BLACKJACK
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THE BASIC RULES & TIPS FOR WINNING AT BLACKJACK
Experts have devised scientific strategies for winning
at blackjack. Depending on what hand you're dealt, and
what the dealer is showing, the following table shows
what will give you the best odds.
| Your Hand |
Action Based on Dealer's Upcard |
| 5 thru 8 |
Hit |
| 9 |
Double vs. 3 thru 6, otherwise Hit |
| 10 |
Double vs. 2 thru 9, otherwise Hit |
| 11 |
Double vs. 2 thru 10, otherwise Hit |
| 12 |
Stand vs. 4 thru 6, otherwise Hit |
| 13 - 16 |
Stand vs. 2 thru 6, otherwise Hit |
| 17 or Higher |
Stand |
| A, 2 |
Double vs. 5 & 6, otherwise Hit |
| A, 3 |
Double vs. 5&6, otherwise Hit |
| A, 4 |
Double vs. 4 thru 6, otherwise Hit |
| A, 5 |
Double vs. 4 thru 6, otherwise Hit |
| A, 6 |
Double vs. 3 thru 6; Stand vs. 2,
7, 8; Hit vs. 9, 10, Ace |
|
A, 8 - A, 9
|
Stand |
| 2,2 |
Split vs. 2 thru 7, otherwise Hit |
| 3,3 |
Split vs. 2 thru 7, otherwise Hit |
| 4,4 |
Split vs. 5 & 6, otherwise Hit |
| 5,5 |
Never split - treat as "10" |
| 6,6 |
Split vs. 2 thru 6, otherwise Hit |
| 7,7 |
Split vs. 2 thru 7, otherwise Hit |
| 8,8 |
Split |
| 9,9 |
Split vs. 2 thru 9, otherwise Stand |
| 10,10 |
Stand; never Split |
| A, A |
Split |
Remember, strategies have to adapt to the game. The
table above is based on the following rules: 4, 6 or
8 decks; Dealer stands on 17; No early surrender; Doubling
down after pair splitting allowed.
Bad Strategies
Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack
table are never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume
the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three of these
are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments
on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic
City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4
hands, double after split, double any two cards) of
0.43%.
Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy
I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more
and based all other decisions on maximizing expected
value under this assumption. This results in a house
edge of 3.91%.
Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this
strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or
less and stand on 17 or more. The player as well as
dealer stood on soft 17. The player never doubled or
split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This
results in a house edge of 5.48%.
Assume ten in the hole: For this strategy
I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under
this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up I reverted
to the proper basic strategy assumption of assuming
the dealer did not have a ten. Then I went back and
used this strategy under regular playing conditions.
This results in a house edge of 10.03%.
Note: some content from The
Wizard of Odds and WorkTheOdds
Good Luck and Happy Gambling!
