36 votes
Accepted

If Dealer is dealt an ace, and then dealt another card, will he bust?

An Ace has a value of 11, unless it would bust your hand, at which point it becomes 1 Quoting from Wikipedia (due to lack of an official online source for blackjack rules): If a player holds an ...
TheThirdMan's user avatar
  • 9,156
21 votes

Why does the dealer in blackjack receive only one face-up card, not two like the players?

In Black Jack, you play against the dealer, not the other players, and one of the main mechanics is deciding whether to hit or not. This decision becomes trivial and meaningless if you could know ...
GendoIkari's user avatar
  • 74.2k
14 votes

What are a blackjack dealer's options?

The dealer has several options when exercising his duties. His employer wants him to generate as much revenue as possible, which means: Dealing as many hands as possible Giving the players a fun ...
NicVerAZ's user avatar
  • 249
14 votes
Accepted

Blackjack: If you're insured, and bust, do you collect on the insurance?

Option B, but not for the reason you think. You have made two errors: When you take insurance, you may insure only up to half of your original bet, turning what would ordinarily be a loss into a ...
Jadasc's user avatar
  • 2,457
6 votes
Accepted

Friendly Blackjack, with players edge over the house?

In blackjack, the house edge over an inexperienced players is around 2% [source]. Thus any small rule-adjustment will do the work. My suggestion is not to change the rules but to simply remove half ...
Cohensius's user avatar
  • 4,105
6 votes
Accepted

Blackjack: Why use a Suit Aware card counting system?

After doing a lot more research and sometimes even stumbling across answers for this while looking up other topics, I found a few good reasons why someone would use a suit aware system. I had way ...
Ant's user avatar
  • 297
5 votes

Blackjack Strategy Chart for only hitting and standing

You shouldn't have much trouble at all finding a chart.. What you are looking for is known as Basic Strategy Replace any double/split with a hit, surrender with fold if your simulation does not ...
Steve Oakes's user avatar
5 votes

Can different Aces have different values?

First off Ace value is either 1 or 11 (this is why face+ace is a blackjack) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack Second you choose what it is worth, but most places will assume you want 11 unless ...
Gilsham's user avatar
  • 328
4 votes
Accepted

Can different Aces have different values?

The hand is always scored to give the best possible value for the player, such that they have the highest score they can get without going bust. The player never chooses the values or the score; it is ...
Nij's user avatar
  • 3,521
4 votes

Is it possible to count cards by literally counting cards?

The answer is almost certainly no. Card counting is used primarily to determine how much to bet - a standard strategy might look like: -1 or smaller: find a better table -1 to +1: bet table minimum (...
Benjamin Cosman's user avatar
4 votes

In Blackjack, does the dealer reveal his hole card if you bust?

I've never played in Atlantic City, but I have played in casinos in several other places, and I have never encountered a game where the dealer doesn't show the hole card every time, even if there are ...
Russ's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes

How do casinos split uneven bet?

From Wikipedia: $2.50 chips are mostly used for blackjacktables, since a "natural" (a 21 on the first two cards dealt to a player) typically pays 3:2 and most wagers are in increments of $5. ...
freekvd's user avatar
  • 4,565
4 votes
Accepted

Does the "unnatural" blackjack after splitting push with the dealer?

It depends on the house rules, which may be either determined by law (or subordinate regulation) or by the casino by publication. The dealer will often make the rule explicit by stating that splits ...
Nij's user avatar
  • 3,521
4 votes
Accepted

Why does the dealer in blackjack receive only one face-up card, not two like the players?

The dealer cards only are relevant if there is at least one player that passed. If all players are busted or had 21, there is no need for a turn for the dealer. Dealing the dealer cards face up ...
Toon Krijthe's user avatar
  • 11.7k
3 votes

Deviations from basic strategy due to the count in blackjack?

The short answer to your question is YES. This is the whole reason for counting, to understand how to change your bets and strategy to account for the count and to take advantage of the change in the ...
John's user avatar
  • 5,487
3 votes

BlackJack Basic Strategy

Wikipedia's article for basic strategy says to stand when dealt a hard 18-21, at all times, regardless of the dealer's face up card. Given a game with the following parameters: Four to eight decks ...
Chris's user avatar
  • 361
2 votes

In Blackjack, does the dealer reveal his hole card if you bust?

The dealer is required to show the hole card even if all players bust. There isn't a casino anywhere that I've played where that isn't the rule of the house. Not showing the hole card would open the ...
McFlySoHigh's user avatar
2 votes

Player insurance on natural player blackjack

Assuming the Player Has Blackjack If you take the insurance: If the dealer has Blackjack you will earn $1.00 on the hand. If the dealer does not have Blackjack you will earn $1.00. ($1.50 - $0.50) ...
LeppyR64's user avatar
  • 2,289
2 votes

Is the dealer's hand considered soft if he hits himself with an ace?

This answer is yes, a total arrived at with an ace counted as 11 is a "soft total,." This comes into play with the "soft seventeen" rule that reduces a player's expectation slightly (by 0.2%). This ...
Tom Au's user avatar
  • 21.8k
2 votes

Is the dealer's hand considered soft if he hits himself with an ace?

According to this site: Any blackjack hand that contains an ace counted as an 11 is a soft hand. So it does not matter when the ace entered the hand.
Benjamin Cosman's user avatar
1 vote

Friendly Blackjack, with players edge over the house?

In some casinos the house rules say the Dealer must: draw on 16 or under stand on 17 or over You could raise that to: draw on 17 or under stand on 18 or over to increase the chance of the Dealer ...
Weather Vane's user avatar
1 vote

Do you surrender or split 8s against 9, X or A in Blackjack using Basic Strategy

According to The Wizard of Odds, if you follow the basic strategy, you should Split 8's, with one exception: If the dealer hits on soft 17 and is showing an Ace, then you should Surrender. The same ...
Cohensius's user avatar
  • 4,105
1 vote

Does the "unnatural" blackjack after splitting push with the dealer?

This scenario will never happen when playing blackjack in a typical Vegas-style casino. The hand ends immediately if the Dealer has (natural) Blackjack. So there will never be an opportunity for you ...
ryanyuyu's user avatar
  • 4,083
1 vote
Accepted

Can multiple Blackjack Aces have value 1?

Yes, each Ace may be counted as one or as eleven. Bicycle It is up to each individual player if an ace is worth 1 or 11. Face cards are 10 and any other card is its pip value. Poker Casino ...
L. Scott Johnson's user avatar
1 vote

How do blackjack simulations work?

The optimal player strategy of BJ is well studied and known. A quick google search will present you tons of charts similar to this one. The way to find the optimal action in each situation is, as ...
Cohensius's user avatar
  • 4,105
1 vote

How do blackjack simulations work?

Any simulation is based upon a set of assumptions - the simplest assumption in blackjack is that any card drawn will be of value 10 (i.e., 10, J, Q, K). You run your simulation with that assumption, ...
mmathis's user avatar
  • 3,607
1 vote

Blackjack Strategy Chart for only hitting and standing

Why not make the software self learning? There are several strategies. Code them all (preferably parameterized). Now start a sequence of simulations and compare the results for each strategy. You ...
Toon Krijthe's user avatar
  • 11.7k
1 vote

Is it possible to count cards by literally counting cards?

The big problem I see right off the bat is that just counting the two card hands wouldn't give you an understanding of the cards left in the shoe, it would be too imprecise: Here's the 2 card hands ...
Jaypb's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote

Is it possible to count cards by literally counting cards?

The disadvantage of your system is that it is imprecise, as discussed below; the advantage is that it is a "nonstandard" method of card counting, and you may get less "heat" from the casino. But I ...
Tom Au's user avatar
  • 21.8k

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