Blackjack FAQs

Our Blackjack FAQs expert gives us two answers: yes and yes, with some qualifications.

Yes, it is a statistical fact that a high percentage of ten value cards in the deck is favorable to the player (which is also what makes card counting effective). it is also a fact that clumps of high and low value cards will form because the dealer picks up breaking hands first, which contain mostly lower cards, and winning hands last, containing mostly higher cards.

And yes, it is possible to following the clumps of cards from where they form in the discard tray, through the shuffle and cut.

The question is - can the average player accomplish all this? Again, our Blackjack FAQs expert say: Probably not. But the exceptional player can, just as the exceptional player can learn to count cards accurately. The real question is if you - whether you are an average or an exceptional player - are willing to put in the time necessary to develop the visual acumen and mental discipline required.

Are online casinos fair and safe?

Blackjack FAQs says: Assuming you are playing in a well-established casino that is audited by a large, well known accounting firm (all of the ones we recommend are), online casinos are both fair and safe. In fact, most of the reputable ones will tell you right on their web site what their overall payout percentage is and that figure is audited by their accounting firm. What land based casino publishes this type of information? With over 1,300 online casinos, it is an incredibly competitive business and the bad ones will not last long. Also, some of the foreign jurisdictions, most notably Curacao, have extremely rigid licensing requirements and require extensive government checks before issuing a license.

Sure, there are the exceptions, but if you stick with the large, established, well known online casinos, the games are fair and your money is safe.

Why is a single deck Blackjack game better than a multi-deck game?

Blackjack FAQs says: For basic strategy players who don't count cards, a multi-deck game is less favorable because the additional decks make it possible to draw more frequently without busting. For example, you can draw five threes or six twos and still need an additional draw. This is impossible in a single deck game. The dealer has to hit more often than the players due to the rigid hit and stand rules, so the additional lower cards present a slight additional advantage to the house.

For card counters, multiple decks are less favorable because the count doesn't vary as much as it does in a single deck game. This means fewer chances to make a large wager, and a greater chance for a long run of cards with an unfavorable count.

What are some common acronyms used in Blackjack Articles?

Blackjack FAQs says:

S17 - Dealer must stand on any count of 17 H17 - Dealer must hit a soft 17 (this is more favorable to the house) DOA - Double any first two cards D10 - Double on a two card count of 10 or 11 only DAS - Double after splitting pairs is permitted RSA - Resplit of Aces is permitted ESR - Early surrender is permitted (almost never found anymore) LSR - Late surrender is permitted

Does Basic Strategy have any errors?

Blackjack FAQs says: Basic strategy is indeed perfect from a mathematical standpoint. It tells you the best play for every combination of your cards versus the dealer's up card.

The one flaw in basic strategy is that it presumes each hand is dealt from a freshly shuffled deck of 52 cards. As more and more cards are dealt from the same deck, the accuracy of basic strategy goes down. To be perfect, basic strategy would have to be based not only on your cards and the dealer's up card, but also on every card that had already been played. This would require the memorization of several hundred thousand possible combinations, which is of course impossible. The best alternative method to account for the discards is card counting.

Consequently, basic strategy is still the best system to play unless you are a card counter.

Is Blackjack really a game that can be beat?

Blackjack FAQs says: In the long run, if you are an expert card counter, yes.

The percentage advantage enjoyed by card counters can vary depending on what counting method is used, the rules at a particular table, and the playing conditions. However, most of the statistical analysis done and books on the subject give a figure of a bit under or a bit over one percent. With a single deck game and extremely liberal rules, the advantage can approach two percent.

We want to emphasize that this is the long run advantage, not a fixed winning percentage that a card counter can realize with every game. The short term swings can be large, both winning and losing, so the card counter must play often and long to achieve this slight advantage over time.

Can Casinos legally ban card counters?

Blackjack FAQs says: In Atlantic City, no. In Nevada, yes.

Actually, the law in Nevada does not specifically say that casinos can ban card counters. What it does say is that casinos are allowed to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time. And casinos certainly consider card counting to be a good reason every time!

Are card shuffling machines good or bad for the player?

Blackjack FAQs says: All a shuffling machine does is ensure that the deck is completely randomized. Theoretically, this has no effect on the outcome of the game.

However, What it does do is completely eliminate card clumps and thus the player advantage that can be obtained from clump reading and shuffle tracking. Consequently, you should have no concerns about the use of a shuffling machine (unless, of course, you are the rare player who can read card clumps and track them through the shuffle).

That said, there are a small number of casinos that practice what is called "continuous card shuffling", using the card shuffling machines. This means that all discards from each hand are shuffled back into the deck after each hand. The effect of this is to completely randomize the cards after each hand, which makes card counting useless.

We do not expect to see shuffling machines increase much in usage, as many players are naturally suspicious of them and card counters, naturally, avoid them like the plague. You can frequently see empty tables where shuffling machines are used.

What is "Deck Penetration" and does it matter with basic strategy?

Blackjack FAQs says: Deck penetration means the percentage of cards that are dealt from a deck or a shoe before a shuffle occurs. This shouldn't make any difference to the basic strategy player, as the cards will be in as random an order after the shuffle as before the shuffle.

For the card counter, however, penetration is very important. The counter wants as deep a penetration as possible between shuffles. This is because the fewer the cards remaining in the deck (or shoe), the more accurate the count on the remaining cards and the greater the probability for profit.