One hand or two?

I have a habit of always playing two hands at the table. Sometimes it can go really good, sometimes it can go awful. I am wondering if its better to play 1 or 2 hands. I would imagine at an empty table that is singledeck theoretically shouldnt it be beneficial to play 2 hands as opposed to one?

Also I would love to find a singledeck game that pays out at 3 to 2 in Reno. I believe there is one at the joke of a casino Cal Neva but I am not 100% sure.

Anyway I just wanted to start a discussion on this and hear the thoughts of others. Or maybe someone even has done the math and knows exactly what the numbers are.

This method of play is not recommended. Why? Let me explain.

If you are playing simultaneous hands against the same dealer upcard there is a positive correlation in the results. That means that more than half the time the outcome of the hands are going to be the same. The measure of this dependence is called co-variance and in Blackjack it is always positive. Varying your bet size, playing with a different number of decks or changing the rule set is not going to make a significant difference. Instead of spreading bets at the same table it would be better to put larger bets down on one box only and have a partner play at a different table.

To maintain the same ROR, if you know your bet ramp (1 hand/round), then going to 2 hands you just make a wager of 2x75% instead of 1x100%.

Instead of betting $100 at a TC of +3 (for instance), you'd bet 2 hands of $75 each. Instead of betting 1 hand of $400 at a TC of +5, you'd bet 2 hands of $300 each.


But, there are many reasons to play 1 or 2 hands. Heat, EV, card-eating, last round, or advanced tactics like card-steering / ace tracking.

The OP did not mention card counting or any other form of advantage play but if this is the case then optimal bet sizing is appropriate. The full breakdown is at TC=0 is:

1 Box: 100% of optimal bet
2 Boxes: 75% of optimal bet
3 Boxes: 60% of optimal bet
4 Boxes: 50% of optimal bet
5 Boxes: 43% of optimal bet
6 Boxes: 38% of optimal bet
7 Boxes: 33% of optimal bet

As you can see the bet sizing is calculated relative to the size of the one box bet and the actual amount is relative to the size of your bankroll. If there are other players at the table you will have to back bet so you run the risk of not controlling the play in these situations. In general, you should only play more than one box if you have an advantage in the game.

However, there are times when simultaneous hands are preferable. If you are playing on a full table and the true count is very high then it would be better for you to stay at the table and be dealt more cards than have the other players or the dealer get them. You could also back bet other players in this situation if you believe they are reasonably skilled because you will not be making the playing decision. Also, at a high true count if you are near the cut card then drawing more cards will increase the penetration and therefore your chance of winning the hand.

In summary, it is generally more profitable to double your bet size than double the number of boxes you play.

Bet two hands if you can if there are other players at the table, so there's more chance for you to receive the good cards. If you are alone at a table its best to play one hand until the last hand of the shoe to get better penetration. You can bet more for the same amount of risk if you play 2 hands, but you also get less rounds so in the long run the EV works out to be about the same.

Assuming TC >= 2, betting 2x 2units has a slightly higher EV and the same variance as 1x 3 units. This is where the 75% optimal bet comes from. You reduce your variance by spreading horizontally.

One absolutely CRUCIAL note is that Vegas casinos in particular are much more sensitive to horizontal spreading and therefore more likely to flag you if you seem to always open out with one hand and spread at positive counts.

Quote: BJ4Profit

Bet two hands if you can if there are other players at the table, so there's more chance for you to receive the good cards.

.....

Surely you're not serious.

Quote: Dodsferd

Quote: BJ4Profit

Bet two hands if you can if there are other players at the table, so there's more chance for you to receive the good cards.

.....

Surely you're not serious.

I am serious actually, run a simulation and you'll see that spreading horizontally at positive counts at a full table is much more beneficial than spreading horizontally when you are alone. This is partly due to the fact you are throwing more money on the table without reducing the number of rounds as much, and also you are more likely to receive As and 10s instead of other players receiving them.