This video guides you through all the Hard Totals on the Basic Strategy Chart.
Basic Strategy – Hard Totals
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Section 4 - Beating Blackjack: Basic Stategy
Video Categories
- Video Categories
- Section 1 – Card Counting Concepts
- Section 2 – Understand the Game
- Section 3 – The Importance of Rules
- Section 4 – Beating Blackjack: Basic Stategy
- Section 5 – Beating Blackjack: Card Counting
- Section 6 – Beating Blackjack: Deviations
- Section 7A – Beyond the Basics
- Section 7B – Beyond the Basics – General
- Section 8A – Advanced Blackjack – Cover and Team Play
- Section 8B – Advanced Blackjack Play – Casino Relations
- Section 9 – Advanced Blackjack – Beating the Game
I HAVE TRIED TO COUNT CARDS—-BUT GET CONFUSED—-PART OF THE PROBLEM IS WHEN I SAY MINS AND PLUS I GET BEHIND. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS. THANKS
JIM
Don’t say anything for positive counts, just the number. For negative counts, say N before the number (like negative) or D (for down). It’s a lot faster if you can say 3, 2, 1, 0, D1, D2, D3, etc.
Very nice website Collin I like the layout. I see your using WordPress
is your theme a premium custom WP design?
By the way I really like what you’re doing here great job keep up the good work…
Hello,
Thank you for all your information, I’m learning a lot..
Until now I understand everything but I’m confused about one thing: on most internet sites they say that in basic stragegy you must just hit at a hard eleven against an ace, but you say double down… what should I do now?
I checked again, the charts on your site also say to hit, but the chart in the video says to double… now I’m really confused…
Annemieke,
Your question is great and your confusion is normal…
11 against and Ace changes depending on the GAME and on the TRUE COUNT.
1. DEPENDING ON THE GAME: you will notice our that we have two charts (one for Hit 17 games and one for Stand 17 games). Check which game you are playing and use the appropriate chart. There are not a lot of differences but as you have keenly observed 11 VS Ace is one of them.
For Hit 17 you always double an 11 VS ACE
For Stand 17 you always* hit an 11 VS ACE
I put a * there next to always because of the second reason why this one is confusing, which is…
2. DEPENDING ON THE TRUE COUNT. You will notice that on the S17 chart there is a RED “1″ in the box, which signifies that at the TRUE COUNT of “1″ or higher you deviate from the normal action. So in this instance you deviate from HITTING and instead you now start DOUBLING.
SUMMARY:
1. always Double this hand when playing on a Hit 17 table.
2. Hit this hand on a Stand 17 table until you get to a TRUE 1 or above, then double.
hey this is better quality
nice one guy’s!
Hi guys,
Just wanted to ask something regarding the Basic Strategy.I have learned the Basic S. from your side, but I see (wikipedia, or books from David Sklansky) a bit different basic strategy.
f.x. 2, 2 against dealer 2, you say to hit and wikepedia bs says differently.
I just want to understand this and why is it different?
Thank you
I believe your video here has a minor error/typo. Basic Strategy as you say drops the house edge to about 1/2 of 1% (.5%), but the video displays .05%.
You are correct, BS brings the house edge to within .5%. Good catch, we’ll see about getting that corrected.
Katarina, I went to check the wikipedia site as you suggested, but they show to hit a 12 v 2 as well. Stick with us and we’ll get you there!
hi!
So the red numbers in the charts means the true count? i dont understand that.
And the charts of Stand 17 or Hit 17… what does it means? is when the dealer has to stand or hit on all 17??
Thanks.
All the numbers in the chart refer to the True Count; the red numbers simply indicate the most valuable deviations and should be the first to memorize.
Stand or Hit 17 refers to whether the dealer Hits or Stands on a SOFT 17 (Ace + 6).
I read through this thread and it’s a tad confusing:
I only see ONE chart for basic strategy (with two for the deviations). The basic strategy chart file name is labeled with the “H17″ in it, but seems to be the strategy for S17, is this correct? E.g., 11 vs. and Ace says to Hit, which is only for S17 use, I thought…
Also, I have seen a couple other places where 16 vs a dealer’s 10 is a Stand [if surrender is not allowed]? No bueno?
Thanks for the clarification. Only being picky because I want to get this correct for the long run. -Eric
Eric – The charts provided are correct with the simulations we use. As you look around the internet, you will find that everyone thinks they have THE CHART to beat all charts. You will find that we follow along the path of Stanford Wong and have calculated and run simulations for years using these charts, validating their authenticity. Stick with us, we’ll steer you down the right path!
Point of clarification: 16 vs 10 is a hit in BS (which our BS chart says), but it would be a Stand in positive counts if you are counting and deviating (regardless of H17 or S17).
Ben,
Why would you double on a soft 18 – based on the soft hand chart against a 2-6, when the basic strategy chart shows that you only hit an 8 against all dealer hands. I never double on an 8 because there is a good chance of getting an Ace, 2, or 3, then the 10, so why double on a soft 18?
Thanks,
Scott
There is alot of good information in the Q & A portions of this website. This is the best BJ site on the internet, hands down.
GREAT JOB!!!!!
Scott,
Hard 8 and Soft 18 are very different scenarios. With a hard 8, you are right… always hit. With a Soft 18, the odds of still having a good hand after getting 1 more card, combined with the odds of the dealer busting, justify doubling down (so you can get more money on the table). Hope that helps.
i am a bit confused dose this mean when your first 2 cards are dealt? or is it at anypoint? like say you have a 6,2 to a dealers 6 and then you hit and get a 4 and now have 12, do you keep hitting or do you stand? if you keep hitting when do you draw the line?thanks
With each change, you go back to basic strategy. So if you start with 8 v. 6, then you follow basic strategy, which is to hit. Then, if you get a 4, you have 12 v 6. Basic strategy for that is to stand.
I noticed on your resources basic strategy chart it does not say to double down with a hard 11 against an Ace, but in the video it does. I want to be perfectly consistent. Cn you tell me which one is right?
Yeah, the difference boils down to whether the dealer hits on a Soft 17 or not… different casinos offer different rules. If the dealer Stands on a Soft 17, then you will not double an 11vA. If the dealer Hits a Soft 17, you will always double 11vA.
I don’t even say a D or N or neg when the counts below zero. I just change my whole mind set to subtracting low cards from the count until i hit 0. It works great. As long as you succesfully change mindset with negative counts, constantly repeating that same fact is unnecessary. Just don’t forget that your negative and start counting up on low cards!