Table Games What blackjack hands do you dislike the most?

Losing hands of course!

Beyond the above, I have trouble with 2,2 or 3,3 vs. 7 (dealer's upcard). I understand that basic strategy states that you should split those pairs. I’m sure the probabilities support that strategy but I have trouble making what appears to be one bad hand into two bad hands.

 

You have identified these splits correctly (this also is true with 22, 33, 66, 77 against 2 or 3, 77 against 7, 88 against 8 through A, 99 against 9). You are an underdog if you don't split, but you less of an underdog after the split (fully taking into account you are betting twice as much).

22 vs. 7: Hit: -0.08883, Split: 0.00868 (actually a tiny favorite)
33 vs. 7: Hit: -0.15380, Split: -0.05098

The other part I hate about splitting against a dealer 7 (and those 88 splits above) is having to split and then sometimes BUST a split hand. However, the math has included this factor as well, so just do it!!

 

I HATE splitting 8's against a Dealer 10 upcard. Get two 18's, still lose to a pat 20. Especially with a large bet already out there. Lose twice as much. The advantage is so miniscule to splitting these against a 10 ( and again that is in the long run), that most of the time I don't feel that it is a wise play.

 

I hate hitting 12 against a 2 or 3, you bust and then someone moans like you're an idiot.

 

The problem is that you DO lose less by splitting, (16 is so bad) (H17, 6-decks).

88 v. T: Hit: -0.53685 Split: -0.47480.

That is a non-trivial difference (0.62 on a $10 initial bet). If you really refuse to split this hand, then surrender is the next-best option before hitting or standing, (if allowed).

 

I hate hard 17s always.

Anything else I can deal with.

 

Losing bj hands are the worst for me.

 

I know all the percentages. I also do not play H17 / 6 deck games. Surrender is not an option in a double deck game. I also did not say that I DID NOT do it, I said that I did not think it was a wise move when the percentages were so very small. Try having a $6000 bet out there with 8/8 against a 10, and put another $6000 out there, to HOPE that the half percent advantage is going to swing your way on this hand. The .52% (+ / -) advantage is over millions of hands, and sometimes you just do not want to have to split, even though it is the correct play, when there is that much money at stake. The OP asked which is your least favorite hand, and I stated that this was my least favorite hand. Nowhere did I state what I did or did not do with the hand, or how I played the hand.

 

Ditto…especially against a “good” dealer up card. I just hate the fact that I can’t try to make my hand better.

 

I think most people hate 88 against a dealer 10. I know I do. It's the worst. You know that the odds tell you to do one thing but the thing you have to do sucks.

I also hate 16 against a dealer 7 or 8 because I just hate hitting 16. I do it, but I don't like it. Against a 9 or 10 I can just surrender.

 

I hate hands were I cannot play correct strategy based on table rules.

I try to stay away from no DAS (-.14% disadvantage) tables. Lack of surrender (+0.08% advantage) is more common. I will never play DD on dealt 10/11 only.

You should surrender 8s vs. A when dealer hits S17; 15s vs. 10 or A; and 16s vs. 9, 10 or A. These are my least favorite hands when surrender is not offered.

BJ conditions have declined since my trips in the 1990s / early 2000s, and I am down to a few playable games:

$25 Bellagio, Encore, MGM, Mirage: 6 Deck DAS, Surrender, RSA, S17.

$50 Bellagio, Mirage, TI: 2 Deck DAS, no Surrender, S17. (Above my preferred minimum).

$25 Red Rock, GVR, LVH: 2 Deck DAS, no Surrender, RSA, H17.

$25 Cosmo, Orleans, Palms, South Point & Suncoast: 2 Deck DAS, no Surrender or RSA, H17. (Cosmo games have progressively gotten worse since they opened, and they may not offer this anymore - I couldn't find a playable game my last two visits).

Six deck DAS, Surrender, RSA, H17 is offered at the places quoted above including Golden Nugget Party Pit. GNs party pit rules are actually better than their regular table rules and most Strip BJ rules. It's the only place in the entire casino I have actually won more than once (I cannot win and do not play anything else at GN). That is the worst game I'll play, but I have a tighter loss limit on these tables.

I wish a Boyd offered at least one decent game at The Cal / MSS (their VP is excellent, their BJ is poor).

 

Taking cards while holding a soft 18

If you have a soft 18 against a dealer’s 10 and stand, you will lose more money than you win. When you hit, you also lose more than you win, but you don’t lose quite as much as when you stand. You are supposed to hit a soft 18 against a dealer 9, 10, or Ace.

And doubling a soft 18 against a dealer 3 thru 6 is correct strategy.

The one hand I do fudge once in a great while is taking even money on a black jack if I have an extremely large bet out. I know its the wrong play, but for me, the feeling of seeing a push, and not getting paid on a large bet blackjack, weighs more heavily on my mind than winning even money on the same large bet. To each their own . . .

 

^This.

The reason I hate 12's.

 

I could not find any S17 games on Encore’s main floor when I looked in November of last year and again in March of this year. I’m not saying this is gospel, but I do spend the lion’s share of my Vegas-gambling-time at the Wynncore properties – though, I do spend much more time in Wynn’s casino.

You can, however, find that S17 six-decker on the Wynn side many weekdays for $25. At night, and on the weekends, though, you’ll be extremely hard pressed to find it for less than a hundo.

 

Me too.

Someone always gives me that "you a***ole" look. Even though it is the correct move.

 

Really? Wow..then it's changed since the last time I played BJ there... it was the same rules you mentioned, but it was a 6:5 game... (I assume you don't play those).

 

Is RSA something that is disappearing on $10 tables? (Same question for DAS)

 

I really hate 12 vs 2 and 3 as well. My least favorite result in blackjack is doubling 11 and catching an ace. Man that drives me nuts. I call that one the "Deadliest Catch."

 

Im at first base got a sizeable bet out and get the second best hand you can have 2 face cards for a nice easy 20 no thinking or stratergy involved .Dealer finishes dealing and flops the ace for a BJ *Hate when that happens *

 

Amen to 12 v 2 or 3.

Worse is surviving the hit and having the dealer beat you anyway.
Absolute worst of all is getting the 9 only for the dealer to pull a 6 or 7 card 21 for the push.