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Gaming Guru In Blackjack, a Deuce Is the Dealer's Ace – NOT!25 April 2008
How many times have you heard another player at the blackjack table say something like: "Never double down against a deuce!" or "I wouldn't split those against a deuce!" or "A deuce is the dealer's Ace!" etc? So many players are terrified of a dealer's deuce up, and they shouldn't be. Where do these warped fears come from anyway? One thing is true. The dealer will make 21 more often with a deuce up than with any other up-card, but not by much. One out of every eight times she shows that deuce, she'll end up making 21. However, she'll pull the same stunt one out of every nine times when she's showing a 5! It's just that with a deuce up, the dealer is so far from having a made hand that anything could happen –- and sometimes does. It's those crushing times when she makes a big hand out of it that tend to stick painfully in your mind. At the other end of the spectrum, with which up-card do you think the dealer will make 21 the least often? It's when she's showing a 10 and doesn't have blackjack. There, she'll convert her 10 up-card into a 21 just once every 27 times. As for the potency of the deuce, I'll give you this much -- you'd rather see the dealer have a 7 up than a 2. But the 8, 9, 10 and Ace are all more dangerous to you than a deuce. So then, just where on the scale of dangerous dealer up-cards does the deuce actually rank? The following chart lists every dealer's up-card and states your odds for winning money against it overall.
Notice that you're a 6-to-5 favorite when the dealer has a deuce up. That means you'll win $6 for every $5 you lose against a deuce after you've had every hand you'll ever get. By contrast, you're a 2-to-1 underdog against an Ace up, which means you'll lose $2 for every dollar you win. So let's see -- a deuce is the dealer's Ace? Hardly! If only the dealer had a deuce up on every hand for the rest of your life. Then you could bet a flat $100 per hand, simply play basic strategy and make $800 per hour, on average, playing blackjack. If you had your choice, the up-card you'd most want the dealer to have would be the 6, followed by the 5, 4, 3, 7, 2, 8, 9, 10, and then the Ace in that order. Against a 2 through 8, you're the favorite. Only against a 9, 10 or Ace are you the underdog, but remember there are four kinds of 10s. Combine all thirteen up-cards, and you're a 0.5% underdog in a typical multi-deck game –- provided you play your hands correctly. If you make mistakes with your hands, though, you'll turn many favorites into underdogs. So don't start getting all negative when the dealer shows you a deuce up. It's a good card for you. Just hit any hard totals up through 9, double with 10 or 11, hit 12 and stand with 13 or higher. For soft hands, hit Ace/2 through Ace/6 and stand with Ace/7 or higher. For pairs, split 2/2 and 3/3, as well as 6/6 through 9/9, and A/A, but stand with 10/10. What's that? You don't like splitting 9s against a deuce? If you stand with your 18, you're a 5-to-4 favorite. If you split into two hands of 9 each, you've got two 6-to-5 favorites. Splitting makes more money! It's not greed. It's playing the odds. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network, John Robison managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. Even Money and Insurance Are the Same Bet18 April 2008
There's something fundamental about blackjack that most players don't understand, and what happened at the casino the other day gives an excellent example of it. The fellow on my left was playing two hands. He was dealt a blackjack and a 17. I had blackjack also.
The dealer had an Ace up and asked if I wanted Even Money. ... (read more)
Can You Play Basic Strategy Blackjack with No House Edge?11 April 2008
Typical blackjack players give about a 1.5% advantage to the house due to the mistakes they make playing their hands. But even those who get their entire basic strategy down cold still have a 0.5% disadvantage in the typical multi-deck game.
So then, is a perfect basic strategy player doomed to end up a ... (read more)
In Blackjack, the Cards Tell You How Much to Bet28 March 2008
Do you know what the real problem is with your blackjack game? More than anything else, it's that you bet the wrong amounts at the wrong time. Here's what I mean.
Suppose you're sitting at the table with three other players. A new shoe is just about to begin. You place your usual starting bet, hoping for that one "big" shoe. ... (read more)
Texas Hold'em Is a "High Card" GameAs you read this, there is a veritable Texas Hold'em explosion going on. At nearly any social event -- weddings, birthdays, what-have-you, somebody eventually starts talking about the game and what fun it is to watch or play. Right after that, the questions and opinions about Hold'em strategy usually start flying. ... (read more)"No Way I Can Lose This Hand" and Other Famous Last WordsThe well-dressed, distinguished gentleman was playing at a $100 blackjack table and betting b-i-g with his cohort standing behind him, rooting him on. He had just bemoaned losing five hands in a row and defiantly quadrupled his bet on the sixth hand. He was dealt another stiff, 13 against the dealer's 8 up. ... (read more)Loose Poker Players Shouldn't Play Caribbean StudI often get e-mails from readers on blackjack and poker strategy, but the other day I received an unusual inquiry concerning the game of Caribbean Stud. It read: Dear Fred, I enjoy all your columns, but we need an article on the odds of playing Caribbean Stud "in the blind" (staying on every ... (read more)What on Earth Were These Blackjack Players Thinking?Day after day, I sit at the blackjack tables and watch players throw money away by making irrational mistakes. Many of these people appear to be quite experienced at the game and are playing for serious money. When they come out of the blue with some of these beauties I have to wonder to myself, ... (read more)Most Blackjack Players Don't Understand the OddsToday I want to give an illustration of how most people shoot themselves in the foot by misinterpreting the odds while playing blackjack. Suppose you walk up to a table where the dealer has just finished shuffling her six decks. You take a seat at third base and put a bet up on each of two spots. ... (read more) |
Fred Renzey |
