I’ve been using the strategy chart off of http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/strategy/4deck.html and it has really brought my blackjack game up a lot since I first began playing not long ago. It’s a great chart and teaches a lot….I just wanted to know if some professional/really good blackjack players agreed with some areas of the chart here though.
I find that some of the double downs are aggressive and maybe a little too loose. When I have a 11 I usually don’t double down against a dealer 10/9……and when I have a ten I don’t like doubling against a dealer 9.
The aces double downs look good to me.
I don’t have a lot of knowledge about splits…are they ok here? I normally only split aces.
to legfu: lol that wasn’t really what I meant. I was just looking for some good players on here to give an argument that would prove my thoughts wrong basically.
You are asking if pros agree with it? The guy that does that website is a pro. His charts are percentages wise correct, but if you just want to hit an 11 against a 10, go ahead… it’s not like you are giving up a ton of value… just a little.
It really can’t be “proven” here on a website. Proof requires computer simulation over millions of hands, which is beyond the scope of what this site is about.
Mike “The Wizard of Odds” Shackleford is a well respected mathematician and his charts are 100% correct with regards to blackjack. They comply with all of the high caliber blackjack books that I have read.
Yes, the double downs you mentioned are “aggressive”. If you decide to hit these hands instead, your bankroll swings won’t be as severe. Just keep in mind you are giving up some of the house edge that card counting and blackjack is all about.
When it comes to basic strategy, you should just play like a robot. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. A lot of people think splitting eights versus a ten is stupid. Those people aren’t as good as me.
Mathematically you should double ALL 11 counts. Whether you feel good about it or not.
You should ALWAYS split pairs of aces or eights.
Basically, the card is valid. I trust that site.
The odds overall will normally state what you have. Personally I count cards, so I know if there is a slight advantage of a face card coming out, which helps me. When I wasnt counting cards and I hada an 11 vs a face card from the dealer, I would see what the last card was that was shown. If it was a face card, I would double down, if it is a low card, just hit. I tend to see face cards following each other.