A couple of newb questions

[MikwZello]

Are my odds better or worse to play the dealer/house heads up ?

Is it better to just play one hand/spot or play 2 when able ?

Why is a 6 deck game perfered over a 8 deck game ?

Why would anyone play in a game where the house can hit a soft 17 vs a stand on 17 game ?

Yes im a new player and feel odd asking these questions at the casino

 

[BMDD]

Welcome MZ, I am a new poster here as well. Quite an informative site here isn't it?

Are you counting cards? If you plan to count, then the less players the better. Otherwise, it doesn't matter much. If you are playing for comps/rewards i would actually recommend a fuller table, because it will reduce your hands per hour but should not affect your comp time.

If you are counting cards there are times when playing two spots is a good way to get more money out without increasing risk. If you are a basic strategy player I would recommend sticking to one spot.

A 6-deck game has a slightly lower house advantage than an 8-deck game. Some of the math guys here can explain that better than I. A 6-deck game is better for a card counter because the effect of removing a card is more significant with a lesser amount of decks.

If your casino offers a hit 17 game and a stand 17 game that otherwise has the same rules, certainly play the stand 17 game. Many casinos only offer games where that dealer hits soft 17.

 

[MikwZello]

Thanks for the help BMDD, not counting...just using basic strategy..for now .

I used the basic strategy engine here and saw it was just a very small edge playing the 6 deck game vs a 8 deck game and wondered if there was other reasons why most people perfer 6 deck...but seeing as alot of players count...i see your point that its just easier to manage.

And yes through my limited experence I seem to do much better playing one spot vs 2...i was just curious if that was just the standard varience of palying 2.

Where I play offer's stand 17...but other local propertys hit soft 17...dont quite understand why people would play in that game, when a better game exists right down the street.

Where I play seems to be stingy as hell reguarding comps...thank god I play alot of poker there and they comp rather well for that ..although my BJ hourly has crushed my poker hourly over the last month or two...hence why the suddden addiction to BJ :cool2:

 

[BMDD]

Playing two hands will reduce variance if the total amount wagered is the same.(ex. 1h of $20 vs. 2h of $10) For a basic strategy player one hand would be recommended simply because it costs you less.

Of course, any casino game involves a huge amount of variance. Just be careful!

 

[KenSmith]

Are my odds better or worse to play the dealer/house heads up ?

For a basic strategy player, the only appreciable effect of more players is that the game moves more slowly, and you'll lose less as a result.

Is it better to just play one hand/spot or play 2 when able ?

Betting two hands of $5 will have the same expected result as one hand of $10, but the wins and losses will both be smaller. Average outcome is unchanged though.

Why is a 6 deck game perfered over a 8 deck game ?

Among other reasons, you'll get blackjack slightly less often in 8 decks; your double downs will be successful slightly less often in 8 decks. The short answer: The house edge is higher in 8 decks than in 6.

Why would anyone play in a game where the house can hit a soft 17 vs a stand on 17 game ?

They're uninformed, or the particular casino doesn't offer both, or the minimum bet is higher than they prefer at the S17 tables. That's three possibilities. There are many more. However, S17 is preferable to H17 with all other things being equal (and often when other things aren't equal!)

 

[iCountNTrack]

Playing two hands will reduce variance if the total amount wagered is the same.(ex. 1h of $20 vs. 2h of $10) For a basic strategy player one hand would be recommended simply because it costs you less.

Of course, any casino game involves a huge amount of variance. Just be careful!

Actually we should play 2 hands with 75% your bet from playing one hand.

 

[BMDD]

Actually we should play 2 hands with 75% your bet from playing one hand.

Yes, if we want to maximize our EV at no additional risk when we know we have an advantage. I was just demonstrating the effect of playing two hands in correlation to variance for a basic strategy player.