Here are all the comments posted on the site, with the most recent discussions listed first. To participate in any of these discussions, you can reply on the article page.
“Ive studied card counting for 8 months. I can count through an entire 6 decks every time. Vary the bet using the Kelly method etc”.
Be that as it may, you are still a raw neophite. I know this because:
“The dealer at the MGM uses a mirror to see her down card then starts telling me how I should play. This is bullshit”.
No, it isn’t, and there is nothing wrong about this, and it’s been around for a very long time. Using that mirror prevents Spooking. If the dealer never lifts the hole card off the table to see if the hand is a blackjack, then other people can’t see it either.
“An Asian women kept talking to me and was rubbing my leg with her leg and arm. I know Asian women want white guys but Im not interested. This behavior was making me nervous. I lost the count and started losing}”.
Why did you start losing? If you aren’t comfortable playing there, then move. It’s not like the MGM has the only blackjack tables in town, now is it?
“The pit boss knew I was counting. He walked up and gave me an intimidating look. The dealer was rude and could not even speak English”.
I highly doubt that. Most pit bosses don’t count, don’t know Basic, and have a lot more tables and players to watch than little ol’ you. If you didn’t like the dealer, then why didn’t you move?
“I lost $3,000.00 in a matter of minutes. It was no fun. It was a complete waste. The dealer got 14 blackjacks. They were winning every hand. NOBODY plays that good!”
Vera Variance can be a real bitch at times. It happens, and if you stick around card tables long enough you will see some of the god-damnedest things happen that defy belief. They will happen to you and it ain’t no fun when it does. Been there; done that.
“Card counting is bullshit”.
No, it isn’t. It’s a helluva hard way to make some easy money, and there will be occasions where it’ll look that way. You have to ride out the dry spells, give the slim edge you get from counting time enough to make up for them. It will happen. However, it won’t happen if you don’t watch the ‘tude. It takes a certain equanimity to play this game, and bad attitudes will ruin your ‘roll faster than if you played like a casual gambler. To add insult to injury, the pit crew will gladly let you steam it off, and back you off the instant it looks like you’ve come to your senses.
“I started getting a major attitude with the stupid rude dealer who cannot speak English!”
Then leave. No one’s holding a gun to your head, forcing you to play.
“This guys comes over and stares me down. When I asked about comps he puts the card on my table like fuck you and walks away”.
Maybe “this guy” woke up to find that his kid is flunking out of college, his wife filed for divorce, and his dog got run over? If he’s having a bad day and taking it out on you, you can always play somewhere else.
That’s another thing: don’t sweat the pit crew. They probably don’t know you’re a counter. If you’re backed off, then worry about it. Don’t figure that they’re gonna nail you this time. If it happens, it happens, then you deal with it.
I’ve been playing blackjack for a while and counting for about 5 years. I recently (about a year ago) decided to up my game a bit and learn how and when to deviate from basic strategy as dictated by the count.
I believe it’s Stanford Wong’s book that said that although there are about 50 variations from basic strategy the only 3 of any importance and significance in winning are: (1) taking insurance when the count is +3 or more; (2) stay on 16 vs. dealer 10 when the count is 0 or higher and (3) stay on 15 vs. dealer 10 when the count is +4 or higher.
I’m embarrassed to say that I also just discovered that there are some basic strategy variations depending on whether or not the dealer stays on 17 or hits. A player mentioned that to me and I wasn’t sure if I should believe him or not because I thought that I had researched this before and couldn’t find any difference or even find mention of a difference. I decided to research it again and discovered your website. With the ability to plug in the casino rules (# of decks, hit or stay on soft 17, etc.) on your site I learned that in fact there is a difference.
Then I dove deeper into your sight and started going through your course. This is where I have been devastated. I discovered that my whole method of money management was wrong.
I don’t know where I learned it from but I’m quite sure that I didn’t just make it up. I would multiply my bet by the true count. If I’m playing $25 and the count was +4 I’d bet $100.
Now I see that not only must you increase your bet by .38% of your bankroll but that percentage is based upon your current bankroll (so as you make lose money that bankroll changes and therefore that betting unit changes).
I’m devastated! I worked my butt off to learn basic strategy. I learned to count and think that I’m quite good at it. I have the patience to grind it out at a table and play for hours and days at a time to enhance my odds. But: (1) I don’t think that I’m smart enough to calculate .38% of my bankroll as I’m playing and (2) I don’t have enough money to play based upon those guidelines.
I usually take about $1,000 to play. Based upon that bankroll, unless I’m doing something wrong, the count has to get to +8 until I’m directed to even bet what is typically the minimum ($25) where I play (Maryland Live or Tropicana in AC). Even with a $3,000 bankroll the count has to get to +6 before you can even double your bet. To be able to double your bet when the count is +2 your bankroll has to be around $13,000.
Please guide me: 1. Am I now calculating the betting increment correctly? 2. Am I correct in stating that you need a lot more than $1,000 when counting? 3. Is there not an easier way to calculate the optimum bet? 4. Is my method of multiplying my bet by the true count way off base (I suspect it is)? 5. Is it correct that taking insurance at +3 or more, staying on 16 vs. 10 at 0 or more and staying on 15 vs. 10 at +4 or more are the only variations from basic strategy while counting that make any significant difference in your winning?
The GameMaster School is an excellent resource (that’s why I host it here with his permission!), but I do have my quibbles with it. And in my opinion, the approach he uses to teach how to size your bets is confusing and intimidating. His “exact” table of how to figure an optimal bet goes into too much detail for someone just learning to count. I understand that he wants to put real numbers to the concepts, but he really should put a warning above that first table that says “Don’t worry about all these crazy exact numbers… We’ll round them off for easier actual bet sizes in a moment.”
And indeed, that’s exactly what he does further down the page. He used all that math to arrive at an actual betting spread of $5/$10/$20/$40/$50/$60, as the true count increases from +1 up to +6.
Now the bad news, about bankroll concerns. The edge in card counting is small, so that means you need a big bankroll to handle the inevitable losing streaks. You say that you usually take about $1000 to play, which is probably your trip bankroll, not a lifetime bankroll. You should use a total, or lifetime, bankroll to decide how much you can afford to bet, with the realization that a run of bad luck will put you out of commission until you can raise another trip stake.
But there is no doubt that $1000, even as just a trip bankroll, is insufficient to safely play a game with a $25 minimum bet. You need to find a lower minimum game. Unfortunately that often means worse conditions and rules. It’s a trade-off. You may have to backcount worse shoe games that have a $5 minimum to find a viable opportunity.
A little more good news: It is not necessary to readjust your bet sizings constantly. In fact, you can reasonably decide your betting limits for a trip before you go, and don’t worry about them after that. If you’re unlucky, yes, you may run out of money for the trip. But we’re talking trip bankroll here, and your bet sizing should really be based on your total bankroll, which should not see dramatic percentage changes in a single session.
As for your question 4, about multiplying your bet by the true count, that’s not a bad approach, and it actually is not much different than the GameMaster’s bet ramp from $5 to $60. Can your linear ramp be tweaked for slightly better performance? Probably, but it’s not worth stressing over. Your approach has the benefit of simplicity, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
Now, on to strategy variations… The three index numbers you mention are by far the most important. Once you are ready to expand your game and use more indexes, search for “Illustrious 18”, and you’ll find the 18 most important numbers. The “I-18” will get you at least 80% of the value of strategy variations. If you want to go further yet, consider my indexes available on these strategy cards: https://www.blackjackinfo.com/card/advanced-strategy-cards.php (If any readers aren’t sure what I’m talking about, that last link has a brief intro as well.)
So, the bottom line is… It takes a bigger bankroll to safely tackle the $25 minimum games you are currently playing. You are almost certain to encounter a losing streak in the multiple thousands of dollars occasionally at this game. If you’ve been lucky enough to build that big a cushion first, your bankroll may never look back. If not, well, you’ll be back to raising another stake. The problem with moving down to lower stakes is twofold: One, the games are usually worse, requiring more discipline and bigger spreads. Two, the profit potential is lower in the smaller games, and it’s hard to stay motivated when your hourly earn rate is so low.
So, it’s time to decide whether you’re willing to down-shift in games, and spend a lot of time grinding for small stakes to build up a bank, or take a risky stab at the higher earning games with the knowledge that any losing streak may wipe you out. As long as you understand the choice, there are good reasons to make either decision.
I know it’s not something that would occur often, but there is another additional hand that’s a (late) surrender if the dealer hits soft 17: A pair of eights against an Ace.
(As a side-note, something clever I’ve inferred when comparing S17 vs. H17 strategy is there are no differences with upcards of 7-10 because it’s impossible for the dealer to reach a soft 17 in those cases – hence why all those additional H17 surrenders are against an Ace.)
Hi there. Iam new to your site but I am glad to see most of your bloggers are correct in what they say, especially regarding poor players changing the shoe! I was twenty years in the business so I think I know a little bit. Good luck to all.
Thanks for your article on memorizing the ‘Basic Strategy Variations’. I recently purchased Ken’s Index cards and was thinking along the same lines as you once did so thanks for sharing your experience and giving clarity.
I too am new to this site. Stumbled onto it after searching Reveres Advanced point count system. Been on the site last 2 days & signed up for the news letter.I also had ideas of big winnings when i went to vegas in 1980.Reality set in.Now i play around my home,P.A.We don’t have the best conditions but if you play well you can win $$.To me Michaels problem is he never read the rule of only playing under the best conditions as outlined in L.R.’s Playing blackjack as a Buisness.I know the book is outdated but there are many good points that can help even the most seasoned player.Good Luck & thanks for the site.
Do I think card counting works on an 8 deck shoe. Nope. But if they had 95percent deck penetration in the shoe. And there was about 1 deck left in the show with a plus 10-15 count. He’ll yea is would work. Lol. Basic strategy is your best bet. And he’ll if you win 100 bucks at the end of a 6 hr session. He’ll that’s a great time and a win.
16vT is a far closer decision than either of the other two. While the best answer is just that the math says so, I’ll try to give you a more satisfying answer:
Comparing 16vT and 16v9… If you hit 16, you obviously have a good chance of busting. To make that risk worth it, your successful hit needs to substantially improve your chance of winning the hand. When the dealer has a ten up, it is quite likely that you can draw a non-busting card to your sixteen, but still lose the hand.
When the dealer has a 9 up instead, that happens slightly less often because the dealer’s final total is slightly lower on average. Hitting your 16 is more valuable against a dealer 9, because you’ll win the hand more often than against a 10.
Now, considering 16vA… The dealer with an Ace up busts only 20% of the time (and the figure is even lower if they stand on soft 17). That makes standing with a 16 an awful idea. Always hit this hand. It’s not a close call at all.
I get these kinds of questions a lot. For most players, it’s best to just take my word for it… Basic strategy takes all of these subtle interactions into account, and gives you the best possible strategy in each case. The 16vT case is really quite unique, because it is such a very close call between hitting and standing.
The liability falls upon the casino……plain and simple. Here’s why…..No mater how uncontrolled the costumer is or could be, the establishment is part of the community and thus has a moral responsibility to the public to exercise better judgment if the customer refuses to or can’t.
Had Mark Johnston been a violent personal and gotten hold of a weapon of some sort and hurt or even killed someone then the fault would partly fall upon the establishment for facilitating his drunkenness to the point of the offence.
Mark Johnston is a grown man and is personally responsible for his behavior but helping impair his judgment beyond his ability to control himself instead of simply cutting him off is in my opinion negligence on the part of a legal business that caters to the public.
The POGG is certainly a good choice, and was created by a knowledgeable player. I think it is, and will continue to be among the best resources.
Another popular site is CasinoMeister.com. While I’m not always convinced that the CasinoMeister holds players’ interests foremost, the forums are still quite useful.
Revel Casino in Atlantic City just introduced a new blackjack game called “Switch Hands”. Apparently, you can discard a bad two card draw and play two face-down cards which you have not seen. What do you know about this game?
It sounds like you pay a $1 ante for each $5 of your bet, so you pay a 20% vig for the opportunity to fold and get a new hand. I haven’t seen any analysis by anyone yet.
Does basic strategy apply to 2-card combos after card-splits? ie. Split 8’s against Dealer’s 4. You get a 2, do you double down or just hit? I have found these situations to be more of a trap than winning strategies, because if you happen to have build up your bet, then have to split and double down maybe twice or even three times, you end up risking and often losing your entire winnings and end up losing. Help, anyone?
Absolutely. Yes, these hands will make or break your entire session, because you can get as many as 8 bets working under the most common rules. (That’s three splits and four doubles!)
When basic strategy says to double, it is because the double is more profitable than just hitting. Don’t forgo these extra opportunities to take advantage.
Sure, sometimes things won’t go your way, but how sweet it is when you get several bets on the table and the dealer busts.
Michael:
“Ive studied card counting for 8 months. I can count through an entire 6 decks every time. Vary the bet using the Kelly method etc”.
Be that as it may, you are still a raw neophite. I know this because:
“The dealer at the MGM uses a mirror to see her down card then starts telling me how I should play. This is bullshit”.
No, it isn’t, and there is nothing wrong about this, and it’s been around for a very long time. Using that mirror prevents Spooking. If the dealer never lifts the hole card off the table to see if the hand is a blackjack, then other people can’t see it either.
“An Asian women kept talking to me and was rubbing my leg with her leg and arm. I know Asian women want white guys but Im not interested. This behavior was making me nervous. I lost the count and started losing}”.
Why did you start losing? If you aren’t comfortable playing there, then move. It’s not like the MGM has the only blackjack tables in town, now is it?
“The pit boss knew I was counting. He walked up and gave me an intimidating look. The dealer was rude and could not even speak English”.
I highly doubt that. Most pit bosses don’t count, don’t know Basic, and have a lot more tables and players to watch than little ol’ you. If you didn’t like the dealer, then why didn’t you move?
“I lost $3,000.00 in a matter of minutes. It was no fun. It was a complete waste. The dealer got 14 blackjacks. They were winning every hand. NOBODY plays that good!”
Vera Variance can be a real bitch at times. It happens, and if you stick around card tables long enough you will see some of the god-damnedest things happen that defy belief. They will happen to you and it ain’t no fun when it does. Been there; done that.
“Card counting is bullshit”.
No, it isn’t. It’s a helluva hard way to make some easy money, and there will be occasions where it’ll look that way. You have to ride out the dry spells, give the slim edge you get from counting time enough to make up for them. It will happen. However, it won’t happen if you don’t watch the ‘tude. It takes a certain equanimity to play this game, and bad attitudes will ruin your ‘roll faster than if you played like a casual gambler. To add insult to injury, the pit crew will gladly let you steam it off, and back you off the instant it looks like you’ve come to your senses.
“I started getting a major attitude with the stupid rude dealer who cannot speak English!”
Then leave. No one’s holding a gun to your head, forcing you to play.
“This guys comes over and stares me down. When I asked about comps he puts the card on my table like fuck you and walks away”.
Maybe “this guy” woke up to find that his kid is flunking out of college, his wife filed for divorce, and his dog got run over? If he’s having a bad day and taking it out on you, you can always play somewhere else.
That’s another thing: don’t sweat the pit crew. They probably don’t know you’re a counter. If you’re backed off, then worry about it. Don’t figure that they’re gonna nail you this time. If it happens, it happens, then you deal with it.
I’ve been playing blackjack for a while and counting for about 5 years. I recently (about a year ago) decided to up my game a bit and learn how and when to deviate from basic strategy as dictated by the count.
I believe it’s Stanford Wong’s book that said that although there are about 50 variations from basic strategy the only 3 of any importance and significance in winning are: (1) taking insurance when the count is +3 or more; (2) stay on 16 vs. dealer 10 when the count is 0 or higher and (3) stay on 15 vs. dealer 10 when the count is +4 or higher.
I’m embarrassed to say that I also just discovered that there are some basic strategy variations depending on whether or not the dealer stays on 17 or hits. A player mentioned that to me and I wasn’t sure if I should believe him or not because I thought that I had researched this before and couldn’t find any difference or even find mention of a difference. I decided to research it again and discovered your website. With the ability to plug in the casino rules (# of decks, hit or stay on soft 17, etc.) on your site I learned that in fact there is a difference.
Then I dove deeper into your sight and started going through your course. This is where I have been devastated. I discovered that my whole method of money management was wrong.
I don’t know where I learned it from but I’m quite sure that I didn’t just make it up. I would multiply my bet by the true count. If I’m playing $25 and the count was +4 I’d bet $100.
Now I see that not only must you increase your bet by .38% of your bankroll but that percentage is based upon your current bankroll (so as you make lose money that bankroll changes and therefore that betting unit changes).
I’m devastated! I worked my butt off to learn basic strategy. I learned to count and think that I’m quite good at it. I have the patience to grind it out at a table and play for hours and days at a time to enhance my odds. But: (1) I don’t think that I’m smart enough to calculate .38% of my bankroll as I’m playing and (2) I don’t have enough money to play based upon those guidelines.
I usually take about $1,000 to play. Based upon that bankroll, unless I’m doing something wrong, the count has to get to +8 until I’m directed to even bet what is typically the minimum ($25) where I play (Maryland Live or Tropicana in AC). Even with a $3,000 bankroll the count has to get to +6 before you can even double your bet. To be able to double your bet when the count is +2 your bankroll has to be around $13,000.
Please guide me:
1. Am I now calculating the betting increment correctly?
2. Am I correct in stating that you need a lot more than $1,000 when counting?
3. Is there not an easier way to calculate the optimum bet?
4. Is my method of multiplying my bet by the true count way off base (I suspect it is)?
5. Is it correct that taking insurance at +3 or more, staying on 16 vs. 10 at 0 or more and staying on 15 vs. 10 at +4 or more are the only variations from basic strategy while counting that make any significant difference in your winning?
First, relax! It’s not as bad as you think. But there is both good news and bad news.
I’ll start with this 0.38% thing… It comes from the GameMaster’s Blackjack School lesson 8, located here:
https://www.blackjackinfo.com/blackjack-school/blackjack-lesson-08.php
The GameMaster School is an excellent resource (that’s why I host it here with his permission!), but I do have my quibbles with it.
And in my opinion, the approach he uses to teach how to size your bets is confusing and intimidating. His “exact” table of how to figure an optimal bet goes into too much detail for someone just learning to count. I understand that he wants to put real numbers to the concepts, but he really should put a warning above that first table that says “Don’t worry about all these crazy exact numbers… We’ll round them off for easier actual bet sizes in a moment.”
And indeed, that’s exactly what he does further down the page. He used all that math to arrive at an actual betting spread of $5/$10/$20/$40/$50/$60, as the true count increases from +1 up to +6.
Now the bad news, about bankroll concerns. The edge in card counting is small, so that means you need a big bankroll to handle the inevitable losing streaks.
You say that you usually take about $1000 to play, which is probably your trip bankroll, not a lifetime bankroll. You should use a total, or lifetime, bankroll to decide how much you can afford to bet, with the realization that a run of bad luck will put you out of commission until you can raise another trip stake.
But there is no doubt that $1000, even as just a trip bankroll, is insufficient to safely play a game with a $25 minimum bet. You need to find a lower minimum game. Unfortunately that often means worse conditions and rules. It’s a trade-off. You may have to backcount worse shoe games that have a $5 minimum to find a viable opportunity.
A little more good news: It is not necessary to readjust your bet sizings constantly. In fact, you can reasonably decide your betting limits for a trip before you go, and don’t worry about them after that. If you’re unlucky, yes, you may run out of money for the trip. But we’re talking trip bankroll here, and your bet sizing should really be based on your total bankroll, which should not see dramatic percentage changes in a single session.
As for your question 4, about multiplying your bet by the true count, that’s not a bad approach, and it actually is not much different than the GameMaster’s bet ramp from $5 to $60. Can your linear ramp be tweaked for slightly better performance? Probably, but it’s not worth stressing over. Your approach has the benefit of simplicity, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
Now, on to strategy variations… The three index numbers you mention are by far the most important. Once you are ready to expand your game and use more indexes, search for “Illustrious 18”, and you’ll find the 18 most important numbers. The “I-18” will get you at least 80% of the value of strategy variations. If you want to go further yet, consider my indexes available on these strategy cards: https://www.blackjackinfo.com/card/advanced-strategy-cards.php
(If any readers aren’t sure what I’m talking about, that last link has a brief intro as well.)
So, the bottom line is… It takes a bigger bankroll to safely tackle the $25 minimum games you are currently playing. You are almost certain to encounter a losing streak in the multiple thousands of dollars occasionally at this game. If you’ve been lucky enough to build that big a cushion first, your bankroll may never look back. If not, well, you’ll be back to raising another stake. The problem with moving down to lower stakes is twofold: One, the games are usually worse, requiring more discipline and bigger spreads. Two, the profit potential is lower in the smaller games, and it’s hard to stay motivated when your hourly earn rate is so low.
So, it’s time to decide whether you’re willing to down-shift in games, and spend a lot of time grinding for small stakes to build up a bank, or take a risky stab at the higher earning games with the knowledge that any losing streak may wipe you out. As long as you understand the choice, there are good reasons to make either decision.
I know it’s not something that would occur often, but there is another additional hand that’s a (late) surrender if the dealer hits soft 17: A pair of eights against an Ace.
(As a side-note, something clever I’ve inferred when comparing S17 vs. H17 strategy is there are no differences with upcards of 7-10 because it’s impossible for the dealer to reach a soft 17 in those cases – hence why all those additional H17 surrenders are against an Ace.)
Kelly, Thanks for noting that omission. I’ve added it to the article.
And, yes, that’s a handy fact about comparing S17 vs H17 strategies. They will always match for dealer upcards 7-10.
Hi there. Iam new to your site but I am glad to see most of your bloggers are correct in what they say, especially regarding poor players changing the shoe! I was twenty years in the business so I think I know a little bit. Good luck to all.
Thanks for your article on memorizing the ‘Basic Strategy Variations’. I recently purchased Ken’s Index cards and was thinking along the same lines as you once did so thanks for sharing your experience and giving clarity.
What’s the name of this place? I can use a stiff drink! Can I get a drink BEFORE I place a bet?
If you can’t handle your booze, don’t gamble, stupid!
I too am new to this site. Stumbled onto it after searching Reveres Advanced point count system. Been on the site last 2 days & signed up for the news letter.I also had ideas of big winnings when i went to vegas in 1980.Reality set in.Now i play around my home,P.A.We don’t have the best conditions but if you play well you can win $$.To me Michaels problem is he never read the rule of only playing under the best conditions as outlined in L.R.’s Playing blackjack as a Buisness.I know the book is outdated but there are many good points that can help even the most seasoned player.Good Luck & thanks for the site.
Do I think card counting works on an 8 deck shoe. Nope. But if they had 95percent deck penetration in the shoe. And there was about 1 deck left in the show with a plus 10-15 count. He’ll yea is would work. Lol. Basic strategy is your best bet. And he’ll if you win 100 bucks at the end of a 6 hr session. He’ll that’s a great time and a win.
Why 16vT Stand but 16v9 or 16vA is Hit?
16vT is a far closer decision than either of the other two.
While the best answer is just that the math says so, I’ll try to give you a more satisfying answer:
Comparing 16vT and 16v9… If you hit 16, you obviously have a good chance of busting. To make that risk worth it, your successful hit needs to substantially improve your chance of winning the hand. When the dealer has a ten up, it is quite likely that you can draw a non-busting card to your sixteen, but still lose the hand.
When the dealer has a 9 up instead, that happens slightly less often because the dealer’s final total is slightly lower on average. Hitting your 16 is more valuable against a dealer 9, because you’ll win the hand more often than against a 10.
Now, considering 16vA… The dealer with an Ace up busts only 20% of the time (and the figure is even lower if they stand on soft 17). That makes standing with a 16 an awful idea. Always hit this hand. It’s not a close call at all.
I get these kinds of questions a lot. For most players, it’s best to just take my word for it… Basic strategy takes all of these subtle interactions into account, and gives you the best possible strategy in each case. The 16vT case is really quite unique, because it is such a very close call between hitting and standing.
The liability falls upon the casino……plain and simple. Here’s why…..No mater how uncontrolled the costumer is or could be, the establishment is part of the community and thus has a moral responsibility to the public to exercise better judgment if the customer refuses to or can’t.
Had Mark Johnston been a violent personal and gotten hold of a weapon of some sort and hurt or even killed someone then the fault would partly fall upon the establishment for facilitating his drunkenness to the point of the offence.
Mark Johnston is a grown man and is personally responsible for his behavior but helping impair his judgment beyond his ability to control himself instead of simply cutting him off is in my opinion negligence on the part of a legal business that caters to the public.
Dear Ken,
Would you consider The POGG to be the best source of information for online casinos? Thank you.
Regards,
Scott
The POGG is certainly a good choice, and was created by a knowledgeable player.
I think it is, and will continue to be among the best resources.
Another popular site is CasinoMeister.com.
While I’m not always convinced that the CasinoMeister holds players’ interests foremost, the forums are still quite useful.
Revel Casino in Atlantic City just introduced a new blackjack game called “Switch Hands”. Apparently, you can discard a bad two card draw and play two face-down cards which you have not seen. What do you know about this game?
I hadn’t heard of this game until your comment. I did manage to find some information at the NJ DGE though:
http://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/docs/TempRegs/switchhandsblackjack.pdf
It sounds like you pay a $1 ante for each $5 of your bet, so you pay a 20% vig for the opportunity to fold and get a new hand.
I haven’t seen any analysis by anyone yet.
Does basic strategy apply to 2-card combos after card-splits? ie. Split 8’s against Dealer’s 4. You get a 2, do you double down or just hit? I have found these situations to be more of a trap than winning strategies, because if you happen to have build up your bet, then have to split and double down maybe twice or even three times, you end up risking and often losing your entire winnings and end up losing. Help, anyone?
Absolutely.
Yes, these hands will make or break your entire session, because you can get as many as 8 bets working under the most common rules.
(That’s three splits and four doubles!)
When basic strategy says to double, it is because the double is more profitable than just hitting.
Don’t forgo these extra opportunities to take advantage.
Sure, sometimes things won’t go your way, but how sweet it is when you get several bets on the table and the dealer busts.