Basic Strategy for Canadian Rules

[Bill Everyman]

Im new to card counting. (And Canadian)

Canada has some interesting rules for Blackjack, they always hit 17, DAS is allowed, and you can early surrender (they don't take a hole card) except vs. Ace.

Also I believe if you double or split vs a blackjack you only lose the original bet. I'm not sure though, Ive only played at a Casino once a week ago and never did either.

After I lost my money, I knew I could do so much better, since I've always been good at math and memory (have 500 digits of pi memorized) so I memorized the full basic strategy in about an hour on my way back to college.

I think I figured out the best plays for Canadian Blackjack, but i just want to make sure/also share it to fellow Canadians. Here's what I've got. The only thing I'm not so sure about is whether I should split Aces and Eights against a dealer Ace, or just hit:

Hard:

5-8 - Hit
9 - Double vs 3-6, otherwise hit
10 - Double vs 2-9, otherwise hit
11 - Double
12 - Stay vs 4-6, otherwise hit
13 - Stay vs 2-6, otherwise hit
14-15 -Stay vs 2-6, hit vs 7-9, A, surrender vs 10
16 -Stay vs 2-6, hit vs 7, 8, A, surender vs 9, 10
17+ - Stay


Soft:
(A+)
2-3 - Double vs 5, 6, otherwise hit
4-5 - Double vs 4-6, otherwise hit
6 - Double vs 3-6, otherwise hit
7 - Double vs 2-6, stay vs 7, 8, otherwise hit
8 - Double vs 6, otherwise hit
9/10 - Stay


Pairs:

2's/3's- Split vs 2-7, otherwise hit
4's - Split vs 5, 6, otherwise hit
5's - Double vs 2-9, otherwise hit
6's - Split vs 2-6, otherwise hit
7's - Split vs 2-7, hit vs 8, 9, A, surrender vs 10
8's - Surrender vs 10, otherwise split
9's - Stand vs 7, 10, A, otherwise split
10's - Stand
A's - Split


Please let me know. I would also need help with indexes based on this strategy/rules, but that would be after I make sure this is the right strategy (1 thing at a time!)

Thanks so much

 

[21forme]

There should be no need to reinvent the wheel. On blackjacktheforum.com, there's a Canadian AP named Freightman, who has been playing for years. Suggest you touch base with him.

 

[Bill Everyman]

There should be no need to reinvent the wheel. On blackjacktheforum.com, there's a Canadian AP named Freightman, who has been playing for years. Suggest you touch base with him.

Great, thanks for the info

 

[gronbog]

Canada is a big country. The rules you mention sound like the games in parts of western Canada. Things are very different elsewhere.

A quick look at your strategy and it looks ok to me if you only lose your original bet to a dealer blackjack when doubling and/or splitting. If you lose everything in this situation, then never double or split vs T or A, except for A,A vs T, which you should still split.

 

[Bill Everyman]

Canada is a big country. The rules you mention sound like the games in parts of western Canada. Things are very different elsewhere.

A quick look at your strategy and it looks ok to me if you only lose your original bet to a dealer blackjack when doubling and/or splitting. If you lose everything in this situation, then never double or split vs T or A, except for A,A vs T, which you should still split.

Yep youre right about western canada, and im preeeety sure about only losing the original bet. From what ive read from other posters in my area. Thanks

 

[Meistro]

"I think I figured out the best plays for Canadian Blackjack, but i just want to make sure/also share it to fellow Canadians. Here's what I've got. The only thing I'm not so sure about is whether I should split Aces and Eights against a dealer Ace, or just hit:"

All Canadian blackjack games that are dealt without a hole card are OBO except for Regina and Moosejaw. This is functionally the same as peek, so you should split aces and eights vs dealer ace.

You are clearly talking about Alberta. The rules in Alberta are fairly uniform, although there are some exceptions. For the most part the rules are :

OBO, ES10, DAS, DA2, RSA, H17

 

[Meistro]

You will also want to surrender 14 v T.

 

[Bill Everyman]

Could you please explain to me these acronyms, i really need to learn what they mean.

"

OBO, ES10, DAS, DA2, RSA, H17

OBO: you only lose original bet on doubles/splits vs dealer BJ?
DAS: Double after split
H17: dealer hits 17

But I have no clue for the other 3.

 

[LC Larry]

Early surrender vs 10
Resplit aces
Double any 2 cards.

 

[Meistro]

Plus if you play at River Cree in Edmonton you get the luxury of both ES10 and late surrender. I'm told virtually all of the value from late surrender comes from surrendering against ten or nine but given this is a H17 game I wouldn't be surprised if adding late surrender against the ace gives you an extra .02% or so.

 

[Meistro]

In reality there are many different forms of Canadian Blackjack. From Montreal's H17, DAS, DA2 8 deckers, to the LS10, hide game in Moncton, to the shoe game at the hard rock casino in vancouver that doesn't allow you to surrender and insure at the same time, there are all sorts of wacky rules in this fair country of mine. Years ago there was a double deck game in Halifax that didn't allow you to double after you split and restricted doubling to 9-11 I believe. Sask. rules are the same as alberta except no surrender.

 

[DSchles]

Plus if you play at River Cree in Edmonton you get the luxury of both ES10 and late surrender. I'm told virtually all of the value from late surrender comes from surrendering against ten or nine but given this is a H17 game I wouldn't be surprised if adding late surrender against the ace gives you an extra .02% or so.

0.025%

Don

 

[Bill Everyman]

Ok

In reality there are many different forms of Canadian Blackjack. From Montreal's H17, DAS, DA2 8 deckers, to the LS10, hide game in Moncton, to the shoe game at the hard rock casino in vancouver that doesn't allow you to surrender and insure at the same time, there are all sorts of wacky rules in this fair country of mine. Years ago there was a double deck game in Halifax that didn't allow you to double after you split and restricted doubling to 9-11 I believe. Sask. rules are the same as alberta except no surrender.

OK. Im in AB