approached

[assume_R]

Take the first example, a pair of 10's against a 5. If you have that hand at a neutral count for $10 and stand with it, you'll win 84% of the time and lose 16% (counting pushes as a half win and half loss), for a net gain of 68% of your $10. If you split, you'll win on each Ten 63% of the time and lose 37%, netting 26% of $20. Since the first option makes more raw dollars, standing is your proper play.

Now if somebody else has that hand and is toying with the idea of splitting, your two options are either to get half of his split and win it 63% of the time -- or do nothing. Were he to split the hand on his own, he'd have a solid positive EV, albeit a reduced one compared to standing. You would just be getting in on his reduced profit.

It's the same with doubling 8 against a 6, with 9 against a 7, with 11 against and Ace, with splitting 9/9 against a 7 as well as a handful of soft hands that are incorrect basic strategy doubles, such as A/2 against a 4. They all win more often than they lose, although they do even better if played the basic strategy way.

There's a chapter on this in Bluebook II and it's also dealt with in Beyond Counting.

Woops! I'd better hedge on that last sentence. I'm not sure that Beyond Counting addresses improper basic strategy doubles and splits that still yield a positive net EV. Someone else may be able to comment.

Oh, alright thanks, I understand. So since they are both +EV moves, it's better to play them rather than not. If it were an index in which one move's EV was less negative than another's, then it wouldn't make sense to "go halfsies" or whatever on that. Thanks, Renzey.

 

[tribute]

Before they look at you as a potential counter, they look to see if know Basic Strategy. The two most glaring examples of BS I can think of are hitting A7 vs 10, and never taking insurance.
At my present betting levels,I don't use or need any cover.
If my bets increase, I suspect staying on a few A7 vs 10 hands and taking even money on some BJs would be enough to convince most pits I wasn't a threat.

Shadrock,
Do you think a basic strategy, red chip, winning player, who hits A7, may be considered a "threat", or would he ever need to be concerned about heat?
I have heard some casinos don't even tolerate this type of player. My opinion is he should not worry as long as no serious bet spreading is done.

 

[shadroch]

Shadrock,
Do you think a basic strategy, red chip, winning player, who hits A7, may be considered a "threat", or would he ever need to be concerned about heat?
I have heard some casinos don't even tolerate this type of player. My opinion is he should not worry as long as no serious bet spreading is done.

From personal experiance, I can tell you that being identified as a player who plays near perfect BS will cause you to get way fewer comps than a player who seemingly follows hunchs or is clueless. Better to leaving guessing, in my view.