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Questions about blackjack |
This is an etiquette question regarding the blackjack tables, which I haven't been able to find on your site. I go to my local casino about once a month with my friends, we just play for fun pretty much, but they don't know the game that well, nor have basic strategy learned or memorized. My question is: when we're all playing at the table together, is it wrong for me to give them advice on how to play their hand? Tell them to split, double down, stand etc., will this annoy the dealer or other players? Is it right or wrong to do this?
Thanks for an awesome site! I get lost in your odds calculations sometimes, but it's just so damn informative! – Jon B. from Napanee, Ontario
Thank you for the kind words. It would be perfectly acceptable to give advice in that situation. In general, it is acceptable to give solicited advice, even to strangers. The dealers don’t like it when a player gives unsolicited advice. It gets into a grey area if it isn’t clear whom a player is soliciting advice from. If the player seems to be asking the dealer, then you shouldn’t advise. When in doubt, my policy is to keep my mouth shut. July 25, 2007
I love the site; thanks for all the hard work. The blackjack survey is great and I notice that most casinos have more than one set of rules. Can I rightly assume that the better the rule set, the higher the table minimum at a given casino? For example, the lowest house edge at the Bellagio is quite good but does the table have $100 minimums? - Bill R. from Elmhurst, IL
Thank you, and you’re welcome. Yes, it is generally the case that the better the rules, the higher the minimum bet. May 21, 2007
When I am in Vegas I like to play a friendly game of $5.00 blackjack. To my surprise, on this trip, the $5.00 blackjack table had either disappeared or they were paying 6 to 5 on a blackjack. I played a fair $5.00 game at the El Cortez but was hard pressed to find another casino that provided a $5.00 table with reasonable rules. Do you know of other fair $5.00 games either on the Strip or downtown? Thank you. I wish I had discovered your web site before my recent trip. – Tom from Cleveland, OH
Many casinos are indeed paying 6 to 5 on blackjack in their low-limit games, and it is getting worse quickly. However, there are still real blackjack games out there at a $5 minimum. The other rules likely will not be the best, in particular six decks with dealer hitting on soft 17, but at $5 you can’t be too picky. It sounds like you were in town on a very busy weekend, or just didn’t look very hard. Any downtown or off-Strip casino should have some real $5 blackjack tables. Those tables are usually the most crowded. On Strip you should be able to find some token $5 games, especially mid-week, at properties such as the Excalibur, Monte Carlo, Harrah’s, Flamingo, Circus Circus, Riviera, and the Sahara. May 2, 2007
I am a regular blackjack player at a 50-table casino. There are some dealers I have identified that, when I am playing 6th or 7th position, expose their facedown card perhaps 25% of the time. I am wondering what the proper play would be without them being moved right away. I am afraid to take full advantage of seeing the card. If I know the dealer has 20 should I still hit with a 19 or would that draw too much heat? Or should I wait on it and take advantage in more marginal situations? – Earl from Canada
That is what my blackjack appendix 16 is for. To answer your question, I wouldn’t make any plays that would set off a red flag, like hitting a hard 19. My advice is stick to more marginal, believable, errors. March 29, 2007
Hey Wizard - I love the site! My wife and I just returned from Vegas, and I really noticed the proliferation of 6:5 Blackjack games all up and down the strip. Thanks to your site, and the numerous articles that you wrote or linked to, we were able to avoid these games entirely. I did notice, however, that most of these tables seemed to be close to capacity, and I'm wondering how long you think it will take before the 'blissfully ignorant masses' begin to hear about how insidious this small rule change is? At first glance, it seems like the 'pitch game' that my wife and I like so much (and could only find downtown in the past) and I think a lot of people just don't realize the edge they're giving up. If we hadn't read your site, we might have thought the casinos were responding to customer demand for pitch games. Keep up the great work. – Thayer from Atlanta, GA
Thanks. The ratio of 6 to 5 games will only go up, in my prediction. You could ask the same question about lots of games. Why do people play 8/5 jacks or better video poker when a 9/6 game is across the aisle? Why do people play double zero roulette when the same casino has single zero? Why do people bet more than the minimum on the pass line, but then don’t take full odds in craps? Granted, sometimes game limits are an issue but you see people betting large amounts foolishly all the time. My own guess is that it is easier to believe in luck and superstition than to do a little reading about the odds.
"What luck for rulers, that men do not think." - Adolph Hitler
September 22, 2006
In Effect of Card Removal in Blackjack you have the effect of removing a 6 less than a 5 or 4....is this correct? (i thought 6's were the best or very close to 5's for the best for being removed). Thanks - David from Atlantic City, NJ
I think you are confusing card removal with the dealer's up card. The following table shows the player's expected value according only to the dealer's up card, before the dealer checks for blackjack, assuming the dealer stands on soft 17 and infinite decks.
| Expected Value by Dealer Up Card |
| Up Card | Expected
Value |
| 2 | 9.10% |
| 3 | 12.38% |
| 4 | 15.85% |
| 5 | 19.65% |
| 6 | 23.40% |
| 7 | 14.40% |
| 8 | 5.82% |
| 9 | -4.06% |
| 10 | -17.36% |
| A | -33.78% |
So it is indeed true that if you could choose an up card for the dealer it should be a six. While sixes are bad for the dealer they are bad for the player as well. All things considered, if you could remove one card from the shoe you should choose a five.
May 10, 2006
On TV they had a program the Do & Don'ts in Las Vegas. On this program they advised you that when playing Blackjack and win you are not subject to taxes? I can't believe this. - Mahalo
You are subject to tax for any gambling winnings. However table games players are basically on the honor system. If there is a cash transaction of $10,000 or over the casino is obligated to fill out a CTR, which stands for Cash Transaction Report. Yet these are nothing to worry about, and I think many big bettors are overly paranoid about them.
March 27, 2006
How can I get a directory or which casinos (worldwide) offer double deck "pitch" blackjack? I have scoured the internet and even most of the casino's websites do not specify. -- Kim from Novi
I can’t speak for the whole world but if the United States and Canada will suffice I highly recommend Stanford Wong’s Current Blackjack News. That will tell you the exact blackjack rules at almost every casino in both countries.
March 5, 2006
I have been a dealer for 27 years and have seen a lot. One of my favorites was a guy who never looked at his cards playing blackjack....just tucked them. I thought he was nuts of course but some days he won and some days he lost. Just like most people. I tried this myself on a free gambling website and won 2 out of 3 times gambling 20 minute sessions. My question is this: How much worse off are you doing this than trying to play basic strategy? I really don't think it matters much at all what you do in blackjack for the 'average' player. - Mark from Las Vegas
Under typical Vegas rules (6-deck, dealer hits soft 17) the house edge by always standing is 15.7%. In the short-run one could still overcome that, but in the long run you'll lose badly.
Dec. 26, 2005
What is the advantage to a player to add one ace to and remove one 2 from a 6-deck BJ game with AC rules? - Scott from Toronto
My blackjack appendix 7 can be used to approximate the answer to this question. Adding the ace would favor the player by 0.005816/24 = 0.00024. Removing a two would favor the player by 0.003875/24 = 0.000161. So the total effect would be 0.000404, or a decrease in the house edge of 0.04%.
Dec. 6, 2005First, thank you for the great site. I went to Las Vegas for this first time this past summer and I played double-deck blackjack at the Orleans. I noticed that after a dealer shuffled both decks, the dealer asked the player to cut the deck. Most players refused. I did not mind, so I cut the deck. Is there a blackjack cut superstition that I am not aware of, or is there a better reason why? - Sam from Price
I would say about 1/3 to 1/2 of players would at least initially decline to cut. However if everyone initially declines somebody has to rise to the occasion and do it. Sometimes when players who refuse to cut will say something like "I don't want the blame for a bad shoe" or "I'm unlucky." I've never seen it put into words but there does seem to be a superstition that the cut is critical to the flow of the shoe, and thus the act should only be done by a competent cutter. Of course this is nonsense. For recreational play it doesn't make any difference whom cuts or where they cut.
Nov. 2, 2005
How long would it take me to lose $10,000 with $5 flat bets playing 6-deck Vegas strip blackjack? -- Rachel from La Paz
The expected loss per hand would be $5*0.0062 = 3.1 cents, assuming the dealer hits a soft 17, which is usually the case in $5 games, and assuming you played proper basic strategy. Assuming you lost exactly that amount per hand it would take 322,580 hands. However the actual number would be a little less because of bankroll volatility and you can't play after you go broke. To make an educated guess I would say about 300,000 hands. At 60 hands per hour this would be 5000 hours, or two and a half years of full-time play. Sept. 18, 2005
A friend of mine told me that the casinos also have video blackjack. Are the odds or randomness the same for both methods? I mean do the video programmers give the casinos a better house edge with the video version of blackjack vs. the table version, or is the video version programmed exactly to mirror the table game? - Rich from Marietta
It is a law in Nevada that video representations of card games must be truly random. Thus the odds would be same as in live blackjack with the same rules. Most other jurisdictions more or less accept Nevada regulations. You should be warned that the vast majority of video blackjack games pay even money on a blackjack, which is a terrible rule whether on a video or live game. Sept. 11, 2005
Due to table-game tips to dealers being "highly recommended", each hand/play costs or "loses" the player a little bit (as little as ~$0.50-$1.00 just to be considered 'live' by dealers) each time. With games of low bankrolls and minimum bids (i.e. ~$1000 in pocket and ~$2 per play), the tip & house-edge would often make games like video-poker more worth while as far as returns and
(possibly) comps are concerned.
You make a good point. Tipping definitely does add to house advantage in table games. If one were to tip one bet until every 100 hands that would add 1% to the house edge. Slot and video poker players also get comped and in general treated much better. These are things to consider when deciding which game to devote your time to. Jan. 16, 2005
[Bluejay adds: When you consider tips, video poker can lose less per hour than table games but only slightly, while slot machines remain a money-sucker. Consider 99%-return $0.25 video poker at 500 hands an hour, which is $6.25/hr. in expected losses. This compares favorably to blackjack with an hourly loss is 0.5% edge x 100 hands x $5 = $2.50, + $5/hr. tips = $7.50/hr. A typical quarter slot machine loses more than twice that per hour.]
We have all been at blackjack tables where it appears the dealer cannot seem to lose. Assuming you cannot count cards and the dealer is winning 3, 4 or 5 hands in a row, is there any assumptions one can make about the count or is all just random? Do you get up and leave (and/or reduce your bet) and go to another table on the theory that the count is against you and that is why you are losing. Or, do you just assume that the past has no influence on the next hand and continue on. What would the Wizard do? I know hunches have nothing to do with it but, particularly in Blackjack, are there any mathematical conclusions one can draw about the future from the fact that the dealer has been winning (or losing for that matter)for what seems like an inordinate amount of time.
Actually, if the dealer has been winning it is slightly likely that it is because lots of small cards have come out, which would mean the deck is rich in large cards, in which case the odds would actually bend in your favor the next hand. But this is a very slight effect and nothing you should be trusting in. I think in these situations you have just been having bad luck and switching tables will not help. Lest some perfectionist correct me I will say that between shuffles blackjack hands do have a slightly negative correlation. If you had asked about roulette or craps I would say the past makes no difference at all. It would also say that about blackjack if a continuous shuffler were used. However I can't absolutely say blackjack hands are independent for the reason I just explained. Dec. 5, 2004
What is the safest way for the house to deal double deck blackjack? Face up or hand held?
Face down. Not being allowed to see other player cards until the end of the hand gives the player less information, which works against card counters. Oct. 25, 2004
We recently went to Casino Niagra in Canada I was playing blackjack with a full table of players. The play went around the table as normal, I stayed on 17. When it came to the dealer she had an 8 showing flip her unshown card was a ten equals 18. She then proceeded to take a hit on 18 (by mistake)and threw up a Jack which was a bust on 18. I felt this should have been a misdeal or a push for all but the dealer said no it was not valid since the house rules are dealer Stays on 17 and above and Hit on 16 and all below. I disagreed with the call and the pit boss came over and stated the dealer is correct and you lose. I sure would appreciate your thoughts as I totally disagreed with the call. Plus I had a large bet riding so maybe it is just my sore losing side coming out. I sure can't wait to get an experts thought on this once and for all. Sincerely, Janice
I side with the casino. The rules state the dealer stands on 18. The dealer has no free will and once she got 18 the 18 is firm. The extra card dealt does not alter the dealer's 18 and it was correctly burned. In a one or two deck game some casinos will reshuffle in that situation. (See more questions about misdeals.)
Sept. 7, 2004
I have been using your simplified strategy for jacks-or-better video poker, and I wondered if you also had a super-simplified strategy for blackjack as well for those of us who don't play often enough to make memorization of the full chart worthwhile.
Yes! Here it is:
- Stand on hard 12-16 against dealer 2-6
- Double on 10,11 against dealer 2-9
- Always split eights, nines, and aces
- Stand on soft 18 or more
- Stand on hard 17 or more
- If rules 1-5 do not apply then hit
- Never take insurance
If played on a game with six decks and the dealer stands on a soft 17 the house edge using this strategy is 0.93%. The correct basic strategy will get you down to 0.41%. July 28, 2004
I've read quotes similar to this on a couple of different sites: "If the dealer won 40 hands in a shoe and you won 20, this trend is likely to continue until you are broke or until the unfavorable bias is removed through many shuffles". That seems like somewhat "extreme" wording to me but my question is, is there any validity to that concept? Might any clumps of generally favorable (high), or unfavorable, cards make it through one dealer shuffling such that a non-shuffle tracker might take advantage by varying his bets to capitalize on short streaks? By the way, your site kicks ass.
My site takes names as well. This theory is called card clumping and would make for good fertilizer if it could be bagged. No legitimate blackjack writer puts any stock in it at all. July 11, 2004
I was at the Luxor this week and I noticed a blackjack machine that looked much like a video poker machine. Do these things use random generators like online, or do they work like slot machines?
Using a random number generator is the same as working like a slot machine. Online blackjack, slot machines, and video blackjack all use random number generators.
It is a Nevada state law that an electronic game with representations of cards or dice must be based on fair odds. So the game should be fair with odds the same as in a hand dealt game having the same rules. July 4, 2004
Where are the single deck games in Vegas that still pay 3 to 2?
With the demise of Binion's Horseshoe the number of true single deck games in Vegas has fallen by about 75%. Although it isn't a priority of mine to keep up to date on this some that I know of are the Fiesta Rancho, Golden Gate, El Cortez, and the Western. Beware of single deck games that only pay even money or 6 to 5 on a blackjack, you are much better off at a shoe game that does pay 3 to 2. April 22, 2004
I looked up and down on your blackjack section and can't find out "how" to surrender. I know what it is and all, but do I just grab half my chips and that's that?
No, you never touch your chips once the bet has been made until the hand is over. The signal to surrender is to use your index finger and pretend to draw a line along the blackjack table, just behind your bet from left to right. I didn't even know this until a friend from Europe did just that recently at the table. It is just as good to simply say "surrender." April 11, 2004
Is it permissible table etiquette to double down with your money (and the risks and rewards are yours) for a fellow player who refuses to double because of lack of money, fear or ignorance? [Actually I did do that for/with a woman who could not double an obvious double hand
(I believe 10 against dealer 4) because she did not have
enough chips. The dealer was encouraging her to "double for less" although the dealer permitted me to make this player the short term "loan". And I won, ha-ha! If so, could you conceivable turn the house's edge in your favor?
As long as both players are agreeable then the casino is unlikely to stop you. However it would be foolish of the player in your example to agree to your terms, because she is stuck taking only one card. If she said no she would have the freedom to take more than one. Although a bit impractical you could always offer to buy the player's hand and then you play it yourself, if you can agree on a price. My blackjack appendix 9 shows the fair value of all hands. As an example suppose another player had blackjack and the dealer had an ace up. Most players would take even money. You could make money by offering that player more than even money, but less than 103.8%, and then playing out the hand yourself. However don't extend this offer to a card counter. March 6, 2004
In response your last column from a player who was concerned about the dealer calling "table max" when he went from $15 to $300. It should be added to your answer that this is most likely the internal procedure of the casino as most do this when any maximum bet is placed in order to draw the supervisor's attention. Most players tend to believe the actions of a casino are directed against them when the usual reason is simply the staff are following company procedures.
Thanks for this good point. I stand corrected. Feb. 13, 2004
Michael, a person asked you if they are not counting cards in blackjack, what difference does it make how many decks are being used. You stated the difference had mostly to do with the number of stiff hands possible, due to the fact that if a small card came out it was more likely a large card would follow and vice-a-versa. How could that be? Would it still not be a random event with the possibility of a small or large card coming out being equal, if you are not counting?
Every legitimate blackjack expert agrees the house edge decreases as the number of decks goes down, all other rules being equal. However it is hard to explain why. First, it is true that you are more likely to get one small card and one big card in single-deck than multiple-deck. For example if we define a small card as 2 through 6, and a large card as any 10-point card or ace then the probability of getting one of each in single deck is 2*(20/52)*(20/51) = 30.17%. The probability in 8-decks is 2*(160/416)*(160/415) = 29.66%. Although stiffs can cut both ways the player has the free will to stand, the dealer must always hit them. Nov. 19, 2003
You've already shown me how to be profitable playing Craps. Thanks! Now your site is teaching me Blackjack. One question: When you've got, say, two 5's and you want to Double Down, you say to put an additional wager next to your original bet. How does the dealer know you don't mean to split? Thanks! Your site rocks!
Thank you for the compliment. To answer your question the dealer will just ask you what you want to do. Normally all decisions in blackjack must be visible, however this is the only exception I can think of. However if you want to avoid being asked when it is your turn simply hold up you index finger to denote that you want one card. Most dealers know what this means. Coincidentally I just learned yesterday that in Bulgaria if you wish to double you put your extra bet behind the original bet, and if you want to split you put it next to the original bet. Nov. 19, 2003
Does losing a hand at blackjack increase the probability that the composition of the deck is in your favor? More specifically, is your expected return on one hand ever positive after a given net loss since the last shuffle?
Without knowing anything else, if you lost the last hand in blackjack then it is slightly more likely that more small cards than large just left the deck. This would make the remaining deck more large card rich and thus lower the house edge. However I speculate this is an extremely small effect. Yet it does go to show that if you must use a betting system one that increases the bet after a loss is better than one that increases after a win. I hesitate to put this in writing at all because again the effect is probably very small and I fear system sellers will misquote me and imply I endorse any system, which I DO NOT. Nov. 19, 2003
I was recently playing single deck blackjack with one other patron at the table and right after the shuffle I got 2 aces and split them and got 21 on both hands!(yea for me) the other guy got a nineteen 10-9 and the dealer had an ace up. the dealer had a soft 17 and drew a 10. My question is this: What should I do on the next hand considering that the deck just lost 3 aces and 4 tens and only 2 small cards? Should I go to the bathroom, leave the table (I had just sat down 2 hands prior.) or keep playing? Thanks for your great site. It is just as fun to learn about all the different aspects of the games as it is to use your advice and know I am playing the best game I can!
This would be a good time to either bet small, go to the bathroom, or just leave, depending on your style of play. Personally I hate bouncing up and down and would just bet small. There are lots of books that explain specifically how to count cards. However for the amateur if you see a disproportionate number of tens and aces leave the deck bet less. Likewise bet more if lots of small cards leave the deck, especially fives and sixes. Thanks for your kind words about my site. Aug. 25, 2003
It's my understanding that casinos put a lot of emphasis on a player's theoretical win. I would imagine my theoretical value has a direct correlation to compatibility from a house point of view. If I am a $10.00 average Player in Blackjack and play an average of 3 hours per trip, what is the formula a casino uses to determine my theoretical value? Thank you in advance.
Yes, the casinos do calculate the value of a player's play and then comp back a certain percentage. 2% is generally considered the house edge in blackjack for the average player. The average number of hands per hour is about 60. So in your example the value of this play would be 0.02*$10*60*3=$36. If the casino comps back 1/3 of the play then you could expect to get a comp worth $12. Aug. 7, 2003
How do you calculate the expected return for a blackjack game with a .5% house edge and a 20x play requirement and an initial Bank Roll including bonus of $1000. Does it matter if you flat bet (assuming that the bets are relatively small compared to the BR) or bet based on the Kelly criterion, or does the Kelly criterion just affect the risk of ruin?
Your expected loss of this play is 0.005*20*$1000=$100. The betting system will not affect the expected loss, but will affect the volatility. Aug. 7, 2003
Good job and well done. The question: I notice from your May 5, 2003 Column that you actually CALCULATE your blackjack odds. I am a bit surprised that you were not using your computer to SIMULATE the results. Or is this a stupid question, i.e., the computer will take a million years to do the job?
Yes, I calculate blackjack odds using a combinatorial approach, analyzing every possible ways the player and dealer cards can come out, taking the greatest expected value at every decision point. This is harder to program than a simulation but I feel is more elegant and a nice challenge in recursive programming. However I still respect my peers to do simulations. With today's computers it doesn't take long to run off a billion bets, which gets very close to the optimal strategy return. June 14, 2003
First let me say I love your site and will be visiting each of the advertisers to help support it. I hope you are doing very well financially as you are undoubtedly saving a lot of people a lot of money. It is amazing what I see in the casinos and will recommend your site to anyone who will listen (most losers won't, I get a lot of heat when I hit a 12 vs a dealer 2 even when I explain the math). My question is do you have any advice for Blackjack players participating in Blackjack tournaments? I have participated in a few and have came very close to advancing to the "money" round with no real strategy other than stay close to the leaders on the table and bet it all on the last hand. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! - Perry O.
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate the thought of visiting the advertisers. However the casinos don't care about click throughs as much as they used to and now what matters is new real money players, and how profitable those players are. So unless you might actually play there is no pressure any longer to click through the banners.
Blackjack tournaments are not my strong subject. For advice on that I would highly recommend Casino Tournament Strategy by Stanford Wong. Wong says that if you are behind to bet opposite of the leader, small when he bets big, and big when he bets small. If you are in the lead then you should bet with the second highest player. The book gets into much more detail. Speaking of supporting my site, it helps to click through my Amazon links when buying books there. May 26, 2003
Hello, thanks for the great website. There is a lot of helpful information. I hate to bother you, but I wanted to let you know about a variation of blackjack that I played recently. I was at the Oneida Bingo & Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They had a few tables that at first glance looked like 2 deck pitch blackjack. Upon further examination they were using automatic shufflers and according to the rules they listed, this game consisted of eight decks and the automatic shuffler dispensed approximately 100 cards. The game was dealt using these 100 cards. The dealer put the cut card approximately half way in the 100 card deck and then dealt. When the cut card was reached, the dealer would put the cards back in to the automatic shuffler and take 100 more cards from the machine and start dealing again. In this game you could not double down after a split, and you could split up to 3 times. I'm not sure whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17. Thanks, Rob Seelen
Mathematically speaking this is the same as playing from an eight deck game. Players have been known to be fooled, incorrectly thinking these are double deck games. For card counting purposes the penetration is 50 out of 416, or 12.02%. May 26, 2003
After performing my own infinite deck analysis for Blackjack with the same rules as yours (dealer stands all 17s, re-splitting allowed to 4 hands except Aces, which can only be split once, doubling after splitting, draw only one card to split Aces), I came across your site. In comparing expected values, I obtained the same numbers as you in all cases, except for pair splitting, which were slightly different. So I'm wondering how you went about your calculation of expected values for splitting?
It took me years to get the splitting pairs correct myself. Cindy of Gambling Tools was very helpful. Peter Griffin also addresses this topic in chapter 11 of the The Theory of Blackjack Let's say I want to determine the expected value of splitting eights against a dealer 2. Resplitting up to four hands is allowed. Here is how I did it.
- Take a 2 and two 8's out of the shoe.
- Determine the probability that the player will not get a third eight on either hand.
- Go through all ranks, except 8, subtract that card from the deck, play out a hand with that card and an 8, determine the expected value, and multiply by 2. For each rank determine the probability of that rank, given that the probability of another 8 is zero. Take the dot product of the probability and expected value over each rank.
- Multiply this dot product by the probability from step 2.
- Determine the probability that the player will resplit to 3 hands.
- Take another 8 out of the deck.
- Repeat step 3 but multiply by 3 instead of 2.
- Multiply dot product from step 7 by probability in step 5.
- Determine the probability that the player will resplit to 4 hands.
- Take two more 8's out of the shoe.
- Repeat step 3 but multiply by 4 instead of 2, and this time consider getting an 8 as a third card, corresponding to the situation where the player is forced to stop resplitting.
- Multiply dot product from step 11 by probability in step 9.
- Add values from steps 4, 8, and 12.
The hardest part of all this is step 3. I have a very ugly subroutine full of long formulas I determine using probability trees. It gets especially ugly when the dealer has a 10 or ace up. May 5, 2003
Dear Wizard,I was recently playing blackjack with somewhat of a card-shark who also happens to be my friend. We played casino rules, with one deck- and switched the deal after each time the deck expired. Later, while I was shuffling- I noticed two 9 of spades side by side. My friend obviously claimed he did not know about this, but it seems unlikely. My question is, if you were playing in a similar scenario and were to add one card to the deck, which card would be most advantageous if only you knew about it. Thank you for your time, Matt
From my blackjack appendix 7 we see that each 9 removed from a single deck game increases the house edge by 0.20%. However if you were going to cheat it would be much better to remove an ace, which increases the house edge by 0.58%. If you were to add a card as the dealer you should add a 5, which increases the house edge by 0.80%. So, the best card for the player is the ace and the best for the dealer is the 5. March 7, 2003
As you state on your site the house edge in blackjack is very low. Maybe you should increase your bet when the dealer gets 4 or 5 cards, because the cards would likely be small and the next hand would be large card rich? - Tim Skarecky from Gurnee, Illinois
This is an oversimplified method of counting cards. Better yet survey all the cards on the table. If you see a lot of small cards, especially fives and sixes, and few large cards, especially aces, then raise your bet. If you see the opposite then lower your bet. The fewer the decks the better this will work. Better yet use an actual count system like the ace/five. Feb. 20, 2003
What was the most money you ever won after walking away from a blackjack game? - Joseph Martino from Shelton, Connecticut
I think about $800. I'm not a very big bettor. I once lost more than that chasing a 2 to 1 blackjack promotion at an Internet casino. Nov. 28, 2002
In Blackjack, what is the difference between early surrender and late surrender? - Dan from Brooklyn, USA
In early surrender you can surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack. With late surrender you only have the option after the dealer checks for blackjack. Early surrender is much better because you can still save half your bet when the dealer does have blackjack. As far as I know no casino on the land or Internet currently offers early surrender. Aug. 31, 2002
What is the best blackjack program to purchase for my pc. I want to learn to play BJ but since I am a beginner the tables are too intimidating. Since we have to drive 130 miles one way to the nearest casino, that's too expensive to learn. - Floyd Niemeyer - from Mattoon, Illinois
I would download some Internet casino software and just play in free mode. However to learn proper basic strategy I would recommend making flash cards with every possible play. Dealing out cards at random will not test you often enough on the soft doubles and splits. Aug. 11, 2002
At the Spielbank Stuttgart, one is given the option in blackjack to take even money immediately if one gets a black jack and the dealer shows a ten or an ace (to avoid a push). Is this a sucker bet? I won 390 euro thanks to your card. Many thanks! - John M. from Stuttgart, Germany
Yes, this is a sucker bet, especially with a 10 showing. This is equivalent to taking insurance. The casinos here always offer "even money" in this situation and both dealer and other players will treat you like a fool if you decline it. However the expected value of a blackjack when the dealer has an ace showing is 1.04 units, better than the 1.00 units you'll get by taking the even money. So unless you're a card counter and know the remaining deck to be 10-rich then always decline even money. I'm glad my basic strategy helped you win. June 18, 2002
My friend and I are debating two blackjack issues that arose from his Caribbean Vacation. (1) What shift in odds does the dealer NOT drawing the second card have? House favor or player favor? (2) in your simulations, what impact does the number of players have on the accuracy of the odds? - Beau Richards from Toronto, Canada
(1) It depends what happens if the dealer does have a blackjack. If the player is guaranteed to lose no more than the original wager then it doesn't matter if the dealer takes a second card or not. If the player stands to lose the total amount bet after doubling or splitting and the dealer gets a blackjack then that works to the dealer's advantage. (2) I don't have to simulate this because the number of players makes no difference. Feb. 11, 2002
Hi, which Las Vegas casinos offer the best blackjack game? Is there a website you know which lists the Vegas casinos and their BJ rules? Thanks for any help you can give me. - Daryl from Buffalo, USA
I usually use Blackjack Conditions and Specials for information on where the best blackjack games are in Las Vegas. Surprisingly they say that Caesars Palace has the best basic strategy game: double deck, double on any two cards, dealer stands on soft 17, and late surrender for a house edge of 0.13%. Nov. 11, 2001
My question is about table maximum bets in BJ. Say the posted limit is $200. I bet $200 and I get dealt 8-3. Can I double down, or have I already reached the limit? Or suppose I'm betting $200 and get dealt a pair of aces. Can I split them, turning one hand into two hands? - Jack from Boston, USA
Yes, you could double or split in those situations. The maximum applies to the initial bet. If the limit were $200 you could also play multiple hands of $200. Sept. 20, 2001
My friend and I have a side bet going on. I said to him that I think that blackjack has the best odds in a casino, he said to me that he thinks poker has the best odds. In a casino, what game do you have the best odds in winning, blackjack or poker? - Jeff Schneider from Chicago, IL
Although they are hard to compare I say blackjack is the better bet. It is easy to be a good blackjack player by learning the basic strategy. It is difficult to be a good poker player. Casino poker rooms are often full of very good players just waiting for an experienced player to fleece. However some people may be naturally gifted at poker, so take my answer with a grain of salt. Sept. 20, 2001
I notice that all Boss Media multi-player casinos have a trend of dealer showing a face (10) the majority of the times, and other users complain about that as well. I figure that on average the dealer should show a face 4/13 of the times, does that make any sense? This is mostly while playing 1-3 hands vs the Dealer. - Jumbo Jack from Canada
Although I address this kind of question in my FAQ and in past columns I'll still comment. You need to give me some hard numbers to have this taken this seriously. For example if you played 1000 hands you would expect the dealer to have a 10 or face card up about 308 times. The probability of the actual number being within 50 of 308 is 99.93%. If you were outside of 50 then we could raise our eyebrows and if you were outside even more we could really get serious. However I can't do much with "the majority." I indicate how to gather data a test for online cheating in my FAQ. Finally, I want to say that I strongly feel that Boss Media is playing a fair game. Sept. 13, 2001
I enjoy both Caribbean Stud and Blackjack. The element of risk for Stud is 2.56% and Blackjack is 0.38% or a ratio of 6.7. Assume I play $15 Blackjack and $5 ante Stud i.e., $15 at risk when I bet. Since the number of hands dealt per hour is many more for Blackjack versus Stud, does that mean that I will lose the same amount of my bankroll if the ratio of hands dealt per hour is 6.7? - John Galati from Monsey, USA
No. If you're interested in comparing expected loses it would be better to use the house edge. My section on the house edge shows the blackjack house edge to be 0.43%
(Atlantic City rules) and that of Caribbean Stud Poker to
be 5.22%. The expected loss for 1 hand of Caribbean Stud Poker at a $5 ante is $5 * 5.22% = 26.10 cents. The expected loss for 6.7 hands of blackjack at $15 per initial bet is 6.7 * $15 * 0.43% = 43.22 cents. So given these two options you will lose less in Caribbean Stud Poker. The ratio of the house edge of Caribbean Stud Poker to blackjack is about 12. So the expected loss of a $1 initial Caribbean Stud Poker bet is about the same as a $12 initial blackjack bet. Sept. 13, 2001
What would be the best way for one to win a blackjack tournament. I seem to do quite well in regular play, but can never come out in the top two to advance. It seems third place is the best I can do. - Helene Hunez of Sherman Oaks, USA
I've been asked this before. Now that I'm living in Vegas I'm going to try at least one blackjack tournament to be better able to advise on them. However for now you have to observe how much the other players have and bet as high as you have to in order to surpass them. The tournament player should be betting either the minimum or maximum depending on their position and time remaining. March 11, 2001
Where is the best place to play Blackjack in Atlantic City and why? - Mike and Taffy M. from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Claridge is the best. As far as I know they are the only Atlantic City casino to offer late surrender, which lowers the house edge from 0.43% to 0.36%. Jan. 14, 2001
I play blackjack using Basic Strategy. I raise my bet if I see a bunch of low cards
and lower my bet it if I see high cards. On my last trip to Las Vegas, two casinos asked me to step away from the table and told me to leave! Please comment on this. It does not seem fair. - Stan from Milwaukee, USA
You obviously understand that a deck rich in high cards favors the player and a deck rich in low cards favors the dealer. Although your method is the crudest form of card counting it is still card counting. Nevada casinos have the legal right to do what they did. In the future I would recommend being more discrete. Never more than double your bet, preferably only after winning. If you feel youíre being watched then get up and leave before they do it for you. Donít play too long in any one place. Ian Andersonís ëTurning the Tables in Las Vegasí gives lots of tips about looking like an ordinary player while card counting. Jan. 14, 2001
Have been a dealer now for 10 years, and trying to get out of it, I can not count how many times I have heard people say, "Always assume their is a 10 in the hole". You and I know this cannot be correct all the time. I understand why they say it, but, what are the odds that it really is a ten, and when the dealer has an Ace up, and checks in the card reader for a blackjack, does not have one, you know definitely it is not a ten. What should you assume it is then? -- Larry from Red Wing, Minnesota
I don't like that expression either. At best it is a memory device to help people remember to hit a stiff hand if the dealer has a 7 to 10 showing. There is no simple rule of thumb that works in all situations. [Whoops, looks like the Wizard forgot to answer this question. I'll give it a shot but I'm not the math wiz. Since there are four ten-value cards in a suit (10, J, Q, K) and thirteen cards in a suit total, the odds are 4/13 that the hole card is a ten, assuming an infinite deck. If you know it's not a ten because the dealer checked it then you don't assume it's anything, you follow what basic strategy tells you to do when the dealer has an ace up. :) -- MBJ, webmaster ] Dec. 31, 2000
Which is a better game for the player spanish21 or just regular blackjack in Atlantic City. -- Michael from Philadelphia, USA
Spanish 21! Under Atlantic City rules blackjack has a house edge of 0.43% and Spanish 21 of .40%. Dec. 31, 2000
Still love your site! I always turn to your site when I'm having questions, most of the time I will find the answer but not always. When playing basic strategy blackjack I understand that I will have ups and downs and over the long run I will roughly break even, my question is what is really "over the long run"? A month, a year, 5 years? Any ideas? - Kim from Helsinki, Finland
Thanks for the kind words. You ask a good question for which there is no firm answer. It is more a matter of degree, the more you play the more your results will approach the house edge. I recently replaced my blackjack appendix 4 with some information about the standard deviation which may help. For example this table shows that if you play 10,000 hands of blackjack the probability is 90% of finishing within 192 units where you started after subtracting the expected loss due to the house edge. So in 10,000 hands you are likely to win or lose less than 2% of total money bet due to random variation. However if we go up to one million hands the probability is 90% of an 0.2% variation due to luck. In general the variation in the mean is inversely proportional to the square root of the number of hands you play. All of this assumes flat betting, otherwise the math really gets messy. Dec. 2, 2000
Q: First of all, I would like to add my name to the growing list of people who love your web site. Your information is quite valuable to both the beginning and expert gambler, and you present your findings in a pleasant, understandable, and even humorous manner. I always check out your site before I head to Las Vegas or Lake Tahoe just to remind me how to play smartly. Anyway, on to my question. Well, more of an observation: when the dealer pulls a 5 on a 16 for their sixth consecutive win, there's always someone who gets up and leaves the table, muttering that the dealer is a mean cruel heartless soul, and goes in search of a "hotter" table. But is there any truth in this? Obviously the dealer is inconsequential to the cards dealt (I like to say the dealer is "simply a messenger of the cards") but are streaks in an 8-deck shoe inevitable, and even predictable? Or is it more like your roulette example, where the odds of each new round are exactly the same? Thanks once again for your web site. ñ Dave K. from Beverly Hills, California
A: Thanks for your kind words. Streaks such as the dealer drawing a 5 to a 16 are inevitable but not predictable. Blackjack is not entirely a game of independent trials like roulette but the deck is not predisposed to run in streaks. For the non-card counter it may be assumed that the odds are the same in each new round. Putting aside some minor effects of deck composition, the dealer who pulled a 5 to a 16 the last five times in a row would be just as likely to do it the next time as the dealer who had been busting on 16 for several hours. Sept. 3, 2000
Q: First of all I'd like to say I really like your site. It's hard to find a casino site that actually gives good information. Secondly, I'd like to ask a question. I'm from Europe, so I play blackjack with the European hole card rule. It's a multiple deck game. The dealer deals out the first card to all of the players and one to himself. After that, he gives all the players their second card and none for himself. The players can make decisions after that. After all the players are done, the dealer gets his second card and after that he can make his 'decisions'. I was wondering what basic strategy I should use for this game. Should I use the Microgaming strategy? The rules of the Microgaming casinos are a bit different though." - Ruud from ?
A: For the benefit of others let me explain that in European blackjack the dealer does not check if he has a blackjack until all players have finished playing their hands. If the dealer does have a blackjack and a player doubled or split that player will lose their entire bet. In the United States the player can lose no more than the original bet if the dealer has blackjack. As you pointed out online casinos that use Microgaming software follow the European rule. However Microgaming casinos also play a single deck game and let you draw to split aces which is unlike the European rules. To make a long story short use the appropriate U.S. basic strategy based on the other rules with a the following exception. Never double or split when the dealer has a potential blackjack except to split aces against a 10. April 15, 2000
Q: With single-deck blackjack, are the cards dealt face-down? And what are the general rules for single-deck? I know you mentioned double downs only on 9-11 or 10-11, but do you know what the general rules are for double-after-split, dealer-hitting-soft-17, etc. for single-deck? I'm a basic strategy player, and wanted to find out just what the rules tend to be for single-deck (I've only ever done 6 or 8 deck) so I can prepare the perfect spreadsheet from blackjackinfo.com. Thanks so much for your help! - Alex from Berkeley, California
A: Single deck blackjack rules are usually tight. Cards are dealt face down. In southern Nevada you can usually double on any two cards and in northern Nevada it is often 9-11 or 10-11 only. The dealer will hit a soft 17 almost always and doubling after a split is usually not allowed. You can look up the exact rules at most casinos here. March 4, 2000
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