Splitting pairs

 

If your two cards are the same value, you can ‘split’ them into two separate hands. The catch is that you also have to make two bets (one for each of the hands you now hold). Each split pair can be split again, for a total of four hands. If you split on an ace, you can only take one hit, but for all other cards you can take as many hits as you want.

 

Doubling down

 

When your total is 10 or 11 (after being dealt your first two cards) you can choose to ‘double down’. This is starting a second bet (up to the same amount as your original wager). When doubling, you can only take one hit. (NB It is dangerous to split two fives – you are replacing a hand that is potentially excellent for drawing on or doubling down on, by what will probably be two poor hands.)

 

Insurance

 

If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, you can make a side bet. You can wager up to half your original bet that the facedown card is worth 10 or more (i.e. a picture card or a 10). If you are correct, and the dealer has a Blackjack, the player wins the side bet (the insurance bet) but loses the original bet. Therefore the player feels no net loss or gain. If it’s not a face card or a 10, you lose the side bet or ‘insurance’.

 

Surrender

 

Where permitted, a player may give up his first two cards and lose only one-half his original bet. A late surrender means this option is allowed only if the dealer does not have a Blackjack. More valuable to the player is the early surrender, which is allowed even if the dealer holds a Blackjack. But the casinos seldom offer this option.

 

Card Counting

 

The technique of card counting allows the player to take note of changing Slot Gacor probabilities and by altering playing and betting strategies accordingly, they can gain a statistical advantage over the casino.

 

To learn the the skill of card counting is relatively simple. And no – you don’t need to have a photographic memory or a freakish mathematical ability.

 

The card counting system described below is designed only as a rough guide to give you an idea how card counting is done. It is not recommended that it be put to use in a practical sense.

This is intended only to give a feel for how card counting is done, and is not recommended for actual practice.

 

For single deck games:

 

Start the count at -4 when the deck is shuffled.

Count -2 for 10, J, Q, K.

Count +1 for everything else (including Aces).

Bet low when the count is negative, high when the count is positive (actually, simulations show that you can bet high for a count of -2 or above).

Take insurance when the count is positive.

Play basic strategy at all times.