Always splitting aces?

[AnIrishmannot2brite]

Against dealers ten or ace in neutral to slightly lower counts? With only one card dealt and no double?

Doesn't feel right. Takes away the player's right to improve a weak hand like soft twelve or fourteen.

Same with splitting eights in high counts. I play joints with no surrender (either early or late). Under those circumstances I just let them sit against higher TC's.

Now both my split aces DID get tens at last week's phenomenal win ($550.00 in one hour at low stakes table), but that was when the TC was up through the roof.

So next time I'm waiting for a deck to climb higher in count I may just hit those two rockets. Can't see the point of turning out two twelves against dealers likely pat hand.

 

[jack.jackson]

Against dealers ten or ace in neutral to slightly lower counts? With only one card dealt and no double?

Doesn't feel right. Takes away the player's right to improve a weak hand like soft twelve or fourteen.

Same with splitting eights in high counts. I play joints with no surrender (either early or late). Under those circumstances I just let them sit against higher TC's.

Now both my split aces DID get tens at last week's phenomenal win ($550.00 in one hour at low stakes table), but that was when the TC was up through the roof.

So next time I'm waiting for a deck to climb higher in count I may just hit those two rockets. Can't see the point of turning out two twelves against dealers likely pat hand.

I remember a time, a couple years ago I was playing a 6D game(5$) and the count was somewhat negative, with a pair of As vs X. So I decided I was gonna showcase my skills and impress everybody at the table and just hit the two bullets. Well sure enough I got two tens and busted with catch 22, the whole table started howlin like wolves. I though I was a sheep about to get sheered So naturally, I quietly grabbed my chips and crashed the doors. Moral of the story: lesson learned.

Now technically their are index plays for these hands. But a word of caution, any pitboss with a working knowledge of the game, knows these plays are made by either two breed of fool. And it wont take them very long to figure out which catergory you belong to.

The Index plays in my L2 count for a pair of As, vs XandA are split at -7> and -13 against a X, hit at lower counts. Fortunately we will be making these plays on minimum bets. In general if its even close I'll go ahead and split. This will cost you very little EV.

Note: A pair of aces can be a cheap way to escape a dealers 20.

 

[ihate17]

Pit boss knowledge

I remember a time, a couple years ago I was playing a 6D game(5$) and the count was somewhat negative, with a pair of As vs X. So I decided I was gonna showcase my skills and impress everybody at the table and just hit the two bullets. Well sure enough I got two tens and busted with catch 22, the whole table started howlin like wolves. I though I was a sheep about to get sheered So naturally, I quietly grabbed my chips and crashed the doors. Moral of the story: lesson learned.

Now technically their are index plays for these hands. But a word of caution, any pitboss with a working knowledge of the game, knows these plays are made by either two breed of fool. And it wont take them very long to figure out which catergory you belong to.

The Index plays in my L2 count for a pair of As, vs XandA are split at -7> and -13 against a X, hit at lower counts. Fortunately we will be making these plays on minimum bets. In general if its even close I'll go ahead and split. This will cost you very little EV.

Note: A pair of aces can be a cheap way to escape a dealers 20.

I have known a lot of pits. I have also known a lot of counters. I also know pits that count. None of these groups have too much interest in severe negative indices like -7 or -12. Simply, they do not come up all that often and every single time that they do come out, you have a minimum bet on the table.
My guess is that every single time a pit has seen you hit a pair of aces, he marked his little rating card "comp this sucker big time!" Which may or may not be good cover for you. The wondering by the pit comes later if he sees you make a real professional play like insuring a stiff in a high count and then surrendering it.

ihate17

 

[AnIrishmannot2brite]

I have known a lot of pits. I have also known a lot of counters. I also know pits that count. None of these groups have too much interest in severe negative indices like -7 or -12. Simply, they do not come up all that often and every single time that they do come out, you have a minimum bet on the table.
My guess is that every single time a pit has seen you hit a pair of aces, he marked his little rating card "comp this sucker big time!" Which may or may not be good cover for you. The wondering by the pit comes later if he sees you make a real professional play like insuring a stiff in a high count and then surrendering it.

ihate17

I don't know where you guys find tables with surrender. No places around here have surrender accompanied by other rules that would make me want to play at the table.

 

[aslan]

I don't know where you guys find tables with surrender. No places around here have surrender accompanied by other rules that would make me want to play at the table.

Irish

If memory serves me, planet hollywood on the strip had surrender option. But i agree, it's rare. I never got to the "in town" places the guys on here talk about (like El Cortez) because I figured they are inundated with counters a whole lot better than me. They must be on the lookout (or so i reasoned), so why not play where all the ploppies go?

 

[ihate17]

Shoe games

I don't know where you guys find tables with surrender. No places around here have surrender accompanied by other rules that would make me want to play at the table.

Play the S-17 shoes at MGM properties, and other places like Trop and Wynn. Or buy CBJN before going to Vegas.
Several Indian Casinos in California also have surrender, again only on the shoes.

ihate17

 

[zengrifter]

In 2D games I generally sit at 1st base and when I get AA I just hit, because I'm tracking Aces and
hitting AA creates a 'super-key-card' (ie, followed by two Aces). I look stupid and inempt when I do it. zg

 

[AnIrishmannot2brite]

In 2D games I generally sit at 1st base and when I get AA I just hit, because I'm tracking Aces and
hitting AA creates a 'super-key-card' (ie, followed by two Aces). I look stupid and inempt when I do it. zg

Interesting. Any point in tracking aces with the balanced count of Hi/Lo? Single deck that is?

I seem to have some success in shoe games when few aces show. I may double a bet in a neutral to low count if few aces have been played relative to those remaining. And every so often I get a blackjack this way. or at least a soft hand to double.

Probably more relevant to the unbalanced count, but nice to know.

Haven't yet found a single or double deck worth playing. MAybe I'll try Konocti casino. Told me they have hand held games there. DD 3;2. Give it a try someday soon.

 

[FLASH1296]

What the ... ?

Of course you GENERALLY split Aces.
However with a very low true count you HIT.
The Index for this play varies by the count employed.

Ditto for Splitting NINES vs. a dealer Ace, at a High True Count; a very engaging play, that will serve to demonstrate to the floorperson that you are a clueless tourist.