Blackjack Strategy

[dominique]

Originally Posted by caruso

Several of the instructions are wrong. I'm not going to do Dominique's job for her - the best thing is to look at the charts on any of the pages I mentioned (including mine, LOL). That's how to learn blackjack. Those instructions, "if you have this, do this, if you have that, do that", are absurdly user-unfriendly. As such, far from being "the easiest to learn", this format is far and away the hardest. That in addition to it just being plain incorrect, LOL.

The other page is also not helpful. It lists game names, but not the applicable strategies. You can find most of them on my site, and you can configure Ken Smith's charts as well.

**AHEM.** I'm not sure that, when discussing blackjack, Gamesandcasino.com is the ideal reference - with all due respect to the OPU owner. LOL.

Bingo and slots? Ah, now you're talking.

Actually, you are right, I do now fully own and operate the OPU, and have barely gotten started with my ideas. Damian is still here and has his own forum, which is completely his.

Watch for many changes though.

Re. BJ: I was one of the original bonus hunters, many years ago. I played BJ until I got so sick of it I still rarely ever touch it. Of course in those days the selection was very much smaller, and we had zero wagering requirements. That made it easy and I universally used the same strategy:

Hit until 17 or more if the dealer shows 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace
Hit if you have an Ace and 7 or less and the dealer shows Ace, 9 or 10
Hit if you have an Ace and 6 if the dealer shows 7

Stand at 12 if the dealer shows 4, 5, or 6
Stand at 13 if the dealer shows 2 or 3

Split Aces and eights
Split 9 unless the dealer shows 7, Ace, or 10
Split 7 unless the dealer shows 8 or more
Split 6 unless the dealer shows 7 or more
Do not split 5
Split 4 if dealer shows 5 or 6
Split 2 or 3 if dealer shows less than 8

Double when you have 11
Double 10 unless the dealer shows an Ace or 10
Double 9 unless the dealer shows more than 6
Double Ace and 7 or 6 unless the dealer shows more than 6
Double Ace and 5 or 4 if the dealer shows 4, 5 or 6
Double Ace and 3 or 2 if the dealer shows 5 or 6

Surrender hard 16 (but not 8-8) vs. 9, 10, ace
Surrender hard 15 vs. 10, ace

It's not adjusted to all the different games in all the different softwares, it's just general. It worked well for me. Like many women, I hate charts and do much better with words. No reason why it can't be presented in a form that is friendly to people who are stronger on the right side of their brain than on their left one.

Admittedly in the last 6 or 7 years I have not played much BJ, but there was a time when I played it exclusively and several hours daily, for fun and profit. I used to raise my eyebrows at people who would play slots or video poker etc...

Anyway, if there is anything wrong with the above as a basic strategy concept, I would like to know. All those years of making money playing BJ and now I find out I did it all wrong - lol!

[dominique]

Originally Posted by caruso

My blackjack page is a lot better:

http://www.hundredpercentgambling.co...k_overview.htm

Use Ken Smith's charts to create the correct strategy for just about any rule set:

http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bjbse.php

Shacky's blackjack page is good as well:

http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack

All three of these sites are very good. I know Ken and he is a dynamite BJ player. The Wiz has been around for ever and has an excellent site. And Caruso, you have excellent content.

[caruso]

Thanks.

The only glaring mistake is this one:

Stand at 13 if the dealer shows 2 or 3

...which obviously should read "shows less than 7" or some variation.

Also:

Hit if you have an Ace and 6 if the dealer shows 7

...needs "or more" added.

There are some other errors, but they're almost inconsequential, adding about 0.017%.

If that format works for some, OK. I cannot see that a straight chart is anything less than a much easier learning proposition. My version, whose basic format I nicked off Ken Smith...

http://www.hundredpercentgambling.co...ew.htm#generic

...lays out everything in categories and is readily memorable. You can then also make the simplest tweaks for different rules. Graphics are easier than instructions as they require less "reading". I think it our format beats Shack's, who lays his charts out all in one big lump:

http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack

[dominique]

Re. format: It has to do with which side of the brain you tend to use more.

A prejuducial perception is that men operate more on the left side and women on the right, and it is probably true to some extent but has a lot to do with original learning and upbringing too, not necessarily the body the brain happens to sit in.

A good example of how brains with the opposite emphasis perceive things is this:

The best illustration of this is to listen to people give directions. The left brain person will say something like "From here, go west three blocks and turn north on Vine Street. Go three or four miles and then turn east onto Broad Street." The right brain person will sound something like this: "Turn right (pointing right), by the church over there (pointing again). Then you will pass a McDonalds and a Walmart. At the next light, turn right toward the BP station." ( http://www.web-us.com/brain/LRBrain.html#Verbal )

So I found that most (if not all) presentations of BJ rules target people who operate primarily on the left brain and decided to make it easy for the right brain folks.

I did receive a lot of thanks from people for the different format. BJ rules were suddenly easy to remember for them, when before they were a math chart and something they would have to carry with them for a long time.

So that's why I did it that way.

Thanks for the corrections, you are definitely right.

[bartongrl1]

After reading both sides of the Blackjack strategies coin, I am going to our local casino within the next week or so and try out what I have learned.

Will let you know what happened and which set of strategies was easiest for me to grasp, as I am not a blackjack player simply because I never did well at this game.

Thanks for all of the information, will get back to you about any wins I may have.

[screamingmimi04]

I just want to say thank you all for all of the information that's been posted here. I haven't been to the casino to try it out yet, but have been practicing online in free mode and have definitely been winning more!!

I sure hope the same thing happens when I do try at a casino table

[beaston]

I know it's not basic strategy, but I've always had better results in the long run by hitting 13 vs. both a dealer's 2 or 3. Same goes for 12.

I just feel that a dealer's 2 or 3 is practically a wild card for them, and they end up making their point more times than not.

...or am I just nuts?

edit: just a little more info...I'm a very aggressive player, and I split 2's and 3's every chance I get; no matter what the dealer is showing. My theory is that I'd rather work with a 12 or 13 than I would a 14 or 16. More times than not, it works. Try it if you don't believe me

[caruso]

Splitting 2s and 3s "every chance you get" is not aggressive, it's incorrect; it increases the house edge by around ten percent. The results obtained from your incorrect plays is anecdotal and of no relevance whatsoever in terms how the game should be played.

You are not nuts. Like the vast majoriy of gamblers, you are simply ill-informed.

[beaston]

Originally Posted by caruso

Splitting 2s and 3s "every chance you get" is not aggressive, it's incorrect; it increases the house edge by around ten percent. The results obtained from your incorrect plays is anecdotal and of no relevance whatsoever in terms how the game should be played.

You are not nuts. Like the vast majoriy of gamblers, you are simply ill-informed.

*shrug* More times than not, it's always worked for me....and this is spread out over 15 years.

[caruso]

These are the figures, assuming DAS.

Splitting 2s v. 8 returns -17.4% as opposed to -15.7.
Splitting 2s v. 9 returns -36.4% as opposed to -23.8.
Splitting 2s v. 10 returns -47.1% as opposed to -28.7.
Splitting 2s v. ace returns -49% as opposed to -23.3.

Splitting 3s v. 8 returns -23% as opposed to -21.9.
Splitting 3s v. 9 returns -41.3% as opposed to -29.5.
Splitting 3s v. 10 returns -51.8% as opposed to -33.9.
Splitting 3s v. ace returns -53.6% as opposed to -34.4.

What you mean by "worked for you", I don't know. All these splits / hits are negative value. Splitting rather than hitting simply makes them more costly, but even played correctly all these plays are losers.

Hit these hands. You'll lose less in the long run.