Variations of the Blackjack Chart

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Blackjack Chart Variations
Blackjack Chart Variations
By John Patrick

Before we get to the variations of moves at a Blackjack table based on the running count, I just want to go over some of the changes I have made on my Basic Strategy.

The changes are:



a) Ten vs dealers 2   
Hit
b) Eleven vs dealers 2   
Hit
c) A-A vs dealers 2 
Hit
d) 4-4 vs dealers 4     Split
e) 5-5 vs dealers 2     Hit
t) 8-8 vs dealers 10     Hit
g) 8-8 vs dealers A     Hit
h) 8-8 vs dealers 9 (optional) Hit

These are eight moves that I would like to see you change from your previous decisions, to what I have shown above. I ain't gonna tell you that I ran 4 billion hands against the computer, because it’d be a lie.
I can hardly tell a computer from a commuter. All I know, is that one is trained to run off decisions and the others runs off decisions on a train.

Here my decisions are reached are down in the pits baby, sitting at the table and trying to minimize my chances of losing. And these eight moves are glaring situations, where I have changed my move to further enhance my play against the house.

a) TEN VS. DEALERS 2: Realize that the two, as the dealers up card, does not mean he is bobbing and weaving. He is weak, but not to the point where he can't recover and bop you. The fact that you get only one card with the double down, leaves you vulnerable to his draw, with the potentially dangerous two.

b) ELEVEN VS DEALERS 2:
Same as with the 10 vs the two. I don't like laying out extra money, getting only one card and having that dealer pull to a two.

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c) A-A VS THE DEALERS 2:
Combination of reasons as outlined in first two changes. But the extra point here is that you have two gorgeous aces, that contain multiple flexibility moves. It's like having a combo date with Sophia Loren and Raquel Welsh and splitting them, hoping to land Dolly Parton and Miss Universe. Instead, you're dealt Gravel Gertie and Olive Oyl. Stick with Sophia and Raquel and the two aces. You know what you have, and they're both powerful pairs - but's that another story.
This switch of hitting two aces vs the 2 is strongly recommended.

d) 4-4 VS DEALRS 4: Kind of self-explanatory. By splitting the fours, you now end up with two hands, starting with a four vs the dealer, who is no stronger than you are, with his 4. Plus the fact that you are looking to draw an ace, five, six or seven, which allows you to double down vs his four. Also, you have two separate hands to play for
that potential double down opportunity. In Vegas you could also look for a four, which then gives you the chance to split again. I urge you to give this a second look, as it offers you the opportunity to get a lot of money against that dealer when he has his third weakest card (the four). There are times when you'll get two double downs after the split giving you four times your original bet.

e) 5-5 VS DEALERS 2:
Same explanation as regular 10 vs the four.

f)8-8 VS DEALERS 10: This will take a little explaining, so put your thinking caps on. Since I adhere so strongly to the idea of minimizing losses, it is only natural that if I am dealt 8-8 vs the 10, 1 wouId either have to h it the 16 and suffer the possibility of losing my $5 approximately 77% of the time with a neutral deck, or ending up with an eight vs a ten ... twice. You see if you split the eights, you now have 8 vs a 10 and 8 vs a 10. You got it twice.
Based on the laws of probability, you will lose 62% of the time that you have an eight vs the dealers ten. So it comes to decision time. Would you rather:

    1) Lose $5     77% of the time by hitting the 16,
    2) Lose $10     62% of the time by splitting.


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