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There are still plenty of non-CSM games in the US. Even in casinos where some of the tables use a continuous shuffler, you will often find other tables that are either hand-shuffled, or use an automatic shuffle machine but with a normal discard tray. I don’t have recent information on Canadian casinos, but I suspect the same is true there.
Can you please explain why when I have 12, I should stand if the dealer has 4-5 o/w hit? OR I have 13-16, I should stand when the dealer has 2-6, o/w hit?
I think it’s better to remember the strategy if I understand it
Thanks
When the dealer has a 2 through 6 up, they must draw another card (except A6 depending on the table rules). As a result, the dealer busts more often with those upcards. This is why standing on player totals of 12-16 is the best play against the small dealer upcards. As for 12v2 and 12v3, those are just exceptions you have to remember. Because the dealer busts less often with 2 and 3 up, and you have a lower chance of busting than with player totals of 13-16, the math just swings the decision in those cases so that hitting is better than standing. That’s with 12v2 and 12v3 only.
same thing on another browser. the left half of game is not showing. the right half of screen is showing options to go elsewhere within the blackjack website.
right half of screen is showing 2 guys, one has his arm on the others sholder. if you were to tick under the picture it would send you to the card counting section. I cant figure how to get rid of that stuff on the right and bring the game over. nothing wrong with flash player.
I’m guessing your screen resolution must be set quite low. I would first check to see if your system can run at a higher resolution.
(In Windows, look under Control Panel / Appearance, and there should be a screen resolution setting somewhere.)
As another work-around, try this… Make your browser width even narrower, so that the site will know that it can’t fit the sidebar on the right. At some point, the sidebar will reposition to below the game.
Let me know if either of these ideas works.
In my version of Chrome and also Firefox, the Flash player will resize the game to fit the available space, but I suspect that not all versions can do that.
I actually don’t have a simulation number at hand to answer that, but my guess would be that a flat-betting basic strategy player will end a one-hour session ahead of the game about 45% of the time. Shorter sessions will increase that, and varying your bets will also increase that (at the expense of larger wins and losses.)
This sounds like a question that many people would be interested in. I’ll look into it some more when I have time.
Guess what? I never tried to play the game with the screen looking like it does. I just thought it looked so much different. I called my son and had him bring up the game, while Im talking to him I hit the play button, it delt the cards.Stupid me , but I like the old screen better.
Went to Vegas and spent a little time at the Blackjack table for the first time in years. Used your site to bone up on my basic strategy. Thank you! I had no clue arriving on January 1 this year that this payout change had happened. I didn’t notice it until after I laid out $100 on a $5.00 table at the Monte Carlo where we were staying. I asked what was up with the change when I realized the payout was less and nobody at the table seemed concerned. I continued to play and eventually left a net $65 behind. When I got home I researched this, including your article Ken, and am now really miffed about this. I checked every table in the casino. The 6/5 payout was the same at every table in the casino, even multi-deck $20 minimum tables. Walking to other casinos I believe this change has become universal, at least on the Strip. I hope I’m wrong. I vow I will never play at a 6/5 payout table again, anywhere. I’ll be going to the Morongo Indian casino in CA on the way back from AZ this year. It will be interesting to see if they still have the 3/2 payout. Thanks again Ken.
Can I still use counting card strategy recently? As there are many casinos use the continuous shuffler machine
There are still plenty of non-CSM games in the US. Even in casinos where some of the tables use a continuous shuffler, you will often find other tables that are either hand-shuffled, or use an automatic shuffle machine but with a normal discard tray. I don’t have recent information on Canadian casinos, but I suspect the same is true there.
Can you please explain why when I have 12, I should stand if the dealer has 4-5 o/w hit? OR I have 13-16, I should stand when the dealer has 2-6, o/w hit?
I think it’s better to remember the strategy if I understand it
Thanks
When the dealer has a 2 through 6 up, they must draw another card (except A6 depending on the table rules). As a result, the dealer busts more often with those upcards. This is why standing on player totals of 12-16 is the best play against the small dealer upcards. As for 12v2 and 12v3, those are just exceptions you have to remember. Because the dealer busts less often with 2 and 3 up, and you have a lower chance of busting than with player totals of 13-16, the math just swings the decision in those cases so that hitting is better than standing. That’s with 12v2 and 12v3 only.
Does the strategy apply in pair and soft hand has the similar meaning? Thank you Ken Smith
No, pairs and soft hands are completely different. Use the Strategy Engine to see how to play any situation.
Anyone in Tucson, AZ?
trying to use the BJ strategy trainer. cant bring the game into full view. ????????????
I’m not sure what you mean by “can’t bring the game into full view”.
Can you describe what you see instead of what you expect?
Have you tried a different browser, like Chrome or Firefox?
Do you have Flash player installed and running in your browser?
You can test that, and see your Flash version number here:
http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/
same thing on another browser. the left half of game is not showing. the right half of screen is showing options to go elsewhere within the blackjack website.
right half of screen is showing 2 guys, one has his arm on the others sholder. if you were to tick under the picture it would send you to the card counting section. I cant figure how to get rid of that stuff on the right and bring the game over. nothing wrong with flash player.
I’m guessing your screen resolution must be set quite low. I would first check to see if your system can run at a higher resolution.
(In Windows, look under Control Panel / Appearance, and there should be a screen resolution setting somewhere.)
As another work-around, try this… Make your browser width even narrower, so that the site will know that it can’t fit the sidebar on the right. At some point, the sidebar will reposition to below the game.
Let me know if either of these ideas works.
In my version of Chrome and also Firefox, the Flash player will resize the game to fit the available space, but I suspect that not all versions can do that.
Another thing to try is the Italian link to the game. It’s a different screen layout:
https://www.blackjackinfo.com/it/gioco-blackjack-gratuito.php
How much chance can I win if I don’t use card counting strategy? I went to casino yesterday, use basic strategy, I lost…
I actually don’t have a simulation number at hand to answer that, but my guess would be that a flat-betting basic strategy player will end a one-hour session ahead of the game about 45% of the time. Shorter sessions will increase that, and varying your bets will also increase that (at the expense of larger wins and losses.)
This sounds like a question that many people would be interested in. I’ll look into it some more when I have time.
Guess what? I never tried to play the game with the screen looking like it does. I just thought it looked so much different. I called my son and had him bring up the game, while Im talking to him I hit the play button, it delt the cards.Stupid me , but I like the old screen better.
No worries. I’m glad it’s working for you now. Thanks for letting me know!
Hey Ken,
its Brutus from the old forums. love the updated site, very informative
thanks
Nice to hear from you, and thanks for the kind words.
Went to Vegas and spent a little time at the Blackjack table for the first time in years. Used your site to bone up on my basic strategy. Thank you! I had no clue arriving on January 1 this year that this payout change had happened. I didn’t notice it until after I laid out $100 on a $5.00 table at the Monte Carlo where we were staying. I asked what was up with the change when I realized the payout was less and nobody at the table seemed concerned. I continued to play and eventually left a net $65 behind. When I got home I researched this, including your article Ken, and am now really miffed about this. I checked every table in the casino. The 6/5 payout was the same at every table in the casino, even multi-deck $20 minimum tables. Walking to other casinos I believe this change has become universal, at least on the Strip. I hope I’m wrong. I vow I will never play at a 6/5 payout table again, anywhere. I’ll be going to the Morongo Indian casino in CA on the way back from AZ this year. It will be interesting to see if they still have the 3/2 payout. Thanks again Ken.