Leroy's Blackjack Gambling

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Blackjack Strategy

The first strategy is to know the rules of the casino you are playing.Each casino has slight variations that can affect your outcome.

basic blackjack strategy per chart memorize this chart as a guide

Your hand Dealer's face up card
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
Hard totals (excluding pairs)
17-20 S S S S S S S S S S
16 S S S S S H H SU SU SU
15 S S S S S H H H SU H
13-14 S S S S S H H H H H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
11 Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh H
10 Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh H H
9 H Dh Dh Dh Dh H H H H H
5-8 H H H H H H H H H H
Soft totals
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A,8 A,9 S S S S S S S S S S
A,7 S Ds Ds Ds Ds S S H H H
A,6 H Dh Dh Dh Dh H H H H H
A,4 A,5 H H Dh Dh Dh H H H H H
A,2 A,3 H H H Dh Dh H H H H H
Pairs
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A,A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
10,10 S S S S S S S S S S
9,9 SP SP SP SP SP S SP SP S S
8,8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
7,7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
6,6 SP SP SP SP SP H H H H H
5,5 Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh Dh H H
4,4 H H H SP SP H H H H H
2,2 3,3 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
S = Stand
H = Hit
Dh = Double (if not allowed, then hit)
Ds = Double (if not allowed, then stand)
SP = Split
SU = Surrender (if not allowed, then hit)

Card counting

Basically card counting is keeping tracks of cards used and basing decisions from that knowledge. The theory is as cards are dealt from the deck, the remaining deck is no longer complete. By keeping track of the cards that have already been played, it is possible to know when the cards remaining in the deck are advantageous and gives an edge in predicting outcomes.

Card counting creates opportunity and works when done well

The player makes bigger bets when he feels he has the advantage. The blackjack game player may increase the starting bet if there are many aces and tens left in the deck, with the goal of hitting a blackjack.

The player can use info about the deck to improve upon the basic strategy rules for specific hands played. For example, with more tens left in the deck, the player may double down in more situations since there is a better chance of making a winning combination.

Card counting systems do not require the player to remember which cards have been played. Instead, the player keeps track of a simple point count as the cards are played . Depending on the particular blackjack rules in a given casino, basic strategy reduces the house advantage . Card counting, if done correctly, gives the player an advantage over the house.

Card counting mentally is legal and is not considered cheating.However, most casinos have the right to ban players, with or without cause, and card counting is frequently used as a justification to ban a player. Usually, the casino will inform the player that he is no longer welcome to play Blackjack at that casino and may be banned from the property. Players must be careful not to signal the fact that they are counting. This is because card counting works.

Composition dependent strategy

Strategy is based on a player's point total and the dealer's visible card. The player's decision depends on the composition of his hand, not just the information considered in the basic strategy. For example, a player should ordinarily stand when holding 13 against a dealer 4. However, in a single deck game, the player should hit if his 13 consists of a 10 and a 3; this is because the player wants to receive any card other than a 10 if hitting, and the 10 in the player's hand is one less card available to cause a bust for the player or the dealer.

However, in situations where basic and composition dependent strategy lead to different actions, the difference in expected value between the two decisions is small.And, as the number of decks used in a blackjack game increases, both the number of situations where composition determines the correct strategy and the house edge improvement from using a composition dependent strategy will fall. Using a composition dependent strategy only reduces house edge by 0.0031% in a six-deck game, less than one tenth the improvement in a single-deck game (0.0387%).

It's less effective at least statistically than card counting

Shuffle tracking and other advantage play techniques

Techniques other than card counting can swing the advantage of casino blackjack towards the player. All such techniques are based on the value of the cards to the player and the casino, as originally conceived by Edward O. Thorp. One technique, mainly applicable in multi deck games, involves tracking groups of cards during the game, following them through the shuffle and then playing and betting accordingly when those cards come into play from the new shoe. This technique, which is more difficult than straight card counting and requires excellent eyesight and powers of visual estimation, has the additional benefit of fooling the casino people who are monitoring the player's actions and the count, since the shuffle tracker could be, at times, betting and or playing opposite to how a straightforward card counter would.

Arnold Snyder's articles in Blackjack Forum magazine brought shuffle tracking to the general public. His book, The Shuffle Tracker's Cookbook, mathematically analyzed the player edge available from shuffle tracking based on the actual size of the tracked slug. Jerry L. Patterson also developed and published a shuffle tracking method for tracking favorable clumps of cards and cutting them into play and tracking unfavorable clumps of cards and cutting them out of play.

Another legal method of gaining a player advantage at blackjack include a wide variety of techniques for hole carding or gaining information about the next card to be dealt. In addition, match play coupons give the skillful basic strategy blackjack player an edge. And finally, a special promotion such as 2:1 for a blackjack can temporarily swing the advantage to the player.

How to Play Hard Hands: -A hard hand is two starting cards that do not contain an ace.

If you have eight or less, always hit.

If you have Nine: Double if the dealer has 3 thru 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have Ten : Double if the dealer has 2 thru 9 - otherwise hit.

If you have Eleven: Double if the dealer has 2 thru 10, Hit if dealer has Ace.

If you have Twelve: Hit if the dealer has 2 or 3, Stand if the dealer has 4 thru 6, otherwise hit.

If you have 13- 16: Stand if the dealer has2 thru 6, otherwise hit.

If you have 17 - 21: Always Stand.

How to Play Soft Hands: - A soft hand is when one of your starting hands contains an ace.

If you have Ace 2 or Ace 3: Double if the dealer has 5 or 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have Ace 4 or Ace 5: Double if the dealer has 4 thru 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have Ace 6: Double if the dealer has 3 thru 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have Ace 7: Stand if the dealer has 2, 7 or 8. Double 3 -thru 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have Ace 8 or Ace 9: Always Stand.

How to Play Pairs

If you have a pair of Aces or Eights: Always split.

If you have a pair of twos or threes: Split if the dealer has 2 - 7, otherwise hit.

If you have a pair of fours: Split if the dealer has 5 or 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have a pair of fives: Double if the dealer has 2 thru 9 - otherwise hit.

If you have a pair of sixes: Split if the dealer has 2 thru 6 - otherwise hit.

If you have a pair of sevens: Split 2 thru 7 - otherwise hit.

If you have a pair of nines: Split 2 thru 6, and 8 or 9. Stand if the dealer has 7, 10 or Ace.

If you have a pair of tens: Always Stand.

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