Here are all the comments posted on the site, with the most recent discussions listed first.
To participate in any of these discussions, you can reply on the article page.
Is there any standard in the way a dealer deals from the deck? I know that casino’s use multiple decks and deal from them till they run out. However, as of late I’ve noticed that they are taking the cards and putting them in a shuffling machine after every hand so you cant see how many cards are left until the end of the decks is reached. I don’t actually count cards but I get an idea on whats is going on by watching what was played and what is left to be dealt. Is this allowed? As I just asked this question I suppose that its whatever the casino wants to do, Isn’t there some guidelines that they have to follow.
You are describing a CSM (continuous shuffle machine), where after each hand the dealer immediately puts the used cards back into the shuffler. As you note, this eliminates the ability to count cards, or to even observe a useful bias. Since used cards can return into play immediately, the penetration is effectively zero. These machines have spread widely. The only recourse is to see if your casino also still offers regular games (either hand-shuffled, or machine-shuffled but with a normal discard tray). If not, voice your discontent and look elsewhere.
Hello im glad to reply to your comment box i got a question i entered a black tournament but im not good at betting the chips we get twelve hands dealt to us each person and we get 1,000 chips we have to use those chips to bet when the twelve hands are dealt how do i go about betting my chips how much on the first hand and when to lift the bet when the dealer is dealing the hands to us in order to win they always get the person that has the most chips left wins the tournament but also its the card that is dealt to you to at the beginning and the end right i want to no how to be my chips and how much and when on every hand that is dealt to me till i get to the twelve hand please i need help could you answer my question please thank you
It sounds like you are competing against all the scores of all day, so it will take a large amount to win. You should go all-in every hand until you reach your target, and if you survive that, just minimum bet. It would be very helpful to know approximately what kind of total usually wins for the day, so you can set a realistic target. This “accumulation” style tournament has been discussed often at our sister site BlackjackTournaments.com.
Here’s a link to a good starting thread: https://www.blackjacktournaments.com/threads/another-newbie-question.3133/
There is not a combined print page, but each lesson individually will print nicely without the comments and sidebars.
There is also a book that contains these lessons and much more: The (Darn Near) Complete Book of Winning at Blackjack
I have a question. I’m just a beginner player but is 8 the maximum number of decks that are allowed to be used in a game of original blackjack? I signed up on an online casino and I was getting ready to play blackjack for real money and I asked the live chat help person how many decks were being used and she said 24 decks. Is that allowed?
Casinos, both online and land-based, can deal the game pretty much any way they like, including increasing the number of decks to a ridiculous 24! Fortunately, once you get to 8 decks, the game does not get much worse for the player by adding even more decks. In fact, there have been online casinos that dealt from “infinite” decks, which simply means that the probability of each rank of card being dealt is always 1 in 13.
For a basic strategy player, it doesn’t affect the game much going from 8 decks to 24 decks, or even infinite decks. Use the 8-deck strategy for these games.
Single deck it has a 1 in the 9v2 box. basic start says double. On a neutral count do I Double? Or hit. Does the one mean hit when it’s 1+ and don’t double, cuz technicAlly the index mean do something different than what I on this chart and the chart has double. Intuitively I would think but unless plus one then double cuz it has a better chance of working out right?
I am also confused on 8v 5,6 and soft 19 v 6 which has a one. Thank you.
The indexes you mention (9v2, 8v5&6, Soft 19v6) are all double-down indexes. I understand your confusion, because it would seem like basic strategy should match up with the action at a count of zero. But it doesn’t always match up. Why? Basic strategy takes into account the cards in your hand.
A great example is your choice of 9v2, where the doubling index is +1. Yet, in one or two-deck games, basic strategy says to double down. Here’s why… Consider a freshly shuffled single deck, and deal yourself a 9 against a dealer 2. What’s the count? Well, there are three possible ways to deal that hand (2,7), (3,6), and (4,5). And the dealer has a 2 up. If you’ll notice, the running count is now +2 or +3 depending on which version you are dealt. So off the top of the deck, you’re guaranteed to have more than a +1 true count if you get this hand. So a basic strategy double-down and a doubling index number of +1 are indeed compatible.
Hello ken.any numbers of avantage of disavantage in european bj.the european no hole pick card for the dealer i think its hurts the players right?also a surrender offer in europe against all dealers cards except an ace before the dealer delt any card to the palyers its the same percent avantage like u have in usa for the full early surrender? Thanks for the answer!
European No-Hole-Card costs the player about 0.11%.
Since most of the value of surrender comes against the Ace, early surrender against any card except the Ace is less valuable. It adds 0.24%. (Full early surrender is worth 0.63% by comparison.)
Here In vegas all single deck games now pay 6-5, not 3-2 on blackjacks. This from what I calculate is never a game to be played. Here the Station Casinos offer up a deep penetration double deck, it is the most beatable game in my opinion. The only caveat is you must play a $10 minimum table as all 5 dollar tables are 6-5.
Thanks for the input Randy. I have been down the ‘card counting’ road too. I am no longer counting on blackjack to make me a million dollars. I play occasionally, but when I play…I play to win. I think this could be a great second job or play to earn some extra money, but to make a living doing this? Not many can.
Just to follow up… This error was corrected in a subsequent printing. All stock currently available at Amazon for the Basic Strategy Cards will not have this printing error.
Although it might be irritating, it could just as easily work in your favour. The guy before you inappropriately takes a card which happens to be a 3. The next card is a 10 and causes the dealer to bust. You can’t let emotions rule you. Once you know the basic strategy and follow it, everything else relies on luck.
Hopefully. Development of the new version has been at a standstill while I was in a months-long process of getting rid of 80% of my accumulated stuff and moving to a new state. All set now, and back to work. I hope to have something ready to install this fall, although there’s still a lot of work to do.
Is there any standard in the way a dealer deals from the deck? I know that casino’s use multiple decks and deal from them till they run out. However, as of late I’ve noticed that they are taking the cards and putting them in a shuffling machine after every hand so you cant see how many cards are left until the end of the decks is reached. I don’t actually count cards but I get an idea on whats is going on by watching what was played and what is left to be dealt. Is this allowed? As I just asked this question I suppose that its whatever the casino wants to do, Isn’t there some guidelines that they have to follow.
You are describing a CSM (continuous shuffle machine), where after each hand the dealer immediately puts the used cards back into the shuffler. As you note, this eliminates the ability to count cards, or to even observe a useful bias. Since used cards can return into play immediately, the penetration is effectively zero. These machines have spread widely. The only recourse is to see if your casino also still offers regular games (either hand-shuffled, or machine-shuffled but with a normal discard tray). If not, voice your discontent and look elsewhere.
Hello im glad to reply to your comment box i got a question i entered a black tournament but im not good at betting the chips we get twelve hands dealt to us each person and we get 1,000 chips we have to use those chips to bet when the twelve hands are dealt how do i go about betting my chips how much on the first hand and when to lift the bet when the dealer is dealing the hands to us in order to win they always get the person that has the most chips left wins the tournament but also its the card that is dealt to you to at the beginning and the end right i want to no how to be my chips and how much and when on every hand that is dealt to me till i get to the twelve hand please i need help could you answer my question please thank you
It sounds like you are competing against all the scores of all day, so it will take a large amount to win. You should go all-in every hand until you reach your target, and if you survive that, just minimum bet. It would be very helpful to know approximately what kind of total usually wins for the day, so you can set a realistic target. This “accumulation” style tournament has been discussed often at our sister site BlackjackTournaments.com.
Here’s a link to a good starting thread:
https://www.blackjacktournaments.com/threads/another-newbie-question.3133/
i want to print this out is there a way to print every lessons at once
There is not a combined print page, but each lesson individually will print nicely without the comments and sidebars.
There is also a book that contains these lessons and much more:
The (Darn Near) Complete Book of Winning at Blackjack
I have a question. I’m just a beginner player but is 8 the maximum number of decks that are allowed to be used in a game of original blackjack? I signed up on an online casino and I was getting ready to play blackjack for real money and I asked the live chat help person how many decks were being used and she said 24 decks. Is that allowed?
Casinos, both online and land-based, can deal the game pretty much any way they like, including increasing the number of decks to a ridiculous 24! Fortunately, once you get to 8 decks, the game does not get much worse for the player by adding even more decks. In fact, there have been online casinos that dealt from “infinite” decks, which simply means that the probability of each rank of card being dealt is always 1 in 13.
For a basic strategy player, it doesn’t affect the game much going from 8 decks to 24 decks, or even infinite decks. Use the 8-deck strategy for these games.
Single deck it has a 1 in the 9v2 box. basic start says double. On a neutral count do I Double? Or hit. Does the one mean hit when it’s 1+ and don’t double, cuz technicAlly the index mean do something different than what I on this chart and the chart has double. Intuitively I would think but unless plus one then double cuz it has a better chance of working out right?
I am also confused on 8v 5,6 and soft 19 v 6 which has a one. Thank you.
The indexes you mention (9v2, 8v5&6, Soft 19v6) are all double-down indexes. I understand your confusion, because it would seem like basic strategy should match up with the action at a count of zero. But it doesn’t always match up. Why? Basic strategy takes into account the cards in your hand.
A great example is your choice of 9v2, where the doubling index is +1. Yet, in one or two-deck games, basic strategy says to double down. Here’s why… Consider a freshly shuffled single deck, and deal yourself a 9 against a dealer 2. What’s the count? Well, there are three possible ways to deal that hand (2,7), (3,6), and (4,5). And the dealer has a 2 up. If you’ll notice, the running count is now +2 or +3 depending on which version you are dealt. So off the top of the deck, you’re guaranteed to have more than a +1 true count if you get this hand. So a basic strategy double-down and a doubling index number of +1 are indeed compatible.
I would think hit unless plus one
Hello ken.any numbers of avantage of disavantage in european bj.the european no hole pick card for the dealer i think its hurts the players right?also a surrender offer in europe against all dealers cards except an ace before the dealer delt any card to the palyers its the same percent avantage like u have in usa for the full early surrender? Thanks for the answer!
European No-Hole-Card costs the player about 0.11%.
Since most of the value of surrender comes against the Ace, early surrender against any card except the Ace is less valuable. It adds 0.24%. (Full early surrender is worth 0.63% by comparison.)
Here In vegas all single deck games now pay 6-5, not 3-2 on blackjacks. This from what I calculate is never a game to be played. Here the Station Casinos offer up a deep penetration double deck, it is the most beatable game in my opinion. The only caveat is you must play a $10 minimum table as all 5 dollar tables are 6-5.
Thanks for the input Randy. I have been down the ‘card counting’ road too. I am no longer counting on blackjack to make me a million dollars. I play occasionally, but when I play…I play to win. I think this could be a great second job or play to earn some extra money, but to make a living doing this? Not many can.
Thank yoy for contributing to my bonus with that thinking. Here have a comp for $3 worth of food for your $500.
Just to follow up… This error was corrected in a subsequent printing. All stock currently available at Amazon for the Basic Strategy Cards will not have this printing error.
i need a team
Although it might be irritating, it could just as easily work in your favour. The guy before you inappropriately takes a card which happens to be a 3. The next card is a 10 and causes the dealer to bust. You can’t let emotions rule you. Once you know the basic strategy and follow it, everything else relies on luck.
Hopefully. Development of the new version has been at a standstill while I was in a months-long process of getting rid of 80% of my accumulated stuff and moving to a new state. All set now, and back to work. I hope to have something ready to install this fall, although there’s still a lot of work to do.