Welcome to the Texas Holdem strategy section where you'll find a full range of Texas Holdem poker tips for all skill levels. Articles are split up into beginner, cash game and tournament sections, with shorthanded, full-ring, MTT, SNG and essential tips all included. 4-Deck to 8-Deck Blackjack Strategy Introduction. To use the basic strategy, look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. All Bets Blackjack: Essentially a combination of all the best blackjack games rolled into one, All Bets takes the classic format and adds six bonus options to the mix. Borrowing from Perfect Blackjack, Lucky Lucky and more, All Bets Blackjack is the best way to play for bonus wins in the game of 21. Blackjack Rules & Card Counting. The side bet pays based on the player's first two cards and the dealer's up card. If the three cards equal a flush, straight, straight flush, or three of a kind the side bet pays 9 to 1. The following table shows the probability of each hand in a six-deck game,as played at the Hilton. Blackjack Side Rules. Above, the basic rules of blackjack are described. In addition, numerous side rules allow for more intricate betting strategies. These side rules can only be used immediately after the deal, before you take any more cards. You cannot, for example, take a third card and then decide to double down.
To use the basic strategy, look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
Other basic strategy rules.
If you play a mixture of six-deck games, some where the dealer hits a soft 17, and some where he stands, and you only wish to memorize one strategy, I would recommend you memorize the one where the dealer stands on soft 17. The cost in errors due to playing the wrong strategy is 2.3 times higher playing a stand on soft 17 game, with the hit on 17 strategy, than vise versa.
For the benefit of my blind readers, here is the above strategy in text form, when the dealer stands on soft 17 and surrender is allowed. To use the strategy, start at the top, and follow the first rule that applies.
As I've said many times, the above strategy will be fine under any set of rules. However, for you perfectionists out there, here are the modifications to make if the dealer hits a soft 17.
My thanks to Kelly for putting together the above text strategy.