The Effect of Multiple Decks on the HA if BJ Pays Even Money

My friends and I often play blackjack at home for a dollar (or even less) per hand. We rotate who deals and play with some pretty liberal rules...double after split, double any two cards, hit or double after splitting aces, etc. My friends prefer to pay BJ even money (over my objections) to keep the game a little simpler, but since I end up dealing more than anybody I don't worry about it too much. I know that fewer decks is better for the player, but I was under the impression that this was because it made one more likely to get a natural.

Question: If we are paying BJ even money, does that mean that the dealer's edge is not significantly altered by playing with 2 or 4 decks instead of 1? I assume no one is counting...

Fewer decks does not only affect naturals. The dealer will bust a bit more often with fewer decks, and your double downs will work out a bit more often. Also, basic strategy can be more precise and composition-dependent strategies will make more of a difference.

Regardless of the number of decks, you should bank this game as much as possible.

I try to bank as much as possible, but even though my buddies don't even follow basic strategy all that well (they always hit 12's and 13's) and they rarely double, I have been getting pwned at this game lately...down $150 in two weeks even though I have been almost always just banking, and this is with a cap of $2 or $3 on bets, and most bets being 75 cents or so.... ugh.