online, open the game's help or rules screen and search for the payout on a blackjack.
4. Ask the dealer if anything is unclear; the payout is not a secret.

Things that get confused with 6:5

Even money

When you have a natural and the dealer shows an ace, you may be offered "even money": a guaranteed 1 to 1 payout immediately. This is effectively the same as taking insurance and is a separate decision from the table's standard payout.

Surrender

Another rule that changes a table's value is whether you can give up half your bet after seeing the first cards. Our entry on surrender in blackjack covers early and late surrender.

Side bets

Perfect pairs, twenty-one plus three and similar side bets have their own payouts and edges and do not affect the main game's payout for a natural.

Does it matter for a short session?

Over a handful of hands, you might not see a single natural, so the payout may make no visible difference on the night. But the cost is there on every hand in the average, just as the edge is on any casino bet. Results over a short session are mostly luck; as our article on streaks and randomness shows, a good run says little about the game's true price. Choosing a 3:2 table is simply getting more play for the same money.

Fixing your stake in units before you start makes it easier to compare tables honestly rather than chasing whichever one felt lucky last time.

Blackjack is a game for adults, and even a good table keeps an edge. Set a limit for the visit, treat losses as the cost of the evening, and make sure casino play is permitted where you are.