It does not come any truer than that. Blackjack started out as a single deck game. That is what it was built on. Back in the day blackjack was played on a single deck with a 3-2 payout for a natural. Nowadays you can almost never find that. Nowadays if you see a single deck game it means a 6-5 payout.
And that 6-5 payout is like a smack in the face for blackjack players. Here the casinos are touting that this a revival of the good ol’ classic blackjack with a single deck, and at the same time they are trying to take players for their money with an increased house edge from that 6-5 payout.
Some players, more novice and still green in the casino, virtual or not, do not see what the big deal is. It is a single deck game after all, does that not even out the house edge hike from the payout? No way does it.
Here are the hits and ups to the house edge: A single deck will increase the player’s edge by 0.48%, but a 6-5 payout will decrease a player’s edge by 1.39%. That is a negative hit to the player’s edge of 0.91%. So players still are on the losing end of a single deck game if it is offering a 6-5 payout.
If you have a choice to play in a single deck game with a 6-5 payout or a multi-deck game with a 3-2 payout, take the multi-deck game. In terms of money, you will get a blackjack about once in twenty hands. If you were wagering $10 per hand, a 3-2 payout is $15 and a 6-5 payout is $12. That is a 25% loss to the house for playing in a single deck game.
Is that loss worth it? Giving up money to the house and essentially paying for the privilege of playing single deck blackjack? No. Stick to multi-deck blackjack games both online and in a brick and mortar casino.