Can you answer these?

[blackblackblack]

Which one is better starting card: 7 or 4?

Removal of which card (from the whole pack) doesn't help neither player nor dealer?

 

[MadMax]

From the counting prospective, the 4 is a more important card. Some counts don't consider the 7 at all, but they all use the 4, and some give the 4 a higher value.

Max

 

[KenSmith]

Removal of an 8 helps neither player nor dealer. Well, at least not enough to matter.

As for the other question, I'm guessing that a 4 is actually better than a 7 as your first card, because with a 7 you're more likely to get an unimprovable 17. With a 4, you know you'll need another card, but you are less likely to end up with a low standing total.