Basic Blackjack strategy

[Dieter01]

Before I went to Vegas for the first time I got these tables of basic blackjack strategy. Memorized them and started playing.

As I was playing my first night the lady to my left occationally asked the dealer if she was supposed to hit or stay on certain hands according to basic strategy. And I was a bit surprised when he adviced her contrary to my tables. I didn't say anything, but when I got back home I double checked two hands that I remembered differed. And the dealer and the book did in fact offer contrary advice.

When I got back home I made a search on basic strategy on the internet and found that it was not just one table being reproduced all over the place in different sizes and shapes, there where a lot of different tables! Now, this surprises me as there can not be more than one optimal solution (assuming you are not counting cards).

I have started counting cards on a very amateur level. But just intuitively it makes sense that your basic strategy has to change when the count changes... So I was wondering if anyone could supply me with a good link on blackjack... Maybe with tips on counting cards, or tables for how to play with different counts etc...

Thanks a lot

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I don't know a website off-hand (maybe bj21.com, if it's still good - it's been a while since I've gone there), but one book I found success with is _Blackjack For Blood_ by Bryce Carlson. His Omega II system is very easy to learn and it has worked pretty well for me. He shows you a simple version and then a more advanced version of it for when you get better. The book is well-written and easy to read with lots of explanation of why you're doing certain things instead of just a bunch of tables and nothing else, as well as comparison to other counting systems.

[MicroBob]

the link you want is BJ21.com.

there are a lot of good books on simple counting strategies...it is really pretty easy with a little practice.

the advice that dealers give is usually pretty close to proper basic-strategy but for the most part 90% of dealers don't know proper B.S. for certain plays.
for example, almost all of them will advise against soft-doubling an 18 against a 6 or splitting 9's against a 6.

they also have NO IDEA how to count cards (for the most part).

i used to count cards (and still might every once in awhile) and i also was a BJ dealer for a little less than a year. you would be surprised at how many dealers who have been doing it for 20 years will insist that their way is 'the best way' to play BJ no matter what 'any silly book or card' says.

not sure what tables you were looking at....basic-strategy does change slightly when you are playing single-deck as opposed to a 6-deck shoe.
also, rule differences such as whether or not you are allowed to double after a split or whether the dealer hits or stands on soft-17 will affect basic-strategy.


you did the right thing by not correcting the dealer or the player by the way...just play your game and let them be idiots. and it's something you're going to have to get used to.

go to BJ21.com and you will learn much. it is operated by Stanford Wong who is one of the best BJ players and authors of all time.

[Homer]

Basic strategy (definitely correct):

Link 1 (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2009/BJC/Chart.html)

Link 2 (http://blackjackinfo.com/bjbse.php)

Counting cards:

Gamemaster blackjack school (http://www.gamemasteronline.com/indexa.shtml?GameMasters/GameMasterClassicsIndex.shtml)

BJ21 (Think 2+2, but for BJ) (http://bj21.com/)

-- Homer

[cardcounter0]

Dealers deal cards, that is all that is required of them. 99% of the time any playing advice they give is wrong.

Basic strategy varies by number of decks being used, if the dealer hits soft 17 or not, if you can double down after splitting, and various other rule variations. So there is not one absolute basic strategy.

www.bj21.com (http://www.bj21.com) www.rge21.com (http://www.rge21.com) www.cardcounter.com (http://www.cardcounter.com) are good sites for blackjack information.

[Senor Choppy]

Dealers are without a doubt some of the most ignorant people on the planet when it comes to proper strategy for house games or poker.

I would trust them to make correct change or figure out what a blackjack on a $75 bet pays, but that's about it.