 
The
GameMaster's Blackjack School
Back
to Blackjack School Index
Lesson
15: Basic Strategy Variations
- Double?
The
opportunity to double your bet in
return for agreeing to accept only
one more card is a very powerful
option for the player, if it's utilized
correctly. I can't tell you how
often I see players double hands
like 7 or 8 against a dealer's up
card of 6 and then bemoan their
fate when they lose. Yes, the dealer
is very vulnerable with a 6 showing,
but placing an extra bet changes
the mathematics of the hand, so
all doubles must be well-considered.
For example, in a six-deck game
where the dealer stands on A-6,
doubling a hand of 8 against the
dealer's 6 has a total return of
10.3% whereas just hitting the hand
returns 12.3% and the risk is lower!
That
said, there comes a time when it
is worthwhile to double an 8 against
a dealer's 6 and that's when there's
a higher proportion than normal
of 10s left in the deck. That point
is determined, of course, by the
true count. As the true count gets
more positive, it becomes more profitable
to double. Conversely, as the count
goes negative, it becomes a better
play to hit some hands, rather than
double.
Just
as you're using flashcards to learn
the hit/stand variations, make up,
a set for doubling. Here are the
numbers you need:
Basic
Strategy Variations Six decks, dealer
stands on A-6
Soft
Doubling
| A-2
vs. 4 |
Double at 7. |
(Got
this? Basic strategy says to
HIT A-2 against a 4, but if
the true count is 7 or higher,
you should double.) |
| A-2
vs. 5 |
Double
at 0. |
(Don't
get confused here. Basic strategy
says DOUBLE A-2 against a 5,
but if the count is at all negative,
just hit it; double only when
the count is 0 or higher.) |
| A-2
vs. 6 |
Double
at -2. |
(or
higher. As long as the count
remains above -2, you'll double;
once it goes lower than -2,
you'll just hit --- then hopefully
leave the table if the count
doesn't improve.) |
| A-3
vs. 4 |
Double
at 6. |
| A-3
vs. 5 |
Double
at -2. |
| A-4
vs. 4 |
Double
at 0. |
| A-7
vs. 2 |
Double
at 2. |
| A-8
vs. 4 |
Double
at 5. |
| A-8
vs. 5 |
Double
at 2. |
| A-8
vs. 6 |
Double
at 1. |
| A-9
vs. 5 |
Double
at 6. |
| A-9
vs. 6 |
Double
at 5. |
Hard
Doubling
| 8
vs. 5 |
Double
at 6. |
|
8 vs. 6 |
Double
at 3. |
| 9
vs. 2 |
Double
at 2. |
| 9
vs. 3 |
Double
at -1 |
| 9
vs. 7 |
Double
at 6. |
| 10
vs. 9 |
Double
at -2. |
| 11
vs. A |
Double
at 1. |
Homework
Make
up a set of flashcards for these variations
and begin working them into your game.
|
