Readers Q&A # 23

Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT DAS STANDS FOR.
MANY THANKS
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

Dear Dave,

DAS is the abbreviation for doubling after pair splitting. A casino that allows DAS means they allow players to double down after they have split their hand. It is a player favorable rule.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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I am looking for information regarding blackjack gambling devices.

You know, things like those little computers and tap codes, glimmers etc.
Any kind of "equipment".

I need info, pictures, drawings, schematics etc.

Any advice on places to search will also be appreciated.

Thanks.
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

Dear Stephen,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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I see some bj tables offer lucky sevens. I was thinking this was a sucker bet, but one time I could have won $500 on a $1 wager. The table runs a 4 deck shoe. What is your opinion on this?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Marty,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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i truly want to know can some online gambling sites online cheat in blackjack,i have been playing with fortune lounge casino's for about a year an i have been unable to win anything from this casino i have loss thousand's of dollars an it seems like the game is rig.an any amounts i bet over twenty dollars i always lose,they say they use microgaming an they dont have know control over how the cards dealt is this true?i truly beleive i been ripoff an is there anyway i can retreive my losses back from them .the site is out of south africa an a few people that i know who gamble online say they stay away from sites operating out of south africa---i truly wish i of took there advice.
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Abonee,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Dear Henry,

In your basic blackjack strategy guide it says you can have a "soft" hand
EX: soft 16

what is that and what is a surrender?

sincerely Mark

Dear Mark,

A soft hand in blackjack is any hand that contains an ace that counts as 11. For example if you are dealt an ace plus a 6 you would have a soft 17. The playing strategy for the latter is much different then say a 17 consisting of a 10+7 which is why it’s important you recognize a soft hand. Surrender is a playing option that some but not all casinos offer to players. If you surrender your initial two card dealt hand, you forfeit half of your wager and the right to play out the hand. it is advantageous to surrender some hands when your chances of winning is not good (like 10+6 when the dealer shows a 9, 10, or ace).

Regards,

Henry Tamburin
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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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where can another basic strategy card be purchased
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Donna,

We sell a hand held, plastic laminated blackjack strategy card and you can find details about the card in my Casino Gambling Catalog. You can obtain a free copy of the catalog by calling 1-888-353-3234.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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I recently racked up $3000 on a $50 buy in playing black jack at an online casino. Based on your experience, should I be skeptical of this online casiono and whether or not they will pay me?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

Dear Todd,

I wouldn’t be skeptical - just go ahead and ask for your winnings.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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what is just a blackjack game when i if wo this game before more i dont really shure about this game
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Matthias,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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What are the odds in blackjack.
How often does the dealer make 17 or better-18 or better etc.
6/8 decks
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

Dear Don,

Here are the dealer’s probability of making 17 or better and 18 or better as a function of his upcard.

Upcard 17 or more 18 or more

2 65% 51%

3 63% 49%

4 60% 47%

5 58% 46%

6 58% 41%

7 74% 37%

8 76% 63%

9 77% 65%

10 77% 65%

ace 83% 65%

The case of 10 and ace assumes dealer does not have blackjack.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Hi Henry. This is Erik again. I wanted to tell you about a very unusual version of blackjack at the casino I go to in San Diego. It's called maxtime 21, and it's very similar to spanish 21. In this game, you can double down any time, surrender anytime, a 5 card blackjack pays 2 to 1, any six cards totaling 20 or less are an automatic winner, blackjack pays even money, if both you and the dealer get a blackjack, you win, if you bet one dollar on the first hand, and you get a blackjack of diamonds, you win 300 bucks, there are no 10 cards taken out like in spanish 21, the game is single deck and it is face up. I think that this game is awsome do to the fact that it is single deck, face up, and very card counter friendly. The penetration depends on the number of players. If there are 6 or 7 players, it'll usually go over 75%. Is it just me or is this game a card counters paradise? The reason I ask this is because many people seem to shun the game and play the blind pitch games.!
Sure, it sucks that it only pays even money when one gets a blackjack, but don't you think that all the other advantages make it an excellent blackjack game? Or do you think that the one and two deck pitch games with the regular rules are better? Oh, and by the way, they always hit soft seventeens here. Thanks for your response.
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Erik,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Dear Henry:
I found the answer to my soft 17 question on your site. So I have a different one.
In single deck - do you recommend splitting 7's against the dealer's 2-7 or 2-8?
Thank you,
Ray
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff
Dear Ray,

In a single deck game where dealer stands on soft 17 and double after splitting (DAS) is NOT allowed you should split 7’s on dealer’s 2 through 7 upcard. If the same single deck game allows DAS, then you should split 7’s on dealer’s 2 through 8. You’ll find this information in the basic strategy tables in my book, Blackjack: Take The Money & Run.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Dear Henry: In 4 or 6 deck games where the dealer hits soft 17, should you double down on:Soft 18 vs. the dealer's 2
Soft 19 vs. the dealer's 6
Any 11 vs. the dealer's Ace

Thank you, Ray
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Dear Ray,

In a 4/6/8 deck game where the dealer hits soft 17 you should double down on soft 18 against 2, double down on soft 19 against dealer 6, and double down on 11 against dealer ace.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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First off, I'd like to tell you that I find your webpage interesting and loaded with info.
I've been playing 8 deck blackjack in A.C. for 2 years now. I'm finally getting the hang of a high-low count. my question to you is..... are my chances better in 4 deck as opposed to 8. and if so why? and should i use the same stratagy?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Mike,

Yes you can use the same basic strategy for 4 decks as 8 decks (assuming the rules are the same). The casino edge is lower in a 4 deck compared to 8 deck game because you’ll be dealt more blackjack’s on average in 4 decks (that pay 3 to 2).

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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By how much would the basic strategy be altered if you always hit on hard 13 vs. a dealer upcard of 2?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

Dear Kevin,

The correct basic strategy play is to stand on hard 13 against dealer 2. If you hit you will lose 2%more of all the money you bet on the hand over time compared to standing. You should stick with the basic strategy and stand. However if you are card counting and the true count is –1 or more negative (indicating the remaining cards are richer in low cards ) then you should hit 13 against a dealer’s 3.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Henry,

I recently read your very helpful book, "Take Your Money and Run." You indicated that total bankroll should be 125 times maximum bet, short session table bankroll should be 35 times maximum bet, and that long term table bankroll should be 50 times maximum bet. You further specified that these guidelines assumed that one was using the advanced card counting strategies spelled out in your book. If instead of card counting, a novice player were using one of the simple progressions also detailed in your book, how would that change these bankroll requirements? (Would 125, 50, and 35 still be appropriate, or would these figures need to be decreased or increased to what figures?)
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Steve,

If you just play basic strategy and don’t count then the casino has the edge and theoretically it doesn’t make any difference what bankroll you use. However, from a practical standpoint if you just want to have fun and use basic strategy with a progressive type betting system I’d recommend a session bankroll equal to 20 times your minimum bet per hour of play. So if you plan on playing 2 hours of blackjack with a $5 minimum bet you should have a session bankroll equal to $200. I’d still recommend you use a counting system along with your progressive betting system.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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How can I get a copy of your previous news letters? In particular, I'm interested in #17 concerning Internet gambling. BTW, will they still bar you for couting in online blackjack? Or, do they just win by keeping the penetration to 50% since they don't have to tell you about it?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Jeff,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Aren't you supposed to double on soft 19 vs. 6 if the dealer hits on soft 17? I've been under the impression that that is the optimal move, but your July 3rd response to the question about doubling on soft 19 vs. 5 or 6 implied that you should always stand. Should I change my strategy for that situation?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Kevin,

My response to that July 3^rd question assumed the dealer stands on soft 17. In multiple deck games when dealer hits soft 17 you should double down soft 19 against dealer 6 upcard. If the dealer stands on soft 17, then you should always stand (including when he shows a 6).

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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how can i win at video top hat blackjack?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dearkei,

I’m not familiar with video top hat blackjack. I would need the rules to determine the basic strategy. But as a general rule most (but not all) video blackjack games do not have as favorable rules as the table games. One exception is Blackjack Blitz which you will find in Las Vegas.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear Barrie,

Regards,

Henry Tamburin