[I]Generic[/I] Basic Strategy

[TimeKeeper]

I've read Kevin Blackwood's book Play Blackjack Like the Pros from beginning to end. I learned and mastered his Generic Basic Strategy table. I never make a mistake on the HitOrStand drill and I played it in Yahoo Games as well.

I've since bought Knock-Out Blackjack and it gives a slightly different version of Generic Basic Strategy. For instance, they tell you to hit on a pair of 6's when the dealer shows a 2. Blackwood's book says to split Vs. 2-6 when you have a pair of 6's. There's a lot more differences in the two strategy charts.

Just to let you know, I decided to stop reading the KO book when I finished the 'KO Rookie' chapter. I wanted to practice my counting before I moved on to the more complex stuff.

So what do you think? And why to both tables differ so greatly? Also, the KO book says that it's hardly worth "memorizing additional variations" as one only "gains an additional 0.33% in advantage". That means, they are saying it isn't worth learning variations on Ken Smith's blackjack tool here right? What do you guys have to say about this, and what should I do?

 

[zengrifter]

I have forgotten some of Blackwood's book, only read it once. Yes you should only learn generic BS... BUT generic BS comes in two varieties - DAS and no DAS - the only differences being in the pair splits. 66v2, for example is hit (noDAS) and split (DAS). There are only a andful of changes in the pairs section for DAS, so the preceeding should give you your orientation. zg

 

[Mikeaber]

KO was mentioned in this thread. There are other variations in it. No bones are made about the strategy provided being optimum. An example is seen in what to do with a soft 18. In KO, the player is told to stand on it no matter what. Most charts tell you to hit against a 9 or 10 at least. Many tell you to stand on 2, 17 and 18 and double on 3 thru 6.

But, the KO Simplified Basic Strategy isn't a bad for someone just starting Blackjack to memorize. You can always add the optimum moves later.

 

[zengrifter]

KO was mentioned in this thread. There are other variations in it. No bones are made about the strategy provided being optimum. An example is seen in what to do with a soft 18. In KO, the player is told to stand on it no matter what. Most charts tell you to hit against a 9 or 10 at least.

KO Simpl'd BS is NOT KO... its a simpleton baby step for someone who likely will never learn BS anyway. Simpl'd BS is not to be confused with "generic BS" which is a composite between 1-2-6D BS. I recommend generic BS but not simpl'd BS. zg

 

[TimeKeeper]

KO was mentioned in this thread. There are other variations in it. No bones are made about the strategy provided being optimum. An example is seen in what to do with a soft 18. In KO, the player is told to stand on it no matter what. Most charts tell you to hit against a 9 or 10 at least. Many tell you to stand on 2, 17 and 18 and double on 3 thru 6.

But, the KO Simplified Basic Strategy isn't a bad for someone just starting Blackjack to memorize. You can always add the optimum moves later.

I'm not sure I follow you here. In the first paragraph were you referring to Generic or Simplified? Because if it was the latter then that is incorrect. I was comparing both Blackwood's and Vancura/Fuch's generic BS chart.

ZG, okay that explains it then. I went back to the BS chapter in Blackwood's book and I don't see him say anywhere that is chart is the DAS version. But from what you said it has to be. KO's version is just the opposite, there's is No DAS.

 

[Mikeaber]

I'm not sure I follow you here. In the first paragraph were you referring to Generic or Simplified? Because if it was the latter then that is incorrect. I was comparing both Blackwood's and Vancura/Fuch's generic BS chart.

ZG, okay that explains it then. I went back to the BS chapter in Blackwood's book and I don't see him say anywhere that is chart is the DAS version. But from what you said it has to be. KO's version is just the opposite, there's is No DAS.

Bit of a misquote on my part. KO does list a Generic Basic Strategy that is pretty much like what you'd see in any full blown Basic Strategy chart specific to a particular set of rules (ie, whether dealer stands or hits soft-17's.) Then it also lists a Simplified Basic Strategy. It was the Simplified Basic Strategy that I was making reference to in my original post.

I've long since commited to memory the Basic Strategy for each of the sets of table rules that I'm likely to play, so I skipped over the chapter pretty quickly on Basic Strategy in the KO book. But the Simplified version caught my eye simply because of all of the deviations from what I'd learned.