Doubling down 11 and getting an ace

tensplitter

Well-Known Member
The last 5 times with a high true count and when I get a hard 11, I doubled down and got an ace. Those bad double downs cost me over $500! But of course when I have a minimum bet out the tens magically show up when I double 11. Wonder why I seem to get a damn ace when I double down 11 in a high count. It's like doubling down 11 is a sure way to get an ace.
 

palroot

Member
I've struggled with similar circumstances in the past, don't get discouraged. Someone suggested to me that I research "selective memory" which I did. It is a fact that you will remember, with bitter detail, each of these crushing defeats while memories of all the minor wins and positive outcomes end up getting lumped together in a status quo memory of the game. I'm sure you've drawn alot more tens on those 11's but it is easy to forget them because that was the "expected" outcome in that situation. It is when you are hit by the unexpected that you tend to cling to the memory.
 

Dipsy

Member
tensplitter said:
The last 5 times with a high true count and when I get a hard 11, I doubled down and got an ace. Those bad double downs cost me over $500! But of course when I have a minimum bet out the tens magically show up when I double 11. Wonder why I seem to get a damn ace when I double down 11 in a high count. It's like doubling down 11 is a sure way to get an ace.
Well if you're using counting A as -1 then you know your decks are ace-rich!:grin:
 

paddywhack

Well-Known Member
Hate it when it happens

tensplitter said:
The last 5 times with a high true count and when I get a hard 11, I doubled down and got an ace. Those bad double downs cost me over $500! But of course when I have a minimum bet out the tens magically show up when I double 11. Wonder why I seem to get a damn ace when I double down 11 in a high count. It's like doubling down 11 is a sure way to get an ace.

Another reason doubling 10 is much nicer than 11, although you don't do it too much vs a face or an ace.

If you want some added help, keep a side count of aces. If the hi-lo count is high but there's a lot of aces left you may want to forgo that double.

paddy
 

kingjaxe

Member
RA HiLo index for hitting 11 vs dealer 10 or 9 is -5
So if there is positive count You should still double down your 11 , no matter how many aces are still in the deck.
 
paddywhack said:
Another reason doubling 10 is much nicer than 11, although you don't do it too much vs a face or an ace.

If you want some added help, keep a side count of aces. If the hi-lo count is high but there's a lot of aces left you may want to forgo that double.

paddy
Not necessarily. Your tens count has to be really low before you don't double 11's. Other than 11 vs. A, your count is going to be in hell and your bet a minimum (if you haven't left yet) before you decline to double 11 vs. 10.
 

21gunsalute

Well-Known Member
Another one that seems to happen way too often is splittng Aces at a high count and getting another Ace on each one.
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
Automatic Monkey said:
Not necessarily. Your tens count has to be really low before you don't double 11's. Other than 11 vs. A, your count is going to be in hell and your bet a minimum (if you haven't left yet) before you decline to double 11 vs. 10.
Sound BS players here in the UK never double against a dealer 10, and if counting with a max bet out to do so invites fate to stick it's cold icy finger up your ar$e!
 

Sucker

Well-Known Member
UK-21 said:
Sound BS players here in the UK never double against a dealer 10, and if counting with a max bet out to do so invites fate to stick it's cold icy finger up your ar$e!
Only a fool (or an EXTREMELY advanced AP) would EVER double against a ten or an ace in the U.K.
 

Thunder

Well-Known Member
The easiest solution to this is to keep a side count of aces. BTW, I have the index for doubling 11 vs 10 at -1
 

BMDD

Well-Known Member
Sucker said:
There are no possible counts where it's correct to make that double, when playing ENHC.
Is this true for games where only the original bet is lost?
 

Sucker

Well-Known Member
No. When the rules state that you only lose your original bet on a double down when the dealer gets a blackjack, the normal doubling indices apply.
 

assume_R

Well-Known Member
Sucker said:
There are no possible counts where it's correct to make that double, when playing ENHC.
I assume the reason behind this is that you could have too much money on the table (f you doubled down) when the dealer could still get a blackjack with ENHC?

Is that because with ENHC, the chances of a dealer getting a 21 after you've played your hand increases since with ENHC the dealer can get a 2-card 21 after you've doubled, while without ENHC, the dealer can only get a >2-card 21 after you've doubled?
 

k_c

Well-Known Member
assume_R said:
I assume the reason behind this is that you could have too much money on the table (f you doubled down) when the dealer could still get a blackjack with ENHC?

Is that because with ENHC, the chances of a dealer getting a 21 after you've played your hand increases since with ENHC the dealer can get a 2-card 21 after you've doubled, while without ENHC, the dealer can only get a >2-card 21 after you've doubled?
The reason ENHC is worse for player is because dealer doesn't check for blackjack until all play is concluded. If player doubles and it turns out that dealer has blackjack then he loses no matter what his total is.

That being said preliminarily it looks to me like a Hi-Lo index of ~+4 for 11 v T would be about right for 6 deck ENHC. Single deck seems to require a much higher index.

There definitely is an index though. If all low cards are removed it is definitely +EV to double.
 

Sucker

Well-Known Member
k_c said:
There definitely is an index though. If all low cards are removed it is definitely +EV to double.
I guess if (and ONLY if) you're ALSO keeping a side count of aces, and all or almost all twenty four of them were out, then there WOULD be a number at which to double. But If your counting skills are THAT good, you shouldn't be playing in England with rules that are that shitty anyway.

For the purpose of this discussion, I think it's pretty safe to say that for ENHC blackjack, when the dealer takes both bets if he has a BJ, you should never double against a ten or an ace.
 

Young Man

Member
Why does KO basic strategy tell you to double 11 vs 10?
I play in UK and follow BS from KO book. Why would it tell me the wrong thing?

Is it because KO assumes dealer checks for BJ whereas in UK it's different as dealer only checks after you've finished your turn?

What does ENHC stand for?
 
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