Playing Blackjack one on one with dealer

Quote: aceside

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Just a wild ass guess here, but I believe it involves playing multiple hands as well.

If you’re playing by yourself, and playing three hands, then 75% of all black jacks will be in one of your hands. I think that’s where part of the +EV comes from.
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You just brought up a new concept. Is it possible to beat the blackjack game just by varying the number of hands while flat betting all the way? Interesting!
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Being able to spread from one minimum bet to three large bets can be a great strategy if you are counting and do it at the right time. Randomly switching from one hand to three will simply let you play more hands in a shorter timespan. I don't see how it would let you overcome the house edge by itself.

Quote: billryan

Quote: aceside

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Just a wild ass guess here, but I believe it involves playing multiple hands as well.

If you’re playing by yourself, and playing three hands, then 75% of all black jacks will be in one of your hands. I think that’s where part of the +EV comes from.
link to original post

You just brought up a new concept. Is it possible to beat the blackjack game just by varying the number of hands while flat betting all the way? Interesting!
link to original post

Being able to spread from one minimum bet to three large bets can be a great strategy if you are counting and do it at the right time. Randomly switching from one hand to three will simply let you play more hands in a shorter timespan. I don't see how it would let you overcome the house edge by itself.
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This is exactly what is interesting!

If there is "nothing else going on", playing at a loaded table with tourists people making slow sidebets and taking a minute to read and ignore the strategy card they bought in the gift shop this morning theoretically helps you lose less cash money per comp earned (average bet * time on table).

If there is "something else going on", playing heads up should get you more rounds per hour, each of which may be +EV.

Going from long term memory….. I believe that the reason stated was that when you play one on one vs the dealer you have a greater chance of getting “good” cards. Does that make sense?

Case against: If you are counting, you can’t sit out hands when the count is unfavorable. Perhaps better to have one or two other players who can play when you want to wait for a better count, but not a full table so you can play multiple hands when the count is favorable. Only one or two other players for a faster game than three or four other players.

1. If you are dealt after other’s face down cards, they won’t be in the running count as you make count based decisions.
2. If the count is high, a non AP may take a bust card away from the dealer when they should stand based on BS and deviations.
3. If you are first dealt, the count may change as players absorb cards. Changing a count based decision.
4. When the count is low, you may leave. When the count is high, you share high cards with other players.
5. A non AP may waste high cards when they should stand.
6, A non AP may give a dealer more opportunities to make a good hand by standing when they should hit.

The last card of your current hand could be the first card of your next hand in straight up play.

Quote: moses

The last card of your current hand could be the first card of your next hand in straight up play.
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How do you mean? What's the significance?
At the bricks and Mortar I occasionally visit, one dealer gets ahead of himself and draws next card from the shoe. Very occasionally I can get a glimpse of that and say 'No. I think I'll stick' Messes with his head and that next card becomes his hole card (ENHC rules)
It annoys me when he pre-emts my decisions so I do anything to get back at him.

For instance, suppose I have 16vs10 and the deck composition is 50% 10's/A's remainng and 50% other cards. Chances are I will bust or end up with 17. Neither would be enough to beat the nearly 50% chance of the dealer having a 10 in the hole.

So, by not hitting, there is a 50% chance the first card of my next hand will be an Ace or a 10.

Don S has written some interesting posts on the value of starting one's hand with a 10 or Ace.

Quote: moses

For instance, suppose I have 16vs10 and the deck composition is 50% 10's/A's remainng and 50% other cards. Chances are I will bust or end up with 17. Neither would be enough to beat the nearly 50% chance of the dealer having a 10 in the hole.

So, by not hitting, there is a 50% chance the first card of my next hand will be an Ace or a 10.

Don S has written some interesting posts on the value of starting one's hand with a 10 or Ace.
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I think its true that for a shoe with a high positive count, you would prefer to not consume cards without a good reason. So, for a hit?stand decision that is an incredibly close call, you might prefer to stand even if it has a slightly lower EV. But in practice, its hard to know when to make that play unless you are tracking the cards with a computer.