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There is no need to “assign” a value to the Aces, and no need to choose the same value for multiple Aces. Treat them independently, and reassess after each drawn card changes the hand.
Here are some examples:
(Ace, Ace) = Soft 12 (2 or 12)
(Ace, Ace, 8) = Soft 20 (10 or 20) You should stand with 20, regardless of the dealer upcard.
(Ace, Ace, 4) = Soft 16 (6 or 16) You should hit this hand, regardless of dealer upcard.
(Ace, Ace, Ten) = Hard 12 You may hit or stand on this hand, depending on the dealer upcard.
(Ace, Ace, 4, 8) = Hard 14.
Note that these examples are bit contrived, because if your first two cards are Aces, you should split instead.
Hi Ken,
Why does it seems that I am very successful on your trainer, yet have a very difficult time winning on the wizard’s? If both are using RNG’s should they not be approximately the same. Assuming the same rules, BS, and betting pattern?
Luck.
I can’t wait until I launch the new version of the trainer. If prior history is repeated, I will be inundated with emails asking why I made the game so much harder to beat, along with an equal number asking why I made it so much easier to beat!
Is Basic Strategy only for your initial hand? Does it change or stay the same when you’re sitting on a 3, 4, or 5+ card hand? For example, Say I have 7 (5, 2) against dealer 9, I hit, 5 comes out, now I’m sitting on 12 (5, 2, 5) do I follow BS still? Hit a 12 against 9? I hit, 4 comes out, now I’m sitting on 16 (5, 2, 5, 4) against dealer 9. BS says to hit again… So my questions is does BS change when you have hands like these? Or do you always play BS, no matter how many cards in your hand? (let’s just ignore variation when counting, I just mean true BS)
The hit and stand advice of basic strategy applies no matter how many cards are in your hand. Splitting, doubling, and surrender are only available with two-card hands, so they obviously are a special case. Just use your total hand to look up the correct decision.
I read the following in the Casino Verite Software: “A perfect side count for Insurance purposes would count Tens as -9 and all other cards as +4”. But it doesn’t explain how to use this indicator. Can you help me with this?
It’s easy to see why this is a perfect count for insurance, but to use it you would need to determine the correct starting count for each number of decks. I’ll instead refer you to QFIT’s page that discusses it and recommends a much more practical unbalanced count from Wong. Here’s the reference: https://www.qfit.com/blackjack-side-counts.htm
Thank you for the reference. It is very interesting.
There you can find: “Tens are counted as -2 and all other cards as +1. Insure if the count is greater than four times the number of decks”.
Questions:
1) when he said the count it means the running count?
2) when he said the number of decks is the remaing decks in the shoe or the total decks of the game?
1) Yes, use the running count for the decision. (This works because of the unbalanced nature of the count.)
2) Base the index on the total number of decks in the game. In a six-deck game, insure at +24, regardless of how many decks have been dealt or remain to be dealt.
Can’t find list of single deck, 3:2, dlr3-2 rules returning Vegas 1st. several years.
PA. law requires dealers stand all 17s, used to go Vegas 6x’s Year, Local 100 miles,
Vegas don’t want my business sure rather go there have funds. But not going
regular if no where to research casino to stay with favorable rules.
If I have two aces, can I count one as “1”, and the other one as “11”, making a total of 12 ? Or do I need to count them equally ?
There is no need to “assign” a value to the Aces, and no need to choose the same value for multiple Aces. Treat them independently, and reassess after each drawn card changes the hand.
Here are some examples:
(Ace, Ace) = Soft 12 (2 or 12)
(Ace, Ace, 8) = Soft 20 (10 or 20) You should stand with 20, regardless of the dealer upcard.
(Ace, Ace, 4) = Soft 16 (6 or 16) You should hit this hand, regardless of dealer upcard.
(Ace, Ace, Ten) = Hard 12 You may hit or stand on this hand, depending on the dealer upcard.
(Ace, Ace, 4, 8) = Hard 14.
Note that these examples are bit contrived, because if your first two cards are Aces, you should split instead.
Is this a record?.8 out of 8, 2016. One second, one spilt, two fifths, and four wins.
Pretty amazing run! Congrats!
Hi Ken,
Why does it seems that I am very successful on your trainer, yet have a very difficult time winning on the wizard’s? If both are using RNG’s should they not be approximately the same. Assuming the same rules, BS, and betting pattern?
Luck.
I can’t wait until I launch the new version of the trainer. If prior history is repeated, I will be inundated with emails asking why I made the game so much harder to beat, along with an equal number asking why I made it so much easier to beat!
Hi, if the optimum bet in the shoe game, for a single hand, is 76% of the player’s advantage, for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 hands how much money should bet?
See Sonny’s informative reply in this thread:
https://www.blackjackinfo.com/knowledge-base/blackjack-card-counting/one-big-bet-vs-two-hands/
Is Basic Strategy only for your initial hand? Does it change or stay the same when you’re sitting on a 3, 4, or 5+ card hand? For example, Say I have 7 (5, 2) against dealer 9, I hit, 5 comes out, now I’m sitting on 12 (5, 2, 5) do I follow BS still? Hit a 12 against 9? I hit, 4 comes out, now I’m sitting on 16 (5, 2, 5, 4) against dealer 9. BS says to hit again… So my questions is does BS change when you have hands like these? Or do you always play BS, no matter how many cards in your hand? (let’s just ignore variation when counting, I just mean true BS)
Thanks 🙂
The hit and stand advice of basic strategy applies no matter how many cards are in your hand. Splitting, doubling, and surrender are only available with two-card hands, so they obviously are a special case. Just use your total hand to look up the correct decision.
Hi Ken,
I read the following in the Casino Verite Software: “A perfect side count for Insurance purposes would count Tens as -9 and all other cards as +4”. But it doesn’t explain how to use this indicator. Can you help me with this?
Thanks.
It’s easy to see why this is a perfect count for insurance, but to use it you would need to determine the correct starting count for each number of decks. I’ll instead refer you to QFIT’s page that discusses it and recommends a much more practical unbalanced count from Wong. Here’s the reference: https://www.qfit.com/blackjack-side-counts.htm
Thank you for the reference. It is very interesting.
There you can find: “Tens are counted as -2 and all other cards as +1. Insure if the count is greater than four times the number of decks”.
Questions:
1) when he said the count it means the running count?
2) when he said the number of decks is the remaing decks in the shoe or the total decks of the game?
Thank you in advance.
1) Yes, use the running count for the decision. (This works because of the unbalanced nature of the count.)
2) Base the index on the total number of decks in the game. In a six-deck game, insure at +24, regardless of how many decks have been dealt or remain to be dealt.
I know i m off topic but i don t know where to post.
I had a new idea to count down cards.
Is there anyone who can give me an help please?
my mail is federico.betti90 @ gmail.com
I dont think it can be explained any better sir
See Current Blackjack News at bj21.com
Yes, and an enjoyable vacation, very friendly atmosphere.
Different customs personality. Worth a trip.
Can’t find list of single deck, 3:2, dlr3-2 rules returning Vegas 1st. several years.
PA. law requires dealers stand all 17s, used to go Vegas 6x’s Year, Local 100 miles,
Vegas don’t want my business sure rather go there have funds. But not going
regular if no where to research casino to stay with favorable rules.
Regardless, thanks for the find. Good luck.