New Single 21 game basic strategy

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Shadow

New Member
Has anyone developed a basice strategy yet for the new Single 21 game?

I discovered this game late on a recent trip to Tunica Mississippi and I was winning back some of my previous days losses and it was time to come back home.

I found the rules at this site (Dead link: http://www.customstrategycards.com/bj_rules_sgl21.htm)

It seems to me that this game could be beat. I don't see how not being paid 3 to 2 for some blackjacks would offset all the other rules they have that are an advantage to the player. I was surrendering like crazy and never betting much and still winning pretty good.
 
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SammyBoy

Well-Known Member
BJ 3:2 is a HUGE Advantage for the Player!

This sounds like SF21. Unless you know how to beat this game (a few do) you should not play it.
 
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Coug Fan

Active Member
Its hard to even conceive of potential rule changes that could offset the even money payoff for blackjack, short of extremely unlikely ones like players winning all ties or getting 3/4 or your bet back when surrendering. Any of the "normal" rules variations like enhanced surrender / double down, etc will not even come close.
 
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phantom007

Well-Known Member
Probably can play it like SF21...

...While I admit I did not do a "Line-by-Line" comparison of the rules, both games look very similar, except for the 3:2 Suited BJ in Single, whereas it is limited to Diamonds in SF21. I would suspect that Single21 is a slightly better game, i.e., LESS WORSE!

Both should require a "larger" spread, and when possible, a "smaller" bladder.

The "cards touching" rule is interesting...if I understand it right, you have a "4" and a "2", and draw another "2" that TOUCHES your first 2, then you can split off the 2nd "2"...if the TC was +8 and the Dealer Upcard a "6"....HMMMM?!

The suited BJ "Bonus" gives me thoughts of a FULL TABLE TEAM...one for Betting, one for Play, one for Ins., and another for Spades, Diamonds, etc.

I have only seen Single21 at one Tunica site, i.e., Sheraton, though I recently saw a post on another site that it had been removed...if this was where you played, you probably broke their bank! However, I think I have read that one or two other Tunica properties may have the game available...for some reason, I want to say "Bally's" and maybe "Grand", or maybe I should just say "other PPE" sites.

So, in NOT answering your question, I close by suggesting that Single21 be approached with a SF21 strategy until more data becomes available...I just checked the "Wizard-of-odds" site...to date, Single21 is "UNLISTED".

phantom007.
 
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Shadow

New Member
In the link I posted I noticed that one rule was left out.

Player blackjack always beats dealer blackjack.

I'm going to practice up on this game before I go back to Tunica. I played at Bally's but I think they had it at Grand too but not sure. I thought they were just regular single deck bj tables at first. It looks like they would give it a more distictive name.
 
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Shadow

New Member
It is similar to super fun but with a few differences.

Super Fun: A player hand of 21 points, consisting of 5 cards or more, except after doubling, pays 2 to 1 instantly.

Single 21: Automatic winnner if players receive six cards without busting.

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Super Fun: A player blackjack in diamonds pays 2 to 1, all other blackjacks pay even money.

Single 21: Suited blackjacks pay 3 to 2. Unsuited blackjacks pay even money.

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Super Fun: Split after hitting. Whenever two same-vlaue cards are touching, you can split the second one off and start a new hand. You can even split after doubling down. You cannot split to prevent busting.
 
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The Mayor

Well-Known Member
I'll analyze the bj payoffs as an improvement from BJ pays 1-1.

Recall that 3-2 BJ gives 2.38% to the player (you get an extra 1/2 unit every 21 hands, approximately). Thus, even money on BJ gives 2.38% to the house right away.

Super Fun: A player blackjack in diamonds pays 2 to 1, all other blackjacks pay even money.

p = 2*(1/52)*(4/51) = .00314

EV = 1*.00314 = .00314.

Thus this pays back 0.31% out of the 2.38% they took away.

Single 21: Suited blackjacks pay 3 to 2. Unsuited blackjacks pay even money.

p = 2*(4/52)*(4/51) = .0121.

EV = (.5)*.0121 = .0061.

Thus this pays back 0.61% out of the 2.38% they took away. This is clearly a better rule for the player than the SF-21 rule, but the game is still unplayable.

You bastards!

--Mayor
 
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phantom007

Well-Known Member
But Mayor, please realize that:

(1) In Positive Counts, the BJ Suited P/O is worth approximately: 1/52 x 1/51 less TC, divided by RC, x 0.0152%, plus an adjusted Count of unplayed 8's, and again, divided by the square root of the TC less RC.

(2) In Neutral and/or Negative Counts, Suited BJ is still worth approx. 0.083% to the player, per negative -1 TC against a Neutral Deck...all of above presumes that we start off with a Neutral Deck.

(3) Plus, the "touching cards" rule in Single21 is worth an additional 0.235% advangage in SD, in + Counts, and as calculated in #1 above.

(4) And finally, please realize that #'s 1-3 above are PURE BULLSHxT! I do hope that you read #4, BEFORE you pulled out your calculator (or slide-rule)...grin!

But Mayor, your advice to "not play" SF21/Single 21????? Your own July Podium teaches us to seek out "non-BJ" games wherein one can get an advantage! Besides VP and "wide-spread" SF21, and of course poker, where do you suggest we find Advantage Play?

phantom007.
 
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The Mayor

Well-Known Member
>But Mayor, your advice to "not play" SF21/Single 21????? Your own July Podium teaches us to seek out "non-BJ" games wherein one can get an advantage! Besides VP and "wide-spread" SF21, and of course poker, where do you suggest we find Advantage Play?

Maybe I missated my position on Single 21/SF21. The point is that no one should play this game who has not done ALL the research -- figured out the perfect strategy, index numbers, and spread needed to beat the game -- then scout out the best games and only play those heads up when they are deeply dealt. If you do all this, then yes, go ahead and play them. They are actually beatable -- though just barely.

As far as where else to find Advantage Play -- use your imagination, that was the exercise. E.g., what could you do if you knew the hole card at (name game)?

-Mayor
 
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