Ever heard of this system?

I was at the Paris not to long agp while a woman was playing a new BJ system. Her belief was that the dealer's entire edge was predicated on the fact that the player must go first thus it's best to never hit above a hard 12 and risk busting.

Has anyone ever heard of this system or seen it? I tried it on the WOV BJ simulator and it spanked me, outdrawing me, 90% of time while the chick cleaned up in the real world.

I'll stick with basic strategy and chalk her winning up to being lucky but I was wondering if anyone had seen this method and if it had a name.

Her belief is correct but her strategy is wrong.

The house does have its advantage because dealer plays last, and always wins when the player busts, even when the dealer also busts.

If the player follows same rules as dealer and gets paid even money on BJ, the house edge is around 8%. But this edge goes down to about 0.5% due to splits/doubles, basic strategy, and 3:2 BJ payouts. Each of these are worth 2 to 3% for the player.

By not hitting over 12 she is not utilizing a good deal of these tools. I estimate the house has a 5% advantage on her. Ouch

Quote: Ace2

Her belief is correct but her strategy is wrong.

The house does have its advantage because dealer plays last, and always wins when the player busts, even when the dealer also busts.

If the player follows same rules as dealer and gets paid even money on BJ, the house edge is around 8%. But this edge goes down to about 0.5% due to splits/doubles, basic strategy, and 3:2 BJ payouts. Each of these are worth 2 to 3% for the player.

By not hitting over 12 she is not utilizing a good deal of these tools. I estimate the house has a 5% advantage on her. Ouch

The Wizard has a note on bad strategies: https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/basics/#toc-BadStrategies

craziest strategy I’ve witnessed was someone doubling everytime they were dealt any total of 11 or less and faced a dealer 4,5, or 6

Craziest strategy I witnessed was a man who always hit EVEN with 19 or 20.

He claimed it was best to get close to 21 as possible

What was crazier was he too was winning when I was at the table. He pulled an ace on the 20 and a 2 on the 19 and kept loudly bragging how he was more knowledgeable than the rest of the players at the table (who of course ALL lost on their simultaneous hands)

He left after three games thankfully. From the eyes rolling at the table someone was gonna leave

EDIT: that was at the Bicycle or Commerce casino in California. Circa 2004.

One of the most recent "crazy strategies" I have seen:

About a week ago, someone doubled a hard 12 vs ? (sorry can't remember what the dealer had) of course he pulled a 9 (got paid straight away, since it was pontoon).

Funny thing was, he played close to perfect strategy for all other hands I was at the table for, so he didn't double a 12 against anything after that ( maybe he "had a vision"?).

I repeated the story at the pontoon table a week later, and guess what, someone agreed that it is the correct thing to do. Her reasoning was "if you are supposed to take a card, then doubling is surely the right thing to do as well".


Another thing I noticed a couple of days ago playing pontoon, was someone would hit on 13 to 16 against a "dealer 7 to Ace", except if he got 4 or more cards he would stand on the 13 to 16 (his reasoning was that all the small cards have gone, so we are "due for a big one").

Quote: Lovecomps

I was at the Paris not to long agp while a woman was playing a new BJ system. Her belief was that the dealer's entire edge was predicated on the fact that the player must go first thus it's best to never hit above a hard 12 and risk busting.

Sounds like this one: Blackjack

He sells it for $600.

Rule #10: Don't ever bust. Don't take a hit if your first two cards equal 12 or higher.

Quote: Tanko

Sounds like this one: Blackjack

He sells it for $600.

Rule #10: Don't ever bust. Don't take a hit if your first two cards equal 12 or higher.

Thanks for the link.

I think, there is some "very solid" general advice provided in that link (see below):
"... if you want to be successful in life, find out what EVERYONE else in the world is
doing and do the EXACT opposite."

As I was getting out my credit card to have a "$300 phone consultation", I noticed this statement (see below):

"... if EVERYONE else in the world plays Blackjack by using the Basic Blackjack
Strategy, then that is exactly what I would NOT be doing."

At least he provides a "nice" disclaimer.