basic strategy/# of decks

I am a newbie to this forum, so I apologize if I posted this in the wrong place earlier or am doing so now. Anyway, here is my post:

I typically don't play single or two decks in Vegas, because most of the $10 tables only pay 6 to 5 odds. Therefore, I have not memorized the basic strategy for single or double decks, even though there are only a few differences between that and four or more decks. My question is this: If I play at a single or double deck table with 3 to 2 odds on BJ and dealer hits on soft 17, but I use the 4 or more deck basic strategy, how much am I adding to the house edge?

Thanks,

Ken

It would appear you'd be giving up .1 to .2 % is all, but I'm not the most knowledgable on this forum.

Start here:
calculator
and plug in your rules, then follow the link at the bottom to estimate it by the basic strategy calculator.

Thanks, Beachbumb, I think I can live with that.

Quote: swngn11

Thanks, Beachbumb, I think I can live with that.

I have no idea where the .2% comes from but I wouldn't want to live with it and you shouldn't either. Players go out of their way to avoid H17 and the difference between that and S17 is slightly over .2%.

Without realizing that you asked this question in two different places, I responded to the other one with what I think could be some useful information. Take a look.

1BB,

Glad you answered; I'm sure you provided a good response in the other thread. I was looking at the calculator and trying to guess the other conditions it required that I didn't have, which was the reason for the range.

Quote: beachbumbabs

1BB,

Glad you answered; I'm sure you provided a good response in the other thread. I was looking at the calculator and trying to guess the other conditions it required that I didn't have, which was the reason for the range.

I do my best even for first time posters who often disappear after asking their one question. That's why some of our members won't respond to newbies until they've been here a while. I don't feel that way but I do understand, especially for those who take the time to do research and post complicated math.

Do you play blackjack, beachbumbabs?

I have played, 1BB. I'm interested in playing better. I did deal it for a year 30 years ago and got very tired of it, so I tend more towards other games.

I remember when every BJ game was single deck in Vegas. And when John Scarne petitioned the game commission to have BJ dealt from a shoe ( which he would sell the casinos ). This was before Thorpe's book and had nothing to do with counting. It was to prevent dealers from dealing seconds.

I actually taught Babs to deal on our honeymoon. Hey, we had to do something to pass the time.

Buzzard was awfully good with the cards even then. I knew he had a bright future in gaming.

Well, let's just says Babs refuses to play strip poker anymore. SIGH

Thanks everyone. I guess .2% is the only number I have. I do know the basic strategy for single double and 4 or more decks. I was just wondering what the house edge increase was if I used a 4+ deck basic strategy in a two deck game. I do know the basic strategy fo both.

Quote: swngn11

Thanks everyone. I guess .2% is the only number I have. I do know the basic strategy for single double and 4 or more decks. I was just wondering what the house edge increase was if I used a 4+ deck basic strategy in a two deck game. I do know the basic strategy fo both.

I'm confused on why you are asking this though if you do know all the strategies. Just curious on the answer?

I guess I'm like you, I'm curious. I play frequently with an individual that knows 4 deck basic strategy, but not 1 or two decks. I tell her that she should adjust her strategy when she plays 1 or two decks. She replys that It can't make that much of a change in house edge. The wizard of odds has a cost of error chart, but I can't fibd this obe.

She's close enough in my opinion, because the Wizard says this simple strategy on his blackjack page only costs you 0.14%. So using the full 4 deck basic strategy on single or double deck will be much less error than 0.14%, even below 0.1%. This is definitely the case because the error rate of this simple strategy gets cut down to 0.07% if you just add these plays: Hit 12 vs. 2 or 3, Stand Soft 18 vs. 7, and Split 77 vs. 7.



Details about the errors the simple strategy makes are here:
https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/appendix/21/

Now the only differences between double deck vs. 4+ deck (H17) are much less severe and appear much less frequently:
Double 9 v 2 in DD vs. hit
Hit 15 v 9 in DD vs surrender (you're probably not getting surrender in DD anyway)
Split 66 vs 7 in DD if DAS is allowed vs. hit in 4+ deck
Split 77 vs 8 in DD if DAS is allowed vs. hit in 4+ deck

If she gives up >0.03%, I'd be surprised.

Tks all. I think she will stick with what she knows, which is 4+ decks basic strategy even with fewer decks. Although, so many casinos are only paying 6 to 5 bj when using 1 or two decks on the lower limit tables I doubt we will play at those tables anyway.