What Are the Odds of Losing 10 Straight Blackjack Hands?

No gambler likes thinking about being mired in a long losing streak. Nevertheless, the thought can cross one’s mind.

Some players wonder what the chances are of losing so many consecutive rounds. Based on my experiences, they especially want to know the odds behind suffering a long blackjack losing streak. After all, blackjack is the most-popular casino table game.

That said, I’m going to discuss how to determine the odds of losing 10 straight blackjack hands. I’ll also cover how you can protect yourself in the event of terrible downswings like this.

How to Determine the Odds of Blackjack Losing Streaks

You don’t have to do much work to figure out the odds of losing 10 consecutive blackjack hands. In fact, the math is rather simple if you follow the three steps covered below.

1 – Find the Probability of Losing

The first piece of information that you must know when determining gambling losing streaks is the chances of losing a given wager.

Each casino game and its respective bets feature different probabilities. Therefore, you’ll need to look up specific information regarding real money blackjack.

Here are the general probabilities behind winning, losing, and tying with blackjack hands:

• 42.4% chance of winning.
• 49.1% chance of losing.
• 8.5% chance of losing.

These probabilities are subject to change slightly based on the individual table’s rules. Generally speaking, though, these are the probabilities that you’ll be dealing with when ties are considered.

Of course, you probably don’t really think about ties when it comes to blackjack bets. Instead, you want to know what the probabilities are behind resolved wagers.

Here’s a look at your chances of winning and losing when discounting ties:

• 46.4% chance of winning.
• 53.6% chance of losing.

2 – Multiply This Number By Itself

The next step is to take the probability of losing and multiply it by itself. As covered above, the chances of losing during a resolved bet are 46.4%.

Here’s an example on performing this math:

• You want to know the probability of losing three straight hands.
• 0.536 x 0.536 x 0.536 = 0.154
• Your chances of losing three consecutive hands are 15.4%.

As can be seen, you can determine the probability of losing three straight blackjack hands rather quickly. Things become trickier, though, regarding the chances of a 10-hand losing streak.

Therefore, you might want to find an online calculator that lets you use the ^ function. This way, you can simply put 0.536^10 to find the answer that you’re looking for.

Here’s a look at the math:

• You want to know the probability of losing 10 straight hands.
• 0.536^10 = 0.001957
• Your chances of losing three consecutive hands are 0.196% (or 0.2% when rounded up).

Of course, you can also figure out this percentage by multiplying 0.536 a total of 10 times over on a calculator. You’ll still arrive at the same probability of 0.2% for losing 10 consecutive rounds. However, the 0.536^10 is a much quicker route to the answer.

3 – Convert the Percentage to Odds (Optional)

Assuming you want to know the actual odds of losing 10 consecutive blackjack hands, rather than just a percentage, then you’ll be interested in this step.

The easiest way to make this conversion is by using an online tool that does the work for you. I personally use this calculator to make such conversions.

Here’s a look at the odds I come up with after using the calculator:

• Enter 0.196 in the percentage field.
• The odds of losing 10 straight hands are 509:1.
• This answer can also be expressed as “1 in 510 odds.”

The Odds of Losing 10 Straight Hands May Be Greater Than You Think

Blackjack gives you one of the best chances of winning money in the casino. Many online blackjack variations offer between 99% and 99.5% RTP.

The chances of winning individual hands aren’t bad either. Blackjack’s 46.4% win rate puts it in the medium volatility category when compared to other casino games.

That said, the odds of losing 10 straight hands seem like they’d be almost nonexistent. However, the 1 in 510 odds (or 509:1) aren’t as long as you would think. You could realistically go through such a losing streak once every several sessions.

Of course, these odds are based are the chances of you’ll losing 10 consecutive hands following the first loss—not on any random hand. Therefore, you don’t need to play with the fear that a huge downswing is always right around the corner.

How to Deal With Blackjack Losing Streaks

You can’t technically do anything to stop a 10-hand losing streak from happening. However, you can take the following steps to better handle these situations and keep marching towards winnings.

Perform Bankroll Management

Bankroll management is a good habit to get into with any casino game. It can certainly help you in blackjack as well.


You can set up a bankroll management plan that helps you better survive losing streaks and continue playing longer. The best place to start is by dividing your bankroll into units that represent your average wager.

Here’s an example on doing so:

• You have $500 in free money for gambling purposes.
• Your average blackjack bet will be $5.
• 500 / 5 = 100 units

Betting units provide an easy way to manage your bankroll. However, you can take your money management techniques even further by setting a stop-loss limit.

A stop-loss limit refers to the point where you quit playing based on your losses. Typically, you’ll use a percentage of your bankroll to determine this point.

Here’s an example on how this concept works:

• Your bankroll is worth 100 units.
• You don’t want to lose anymore than 20% of your bankroll in a given session.
• 100 x 0.2 = 20
• You’ll stop any session where you lose 20 units.

Improve Your Skills

You’ll boost both your short-term and long-term chances of winning by mastering blackjack strategy. Luckily, this subject isn’t as difficult as it looks.

You can quickly learn through a blackjack strategy chart. These resources show when you should hit, stand, double down, and split in every situation.

Blackjack trainers are also helpful when learning the game. These free software programs point out when you make mistakes while playing.

Look for the Best Rules

Strategy isn’t the only way to increase your chances of winning. You should also search for blackjack games/tables with the best rules.

You definitely need to choose a game with 3:2 natural payouts. They increase the RTP by 1.39% compared to 6:5 natural payouts.


You also want to pay special attention to the number of decks. A single-deck game, for example, features 0.59% higher RTP than an eight-deck table.

The available double-down totals also have a major impact on the payout percentage. Being able to double down on any total increases the RTP by 0.25%, versus only being able to double down on 9 through 11.

Understand Blackjack Volatility

As mentioned before, blackjack falls into the medium category regarding volatility. It delivers wins at an average rate in comparison to other games.

You’re going to win with far greater frequency in blackjack than with slot machines, for example. However, you won’t win as often as with the baccarat banker bet (50.68% on resolved bets), craps pass line (49.29%), or European roulette even-money wagers (48.65%).

That said, you do need to mentally prepare for some losing streaks with this game. Hopefully, though, these will mostly be three- and four-hand losing streaks rather than 10 hands.

Get Loyalty Rewards & Online Blackjack Bonuses

You don’t have to rely on blackjack winnings alone to make money with this game. Loyalty rewards and bonuses are also available.


Land-based and online casinos feature VIP rewards. You should make sure that you’re enrolled in any relevant casino’s loyalty program. This way, you’ll always pick up freebies while playing blackjack.

Mobile casinos also offer blackjack bonuses. These deals see you receive a bonus that’s worth a match percentage of your deposit amount. You just need to meet the terms and conditions before withdrawing the bonus funds.

Conclusion

If you’re well-versed in blackjack strategy, then you’ll have nearly a 50-50 shot to beat the casino. Nevertheless, you won’t be bulletproof when it comes to losing streaks.

As the math shows, the probability of dropping 10 straight hands is 0.2%. The odds of this happening are 1 in 510 (509:1).


Luckily, you’re probably not going to lose 10 consecutive hands any time soon. But you can see that the remote possibility of this happening does exist.

You can prepare for these types of losing streaks through bankroll management, improving your blackjack skills, and looking for favorable rules. Additionally, bonuses and VIP rewards will boost your bottom line.