Double Down a soft 11?
I was playing blackjack at Binions with the following rules:
-Single deck blackjack
-Blackjack pays 6:5
-No double after splits
-No surrender
-Dealer hits soft 17
Without telling me that I'm stupid for playing a 6:5 game, I'm curious if there's any situation where doubling a blackjack (instead of taking the 6:5 payout) is a good move? With a 5 or 6 showing? Maybe 2-4? There must be some strategy out there for a 6:5 table.
Quote: DGenerate
Without telling me that I'm stupid for playing a 6:5 game, I'm curious if there's any situation where doubling a blackjack (instead of taking the 6:5 payout) is a good move? With a 5 or 6 showing?
You can look at the Wizard of Odds appendix 9 for a given game.
For 6 decks, dealer hits on soft 17 the expected value for
dealer 6, player 10,A (worst dealer card)
standing is 1.500000
doubling is 0.667063
So the answer is even if standing only give you 1.2 or even 1.0 (blackjack pays even money) you are not better off doubling.
I don't think that is a stupid question. Now you know where to look (appendix 9 of wizard of odds website).
Edit: I knew that was going to happen!
Quote: PapaChubby
Edit: I knew that was going to happen!
Beat you by 60 seconds.
Quote: DGenerateI'm still confused by the math. The expected return is .6674 plus your original wager. That means on a $10 wager, your expected return would be $16.67. This is better than the $12.00 paid for a blackjack, no?
$12 + $10 (original bet returned) = $22.
Quote: DGenerateI'm still confused by the math. The expected return is .6674 plus your original wager. That means on a $10 wager, your expected return would be $16.67. This is better than the $12.00 paid for a blackjack, no?
The expected value would be $6.67 for doubling vs $12 for staying.
Quote: DGenerateI'm still confused by the math. The expected return is .6674 plus your original wager. That means on a $10 wager, your expected return would be $16.67. This is better than the $12.00 paid for a blackjack, no?
Expected Value is .6674*$10.00 which is $10 + $6.67. The expected Value for the blackjack is 1.20*$10=$12 plus your original bet is $22.
I got a 5, the dealer hit 20, the entire table lost, and the rest of the shoe (one more hand) was garbage. No more 6:5 tables for me.
It's still a bad move, but based upon stack sizes - including my opponent's stack sizes - it might be a viable option.
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OK - there is one other time: If I'm at a $1 table. But that's more for the entertainment value of watching the other player's reaction.
He said "Why can't I double my soft 21?"
After a rather hurried consult between the bewildered dealer and the pit boss, they let him do it.
He won.
I would not do it, even without doing all the math: Remember that basic strategy calls for standing, not doubling, on all soft 20's.
I just figured that with an even better hand, you would be even better off standing and not doubling.
It did have a great entertainment value for the rest of the table though.
Top Mark
And the $1 tables at Sahara pay even money! That adds to the urge to get a better entertainment value...Quote: MarkAbeI actually saw somebody do this at a $1.00 table at the Sahara.
...
It did have a great entertainment value for the rest of the table though.
Quote: MarkAbe"Why can't I double my soft 21?"
That's as funny as the craps dealer last month who called a hard nine! Boy did he catch it from his fellow dealers!
Ten on an ace after splitting aces, or ace on a ten after splitting tens. Talk about making controversial moves...Quote: benbakdoffThere are card counters who double a soft 11 but not a blackjack and there is only one way to do it in a conventional game. I don't play with other counters if I can help it but sometimes it can't be avoided. If that took place at my table, I'd be gone as soon as the positive count ended. I don't need the extra scrutiny.
Quote: teddysTen on an ace after splitting aces, or ace on a ten after splitting tens. Talk about making controversial moves...
Yes indeed. I've never seen the former, but I've certainly seen the latter. It's quite rare and it definitely gets everyone's attention. I haven't witnessed it in a couple of years and trust me, that one had nothing to do with card counting.
Early morning drunks do have that certain je ne sais quoi.
Quote: benbakdoffYes indeed. I've never seen the former, but I've certainly seen the latter. It's quite rare and it definitely gets everyone's attention. I haven't witnessed it in a couple of years and trust me, that one had nothing to do with card counting.
Early morning drunks do have that certain je ne sais quoi.
You usually don't see the former because most casinos don't allow doubling after splitting aces.
