Casino rules

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Rules of Baccarat

by Steve Jacobs, Steve Brecher:
Baccarat is a card game that is dealt from a shoe that holds 6 or 8 decks of cards. Two hands are dealt by the house dealer, the "banker" hand and the "player" hand. Before the hands are dealt, bets may be placed on the banker hand, on the player hand, or on a tie. Winning bets on banker or player are paid 1:1, but a commission of 5% is charged on bank bets making the net odds on such bets 0.95 to 1. Some casinos may charge a lower commission (e.g., at this writing, Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas charges 4%.). Some sources report that tie bets are paid 8:1, while others claim that tie bets are paid 9:1, so this may vary from casino to casino. If there is a tie, bets on the banker or player are returned. Once a bet has been placed, there are no opportunities for further decisions -- both the banker hand and the player hand are dealt according to fixed rules, resulting in final hands of either two or three cards for each.

The value of a hand is determined by adding the values of its individual cards. Tens and face cards are counted as zero, while all other cards are counted by the number of "pips" on the card face. Only the last digit of the total is used, so all baccarat hands have values in the range 0 to 9 inclusive. The hand with the higher value wins; if the hands have the same value, the result is a tie.

A game is started by dealing two cards for the player hand and two cards for the bank hand. An initial hand with a value of 8 or 9 is called a "natural." If either hand is a natural, its holder must expose it and the game ends. Otherwise play continues, first with the player hand and then with the banker hand, according to the following rules.

Rules for the player hand: If the player's first two cards total 6 or more, then the player must stand without drawing a card. If the player's first two cards total 5 or less, the player must draw one additional card.

Rules for the banker hand: If the banker's first two cards total 7 or more, then the banker must stand without drawing a card. If the banker's first two cards total 0, 1, or 2, then the banker must draw one card. If the banker's first two cards total 3, 4, 5, or 6, then whether the banker draws is determined by the whether the player drew, and if so the value of the player's draw card, as shown by the table below.

Bank Drawing vs. player's draw

Bank N 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 <--- player's draw card
------------------------------------
9 - - - - - - - - - - -
8 - - - - - - - - - - -
7 - - - - - - - - - - -
6 - - - - - - - D D - -
5 D - - - - D D D D - -
4 D - - D D D D D D - -
3 D D D D D D D D D - D
2 D D D D D D D D D D D
1 D D D D D D D D D D D
0 D D D D D D D D D D D
------------------------------------
D = draw, N = no card drawn by player

The probability distribution for a hand dealt from a complete shoe is as follows:

Probability Probability of Probability of bank win of player win of tie
------------------------------------
6 decks 0.458652719 0.446278570 0.095068711
8 decks 0.458597423 0.446246609 0.095155968

This implies the following house advantages:

Bet bank Bet bank Bet player Bet tie Bet tie decks 5% vig. 4% vig. 9:1 8:1
------------------------------------
6 1.05585% 0.59720% 1.23741% 4.93129% 14.43816%
8 1.05791% 0.59931% 1.23508% 4.84403% 14.35963%

Edward O. Thorp and others have determined that card counting is not effective in overcoming the house edge at the baccarat tables. Compared to blackjack, card counting is about 9 times less effective when used against baccarat. See Thorp's "The Mathematics of Gambling" for details.

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Blackjack Rules

Before any cards are dealt, the player must wager. He does this by placing his bet in the designated space in front of his table position. The dealer then deals two cards to each of the players, and two to himself (one of the dealer's cards is dealt face up and one is dealt facing down). Face cards (kings, queens and jacks) count as 10, ace counts as one or 11 (as the player chooses) and all other cards are counted at their face value.

BLACKJACK - If the player's first two cards are an ace and a 10 or face card, he wins. However, if the dealer also has a blackjack, it is a standoff, as are all ties or pushes. A winning blackjack pays the player 3 to 2.

HIT or STAND - Hit means to draw another card (which the player signifies by scraping the table with his cards or a similar hand motion). Stand means no more cards (which the player signals by placing his cards under his wager or moving his hand in a horizontal direction. If the player hits and busts (goes over 21), he immediately turns his cards over and his wager is lost.

DOUBLE DOWN - The player is allowed to double the bet on his first two cards and draw one additional card only to improve his hand.

SPLITTING PAIRS - If the first two cards a player is dealt are a pair, he may split them into two separate hands, bet the same amount on each and then play them separately. Aces receive only one additional card. After splitting, A-10 counts as 21 and not as blackjack.

INSURANCE - If the dealer's up card is an ace, the player may take insurance, a bet not exceeding one-half his original bet. If the dealer's down card is a 10 or any face card, the player wins 2 to 1. Any other card means a win for the dealer.

SURRENDER - Where permitted, a player may give up his first two cards and lose only one-half his original bet.

The dealer must draw on 16 and stand on 17. In some casinos, the dealer is required to draw on soft 17.

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Blackjack Questions

Abbreviations:
BSE = Basic Strategy Edge
H17 = Hit soft 17 (dealer must hit)
S17 = Stand on any 17 (dealer must stand)
DOA = Double On Any first two cards
D10 = Double on 10 or 11 only
DAS = Double After Splitting is allowed
RSA = Re-Splitting Aces is allowed
ESR = Early Surrender
LSR = Late Surrender
O/U = Over/Under 13 side bets are allowed

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Blackjack Terminology:

Basic strategy
A playing strategy that is designed to minimize the house edge as much as possible without using techniques such as card counting, shuffle tracking, or dealer tells. Basic strategy is used as a foundation for card counting, but is also used by many non-counters.

Burn card(s)
Cards that are discarded without being dealt to the players. After the cards are shuffled by the dealer and cut by one of the players, one or more cards are "burned" before any cards are dealt to the players.

Bust
After a "hit", the player is said to "bust" if the new card causes the player's total to exceed 21.

Card counting
A system for improving the player's edge by assigning "weights" to each card face and summing the card weights as each new card is turned face up. The "count" indicates when the game is favorable for the player, so that the player can place larger bets and/or make changes in playing strategy.

Cut card
A (usually colored plastic) card that is used to cut the cards after they have been shuffled by the dealer.

Double down
To double the initial bet and receive exactly one more card. The option to double is often allowed on the players first two cards only, although some casinos allow doubling after splitting a pair. Many Northern Nevada casinos allowing doubling only with a two-card total of 10 or 11. It is very rare to find games that allow doubling of hands that have more than two cards.

Double for less
To double down with less than 2X the original bet. Generally, when doubling is allowed, the player does not have to actually double his bet, but may increase it by any amount up to (but not more than) the original bet.

Early surrender
Surrender which is allowed even when the dealer has a natural. Very valuable to the player, but rarely offered by the casinos.

Even money
Taking insurance when holding a blackjack results in a net gain of one bet. Some casinos will allow the player to be paid without actually placing the insurance bet. This is called "taking even money". (See "insurance")

First base
The first player at a table to act on his/her hand is said to be sitting at "first base".

Flat bet
To bet the same amount on each successive hand.

Hard hand
Any hand that is not a soft hand.

Heads up
Playing at a table that has no other players.

Hit
Drawing a new card to add to the player's or dealer's hand.

Hole card
The dealer's card that is placed face down.

Insurance
A side bet, of up to 1/2 the original bet, that is offered when the dealer's upcard is an ace. This bet pays 2:1 if the dealer has a natural 21. (Also see "even money")

Late surrender
Surrender which is only allowed when the dealer does not have a natural. If the dealer has a natural 21 (blackjack), the player's bet still loses in its entirety. If the dealer does not have a blackjack, the player loses half the bet and doesn't play the rest of the hand.

Natural
A hand that totals 21 on the first two cards.

Over/under
A rare bet that the first two player's cards will total over 13, or under 13, when aces are counted as one.

Preferential shuffling
Shuffling when the deck is favorable to the players, while avoiding a shuffle when the deck is unfavorable to the players.

Push
A tie hand, the original bet is returned to the player.

Shoe
A"box" for holding the undealt cards, usually used in multi-deck games.

Soft hand
Any hand that includes an ace that can be counted as 11 without having the value of the hand exceed 21. It is always possible to draw one card to a soft hand without busting.

Split hand
Hands that start with two cards of the same rank can be split to form two independent hands. This option is exercised by adding a new bet to the second hand, and these hands are played independently.

Spread
To place more than one bet before the cards are dealt.

Stand
To stop drawing cards.

Stiff (hand)
Any hand that has a small chance of winning regardless of how the hand is played (usually 12 - 16).

Surrender
The option to give back the player's first two cards in exchange for a refund of 1/2 of the original bet (rarely allowed). Some hands, such as 16 vs. dealer's 10, are so bad that surrender is less costly than playing the hand.

Third base
The last player at a table to act on his/her hand is said to be sitting at "third base".

Upcard
The dealer's first card, dealt face up. The correct playing decision often involves some consideration of the dealer's upcard.

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Card Counting Terminology

Betting correlation
A measure of how well the card weights correlate to the change in the player's favorability when the cards are seen by the player and removed from the deck. This gives an estimate of the accuracy of the card counting system.

Back counting
Counting cards and waiting for the count to become favorable before sitting down to play. Usually done standing in back of the players.

Balanced count
Any counting system that has a count starting at zero when the cards are shuffled, and ending at zero when all cards in the deck(s) have been exposed. Most counting systems use a balanced count.

Bet spread
The ratio between maximum and minimum bet size. A player who uses $20 maximum bets and $5 minimum bets is using a 4:1 bet spread.

Card weight
The "value" assigned to each card face. This weight is added to the "count" as each new card is exposed. Weights are usually small integer values like -1, +1, or +2.

Count
(noun) -- a number that represents the player's estimate of how favorable or unfavorable.

Cover bet
A bet (usually large) placed at the "wrong" time, in order to fool the pit critters into thinking that the player is not counting cards.

Insurance correlation
A measure of how well the card weights correlate to the change in the player's favorability for placing insurance bets. This gives an estimate of the accuracy of the card counting system for predicting when to take insurance.

Penetration
The number of cards that are dealt before the cards are shuffled. Penetration is usually expressed as a percentage of the cards, as in "75% penetration". Good penetration is extremely important to card counters.

Playing efficiency
Effectiveness of strategy variations in tracking the optimal playing strategy as the deck composition changes. Efficiency is given by E = AG / PG, where AG is the actual gain from making the strategy changes, and PG is the possible gain that could be made by using a playing strategy that is "computer perfect".

Running count
The total of the weights of all cards that have been exposed since the cards were shuffled.

Shuffle tracking
A system to predict which sections of the deck/shoe will be favorable to the player, based on the locations of favorable sections of the previous deck/shoe, and on studying the method used to shuffle the cards.

Side count
A count in addition to the "main" count, usually involving a single card face, as in "ace side count".

Strategy variations
Varying from basic strategy when the count indicates that it is profitable to do so.

Ten poor
A deck that has a lower than average density of tens and face cards.

Ten rich
A deck that has a higher than average density of tens and face cards.

True count
A count that is adjusted according to the number of undealt cards, usually by dividing the running count by the number of undealt *decks* (or half-decks).

Unbalanced count
Any counting system that has a count that starts or ends on a non-zero value (see "balanced count"). Red 7 is an example of an unbalanced count.

Wonging
Improving the player's edge by placing bets only when the count is favorable for the player, and "sitting out" when the count is unfavorable.

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Is casino blackjack a "beatable" game.

Background: Many books have been written that claim that BJ is beatable.

Answer: Simulations performed by rec.gamblers show different amounts of potential player advantage in theory in BJ, depending on strategies, exact rules, and playing conditions. These numbers typically approach 1% (an average penny gain for every dollar bet) though in certain particular, ideal circumstances this can get somewhat higher. There is disagreement on the net about how much advantage this translates into in "real-world" casinos, but it's generally believed that players can play with a small, long-run advantage in BJ. The variance is very high in this game, however, which makes the slight advantage in BJ far from a sure thing.
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How much of an advantage can card counting give?

A typical card counter will have an edge of 1.5% or less, depending on the counting system used, the skill of the player, and the particular house rules that the player is fighting against. It is quite unusual to find playing conditions that allow the player to get more than a 2% edge against the house, even against single deck games. The player's edge against multi-deck games is generally less than 1%.
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Is card counting illegal?

No. The casinos would like you to believe that card counting is illegal, immoral, and fattening, but the fact is that card counters are simply using a greater level of skill than the typical blackjack player. The Nevada courts have ruled that blackjack players are free to use any information that is made available to them, provided that there is no collusion between a player and casino personnel. For example, if a dealer accidentally handles the cards in such a way that a player can see the dealer's hole card, the player can make use of this information without breaking the law.
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Can the casino ban card counters?

This depends on where you play. In Atlantic City, where games of skill are not permitted, the casinos are not allowed to ban skillful players. In Nevada, casinos are allowed to refuse service to anyone at any time for any reason. Players are routinely "barred", usually by being asked to leave or by being told that they are welcome to play any game other than blackjack. If you are barred but persist in trying to play, the casino can have you arrested for trespassing.
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What is the correct basic strategy for single deck Blackjack?

The following basic strategy is for single deck games without DAS (double-after-splits).

+-- Player's hand
|
| dealer dealer
| |-might bust-||-might stand-|
V 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A <------- dealer's upcard
---+-------------------------------
XX | S S S S S S S S S S never, ever, ever split
99 | PS PS PS PS PS S PS ps s s split if (d <= 9), except 7
88 | Ps Ps Ps Ps Ps Ph ph ph ph ph always split
77 | ps ps Ps Ps Ps ph h h s h split if (d <= 7), stand against 10
66 | ph ps ps Ps ps h h h h h split if (d <= 6)
55 | DH DH DH DH DH DH DH DH H H never split, treat like hard 10
44 | h H H DH DH H h h h h never split, double against 5, 6
33 | h h Ph PH PH ph h h h h split if (d >= 4) and (d <= 7)
22 | h ph Ph PH PH ph h h h h split if (d >= 3) and (d <= 7)
AA | PH PH PH PD PD PH PH Ph Ph Ph always split
---+-------------------------------
A9 | S S S S S S S S S S always stand
A8 | S S S S *DS S S S S S double against a 6
A7 | S DS DS DS DS S S h h h* double 3-6, hit against 9, 10, A
A6 | DH DH DH DH DH H h h h h double low, hit high
A5 | h h DH DH DH h h h h h \
A4 | h H DH DH DH H h h h h \ double against 4,5,6
A3 | H H DH DH DH H H h h h /
A2 | H H DH DH DH H H h h h /
---+-------------------------------
21 | S S S S S S S S S S always stand
20 | S S S S S S S S S S always stand
19 | S S S S S S S S S S always stand
18 | S S S S S S S s s s always stand
17 | s s s s s s s s s s always stand on HARD 17 or above

16 | s s s s s h h h h h \
15 | s s s s s h h h h h \
14 | s s s s s h h h h h > hit if dealer might stand,
13 | s s s s s h h h h h / stand if dealer might bust
12 | h h s s s h h h h h / (special case against 2, 3)

11 | D D D D D D D D D D always double
10 | D D D D D D D D H H double if (d < 10)
9 | DH DH DH DH DH H H h h h double if dealer might bust
8 | h H H DH DH H h h h h double only against 5, 6
7 | h h h H H h h h h h
6 | h h h H H h h h h h (4-2)
5 | h h h H H h h h h h (3-2)
4 | h h h H H h h h h h (2-2 pair if no more splitting allowed)
---+-------------------------------
S=stand H=hit D=double P=pair(split)
DH= double if allowed, otherwise hit
DS= double if allowed, otherwise stand
[uppercase] = "strong" hand, favorable to player
[lowercase] = "weak" hand, favorable to house

(*) notes:
Playing A7 against dealer's ace:
hitting gains 4.08% if dealer must hit on soft 17
standing gains 0.74% if dealer must stand on soft 17

Playing A8 against dealer's 6:
doubling gains 1.96% if dealer must hit on soft 17
doubling gains 0.03% if dealer must stand on soft 17
(this rule may be ignored to simplify the strategy)

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What is the correct basic strategy for Atlantic City blackjack?

The following basic strategy is for typical Atlantic City rules.

HOUSE RULES:
Cards are dealt from 6 decks.
Dealer must stand on any 17.
Double-down allowed on soft hands.
Pairs may be split only once.
Player may double-down after splitting pairs.
Surrender is not allowed.

Strategy Table

|---might bust---| |---might stand---| <---- dealer possibility
---+----------------------------------------
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A <---- dealer's up card
---+---------------------------------------- Pairs
XX | S S S S S S S S S S
99 | PS PS PS PS PS S PS ps s s
88 | Ps Ps Ps Ps Ps Ph ph ph ph ph
77 | ps ps Ps Ps Ps ph h h h h
66 | ph ph ps Ps Ps h h h h h
55 | DH DH DH DH DH DH DH DH H H
44 | h H H PH PH H h h h h
33 | ph ph Ph Ph Ph ph h h h h
22 | ph ph Ph Ph PH ph h h h h
AA | PH PH PH PH PDH PH PH Ph Ph Ph
---+---------------------------------------- Soft Hands
AX | S S S S S S S S S S
A9 | S S S S S S S S S S
A8 | S S S S S S S S S S
A7 | S DS DS DS DS S S h h h
A6 | H DH DH DH DH H h h h h
A5 | h H DH DH DH h h h h h
A4 | h H DH DH DH H h h h h
A3 | H H H DH DH H H h h h
A2 | H H H DH DH H H h h h
AA | H H H H DH H H h h h
---+---------------------------------------- Hard Hands
21 | S S S S S S S S S S
20 | S S S S S S S S S S
19 | S S S S S S S S S S
18 | S S S S S S S s s s
17 | s s s s S s s s s s

16 | s s s s s h h h h h
15 | s s s s s h h h h h
14 | s s s s s h h h h h
13 | s s s s s h h h h h
12 | h h s s s h h h h h

11 | DH DH DH DH DH DH DH DH DH H
10 | DH DH DH DH DH DH DH DH H H
9 | H DH DH DH DH H H h h h
8 | h H H H H H h h h h
7 | h h h H H h h h h h
6 | h h h h h h h h h h
5 | h h h h H h h h h h
4 | h h h h H h h h h h
---+----------------------------------------
S=stand H=hit D=double P=split Q=surrender

NOTES:
1) If more than one option is listed, options to the left are preferred over options to the right. Options less favorable than STAND or HIT are not shown.

2) Use the "Hard Hands" table only when the other tables do not apply.

3) If splitting Aces is not allowed, use the "Soft Hands" table.

4) Uppercase options favor the player, lowercase options favor the house.

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What is the house edge when playing basic strategy?

The expected gain for basic strategy play depends on the house rules and the number of decks. The following table summarizes the player's expectation for a variety of games. All numbers are in units of percent of initial bet.

<-- number of decks -->
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 100 |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
AC | .1541 -.2228 -.3991 -.4569 -.5368 -.5638 |
AC + LSR | .1761 -.1717 -.3323 -.3843 -.4552 -.4790 |
AC + ESR | .7694 .3952 .2265 .1721 .0968 .0714 |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
strip | .0409 -.3214 -.4889 -.5437 -.6245 -.6447 |
strip + LSR | .0707 -.2685 -.4239 -.4744 -.5429 -.5659 |
strip + DAS | .1809 -.1795 -.3472 -.4021 -.4779 -.5034 |
strip + ESR | .6511 .2927 .1320 .0801 .0084 -.0157 |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
vegas |-.1527 -.5257 -.7015 -.7590 -.8445 -.8663 |
vegas + LSR |-.1095 -.4594 -.6221 -.6747 -.7469 -.7713 |
vegas + DAS |-.0103 -.3813 -.5570 -.6146 -.6951 -.7223 |
vegas + ESR | .5403 .1720 .0046 -.0493 -.1245 -.1500 |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
reno |-.4291 -.7400 -.8906 -.9404 -1.0154 -1.0337 |
reno + LSR |-.3858 -.6737 -.8113 -.8560 -.9178 -.9387 |
reno + DAS |-.3121 -.6176 -.7658 -.8151 -.8840 -.9073 |
reno + ESR | .2639 -.0423 -.1846 -.2307 -.2307 -.3174 |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

"AC" rules: (typical of Atlantic City)
dealer stands on soft 17
double down on any two cards
double after splits
no resplitting

"strip" rules: (typical of Vegas Strip)
dealer stands on soft 17
double down on any two cards (but not after splits)

"vegas" rules: (typical of Vegas Downtown)
dealer hits soft 17
double down on any two cards (but not after splits)

"reno" rules: (typical of Reno, northern Nevada)
dealer hits soft 17
double down allowed on two card total of 10 or 11 only

DAS = Double After Splitting
LSR = Late Surrender
ESR = Early Surrender (no longer available)

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Why are single deck games better than multi-deck games?

There are some surface differences, such as single and double deck usually being hand-held, while four or more decks are dealt from a shoe, but there are fundamental mathematical differences too.

Single deck blackjack is usually better than multiple deck blackjack for card counters, basic strategists, and the clueless. Additional decks make busts less likely, since one can draw to hands like 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2 (for 18) which are improbable/impossible in single deck. Busting less often helps the dealer's hand more than yours, since the dealer is forced by the rigid rules to hit more often than you. Blackjacks are also less frequent, which is bad since you get paid 3 to 2 for those. All in all, multiple decks will cost a basic strategist nearly 0.5% in advantage, which is more than all but the very best package of favorable extra rules will give you. This was an intuitive explanation; a complete mathematically sound (albeit huge) proof can be generated by a combinatorial analysis program.

Card counters face the additional problem that the count is less volatile with multiple decks and hence offers less frequent opportunities for large favorable bets. Consider the difference between an urn with 1 black and 1 white marble versus an urn with 100 black and 100 white marbles. Draw half the marbles: what is the probability that all the remaining marbles are white? In the 1 and 1 case, there is a 1 in 2 chance. In the 100 and 100 case, there is only a 1 in 100,891,344,545,564,193,334,812,497,256 chance!
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How is card counting done?

The card counting system described below is an unbalanced 10 count that is 100% accurate for determining when to take insurance. As a general purpose card counting system, it is relatively weak and not particularly recommended, but it illustrates many of the principles behind card counting. This is intended only to give a feel for how card counting is done, and is not recommended for actual practice, although I've used it because of its simplicity. This counting strategy is listed as "Unbalanced 10 Count" in other parts of the FAQ list.

For single deck games:
1) Start the count at -4 when the deck is shuffled.
2) Count -2 for 10, J, Q, K
3) Count +1 for everything else (including aces)
4) 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).
5) Take insurance when the count is positive.
6) Play basic strategy at all times.

------------------------------------

For N deck games:
1) Start the count at (-4 * N).
2) all other rules are the same.

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Notes:

The unique feature of this counting method is that it is perfectly accurate for dealing with insurance. When the count is positive, the player has the advantage when taking the insurance bet. When the count is negative, the house has the advantage, so insurance should not be taken.

Counting is best done by counting several cards at once. It is easy to practice this counting method in the following way:

1)
Count through a deck of cards, counting one card at a time. Start at -4, and count through the entire deck. After all of the cards have been seen, the count should be ZERO. If it is not zero, a mistake has been made somewhere. Repeat counting through the deck one card at a time, until you can do it quickly without making mistakes.

2)
Count through the deck, counting two cards at a time. Look for the
following patterns, adding the correct amount for each pattern
(X = 10, N = non-ten)
NN: +2
XN: -1
XX: -4
Again, the count should be zero after all cards have been seen. Repeat until you can do it efficiently.

3)
Count through the deck, counting three cards at a time. Look for the
following patterns, adding the correct amount for each pattern.
(X = 10, N = non-ten)
NNN +3
XNN 0 (this pattern is common)
XXN -3

4)
Practice against a computer blackjack game. When I play, I usually count the cards by counting an entire hand (player's or dealers) at once. If there are more than three cards in the hand, I mentally break it up into groups of 1, 2, or 3 cards (I usually look for "XNN" patterns and ignore those cards, since they add up to zero). I usually count the cards just before the dealer picks up the hand (exception: for insurance, you should count your cards and the dealer's up card immediately).

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What counting system is "best"?

The first approach is to evaluate different systems by simulation. This approach obscures the particular advantages of each system, but it's easy to see how a system will perform in one particular realistic casino playing situation, and not hard to judge the tradeoff between performance and ease of use (see Q/A B18 for more details).

The second approach estimates several performance parameters of each system that collectively approximate the system's inherent potential. This allows the strengths of different BJ systems to be studied in detail, which should allow better, more precise comparison of different systems and aid efforts to improve a particular system. This approach gives results which may be used to determine which counting system is theoretically most profitable, but does not address the issue of how easy it is to use the counting system under actual playing conditions (see Q/A B19 for more details).

It's not yet clear how these two studies relate, and no rec.gambling.blackjack consensus has emerged as to how the more sophisticated performance parameters actually translate to advantage at the tables as in the simulations.
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What counting system is easiest to use?

Background: Lots of systems are available. There is an important tradeoff between complexity and theoretical power, as more complex systems are harder to use and more error-prone.

Answer: You pick 'em. A rec.gambling.blackjack study was accomplished that compared different systems, and here a summary of what came out:

Complexity is a subjective measure with guidelines described in the results paper. Power is the integer closest to p/0.05%, where p is the % advantage of the strategy one-on-one in a single deck, dealer hits on soft 17, no DDAS, resplitting-allowed game that's dealt down to 20 cards and using a 1-4 betting spread. 15,000,000 hands guarantee correctness to within 1 point 99% of the time.

name complex power card weights reference
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X
------------------------------------
BASIC 0 -5 Steve Jacobs
UNBALANCED 10 2 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -2 Steve Jacobs
SUPER-SIMPLE OPT-I 2.5 16 1 1 1 1 -1 WGBJB (1)
REVERE PM 3.5 16 -1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 PBaaB
RED SEVEN 3.5 19 -1 1 1 1 1 1 R:1 -1 BiB
OPT1-6+6 5 18 1 1 1 1 -1 WGBJB
WONG HIGH-LOW 5 19 -1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 PB
ZEN 5 19 -1 1 1 2 2 2 1 -2 BiB
HORSESHOE 6 14 1 2 2 3 2 2 1 -1 -3 MDB (2)
REVERE POINT COUNT 6 17 -2 1 2 2 2 2 1 -2 PBaaB
OPT1-6+6 W/ ACE 7 23 1 1 1 1 -1 WGBJB
ANDERSEN 9.5 16 -2 1 1 1 2 1 1 -1 -1 TtToLV
USTON APC 10 22 1 2 2 3 2 2 1 -1 -3 MDB

WGBJB: "World's Greatest BlackJack Book" by Humble and Cooper
PBaaB: "Playing Blackjack as a Business" by Lawrence Revere
BiB: "Blackbelt in Blackjack" by Arnold Snyder
PB: "Professional Blackjack" by Stanford Wong
TtToLV: "Turning the Tables on Las Vegas" by Ian Andersen
MDB: "Million Dollar Blackjack" by Ken Uston
(1) with modifications by Matthew Wilding
(2) with modifications by Paul C. Kim

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What BJ counting system is most effective?

The playing efficiency, betting correlation, and insurance correlation is listed below for several counting systems. These numbers give an indication of the effectiveness of the counting system. When two numbers are listed, the second number results from adding an ace side count in addition to the "main" count.

See answer B3 for definitions of "betting correlation", "playing efficiency", and "insurance correlation".

EXPLANATION OF COUNTING SYSTEMS
===========================================
COUNTING COUNTING VALUES "BEST" EFFICIENCY CORRELATION
SYSTEMS 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A SOURCE PLAY+ace BET+ace INSURE
-------- ---------------------------- ------ -------- -------- ------
Griffin 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 -1 0 Griffin 64-64+ .85-.95 .85
Hi-Opt I 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1 0 Humble 61-63 .88-.97 .85
Hi-Opt II 1 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 -2 0 Humble 67-67+ .91-.99 .91
High-Low 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1 -1 Wong 51-63 .97 .76-.85
Ita 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 -1 -1 -1 Sys.Res. 53-63+ .96 .69-.76
Red 7's 1 1 1 1 1 ** 0 0 -1 -1 Snyder 54-64+ .98 .78-.87
Unbal 10's 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -2 1 Roberts 61-61+ .73-.94 1.00
Uston +- 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 -1 -1 Uston 55-64+ .95 .76-.85
Uston APC 1 2 2 3 2 2 1 -1 -3 0 Uston 69-69+ .91-.99 .90
Wong Halves 1 2 2 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -2 Wong 57-67+ .99 .72-.85
Zen 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 -2 -1 Snyder 63-67+ .97 .85-.91
** red 7's +1, black 7's 0

Note: Playing efficiencies have a practical maximum of about 0.7.
"Unbal 10's" is short for "Unbalanced 10 Count"

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Does penetration have any effect on basic strategy expectation?

Probably not. Unless the dealer is cheating, the cards will be in a random order after the shuffle. If the player is not counting cards or using other techniques to gain an advantage, it will not matter if there are several rounds or only a single round between shuffles. But, if the dealer if using preferential shuffling, this will hurt the basic strategy players as well as the card counters.
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What is the correct strategy for late surrender?

Basic strategy for late surrender in AC multi-deck games is:

Surrender hard 16 (but not 8-8) vs. 9, 10, ace
Surrender hard 15 vs. 10

If you are the least bit risk-averse, you should also:

Surrender hard 15 vs. ace

At some casinos you can surrender your first two cards. You lose half your bet in return for not having to play through the hand. With early surrender, you get back half your bet even if the dealer has blackjack, while with late surrender you lose anyway when the dealer has blackjack.
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What is the correct strategy for "multi action" blackjack?

Multi Action blackjack allows the player to place up to three bets simultaneously on the same blackjack hand. The player is dealt a single hand, and the three bets are played out against the same dealer upcard, but with different "drawn" cards for each bet. Many players feel nervous about hitting stiff hands against a high dealer's upcard (7 or higher), since they will lose all three bets if they bust. However, basic strategy is COMPLETELY UNCHANGED for this game, and the correct strategy is no different than if the player had only a single bet at risk.
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What is "Over/Under" Blackjack?

Caesar's Tahoe introduced the Over-13 and Under-13 side bets that are allowed at some blackjack tables. These bets are based on the player's total for the first two cards, when aces are counted as one. Over-13 bets win when the player's cards total 14 or higher, while under-13 bets win when the player's cards total 12 or under. Either bet will lose when the player's total is exactly 13. These bets are placed at the same time as the blackjack bet, and usually the side bet can be no larger than the bet on the blackjack hand. Over/under games are usually dealt from a 6 or 8 deck shoe, and the player's first two cards are always dealt face up. Although these are "sucker" bets for basic strategy players, with a house edge of 6% to 10%, special card counting strategies can be used to give the player a significant edge on these bets.
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What is the counting strategy for Over/Under blackjack?

The card weights used for the Over/Under count are as follows: count +1 for Ace, 2, 3, and 4, and count -1 for tens and face cards. The deck becomes favorable for counts of +2 and above, and for counts -4 and below. Over-13 bets should be placed when the count is +3 and above. Under-13 bets should be placed when the count is -4 and below.

When playing Over/Under blackjack with this counting scheme, virtually all of the player's profit comes from the over-13 and under-13 side bets. This counting scheme is very poor for playing the blackjack portion of the bet, and will only allow the player to play about even with the house on the blackjack bets. However, the over/under bets can be very profitable if the game has good penetration. A 6-deck over/under game with good penetration can give the player an advantage of 1.5% or more. Single deck over/under games with good penetration (very rare) can give the player an edge of over 4% when using the over/under count.

Snyder's "Over/Under Report" discusses the over/under game in detail, and is available from RGE at an outrageous price.
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Is Ken Uston dead?

Yes. He was found dead in a rented apartment in Paris, France, on September 19, 1987. The cause of death remains undetermined, since an autopsy was not performed and the body was cremated. The local police found no evidence of foul play. Alcohol and drug abuse were strongly suspected by several people who knew Uston intimately. Reference: Stanley Roberts, "A Double Dose of Death", Roberts' Rules (column), _Gambling Times_, Jan./Feb., 1988, pp. 8, 41

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Rules of Roulette

The Wheel

The game of American Roulette is played on a wheel which consists of thirty-eight slots, each with its own number. The numbers on a Roulette wheel are 1-36, 0, and 00. The numbers alternate pairs of odd numbers with pairs of even numbers. The numbers also alternate between black and red. Both the 0 and 00 slots are green. A dealer, or croupier spins the wheel in one direction and then rolls a small ball in the other direction. The ball then drops into one of the slots as it begins to slow down.

The Table

The table is designed so that the numbers, not including 0 and 00, are lined up into three columns, each of twelve numbers, the first row is 1,2,3; the second row is 4,5,6 and so on. The rest of the table is devoted to the myriad bets the game entails. Betting is broken down into two major categories, inside bets and outside bets. There is no limit to the number of bets one can play.

Inside bets

Straight bets - This is betting that one particular number on the wheel will come up. This bet is done by placing a chip on top of the number on which you want to bet. If that number wins, the payoff is 35 to 1.

Split bets - This is betting that one of two numbers that lie next to each other on the table will win. Placing a chip on the line that separates two numbers does this. You win if the ball lands on either number. The payoff is 17 to 1.

Street bet, Trio bet, or Three Number bet - In this bet, a player is wagering that any number in a particular row will hit on the next spin. To make this bet, you must place a chip in the outside line of the row on which you want to bet. You win if any number in the row comes up. The payoff is 11 to 1.

Corner bet, Square bet, or Four-Number bet - This bets that one of four numbers will hit on the next spin. The numbers should all be touching and moving a chip into the center of four numbers places the bet. If one of these numbers comes up, you win. This bets pays 8 to 1.

Five-Number bet - This is betting that either the 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3 will come up on the next roll. To take this bet, place a chip on the outside line that divides the 0 and 1. You will be paid 6 to 1 if any of these numbers come up.

Six Line bet - This is betting that one of six numbers in two adjacent rows will come up. Place a chip in between two rows on the outside line. If the ball lands on any number in the two rows, you will be paid 6 to 1.

Outside bets

Red - You are betting that the next number to come up is a red. If the next number landed is red, you will be paid 1 to 1, or even money. To play this bet, place a chip on the box marked "Red".

Black - You are betting that the next number to come up is a black. If the next number landed is black, you will be paid 1 to 1, or even money. To play this bet, place a chip on the box marked "Black".

Even - This is wagering that the ball will land on an even number. This bet does not include 0 or 00. The payoff is 1 to 1. To play this bet, place a chip on the box marked "Even".

Odd - This is wagering that the ball will land on an odd number. The payoff is 1 to 1 if the next number to come up is odd. To play this bet, place a chip on the box marked "Odd".

Low bet - This is a bet that the next number will be between 1 and 18. The payout is 1 to 1. To play this bet, place a chip on the box marked "Low".

High bet - This is a bet that the next number will be between 19 and 36. The payout is 1 to 1. To play this bet, place a chip on the box marked "High".

Dozen bet - These bets divide the table into the numbers 1-12, 13-24, and 25-36. To play this bet, put a chip in one of the three boxes marked "1st 12", "2nd 12" or "3rd 12". This bet pays 2 to 1.

Column bet - This bets that a number in a particular column will come up on the next spin. The payoff is 2 to 1 and is done by placing a chip at the end of the layout below your desired column where it is marked "2 to 1".

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English Roulette

The major difference between English and American Roulette is that English has only a 0 instead of both 0 and 00.

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Choose the region where you would want to find a casino.