With basic strategy, the eight-deck game Wizard of Odds measures every rule against (3:2, dealer stands on soft 17, double after splitting) has a house edge of about 0.45%. Paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 adds about 1.39% and the dealer hitting soft 17 adds about 0.22%, so that table costs about 2.06%. At $15 a hand and 70 hands an hour, that's roughly $4.69 an hour of expected loss on the good game and $21.60 on the 6:5, hits-soft-17 one.
Set the table's rules
Most rules are printed on the felt ("Blackjack pays 3 to 2", "Dealer must hit soft 17"). Ask the dealer about the rest. Every figure updates as you choose.
This is the base game Wizard of Odds measures every rule against.
Rule effects: Wizard of Odds blackjack rule variations, added to the base game's house edge from the Wizard of Odds house edge calculator. Shuffler: Wizard of Odds' cut card effect table. The link you copy keeps the rules after the # in the address, which isn't sent to our server.
How the math works
The tool uses the standard shortcut for blackjack rules: start from the house edge of one fully worked-out game and add the effect of each rule that differs from it.
- The base game is the one Wizard of Odds measures every rule against: eight decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any first two cards, double after splitting, split up to four hands, no resplitting aces, no surrender, the dealer peeks for blackjack and blackjack pays 3 to 2. Its house edge with basic strategy and a cut card is 0.45% (0.4469%), from the Wizard of Odds house edge calculator.
- Each rule then adds or subtracts Wizard of Odds' figure for that rule, measured after adjusting basic strategy to it. Paying 6:5 adds 1.39%, the dealer hitting soft 17 adds 0.22%, and six decks instead of eight take off 0.02%.
- Expected loss per hand = your bet × house edge. It's measured on your first bet, so the extra money you put out to double or split is already in the figure.
- Expected loss per hour = bet × hands per hour × house edge. At $15 and 70 hands an hour, every 0.1% of house edge is about $1.05 an hour.
Rule effects measured one at a time don't add up exactly when several rules change together, so treat the result as a close estimate. Wizard of Odds' own calculator works out a full rule set directly if you want the exact figure. The figures assume you play basic strategy for those rules. Mistakes cost more, and side bets have their own, much higher, edges. A continuous shuffler lowers the edge per hand slightly, but the game runs faster with no breaks to shuffle, so you may play more hands and lose more per hour. Change hands per hour to see that.
No cruise line we checked publishes its blackjack rules, so the felt is your source. What each line does publish, and what players have reported on board, is in table games on cruise ships. Why blackjack can cost less than slots, and how comps rate table play: the math behind casino games. For video poker, the pay-table checker does the same job.
Play responsibly
Better rules lower the cost of playing, but every blackjack game here still has a house edge (unless the estimate shows otherwise for a rare, very good set of rules). The hourly figure is a long-run average. In one session you can lose much more. Set a budget for the cruise before you board, and don't raise your bets to win back losses.
If gambling stops being fun
Call 1-800-GAMBLER, or the National Council on Problem Gambling's National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET (call or text), for free, confidential help in the US.
Sources
- Wizard of Odds — Blackjack rule variations (updated Aug 3, 2026; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Wizard of Odds — Blackjack house edge calculator (base game; updated Aug 3, 2026; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Wizard of Odds — Cut card effect (continuous shuffling machines) (updated Aug 3, 2026; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- National Council on Problem Gambling — National Problem Gambling Helpline (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Wizard of Odds — House edge of casino games (hands per hour for comp purposes: blackjack 70; updated Aug 3, 2026; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Slots at Sea — Table games on cruise ships (what each cruise line publishes about its tables, with its sources)