 |
 |
|
| Basics of Blackjack |
PCO Strategy |
 |
|
| Doubling Down: |
Among the more profitable player options available in the Blackjack game is the choice to "double down". This can only be done with a two card hand, before another card has been drawn. Doubling down allows you to double your bet and receive one, and only one, additional card to the hand.
A good example of a doubling opportunity is when you hold a total of 11, say a (6,5) against a dealer's up card of 5. In this case, you
have a good chance of winning the hand by drawing one additional card, so you might as well increase your bet in this advantageous situation. If you are playing in a face-down game, just toss the two cards face-up on the table in front of your bet. In either type of game,
add an additional bet to the betting circle. Place the additional bet adjacent to the original bet, not on top of it. The dealer will deal one additional card to the hand. In the face-down game, he'll probably tuck it face-down under your bet, to be revealed later. |
|
Players are allowed to double down for any amount up to the original bet amount, so you could double down "for less" if you wanted.
Just remember that you do give up something for being allowed to increase your bet: the ability to draw more than one additional card.
If the correct play is to double down, you should always double for the full amount if possible. |
|
The question of when it is appropriate to double down is easily answered by using the Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine. |
|
| Splitting Pairs: |
When you are dealt a matching pair of cards (remember, ignore the suits), you have the ability to split the hand into two separate hands,
and play them independently. Let's say you are dealt a pair of eights for a total of sixteen. Sixteen is the worst possible player hand,
since it is unlikely to win as is, but is very likely to bust if you draw to it. Here's a great chance to improve a bad situation. |
|
If you are playing a hand-held game, toss the cards face-up in front of your bet just like a double down. Then, in either type of game, place
a matching bet beside the original bet in the circle. Note that you must bet the same amount on a split, unlike a double-down, where you are allowed to double for less. The dealer will separate the two cards, and treat them as two independent hands. Let's say you draw a 3 on the first 8, for a total of 11. Many casinos will allow you to double down on that hand total of 11 at this point. When this is allowed, the rule is called "Double after Split", predictably enough. Regardless, you can play the first hand to completion, at which point the dealer will deal a second card to the second hand, and you can begin making play decisions on it. |
|
| If you get additional pairs (in the first two cards of a hand), most casinos will allow you to re-split, making yet another hand. The most common rule allows a player to split up to 3 times, making 4 separate hands, with 4 separate bets. If double after split is allowed, you could have up to 8 times your initial bet on the table if you chose! Some casinos restrict re-splitting, and some allow unlimited splitting. Another fine point is that you are allowed to split any 10-valued cards, so you could split a (Jack, Queen) hand. However, this is usually a bad play: Keep the 20. |
|
The other complication for pair splits concerns splitting Aces. Splitting Aces is a very strong player move, so the casino restricts you to drawing only one additional card on each Ace. Also, if you draw a ten-valued card on one of your split Aces, the hand is not considered a Blackjack, but is instead treated as a normal 21, and therefore does not collect 3:2 odds. Some casinos allow re-splitting Aces if you draw another, while many do not allow re-splitting Aces although they often do allow re-splitting of any other pairs. With all these restrictions,
you may wonder whether it makes sense to split Aces. The answer is a resounding YES. Always split pairs of Aces. |
|
For accurate pair splitting advice, consult the Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine. |
|
| Insurance and Even Money: |
Insurance is perhaps the least understood of all the commonly available rules for Blackjack. This is not necessarily a bad thing because
the insurance bet is normally a poor bet for the player, with a high house advantage. However, that's not always the case. So, here we go: |
|
If the dealer turns an up-card of an Ace, he will offer "Insurance" to the players. Insurance bets can be made by betting up to half your original bet amount in the insurance betting stripe in front of your bet. The dealer will check to see if he has a 10-value card underneath
his Ace, and if he does have Blackjack, your winning Insurance bet will be paid at odds of 2:1. You'll lose your original bet of course
(unless you also have a Blackjack), so the net effect is that you break even (assuming you bet the full half bet for insurance.) This is why
the bet is described as "insurance", since it seems to protect your original bet against a dealer blackjack. Of course, if the dealer does
not have blackjack, you'll lose the insurance bet, and still have to play the original bet out. |
|
In the simplest description, Insurance is a side-bet, where you are offered 2:1 odds that the dealer has a 10-valued card underneath
("in the hole"). A quick check of the odds yields this: In a single deck game, there are 16 ten-valued cards. Assuming that you don't see any other cards, including your own, the tens compose 16 out of 51 remaining cards after the dealer's Ace was removed. For the insurance bet to be a break-even bet, the hole card would have to be a ten 1 out of 3 times, but 16/51 is only 1 in 3.1875. |
|
The situation is often thought to be different when you have a Blackjack. The dealer is likely to offer you "even money" instead of the insurance bet. This is just the same old insurance bet with a simplification thrown in. Let's ignore the "even money" name, and look at
what happens when you insure a Blackjack. Let's say you bet $10, and have a Blackjack. You would normally collect $15 for this,
unless the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case you push or tie. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
