Reason number of decks matter in blackjack

Quote: Wizard

Here is a new table shows the increase in expected value playing single-deck vs. eight-deck. This one differs from the previous one is I break down the hard hands by composition.

My suggestions would be:

1. delete the % sign from each cell, and put a title on it that the numbers are in percent. Keep the level of precision as it is now, so that the result is a cleaner looking table.

2. Given the use of numbers in the cells (which I like and was going to do myself, but was too lazy) I would suggest that you forego the use of shaded colors, and simply use two colors to show positive and negative.
- alternatively, maybe use a third color or shaded color, to show ΔEV values that are either very large or near zero. The very light reds and blues are too subtle, IMO.

True Count of what in which shoe with how many decks left?
Oh, it's a CSM.

Quote: gordonm888

My suggestions would be:

1. delete the % sign from each cell, and put a title on it that the numbers are in percent. Keep the level of precision as it is now, so that the result is a cleaner looking table.

Good suggestion, thanks.

Quote:

2. Given the use of numbers in the cells (which I like and was going to do myself, but was too lazy) I would suggest that you forego the use of shaded colors, and simply use two colors to show positive and negative.
- alternatively, maybe use a third color or shaded color, to show ΔEV values that are either very large or near zero. The very light reds and blues are too subtle, IMO.

You make a valid complaint about most of the cells being too faint. I wanted neutral (no change in EV) to be while, which is why the blues are so faint. However, I personally like tables that are shaded. It let's the reader quickly grasp what is going on. Maybe I'll use color bars. Let me think about it...

What do you think of this table? I take out the percentage symbol. As you can see, it also uses color bars. There is a lot of ways you can configure these, but I chose to have red for positive, blue for negative, and to have 17.11% to be the max value (which is the greatest effect) and for 0% to have no bar. If you accept the defaults, it will make the average value have no bar. It also has both bars go the same direction and start at the left, both of which are configurable.



At least my table making skills are improving.

At P3,10 vs. D6 the 0.00 has a blue bar and P6,7 vs. D7 the -5.49 has no discernable blue bar. Shouldn't larger negative numbers have larger bars and 0 have no bar? Seems backwards on the negative side.

Quote: ChumpChange

At P3,10 vs. D6 the 0.00 has a blue bar and P6,7 vs. D7 the -5.49 has no discernable blue bar. Shouldn't larger negative numbers have larger bars and 0 have no bar? Seems backwards on the negative side.

Good catch. Please consider this "version 3."

I'm proud to announce that my page on Why the number of decks matter in blackjack. This is my proudest work in a long time (which will probably mean that nobody will read it) so I would appreciate any comments.

I'd like to submit this to any serious gaming journals/publications if anyone knows of any.

Quote: Wizard

This is my proudest work in a long time (which will probably mean that nobody will read it)

Oh, stop.

But read it and comment? That means you have something to contribute. If the reader does not qualify to be a wizard, he risks sounding foolish. I've just started and probably don't have anything to contribute, but just to show you I'm reading, I'll comment.

Quote:

... hitting generally takes place with hands that have smaller than average-value cards. This removal of small cards in hitting situations causes the remaining cards to have a surplus of high ones. This effect of removal of the small cards before the bust is more significant in a single-deck game

This puts it well, I now understand it better than when you made this point before. It's still amazing to me the effect of what would seem like 'not mattering much' in gambling.

Still reading stay tuned.

I was playing in a software BJ tournament last night and the dealer got 5 blackjacks in 7 hands. You can't do that with one deck, but with two decks, the dealer wins, duh.

Quote: Wizard

I'm proud to announce that my page on Why the number of decks matter in blackjack. This is my proudest work in a long time (which will probably mean that nobody will read it) so I would appreciate any comments..

I was taking to a friend a few months ago and this topic came up. His point was “the ratio of the cards is the same in 1 deck vs 8 decks”. That is, off the top, 1 out of 13 cards is an Ace, etc, no matter the number of decks. Honestly I’ve had the same thought and didn’t have a great answer for him. I’ll read this and try to wrap my head around the math answer for why # decks affects house edge