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From: miles@vax135.UUCP (Miles Murdocca)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Winning at blackjack, question & a tip
Message-ID: <940@vax135.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 19:28:49 EST
Article-I.D.: vax135.940
Posted: Mon Jan 21 19:28:49 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 06:20:52 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 62

Can you still beat the house at blackjack in Atlantic City?

Blackjack, the books claim, is the only casino game in which the
player can beat the house.  The reason for this is that the house assumes
that each draw of the cards is an independent event, which of course
is not true.  The player can take advantage of this by keeping a
"running count" of high/low cards (one strategy) and changing betting and
playing strategy to put the house at a disadvantage.

The player's edge over the house varies with differences in casino
rules, and especially with how often the deck is reshuffled.  I
memorized a table that put me at a  -.4% advantage in Atlantic
City (compare with the house's usual 6% advantage since the house
always gets paid when the player breaks 21), and am now devoting
a good deal of time to learning a professional blackjack system.
Can I win big in Atlantic City the way the authors of blackjack
books (claim they) did a few years ago?  Or have the rules changed
so much that the player will never have an edge?  The professional
systems are supposed to give the player a 1% to 2% edge over the
house depending on the system used and the casino rules.

For those of you who are interested in a simple table to memorize that will
put you at a -.4% advantage in Atlantic City, here it is (don't play
multi-deck blackjack without at least knowing this table!):


  BASIC STRATEGY FOR ATLANTIC CITY MULTI-DECK
	(Four-, Six-, or Eight-Deck)

Your Hand       Rules for Dealer's Up Cards
-------------------------------------------------
5 to 8          Always hit
9               Double on 3 to 6.  Otherwise hit.
10              Double on 2 to 9.  Otherwise hit.
11              Double on 2 to 10.  Otherwise hit.
12              Stand on 4 to 6.  Otherwise hit.
13 to 16        Stand on 2 to 6.  Otherwise hit.
17 to 21        Always stand.
A,2 to A,3      Double on 5, 6.  Otherwise hit.
A,4 to A,5      Double on 4 to 6.  Otherwise hit.
A,6             Double on 3 to 6.  Otherwise hit.
A,7             Double on 3 to 6.  Stand on 2, 7, or 8.
		Hit on 9, 10, or A.
A,8 to A,10     Always stand.
A,A             Always split.
2,2 and 3,3     Split on 2 to 7.  Otherwise hit.
4,4             Split on 5, 6.  Otherwise hit.
5,5             Never split.  Treat as 10 above.
6,6             Split on 2 to 6.  Otherwise hit.
7,7             Split on 2 to 7.  Otherwise hit.
8,8             Always split.
9,9             Split on 2 to 6, 8 or 9.  Stand
		on 7, 10, or A.
10,10           Always stand.

*Never take insurance unless you are counting cards.

I'll send the source for my blackjack game to anyone who responds.
Thanks!

- Miles Murdocca, 4B-525, AT&T Bell Labs, Crawfords Corner Road,
Holmdel, NJ, 07733  (201) 949-2504      {ihnp4}!vax135!miles