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Does anyone know the variance on a 6 deck shoe no surrender dealer hits soft 17 if I play pure Bs? How man units if I am flat betting? I am in a 50 unit slump. Help! Thanks
I do great playing bj against my phone app with proper modified rules as my casino But when I break out my six decks I lose 5 out of 6 fully dealt shoes! I shuffle them well but they seem to fall against me like the often do at the casino? At home I am following 100% Basic Strategy. Is their a logical explanation?
It’s called variance. Get used to it! Thanks for the great advice you sound like your smarter than you thought since you figured out the answer to your own Question! Keep up the good work. This is a Great website and I am sure it is going to help me win all my money back plus interest.
Great site! I am new to bj under 200 hours of study. This site answered many questions and offered great advice. Can you recommend top 5 books that are a must read before I lay my money down?
this sounds all great! i learnt the basics on my own and memorized a “cheat sheet” online in about 20 minutes (my brain is something else) and went to go play at the casino and won 400$ in about an hour and a half on 15$ bets (not including double downs etc) but i ended up leaving with what I came with because my emotions came into the way when I should’ve done certain moves in the previous hands. Definitely a lesson learned.
My questions is, as the teachers and masters of this website. How successful have you been in the real world, or are you just teaching it? It seems like if you become a master at this game, you can make serious bank, not guaranteed of course, but well advanced than the regular winners.
Yes, the potential is real and achievable. I’ve been very successful over many years. Blackjack is just one of many ways that smart players can get a true edge in casinos. It remains the best introduction to advantage gambling. Once your eyes have been opened, you’ll start seeing other opportunities as well.
First, let me say I really enjoy your site and the new look is great. I enjoy playing the practice games. And as a recreational player I have learned a great deal and it is paying off with trips that end up costing me nothing and sometimes letting me bring some money home also.
Second, my question. I found a single deck game that allows you to double down on any first two cards but if you get a pair of A’s you can only split once and then you cannot double down on A’s after you split.
YOU CAN double down on any other cards
When I use your Strategy Engine the only options are Double After Split Allowed or No Double After Split.
I have been using Double After Split Allowed since I have split and ended up with an 11 or some hand that strategy says to double down on.
Is using Double After Split Allowed the correct choice to generate the best strategy?
Yes, the game you describe allows Double After Split.
The rule allowing “only one card to split Aces” is a normal restriction in almost all games.
(See the final paragraph here: Rules of Blackjack: Player Choices.)
Yes, KO is a very effective yet simple counting system. It allows you to use just the running count because of the way it is structured (starting count, key count, and an unbalanced set of tag numbers). It’s an ideal first counting system, and you may never have to leave it behind.
I am getting back to study and practice. Your lessons and exercises are very helpful, thanks for sharing all of this, because it makes us understand that it is not only people with a gift that can make it, but hard work and patience will pay off.
I have one more question if you don’t mind, please :
I read the French version of KO Blackjack. Do you agree with the fact that it is sufficient to keep the running count and not the true count to have the edge over the casino ?
I think I will start that way because it’s simpler.
That would seem likely, but it turns out to not really be the case.
See this page: Win/Lose/Push by True Count.
You do lose fewer hands, and most of the difference is offset by pushing more often. Win percentage is surprisingly flat over the range of true counts.
Hello and thank you for this great website.
I play in France with 6 decks game and I am still in need for practise.
Just in relation with the message that talked about doubling your bet after each loss : is it right to consider you have 43% chances to win every single hand before it is dealt ?
In my mind, the chances of winning a hand depend on the true count just before that hand is dealt. Is it right to think so ? That is, when the true count is +2 for example you would have more chances to win a hand than when it is 0 ?
Don’t fall for the nonsense posted by Mike Gunter above. He says “1 in 100 really know how to play blackjack”. He may be right about that, but the rest of his reply shows that he isn’t among that elite number. Amidst all the good advice on this site, his reply is at the other end of the spectrum.
Probably you are right!
I am no card counter and I am smart enough to follow the basic strategy and I have no courage for split and double down and etc
Today, I played with 100$ for the very first time. I went to casino in the morning and there was no body in my table. after one hour I made 100$ profit.
I still wonder how I made that money?!! maybe what you said is right. I was alone with one dealer and following basic strategy only
Does anyone know the variance on a 6 deck shoe no surrender dealer hits soft 17 if I play pure Bs? How man units if I am flat betting? I am in a 50 unit slump. Help! Thanks
I do great playing bj against my phone app with proper modified rules as my casino But when I break out my six decks I lose 5 out of 6 fully dealt shoes! I shuffle them well but they seem to fall against me like the often do at the casino? At home I am following 100% Basic Strategy. Is their a logical explanation?
It’s called variance. Get used to it! Thanks for the great advice you sound like your smarter than you thought since you figured out the answer to your own Question! Keep up the good work. This is a Great website and I am sure it is going to help me win all my money back plus interest.
Nicely answered. 🙂
Great site! I am new to bj under 200 hours of study. This site answered many questions and offered great advice. Can you recommend top 5 books that are a must read before I lay my money down?
Three good choices: Blackjack Bluebook II, Knock-Out Blackjack (simpler than HiLo, and darned effective counting system), The Blackjack Zone (free online PDF!).
this sounds all great! i learnt the basics on my own and memorized a “cheat sheet” online in about 20 minutes (my brain is something else) and went to go play at the casino and won 400$ in about an hour and a half on 15$ bets (not including double downs etc) but i ended up leaving with what I came with because my emotions came into the way when I should’ve done certain moves in the previous hands. Definitely a lesson learned.
My questions is, as the teachers and masters of this website. How successful have you been in the real world, or are you just teaching it? It seems like if you become a master at this game, you can make serious bank, not guaranteed of course, but well advanced than the regular winners.
Yes, the potential is real and achievable. I’ve been very successful over many years. Blackjack is just one of many ways that smart players can get a true edge in casinos. It remains the best introduction to advantage gambling. Once your eyes have been opened, you’ll start seeing other opportunities as well.
Ken,
First, let me say I really enjoy your site and the new look is great. I enjoy playing the practice games. And as a recreational player I have learned a great deal and it is paying off with trips that end up costing me nothing and sometimes letting me bring some money home also.
Second, my question. I found a single deck game that allows you to double down on any first two cards but if you get a pair of A’s you can only split once and then you cannot double down on A’s after you split.
YOU CAN double down on any other cards
When I use your Strategy Engine the only options are Double After Split Allowed or No Double After Split.
I have been using Double After Split Allowed since I have split and ended up with an 11 or some hand that strategy says to double down on.
Is using Double After Split Allowed the correct choice to generate the best strategy?
Randy Newman
Yes, the game you describe allows Double After Split.
The rule allowing “only one card to split Aces” is a normal restriction in almost all games.
(See the final paragraph here: Rules of Blackjack: Player Choices.)
Then according to your Strategy Engine the Casino Edge is only 0.04
That is great
Can you make an option to get rid of the count? Adding them in my head helps me train. Thank you!
The trainer does allow doubling on soft hands. You likely either chose a limited doubling rule like double 10,11 only, or you were out of funds.
Why no doubleing on soft hands ?
Yes, KO is a very effective yet simple counting system. It allows you to use just the running count because of the way it is structured (starting count, key count, and an unbalanced set of tag numbers). It’s an ideal first counting system, and you may never have to leave it behind.
Thanks very much for your reply.
I am getting back to study and practice. Your lessons and exercises are very helpful, thanks for sharing all of this, because it makes us understand that it is not only people with a gift that can make it, but hard work and patience will pay off.
I have one more question if you don’t mind, please :
I read the French version of KO Blackjack. Do you agree with the fact that it is sufficient to keep the running count and not the true count to have the edge over the casino ?
I think I will start that way because it’s simpler.
That would seem likely, but it turns out to not really be the case.
See this page: Win/Lose/Push by True Count.
You do lose fewer hands, and most of the difference is offset by pushing more often. Win percentage is surprisingly flat over the range of true counts.
Hello and thank you for this great website.
I play in France with 6 decks game and I am still in need for practise.
Just in relation with the message that talked about doubling your bet after each loss : is it right to consider you have 43% chances to win every single hand before it is dealt ?
In my mind, the chances of winning a hand depend on the true count just before that hand is dealt. Is it right to think so ? That is, when the true count is +2 for example you would have more chances to win a hand than when it is 0 ?
Don’t fall for the nonsense posted by Mike Gunter above. He says “1 in 100 really know how to play blackjack”. He may be right about that, but the rest of his reply shows that he isn’t among that elite number. Amidst all the good advice on this site, his reply is at the other end of the spectrum.
Probably you are right!
I am no card counter and I am smart enough to follow the basic strategy and I have no courage for split and double down and etc
Today, I played with 100$ for the very first time. I went to casino in the morning and there was no body in my table. after one hour I made 100$ profit.
I still wonder how I made that money?!! maybe what you said is right. I was alone with one dealer and following basic strategy only