Microgaming blackjack -- never double a soft hand?
May 20th, 2014 at 6:26:37 PM
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I was just looking at the Wizard of Odds web page about strategy for the Microgaming blackjack game, here:
https://wizardofodds.com/online-gambling/microgaming/
According to this strategy table, if you have a soft total, there is no situation where you would double. I can't understand this at all. If you have e.g. an A+5 vs. a 5, what in the rules for this particular game makes it different from any other variation of blackjack where you would obviously double?
Thanks in advance for any insight. Cool forum. (I just joined.)
https://wizardofodds.com/online-gambling/microgaming/
According to this strategy table, if you have a soft total, there is no situation where you would double. I can't understand this at all. If you have e.g. an A+5 vs. a 5, what in the rules for this particular game makes it different from any other variation of blackjack where you would obviously double?
Thanks in advance for any insight. Cool forum. (I just joined.)
May 20th, 2014 at 6:30:41 PM
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DUHHIIIIIIIII HEARD THAT!
May 20th, 2014 at 6:33:20 PM
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OMG I'm an idiot.
Haha, thank you.
Haha, thank you.
May 20th, 2014 at 6:41:51 PM
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DUHHIIIIIIIII HEARD THAT!
May 22nd, 2014 at 6:29:36 PM
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What about 9/19 vs dealer 6? I suppose you should double that Soft 19?
May 22nd, 2014 at 6:37:53 PM
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Quote: NeutrinoWhat about 9/19 vs dealer 6? I suppose you should double that Soft 19?
Don't do that in Nevada on a "Double only on 9, 10, or 11" type of game.
May 23rd, 2014 at 12:37:39 AM
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Quote: JBDon't do that in Nevada on a "Double only on 9, 10, or 11" type of game.
wow, even ploppies would be very angry at this if this were more well known
May 23rd, 2014 at 1:31:40 AM
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So the guy gets an Ace,8, declares it as a hard 9, doubles down, gets a 2, then claims it is now 19+2? lol
May 23rd, 2014 at 11:57:42 AM
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Quote: RSSo the guy gets an Ace,8, declares it as a hard 9, doubles down, gets a 2, then claims it is now 19+2? lol
Yeah, I kind of agree with the casino on this one. If it's a D9-10-11 table, they really shouldn't let you double an A8. If they let you, they should tell you "you know this is being counted as a 9, right?"
I have almost no experience playing D9-11 games. In a standard D9-11 game, will they let you double an A8 and treat it as a 19 if you get a small card? Honest question.
Lastly, even if it must be a 9, it's still the right decision. You would double a hard 9 against a 6 up.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
May 23rd, 2014 at 12:13:52 PM
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Quote: AcesAndEightsLastly, even if it must be a 9, it's still the right decision. You would double a hard 9 against a 6 up.
No you wouldn't with A8, since standing on 19 would be a better play than doubling a 9. (If your logic were correct you'd also double A8 against a dealer 3, 4, or 5 - and A9 against everything except a dealer 10 or ace.)
May 23rd, 2014 at 1:36:52 PM
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Quote: KellynbnfNo you wouldn't with A8, since standing on 19 would be a better play than doubling a 9. (If your logic were correct you'd also double A8 against a dealer 3, 4, or 5 - and A9 against everything except a dealer 10 or ace.)
Aha, of course you're correct. If it's either hit the 9 or double the 9, you would double it. But if the 9 can be a 19 when you stay, then yeah. I'm dumb :p
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
May 23rd, 2014 at 1:40:13 PM
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I really don't agree with this interpretation of the rule. Blackjack is inherently a "cards speak" game; at no point do you "declare" your A,8 to be either a 9 or a 19. A,8,2 is 21. If they don't want to let you double an A,8, fine, they don't have to, but if they do let you double it, then A,8,2 = 21. IMO this was a bad decision by gaming.
May 23rd, 2014 at 4:34:38 PM
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Really, this is kind of news to me, that you're somehow committing to a value on a soft total no matter what card comes. This is NGC law? Or casino interpretation? Or, even worse, everywhere? I would have to think it's an unevaluated anti-player rule (towards EV and strategy calculations) if so.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
May 23rd, 2014 at 4:47:02 PM
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What would happen if I were dealt A-9 and doubled and got another Ace?
May 23rd, 2014 at 5:23:01 PM
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Quote: beachbumbabsThis is NGC law? Or casino interpretation?
Nevada Gaming sided with the casino.
May 23rd, 2014 at 5:23:58 PM
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Quote: michael99000What would happen if I were dealt A-9 and doubled and got another Ace?
A presumably valid argument would be that you "declared" the original ace to be worth 1 point, and the new ace can be worth 11 points since its point value was not "declared" prior to doubling.
May 24th, 2014 at 1:00:18 PM
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May 25th, 2014 at 5:24:45 PM
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fwiw I've seen rules (Belgium or NL I think) being that if you double a soft hand then the Ace is now defined as 1. I don't agree with their logic, but if that's their rules then provided they tell you beforehand. In the UK if a casino allows soft doubles (most do) then the Ace can be counted as 1 or 11.
