Just recieved the current issue of Blackjack Insider and it contained an article on subject. Wish it had been around when I started learning Basic. I contacted the originator- www.deepnettech.com/article3.html and got permission to share it with all those who would like to do well at blackjack but are scared off learning all the rules. These six rules should be learned in sequence and will generate better that 99% return at most games (naturally not at Park Place single deck). Since PERFECT Basic Strategy pays only slightly over 99.5% this is very-very good and will start you on the road to Basic. Simplified Basic Strategy- 1)Dealer Rules(H17): Draw on 16 or less, stand on 17 or more. Exception: Hit soft 17. Never take insurance or even money. 2)Easy Splits: Always split aces and 8's. 3)Easy Stands: Versus dealers 2-6, stand on hard 12-16. 4)Easy Doubles: Double on 10 or 11 when your total is higher than the dealers up card. 5)Soft Doubles: Double all 18 and less soft hands against dealer 4-6. 6)More Splits: Split all pairs (except 4's, 5's and 10's) against dealer 2-7. That's it!! Absolutely no reason to play slots when you should be able to master this in minutes and really enjoy gaming-not to mention the vastly improved odds. For the whole article just go to the above link. <img src="https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/images/smilies/biggthumpup.gif"> (Website with a blackjack strategy trainer: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bst/ - nifty graphics but a little clunky to play. - doc_al)
I have learned thru many trips to Vegas, talking to dealers, and one especially bad hand at a table, that you don't always split 8's. Had a $50 bet on the table...dealer was showing a 10. I had 8's. Split them like the book says. Got a 10 on one, and an 8 on the other. Split that hand again and got a 3, so they allowed me to double down. Needless to say, the dealer had a 20. She just laughed and said she doesn't always follow that rule. I put a little thought into it and asked around, and most dealers said it's a flawed rule. They say it's better to take your chances hitting a 16 with one bet than to have two 18's up against a 19 or 20. Now I only split 8's when dealer has a 2-7.
no offense meant, but just because you had one bad time at a table doesn't mean that the rule is flawed. mathematical odds favor the rule and if your willing to look there is evidence to back this up. you will lose sometimes. . .its just the nature of the game. remember, without counting cards, blackjack is a negative expectation game. i've split 8's and lost every hand just as your story goes, but its gone just the opposite and i've won every hand. its your money and your choice, but when you start going against science and mathematical odds you will lose more over the long run. another note, just because a dealer says something doesn't mean its always right. i've heard so much bad advice from dealers from my time at casinos. i don't think they mean to give you bad advice, they just don't know. i've heard it all from dealers before, don't double with 11 against there 10, don't split 8's, never hit a 16, you name it a dealer has given advice on it. if you really want maximum play for your dollar learn basic strategy, if you don't care and are just looking for fun then don't split your 8's. just don't be suprised when your bankroll starts disapearing more quickly over the long run.
One more rule that a lot of people miss. If dealer has a 10 and you have a soft hand. Keep hitting your hand till you have a soft 19, 20, 21, or a hard 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
I don't mean to deride all dealers of blackjack as I'm sure some of them know the game as well as those who can't even count. Still the rules above for Simplified Basic Strategy were proven in a MINIMUM of 150 million hands for EACH entry as the ARTICLE states. This was done with computer simulation of course as no human could live long enough to play that many hands. Of course this isn't the only researcher/expert to point out "always split A's & 8's"; it's one of the cardinal rules of all BJ advice. I have no quarrel with anyone who wants to split 8's-it's their money and someone has to pay for all the glitz of Vegas. But there are many including several on this board who will hate you for not following Basic and screwing up their/the dealers draw! Myself I would rather go with the proven advice. Course I'm kinda chicken; I stayed in mutual funds instead of jumping on the Day Trader bandwagon too. [ August 07, 2003, 08:49 AM: Message edited by: Andsen ]
Don't be sorry, opinions are what make this board great! But, i'm a firm believer in always splitting aces and eights. For some reason, unless I don't habe the funding, it just seems second nature. - I ALWAYS double on an 11, no matter what is showing... - I never hit a 12 with the 2 showing - I always keep hitting the soft stuff until I am at 19 Those are some of the great things that give me the HUGE swings, and those are some of the things that put me down HUGE as well... Its all how the cards fall...
I feel that blackjack players too often follow the statistics in these situations at the expense of their mental health. For example let's say you are a $5 player that increases your bet after every win. You hit a run of good cards and you now have $30 in the circle. Now you run into a multiple split and doubling situation. If having $120 out there makes you feel too uncomfortable, DON'T DO IT. Yes, statistically you are better off in the long run always making the bet. However, if loosing this bet means you are out of action for rest of the day, you might very well decide it is not worth it. It is no different than playing a $.25 slot machine instead of a $100 machine. You can be pretty sure that the $100 machine is statistically better. However, you might decide that you would rather play the $.25 machine so you know that you can stay in the game and not feel misrable when you are done. As long as you understand that odds, no one should criticize your decision. Still, you shouldn't say that the rule is "flawed". It is statistically valid, and would prove its value over the long run. However, I'd wager to say that most people will never hit the long run on these types of hands. If you feel lucky, go for it. If you feel nauscious, stay with what you have.
Hey Chip, Why not? Thats just the style I use. It works for me and in the long run has not hurt my stacks. The "2" usually busts for me, thats why I never hit the 12 on a 2 matchup.
To each his own. IM just telling you BS. IM one of the few guys who doesn't even care how the person next to me plays. I know I have been helped as much as hurt. Barry
Personally, I really don't care how a person plays their own hands, as long as they are consistent about it. If you are going to stand on a 12, then stand on it every time. If you are going to split 10s against a dealer's 6. Then do it all the time. The one's that drive me nuts, are the ones that change it up. Especially if they have third base. I'll switch to a higher limit table for the consistency.
If a player's changing how he or she treats a hard 12, remember that if the player is following any of many card counting systems, he or she reacts differently depending on the count and what the dealer is showing. What you might be seeing is a very shrewd advantage player rather than an inconsistent player. On the other hand, most players are not counters and only an appallingly small fraction are rigorously following basic strategy. What drives me crazy (even though I know that in the long-run dumb plays cut both ways) is when someone demonstrates that they don't understand the most basic principals of blackjack. For example, the guy who hits a 15 against a dealer's upcard 6 or splits 6s against a dealer's 10-value card or refuses to hit any stiff hand. Aside from that, I don't mind people violating basic strategy, since for most people who sit down at a bj table, it's entertainment and losses are just the price of admission. It's their money. Just sometimes it can be painful to watch.
That's very good advice Andsen! For myself,when I'm counting,I play alone or with one other person.When playing for fun,I play basic strategy,but I CAN,T stop counting at this point,so when the count is REALLY in my favor,I'll throw a couple extra bucks out,otherwise I just flat bet. As far as what other people do,I don't give a rats ass WHAT they do!It's their money,they can do what they want.If they make stupid plays,they won't be around long enough to bother me. Booger [ September 09, 2003, 11:04 PM: Message edited by: Booger ]
Bumping this back up out of the archives, because I keep looking for it. Wish we could extract the original article (and boogers comments) to a static webpage somewhere on the site!
Maybe if we slip Mikey or Jer a fiver they'll hit the feature button and it will always be at the top of the list.
Chip Collector- Just a note on Jer always doubling on 11. If the dealer shows an ace, he will check to see if he has blackjack before any betting. If he does not have a ten under, half of your trouble with the ace up is gone. Therefore, I, like Jer, always double on an 11. It seems to me that an ace up is usually not so great for the dealer, while a 2 is tougher to beat. No math involved there, just my impression. I always hit the 12 against a dealer 2 AND 3. I think that is basic strategy. Someone correct me? I could talk about blackjack all day. These simple rules are great. I always forget the correct pair splits and the soft double downs.
