Multiple Hands

[eds27]

Hi.
I've been reading Ken Uston's Million Dollar Blackjack and I've reached a chapter about playing multiple hands. He says that on a favorable count you should/could increase the amount you bet if you play more than one hands. For instance, if you were to play 200 dollars you could increse it by 15% if playing 2 hands instead of 1 (230 dollars, that is 2 hands of 115), or by 22% if you play 3 hands (244, 3 hands of aprox. 81).
I have a few questions on this.

- If the count is favorable then why "divide" the expected bet into the multiple hands? I mean, if I were to play 200 dollars in one hand because I know I have the advantage ¿why not play as many 200 dollars hands as possible?.

- If the bet shoul only be increased by a percent when playing multi-hands ¿what would be the porcentage for 4 hands, 5 hands?

Thanks in advance.

 

[E-town-guy]

The more you increase your bet the more you increase your RoR assuming your BR stays the same. You could bet $200 on 7 squares and that would definitely increase your EV but your RoR would sky rocket.

 

[zengrifter]

I've been reading Ken Uston's Million Dollar Blackjack and I've reached a chapter about playing multiple hands. He says that on a favorable count you should/could increase the amount you bet if you play more than one hands. For instance, if you were to play 200 dollars you could increse it by 15% if playing 2 hands instead of 1 (230 dollars, that is 2 hands of 115), or by 22% if you play 3 hands (244, 3 hands of aprox. 81).
I have a few questions on this.

- If the count is favorable then why "divide" the expected bet into the multiple hands? I mean, if I were to play 200 dollars in one hand because I know I have the advantage ¿why not play as many 200 dollars hands as possible?.

- If the bet shoul only be increased by a percent when playing multi-hands ¿what would be the porcentage for 4 hands, 5 hands?

Uston's numbers and advice was a bit skewed. Basically there are TWO considerations when deciding to play more than one spot -

1. How much to bet. The correct amounts are as follows:

2 hands = 50%
3 hands = 80%

example -
1hand = 100
2hands = 75 each
3hands = 60 each

You are free to bet substantially more than Uston indicated WITHOUT increasing your RoR.

2. When to bet multiple spots. This is function of how many other spots are in play:

(the following applies to POSI counts only)

0 other = play 1 hand
1-2 other = play 2 hands
3+ other = play 3 hands

The lesson here, borne of much simulation is that unless there are other players, going to multiple hands REDUCES your gain due to excessive "card-eating." On the other hand, when there are others at the table you optimally go to multiple hands in posi-counts to get your share of the better cards. zg.

 

[E-town-guy]

1. How much to bet. The correct amounts are as follows:

2 hands = 50%
3 hands = 80%

example -
1hand = 100
2hands = 75 each
3hands = 60 each

zg.

Grifter, what do the percentages mean?

 

[zengrifter]

50% MORE (divided between the multiple hands)

1 hand bet 100
2 hands bet 75 each
3 hands bet 60 each

 

[eds27]

50% MORE (divided between the multiple hands)

1 hand bet 100
2 hands bet 75 each
3 hands bet 60 each

How did you get this porcentanges??

and how about if you are able to play 4-5 hands? How much more to bet?

 

[zengrifter]

How did you get this porcentanges?? and how about if you are able to play 4-5 hands? How much more to bet?

The percentages I gave you are common knowledge today - derived by sim. In Uston's day one couldn't run a sim at whim.

At 4-5 hands you can essentiall double the entire amount that would be correct for one hand... BUT the only time it would be appropriate to bet that many hands is on the last round of a shoe before reshuffle. zg

 

[QFIT]

The percentages were calculated by using correlation coeeficients between simultaneous hands and as zg has said have become common knowledge. The reason you cannot bet 100% of the normal bet on two hands is that they share a common dealer up card. This makes it more likely that you will lose or win both hands. If there were a separate dealer up card for each hand, you could bet 100 on each hand without changing your risk.

 

[zengrifter]

I was just winging it with the percentage amount extra aggregate for multiple hands. QFIT could give the EXACT percentage extra for 2-5 hands. zg