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Hi Ken: Didn’t your web site have a link to a page that had a very long list of different rules and their overall effect, for example 5 cards automatically wins, double on any 3, etc? I remember the link said “i have more rules here”. It was a cool list.
I don’t think that existed here at my site, unless it was part of the message forums, now the Knowledge Base. My resource for this type of information has usually been Stanford Wong’s book “Basic Blackjack”. Despite the title, it covered many unusual rule variations. “5 Card Charlie” is rare but valuable if you ever see it, adding almost 1.5% to the game. For more typical rule variations, here’s a link to an archived page from an old favorite site: http://web.archive.org/web/20050408034011/http://www.bjmath.com:80/bjmath/conseq/rules.htm
Yes, tipping the dealer is common. Just be aware of how much you are tipping over the course of an hour, and don’t let it get out of hand. If a dealer is pleasant, I like to tip a small amount on the hand after I get blackjack, but even then I skip some hands.
Sorry, I don’t have a good answer for that. Perhaps you could estimate it by calculating the PE without the Ace included (prorate the other indexes to make it still balanced), and then do the BE with the Ace included. I have never used Ace side counts, as I found them difficult to implement accurately for the relatively small gain. As a result, I have always used counts with the Ace included (either Hi-Lo or Halves, depending on the game.)
I think 2 minutes for the Basic Strategy Decision Exercise is unrealistic. That’s 1 second per item, including the time it takes to write and to move your hand 120 times over 2 sheets of paper. I timed myself copying the answers off a key, and it took 1:52.
How about using quick symbols instead of letters for your answers? A horizontal line for Stand (like waving your hand), a vertical line for Hit, and whatever works for you for the other choices. That should eliminate much of the writing time in your exercise. The goal is to know the right answer for each question in under a second. If your time is inflated a bit because of writing, that’s not an issue.
That’s exactly what I was doing. Vertical line, horizontal line, circle for double, s for split. It still took almost 2 minutes to simply copy the answers straight from the key!
I have found a card room that offers surrender after you have hit your hand. Meaning if you have a 9 against a dealer 10 and you hit a 7 you can surrender the hand at 16. How does this effect the odds in your favor and how beneficial is this?
I don’t recall seeing this option specifically analyzed, but it’s certainly a nice option to have. The impact will be quite small but every little bit helps. It would also be useful if you can surrender after doubling. (Such as doubling 11vT, and you draw a 5.) I don’t think the free CA software at my site offers this option. Too bad, it would be nice to have a specific answer.
Do the majority of modern casinos have regular shuffle machines or continuous shuffle machines? It seems to make sense that casinos would prefer the continuous shuffler in an effort to thwart card counting.
That’s a popular question. If you play with a substantially smaller amount of money, the chances are quite high that you will run into a losing streak that will tap you out. Does that mean you shouldn’t play? Well, it depends on your tolerance for that happening. In truth, your “bankroll” is probably much higher than the actual cash you have on hand today, because you are likely willing to go back to your normal income and build up another starting bankroll if needed. Still, consider carefully how you would handle losing your entire bank. If that would be difficult to accept, you should probably wait until you have more money to begin. If you choose to play, hopefully you’ll experience some early good luck and build your bank to a reasonable level by chance. If not, back to the drawing board. 🙂
The Vegas Strip is becoming a tough place for lower limit players to play. 3:2 is alive and well, but you will likely need to either increase your bankroll for the higher limits, or look downtown instead.
This page shows W/L/P percentages for when you double down on a hand, even when common sense shows that it would be foolish on many hands. Doubling down on blackjack is an example of that. It’s a sure winner, 100%, if you stand. But when you double your bet and draw another card, now you can win, lose, or push. I originally created this data because it can be very useful in tournament situations. Generally, it’s not useful to normal blackjack players, other than to get a feel for how the game behaves.
Hi Ken:
Didn’t your web site have a link to a page that had a very long list of different rules and their overall effect, for example 5 cards automatically wins, double on any 3, etc? I remember the link said “i have more rules here”. It was a cool list.
Just wondering
Cheers!
I don’t think that existed here at my site, unless it was part of the message forums, now the Knowledge Base.
My resource for this type of information has usually been Stanford Wong’s book “Basic Blackjack”. Despite the title, it covered many unusual rule variations.
“5 Card Charlie” is rare but valuable if you ever see it, adding almost 1.5% to the game.
For more typical rule variations, here’s a link to an archived page from an old favorite site:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050408034011/http://www.bjmath.com:80/bjmath/conseq/rules.htm
I played there last week for 12 hours straight before being pulled up … If TableEye is still in play it can’t be that good?
Tipping the dealer.
common etiquette?
Yes, tipping the dealer is common. Just be aware of how much you are tipping over the course of an hour, and don’t let it get out of hand. If a dealer is pleasant, I like to tip a small amount on the hand after I get blackjack, but even then I skip some hands.
How would I calculate a side count of aces effect?
Sorry, I don’t have a good answer for that. Perhaps you could estimate it by calculating the PE without the Ace included (prorate the other indexes to make it still balanced), and then do the BE with the Ace included. I have never used Ace side counts, as I found them difficult to implement accurately for the relatively small gain. As a result, I have always used counts with the Ace included (either Hi-Lo or Halves, depending on the game.)
I do not know what other people do, but for a side count I simply insert a letter in front of the running count in my head.
A-20, A-19, A-21 ect.
Strangely it works.
Thank you for the answer I am learning but know so little.
The more I read the less I know.
I think 2 minutes for the Basic Strategy Decision Exercise is unrealistic. That’s 1 second per item, including the time it takes to write and to move your hand 120 times over 2 sheets of paper. I timed myself copying the answers off a key, and it took 1:52.
How about using quick symbols instead of letters for your answers? A horizontal line for Stand (like waving your hand), a vertical line for Hit, and whatever works for you for the other choices. That should eliminate much of the writing time in your exercise. The goal is to know the right answer for each question in under a second. If your time is inflated a bit because of writing, that’s not an issue.
That’s exactly what I was doing. Vertical line, horizontal line, circle for double, s for split. It still took almost 2 minutes to simply copy the answers straight from the key!
I have found a card room that offers surrender after you have hit your hand. Meaning if you have a 9 against a dealer 10 and you hit a 7 you can surrender the hand at 16. How does this effect the odds in your favor and how beneficial is this?
I don’t recall seeing this option specifically analyzed, but it’s certainly a nice option to have. The impact will be quite small but every little bit helps. It would also be useful if you can surrender after doubling. (Such as doubling 11vT, and you draw a 5.)
I don’t think the free CA software at my site offers this option. Too bad, it would be nice to have a specific answer.
Any way i can contact you by phone
I have alot of ??s
Do the majority of modern casinos have regular shuffle machines or continuous shuffle machines? It seems to make sense that casinos would prefer the continuous shuffler in an effort to thwart card counting.
You are deluded by your limited sampling of results.
That’s a popular question. If you play with a substantially smaller amount of money, the chances are quite high that you will run into a losing streak that will tap you out. Does that mean you shouldn’t play? Well, it depends on your tolerance for that happening. In truth, your “bankroll” is probably much higher than the actual cash you have on hand today, because you are likely willing to go back to your normal income and build up another starting bankroll if needed. Still, consider carefully how you would handle losing your entire bank. If that would be difficult to accept, you should probably wait until you have more money to begin.
If you choose to play, hopefully you’ll experience some early good luck and build your bank to a reasonable level by chance. If not, back to the drawing board. 🙂
The Vegas Strip is becoming a tough place for lower limit players to play. 3:2 is alive and well, but you will likely need to either increase your bankroll for the higher limits, or look downtown instead.
This page shows W/L/P percentages for when you double down on a hand, even when common sense shows that it would be foolish on many hands.
Doubling down on blackjack is an example of that. It’s a sure winner, 100%, if you stand. But when you double your bet and draw another card, now you can win, lose, or push.
I originally created this data because it can be very useful in tournament situations. Generally, it’s not useful to normal blackjack players, other than to get a feel for how the game behaves.