Blackjack › Questions
Blackjack questions
The decisions players ask about most, each answered with the exact value of every option on seven common tables.
- Hit or stand on 16 against a dealer 10?
Surrender if the table allows it. If it doesn’t, hit.
- Should you split 8s against a dealer ace?
Split them, except in shoe games where the dealer hits soft 17 and late surrender is offered: there, surrender.
- Should you double 11 against a dealer 10?
Yes. Double down on 11 against a 10.
- Should you double 11 against a dealer ace?
Double when the dealer hits soft 17. In a shoe game where the dealer stands on soft 17, just hit.
- Should you take insurance in blackjack?
No. Insurance loses money unless you count cards, and even money on a blackjack is the same bet.
- Should you surrender 16 against a dealer 9?
Yes, in shoe games that offer late surrender. Without surrender, hit.
- Should you split 10s in blackjack?
No. Stand on 20, even against a dealer 5 or 6.
- Hit or stand on soft 18 against a dealer 9?
Hit. Soft 18 is an underdog against a 9, and one card can’t bust it.
- Should you hit 12 against a dealer 2?
Yes. Hit 12 against a 2.
- Should you split 9s against a dealer 7?
No. Stand on 18 against a 7.
- Should you stand on soft 17 in blackjack?
Never. Against a 2, hit in shoe games; in single deck, double.
- Should you split 4s against a dealer 5?
Split them if you can double after splitting. If you can’t, hit, or double in single deck.
Card counting
How counting works, whether it is legal, how long it takes to learn, and which system to use.
- How does card counting work in blackjack?
You keep a running tally of the cards you see. With Hi-Lo, every 2 to 6 adds one, every ten and ace subtracts one, and 7 to 9 count nothing. A high count means the cards left are rich in tens and aces, which favor the player, so you bet more; a low count favors the dealer, so you bet the minimum.
- What is the true count in blackjack?
The running count divided by the number of decks still to be dealt. It turns the raw tally into a per-deck figure, which is what betting ramps and strategy indices are written for: a running count of +6 with three decks left is a true count of +2.
- Which card counting system is best?
Hi-Lo, for almost everyone. It is a balanced level-1 count with a betting correlation of 0.97, its strategy indices are the ones every book and trainer publishes, and it is what professional teams use. Higher-level counts add a few hundredths of a percent of edge and cost speed and errors, which is where real money is lost.
- Does card counting work with 6 decks?
Yes. Six- and eight-deck shoes are where most counting happens today. You need the true count rather than the running count, the edge per count is a little smaller than with one or two decks, and how deep the dealer deals before the shuffle decides whether the game is worth playing. A shoe cut at 75% or deeper is beatable; a continuous shuffling machine is not.
- How long does it take to learn card counting?
Learning the tags takes an afternoon. Being able to use them takes most people a few weeks to a few months of daily practice: basic strategy to perfection first, then counting down a deck in under 30 seconds without an error, then true count conversion and bet sizing, and finally keeping it all up at a real table with chips, talk and a dealer who does not wait.
- Is card counting legal?
Yes, in the United States and in most countries, as long as you use only your head. No law bans keeping track of the cards dealt. Casinos are private businesses, though: they can ask a counter to stop playing blackjack or to leave, and in most places bar them from the property. Using a device or a phone app to count at the table is a crime in Nevada and in many other jurisdictions.
- Does card counting work online?
Not against standard online blackjack, which shuffles the whole virtual shoe before every hand, so there is never anything to count. Live dealer blackjack streams a real shoe, but it is usually cut around the middle and shuffled often, which leaves too little of the shoe for a worthwhile edge. The one place it works as in a casino is a live game with deep penetration, and operators avoid dealing one.