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Federal Hill Software Presents
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XX XX XX XX XX XXXX XX XX Blakjak!
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User Supported Version 2.0
(C)1990 Federal Hill Software
8134 Scotts Level Road
Baltimore, Md. 21208
_______
____|__ | (tm)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 What Video Blakjak Does . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Blackjack and Computers . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 About User-Supported Software . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 About Federal Hill Software . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 2 Running Video Blakjak 6
2.1 Video Blakjak Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 Hard Disk Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 Running the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.4 The Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.5 Initial Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 3 Playing Video Blakjak 11
3.1 Wagering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2 Playing the Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2.1 Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.2.2 Splitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.3 The Status Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.4 The Assistance Screen . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.5 The Status Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.6 Auto-Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.7 Change Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 4 The General Rules of Blackjack 21
4.1 Card Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.1.1 Hard and Soft Hands . . . . . . . . . 22
4.1.2 Blackjack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.2 Hitting and Standing . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.3 BUSTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.4 Special Two-Card Options . . . . . . . . . 23
4.4.1 Doubling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.4.2 Splitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.4.3 Surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.5 The Dealer's Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.6 Who Wins and How Much . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 5 Video Blakjak Setup 27
Chapter 6 Blackjack Strategies 31
6.1 The Economics of Blackjack . . . . . . . . 32
6.2 Tipping the Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.3 Why Not Play Like the Dealer? . . . . . . . 34
i
6.4 Basic Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.4.1 Probability of Dealer Busting . . . . 36
6.4.2 Basic Hitting and Standing - Hard
Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.4.3 Basic Hitting and Standing - Soft
Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6.4.4 Basic Splitting Rules . . . . . . . . 38
6.4.5 Insurance - A Bad Bet . . . . . . . . 39
6.5 Advanced Card Count Strategies . . . . . . 39
6.5.1 The Point Count Strategy . . . . . . . 40
6.5.2 Point Count Differences . . . . . . . 41
6.5.3 How to Count The Cards . . . . . . . . 41
6.5.3.1 A Practice Example . . . . . . . 41
6.5.4 The True Count . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
6.6 What the True Count Means . . . . . . . . . 43
6.7 Point Count Strategy Tables . . . . . . . . 43
6.8 Adjusting Your Wager . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Chapter 7 What To Expect 48
Chapter 8 Final Notes 50
8.1 Distributing this Program . . . . . . . . . 50
8.2 Technical Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Appendix A Bibliography 52
Appendix B The Cambridge Handicappers 53
Appendix C How to Order 55
ii
Chapter 1
Introduction
Video Blakjak is for people who like to play Blackjack and
want to learn how to play it better.
If you're looking for entertainment, you'll find plenty
here. If you're a serious student of the game, Video Blakjak will
make you a better player. It will help you learn how to count
cards, adjust to rules changes, and make the proper betting
judgments. It will even help you develop your own card-counting
system.
The program requires a true IBM-compatible computer with
384K of memory. If you have a color monitor, it will play in
glorious living color. If you have a monochrome monitor, it will
play in glorious monochrome. It is compatible with any graphics
card and will run from a floppy or hard disk drive.
1.1 What Video Blakjak Does
People play Blackjack because it's fun. An you'll have fun
with Video Blakjak. You'll play one-on-one against the dealer.
It's a lot quicker than the real thing--and a lot cheaper. As you
play each hand, on-screen prompts will tell you what your options
are. And a status box will tell you what's happening all the
time.
If you like bells and whistles, Video Blakjak can whoop it
up with the noisiest arcade games. If you'd rather play in quiet
contemplation, you can turn the noise off. And if you're playing
at the office (not that you'd ever consider wasting company time
on something as frivolous as a card game), a single keystroke
will put you in the middle of a very serious spreadsheet.
But Video Blakjak offers more than fun and games. It will
teach you the game and help you play it better. Here's how:
* Strategy: Video Blakjak has been preprogrammed with the
BASIC blackjack strategy that all players have to master
and a simple but effective Advanced Point Count strategy.
At any point during a hand, a keystroke will display the
correct play. You can switch strategies at any time.
* Assistance: If you need more help, you can summon an
assistance screen that tells you everything that's going
on: how many cards have been dealt, what the dealer's
chance of busting is, the running and "true" card counts,
the correct play for the hand, and even a display showing
how many of each card remain in the shoe.
* Card Counting: Video Blackjack has been programmed to
"count" cards according to a strategy used by many serious
players. At your option, it will display the card count on
the screen as you play.
* Setting up the Rules: Casinos have varying rules. These
rules have a profound impact on your strategy and your
chances of winning. Video Blackjak lets you change the
rules to suit the conditions where you're playing. You can
change the number of decks in the shoe (from 1 to 8), the
dealer's hit/stand rules, doubling rules, splitting rules,
the percentage of the shoe played before a shuffle, the
table betting limit, minimum wager and the size of your
playing pot.
* Statistical Report: At any time, you can summon a
statistical report showing how well you've done this
session. The report includes hands played, won, lost and
tied, the amount you've wagered, how much you've won or
lost, the percentage you've won or lost, the number of
Blackjacks and busted hands for you and the dealer, and
the number of insurance bets you've made and collected.
* Auto-Play: Want to see how a strategy will work against
various rules BEFORE you lay down your money? Video
Blakjak will play the game for you, according to the
strategy you choose. It never gets tired, and it never
gets distracted by cocktail waitresses. It will play up to
200 hands in the User Supported version and an unlimited
number of hands in the Enhanced version.
* Build Your Own System: The Enhanced Video Blakjak includes
a powerful Strategy Construction Kit that will let you
develop and test your own card-counting strategies against
a variety of house rules.
Video Blakjak Page 2
1.2 Blackjack and Computers
More than any other casino game, Blackjack lends itself to
computer and mathematical simulation. And it's a game in which a
computer can help you hone your skills in an environment that
approaches the real thing.
First things first. Blackjack gives you a mathematical
chance to beat the house. It's the only casino game that provides
this opportunity. In every other casino game, the only thing you
can alter is the size of your wager. In Blackjack, you have
control over the outcome of the hand as well as the size of your
bet. In playing your hand, you're a relatively free agent, but
the dealer must play his hand by certain rules. If you know what
you're doing, you can win. It isn't easy, and it takes serious
concentration. But you can do it.
If it weren't for computers, winning at Blackjack would be a
matter of luck. Until the mid-1950's, even the best players could
only guess at the correct strategies. Even casino owners were
setting the rules as the result of gut feelings and experience,
not research. Of course, their customers had even less experience
and knowledge, so the casinos made a healthy profit (and they
still do).
It's no coincidence that the players who developed the first
truly successful Blackjack strategies weren't professional
gamblers, but mathematicians and computer scientists such as
Julian Braun and Edward O. Thorp. Working during the 1950's, 60's
and 70's, they used large mainframe computers to play millions of
simulated games under varying conditions.
They proved mathematically that it was possible to gain a
small but significant advantage over the house. When the results
of their research hit the popular press, casino owners panicked
and changed the rules to make it more difficult to win. But you
can still do it. Better yet, your IBM-compatible computer gives
you more computing horsepower than most of the serious
researchers had when they did their original work. With Video
Blakjak, you can have fun playing the game and do your own
research.
This manual will touch on the theories behind winning
Blackjack. But if you're serious about the subject, there are a
dozen fine titles available. Chances are you'll find a shelf full
of them at your public library. We suggest that you read some,
and we've included a brief bibliography at the end of the manual.
Video Blakjak Page 3
Even the "experts" often disagree, and the more you know about
Blackjack, the better you'll play.
1.3 About User-Supported Software
Video Blakjak is distributed as User-Supported Software,
also known as Shareware. It is not "free" or "public domain"
software. The program is copyrighted by the author and remains
his intellectual property. Under the Shareware concept, you have
the right to try the software before you buy it. If you like the
program and use it, you should register it.
The registration fee for User-Supported software is $30. For
your money, you'll get an ENHANCED version of Video Blakjak with
even more features. These include:
* The Strategy Construction Kit: This powerful tool will
allow you to modify and create new card-counting
strategies for Video Blakjak. If you don't like our
system, you can use Video Blakjak to test somebody else's
system--or build your own from scratch. Our fill-in-the-
blanks approach makes it quick and easy.
* Adjustable wagering strategies that will show you how to
vary your bets according to the card count. This is one of
the secrets of successful Blackjack play.
* The ability to log your entire session to disk or printer.
You can go back over every hand to see where you played
well and where you made mistakes.
* Unlimited Auto-Play. You can tell the computer to play as
many hands as you like. It will play according to the
casino rules and playing strategy you've chosen. This is a
valuable research tool for serious students who want to
experiment without risking any money. If you have a theory
to test, you can tell Video Blakjak to play 20,000 hands
and leave it running overnight. When it's done, a status
report will show you the results.
* Our research: Most of the research and practical strategy
systems we've seen are based on millions of hands played.
This is fine as far as it goes. But it ignores the fact
that most people don't have time to play millions of
hands. So we've looked at the way people really play, and
we've developed recommendations that will help you to
Video Blakjak Page 4
determine when to stay in the game and when to quit--
another secret of winning Blackjack. Our ENHANCED manual
includes the results of that research.
1.4 About Federal Hill Software
Since 1983, Federal Hill Software has specialized in
programs that help people make intelligent betting decisions. In
addition to Video Blackjak, we offer professional quality, time-
tested software for handicapping Thoroughbred, Harness and
Greyhound races, as well as professional football games.
We operate under the theory that with the right preparation
and some discipline, you can even the odds and tip them in your
favor. We don't offer get-rich-quick schemes, just sound
handicapping systems that we've made quick and easy to use thanks
to the speed and power of the computer.
Over the years, we've had thousands of satisfied customers.
We also offer special prices for customers who order more than
one program at a time. If you're interested in our handicapping
software, see Page 53 of this manual for details.
Federal Hill Software is a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals, a group of software publishers who
distribute their programs on a User-Supported basis.
Video Blakjak Page 5
Chapter 2
Running Video Blakjak
This chapter will tell you how to get Video Blakjak running
on your system. If you got the program from a bulletin board,
on-line library, user group or shareware company, the first thing
you'll want to do is make a working copy of your original disk.
Use any of the standard DOS copying functions to copy ALL the
files to the working disk.
2.1 Video Blakjak Files
The Video Blakjak program consists of several different
files. These are the files you should have on your disk:
VBJ.BAT The batch file that launches Video Blackjak.
Always use the command VBJ to run the program.
BJ20S.EXE The executable Video Blakjak program file. Do NOT
run this program by itself. It will not load
properly unless you use the VBJ.BAT file above.
BJ.CFG The configuration file that records information
about your computer and the playing conditions
you've established.
BLAKJAK.PAK A file containing the screen displays used by
Video Blakjak.
SPEEDSCR.COM A screen driver required for use with the program.
VBJ.DOC The file containing this instruction manual.
PRINTME.BAT A batch file that will send the instruction manual
to your printer.
READ.ME A file containing the latest information about
using the program. To see what's in this file,
type the command TYPE READ.ME and hit ENTER. The
contents of the file will be displayed on your
screen.
Video Blakjak Page 6
To run the program, all of the files except VBJ.DOC,
PRINTME.BAT and READ.ME must be on your floppy disk or in the
hard disk directory from which you launch the program.
2.2 Hard Disk Setup
If you want to run Video Blakjak from a hard disk, you
should set up a directory for the program and copy the Video
Blakjak files into that directory. This example assumes that you
want to install the program on Drive C in a directory called
\VBJ. If you're using a hard drive with a different designator,
just substitute your drive letter for the letter "C".
1. Put the Video Blakjak disk in Drive A:
2. Type C: (hit ENTER)
3. Type CD\ (hit ENTER)
4. Type MD\VBJ (hit ENTER)
5. Type CD\VBJ (hit ENTER)
6. Type COPY A:*.* (hit ENTER)
All of the Video Blakjak files will be copied into the new
\VBJ directory. If you want to save on disk space, you can erase
the VBJ.DOC file once you've printed out the manual.
2.3 Running the Program
To run the program from a floppy disk, put your Video
Blakjak disk in Drive A. With the A:> prompt showing, type VBJ
and hit ENTER. The program will load and run.
To run the program from a hard drive (assuming you've
followed the instructions above), do the following:
1. Type CD\VBJ (hit ENTER)
2. Type VBJ (hit ENTER)
3. The program will load and run.
Video Blakjak Page 7
In either case, your disk drive will chug for a few seconds.
Then the title screen will appear. Strike any key and you'll see
a screen explaining the Shareware concept. Strike another key and
you'll be at the main menu. The program is configured initially
for a monochrome monitor. If you have a color monitor, you can
choose a color display from the Setup screen (Choice No. 5 on the
Main Menu. See Page 30 for details).
DO NOT attempt to run the VBJ20S.EXE file by itself. It
won't work. Here's why: The VBJ.BAT file which you should use to
run the program first loads into memory a program called
SPEEDSCR.COM. This is a memory-resident screen driver required by
the main program. If the driver isn't loaded, the program will
not run properly.
The VBJ.BAT file also removes SPEEDSCR from memory when
you're through playing. While SPEEDSCR is harmless, it can result
in some unusual screen displays should some other piece of
software inadvertently trigger it. So always launch Video Blakjak
by entering the command VBJ.
2.4 The Main Menu
Video Blakjak is menu driven. It presents you with a list,
or menu, of choices. The Main Menu looks like this:
1. Start a New Session
2. Resume Current Session
3. Let Computer Play
4. Status for this Session
5. View or Change Setup
6. Change Strategy
7. Registration Form
8. Quit
When you first see the menu, Choice No. 1 will be
highlighted. You can make a selection from the Main Menu in one
of two ways.
* Use the Up or Down Cursor Key to move the highlight bar to
your selection. When your selection is highlighted, hit
the ENTER key.
* Just type the number opposite your choice. You don't have
to hit ENTER.
Video Blakjak Page 8
* Note: Video Blakjak is set up initially for Monochrome
monitors. If you have a color monitor, you can switch to a
glorious color display through the Setup screen. See Page
30 for details.
Here's a brief description of each choice:
1. Start a New Session: This will take you directly to the
Blakjak table and erase all statistical totals for any
previous sessions. The deck will be shuffled. Be careful
when you choose this if you haven't printed out the totals
from the current session.
2. Resume Current Session: This will take you directly to the
blackjack table. Results of new hands will be added to the
current statistical totals. The deck will not be shuffled.
You'll pick up where you left off. Use this to resume
playing after you've taken a break to check your status.
3. Let the Computer Play: This valuable tool allows you to
tell the computer to play a given number of hands
according to the strategy and playing conditions you've
select. Far better than any book explanation, it will
demonstrate how differences in rules and strategies can
affect the outcome of the game--and the size of your wins
or losses. It's also fun to watch. In the User-Supported
Version, Auto-Play is limited to 200 hands at a time. In
the Enhanced Version, Auto-Play is unlimited.
4. Status for this Session: This will show you statistical
information for the current session, with an optional
printout.
5. View or Change Setup: This will take you to the setup
screen. There you'll have the opportunity to change
betting and playing conditions to reflect the rules at
various casinos. Some of these options are available only
in the ENHANCED Video Blakjak. If you have the enhanced
version, you'll be able to tell the computer to print out
or record on disk the results of each hand played. For
information on the Setup procedure, see Page 27.
6. Change Strategy: This will allow you to switch from the
standard BASIC playing strategy to an advanced, card
counting strategy.
7. Registration Form: We've made it VERY easy to register.
When you choose this option, an on-screen registration
Video Blakjak Page 9
form will appear. Just fill in the information, and the
program will print out the form. Send the form to Federal
Hill Software, and we'll rush you the ENHANCED Video
Blakjak right away.
8. Quit: This will terminate the program and return you to
DOS.
2.5 Initial Setup
As we mentioned above, you can customize Video Blakjak for any
particular casino and various playing conditions. See the Chapter
on configuration settings, Page 27. If you want to start playing
right away, here are the default settings:
6 Decks in the Shoe
Sound Effects On
Double Down on any Two Cards
Double after Split Allowed
Surrender Allowed
Card Count is Displayed
Dealer Stands on Soft 17
Deck Shuffled after 75% of cards are played.
Your starting pot: $5,000
Table Limit: $200
Minimum Bet: $10
Strategy: Basic
Monitor: Monochrome
Video Blakjak Page 10
Chapter 3
Playing Video Blakjak
This chapter assumes that you know the rules of Blackjack.
Unfortunately, many players sit down at a table without knowing
all the rules. If you have any questions about the rules, see the
chapter on rules starting on Page 21 before you start playing. If
you're anxious to start playing now, read on.
When you select "1" or "2" from the Main Menu, you'll be
taken to the blackjack table. The table is divided into four
areas:
* The main playing area, at the left, contains boxes that
display the current card totals for you and the dealer.
The cards will be dealt to the right of the boxes.
* The wagering box at the lower left is where you will enter
the amount of your wager.
* The Information Area, to the right of the wagering box,
will display information about your choices and the
results of each hand.
* The status box, at the right of the screen, displays
current information including your pot, the dealer's pot,
hands played, hands won, hands lost, and push (tied)
hands.
* At the bottom right of the status box, the current and
running card counts will be displayed if you have chosen
that option from the Setup screen.
Video Blakjak Page 11
The diagram below shows a typical playing screen.
+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
: : STATUS BOX :
: DEALER : +-----------------------+ :
: +----+ : : Your Pot : 5,065.00 : :
: : : : : House Pot: 19,935.00 : :
: : : : : Status : +65.00 : :
: +----+ : +-----------------------+ :
: : +-----------------------+ :
: : : Hands Played: 54 : :
: : : Hands Won : 26 : :
: : : Hands Lost : 23 : :
: : : Push Hands: : 5 : :
: : +-----------------------+ :
: : +-----------+-----------+ :
: PLAYER : : (H)it : su(R)rend : :
: +----+ : : (S)tand +-----------+ :
: : : : : (D)ouble :RCount:-14 : :
: : : : : s(P)lit :TCount: -3 : :
: +----+ : +-----------+-----------+ :
+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
: +-------------------+ Hit ENTER to bet $10 :
: : Your Bet: 10 : Enter new amount to change wager :
: +-------------------+ ENTER "0" to Quit. :
+------------------------------------------------------------+
3.1 Wagering
When a hand begins, you'll be asked to enter your wager. You have
three choices.
* If you want to repeat the last wager you made, just hit
the ENTER key. The amount of that wager will be placed in
the box. If you are just starting a session, hitting ENTER
will place the minimum wager.
* To enter a new wager, type the amount of the wager and hit
ENTER. Wagers must be whole dollar amounts. The maximum
and minimum wagers are determined in the Setup Screen. The
default minimum wager (the minimum set by the program if
you haven't changed the setup) is $10. The default table
limit is $200. You can change these at any time. If you
attempt to enter a wager that is too high or two low,
you'll be returned to the wagering box to try again.
Video Blakjak Page 12
* TO LEAVE THE BLAKJAK TABLE: To leave the table and return
to the Main Menu, type the number Zero in the wager box
and hit ENTER. Make sure you type a Zero, and not the
letter "O". THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT FROM THE BLAKJAK
TABLE.
3.2 Playing the Hand
Once you've placed your wager, you and the dealer will each
get two cards. Your cards are at the bottom. The dealer's cards
are at the top. One of the dealer's cards will be face down. This
is known as the dealer's HOLE CARD.
At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the message "Your
Choice: ", followed by a string of letters. These letters
represent keystrokes for different playing options. Type one of
these letters to do the following:
H - Hit: The dealer will give you another card.
S - Stand: You're satisfied with your hand and it's time for
the dealer to play.
D - Double down: Your initial bet will be doubled and you'll
get one more card. This is an option ONLY after the the first two
cards have been dealt. If you've selected restrictive doubling,
you'll have this option only if your two-card total is 10 or 11.
P - Split: You can split only if your first two cards have
the same point value. For example, you can split a "7,7", a
"10,10" or a "10,Queen." You can only split once. You can't split
on a split. When you split, you will automatically place a wager
equal to the amount of your original wager on the second hand of
the split. You will play each of the split hands separately.
R - Surrender: If surrender is allowed in your setup, you
may surrender your hand after the first two cards. You'll lose
half your wager and a new hand will be dealt. A surrendered hand
is counted as a lost hand in the statistical summaries.
C - Cheat: This will display the recommended action
according to the strategy you've chosen. The recommendation will
appear as a blinking letter in the lower right-hand corner of the
screen.
Video Blakjak Page 13
A - Assistance: This is a more sophisticated form of
cheating. You'll be shown a screen displaying information about
your hand, the status of the deck, and a recommended action. At
this point, you can press "C" to see a detailed Card Layout or
"T" to return to the table. For a discussion of the Assistance
Screen, see Page 16.
ESC - Hit the ESC key if the boss walks in. A spreadsheet
screen will pop up. This isn't just a junk screen. It shows the
margins of error pollsters encounter when they survey groups of
different sizes. If anybody asks, you're doing statistical
research. To return to the table, strike any key.
If you "BUST," or go over 21, you're an automatic loser. The
dealer does not play out his hand.
If you stand, the dealer will play out his hand (See the
section on Dealer's Rules, Page 25.)
When a hand is complete, you'll see the results at the
bottom of the screen. Hit ENTER to go onto the next hand.
3.2.1 Insurance
If the dealer has an Ace showing after the first two cards
are dealt, you'll be asked if you want "Insurance" (if insurance
is an option). This gives you the opportunity to "Insure" against
the dealer having Blackjack.
To buy insurance, type "Y".
If you don't want insurance, type "N".
If you buy insurance, you place an additional wager equal to
half your original bet. If the dealer has Blackjack, you lose
your original wager, but you get a 2-1 payoff on your insurance
bet. The net result is a zero for the hand, just as if you'd
never wagered.
If the dealer doesn't have Blackjack, you lose your
insurance bet but go on playing the hand.
Insurance is NOT a good buy when you're playing a basic
strategy, and only rarely if you're playing an advanced strategy.
Most serious Blackjack players consider it a sucker bet.
Video Blakjak Page 14
3.2.2 Splitting
If you choose to split a pair (or two cards with a 10
value), you'll see two hands appear on the screen. You'll play
the lower hand first, then the upper hand. Arrows will point
toward the hand you're currently playing.
Playing split hands is very much like playing regular hands.
There are a couple of exceptions.
* If you should wind up with another pair in one of your
split hands, you can't split again. Some casinos allow
this, but the size of your computer screen doesn't.
* You may or may not be allowed to double down on a split
hand. This depends on the rules of the house, which are
reflected in your configuration setup. See Page 27.
* If you split a pair of Aces, you get only one additional
card for each Ace. Should either of those hands total 21,
you're not an automatic winner, as you would be with a
standard hand. The dealer gets his turn. If he gets a 21,
it's a PUSH, or tie hand.
3.3 The Status Box
The Status Box at the right of the playing screen shows you
what's happening at any given point.
At the top of the box, you'll see your current pot, the
dealer's pot, and your monetary status--how much you've won or
lost. A positive value means you're ahead. A negative value means
you're behind.
Below that the box you'll see the number of hands you've
played, the number you've won, the number you've lost, and the
number of "Push," or tie hands.
At the bottom of the status box you'll see two fields
labeled "RCount" and "TCount." These stand for running count and
true count, respectively. You can turn these on or off from your
setup screen. For an explanation of the two counts, see the
section on Card Counting, Page 39.
Video Blakjak Page 15
3.4 The Assistance Screen
If you're really stuck or just want a quick glance at the
progression of the current hand, you can choose "A" for
"assistance" any time you're deciding whether to hit or stand.
Here is a sample Assistance screen.
==========================================================
Your current hand is a HARD 16. Split is possible.
Dealer's up card: 10. Probability of dealer busting is 23%
Basic Strategy Recommendation: SURRENDER this hand
There have been 110 Cards played out of 312.
Current Running Card Count is +1
True Card Count is 0
=========================================================
Hit "C" for Card Detail, "T" to Return to the Table
=========================================================
To return to the table, type the letter "T".
To get a breakdown of the cards remaining in the deck, hit
"C" and you'll get a table that looks like this:
Card No. Pct. +/-
A 17 8.4 +0.7
2 18 8.9 +1.2 This table shows how many of each
3 19 9.4 +1.7 Card remain in the shoe, and the
4 11 5.4 -2.2 percentage of the shoe each card
5 16 7.9 +0.2 represents. Normally, 10 value
6 17 8.4 +0.7 cards make up 31 percent of the
7 14 6.9 -0.8 deck. Others make up 7.7 pct.
8 12 5.9 -1.8
9 14 6.9 -0.8 Running Count: +1
10 65 32.2 +1.4 True Count: +0
TOT: 202 64.7
The first column refers to the card value. The second is the
number of cards with that value remaining in the deck. The third
column shows the percentage of the deck represented by that card.
Video Blakjak Page 16
The fourth column shows, in percentage points, the excess or
deficit of that card compared to a strictly random distribution.
3.5 The Status Report
When You choose the Status Report from the Main Menu, you'll
see a screen showing complete statistics for the current session.
Each time you resume a session and return to the Main Menu, the
status report will be updated with the latest figures. Here's a
sample report (broken into a single column to accommodate the
margins on your printer):
VIDEO BLAKJAK STATUS REPORT
Statistics for Current Session
Hands Played: 200
Hands Won: 82
Hands Lost: 100
Push Hands: 18
Win Pct: 41.0%
Starting Pot: +5,000.00
Current Pot: +5,005.00
Total Wagered: +3,280.00
Gain/Loss: +5.00
Pct. Gain/Loss: + 0.15%
Highest: +30.00
Lowest: -195.00
Player Blackjack: 7
Dealer Blackjack: 12
Tot% Lost%
------------
Player Busted: 18 9.0% 18.0%
Dealer Busted: 48 24.0% 58.5%
Insurance Offered: 16
Insurance Bought: 0
Ins. Paid Off: 0
Declined/BJ: 5 31.3%
Hands Surrendered: 7
When this screen is displayed, you'll be asked if you want a
printout. If you do, type "Y" and the report will be sent to your
Video Blakjak Page 17
printer. If you don't want a printout, type "N" and you'll return
to the Main Menu.
Most of the information is self-explanatory. But we'll go
over a few of the interesting items.
* Win Pct.: This is the percentage of hands won. In this
case, you've won 82 out of 200 hands, which translates
into 41 percent. You will often find yourself losing more
hands than you win, even with an advanced system. However,
the Blackjack payoff at 3-2 and your ability to split and
double mean that you'll often wind up ahead in dollars,
even if you haven't won a majority of the hands played.
* Total Wagered: This is the total amount you've wagered. It
may be substantially greater than your bankroll, because
you win money and lose money repeatedly over the course of
a session. In fact, the $3,280 wagered during this session
could have been managed with a stake as small as $200. The
odds in favor of the casino or player are calculated as a
percentage of this total wager.
* Pct. Gain/Loss: This represents the percentage of the
TOTAL AMOUNT WAGERED that you've won or lost. Casinos and
players consider this the important statistic. When we
talk about changing the odds by intelligent play, we're
talking about changing the net percentage of the total
wagered in favor of the player or dealer.
* Highest/Lowest: These dollar figures show your best and
worst showing during the course of the session. In this
instance, the player was $30 ahead at his highest point
and $195 down at the lowest point. Knowing the expected
high and low points for sessions of various lengths can
help you make intelligent decisions about staying in the
game or quitting.
* Player/Dealer Busted: This figures show how many times the
player and the dealer busted. The first percentage figure
to the right of these numbers shows the percentage of
total hands that the player and dealer busted. The second
figure shows the percentage of losing hands that were the
result of the player or dealer busting.
* Insurance: These figures show how many times the dealer
offered insurance (with an Ace showing), how many times
the player bought insurance, and how many times that
insurance paid off. The percentage figure shows what
Video Blakjak Page 18
percentage of hands in which insurance was declined were
actually Dealer Blackjacks.
3.6 Auto-Play
When you choose "Let The Computer Play" from the Main Menu,
you'll be asked how many hands you want the computer to play.
Type a number between 2 and 200 and hit ENTER. If you don't want
to use the Auto-Play feature, just hit ENTER and you'll return to
the menu.
When you've typed a number of hands, you'll be asked, "Pause
Between Hands? (Y/N)"
If you type "Y" the computer will wait for you to hit ENTER
after it plays each hand. Use this if you want to examine the
play of each hand. If you type "N," the computer will play until
it's done, with no interruptions. This is faster for pure
statistical research purposes.
The computer will automatically begin a new session and play
the number of hands you've chosen. It will play according to the
strategy currently in effect, BASIC or ADVANCED. When it's
through, you'll be shown a status screen for the session.
How long it takes to play is a function of your computer's
microprocessor. On a standard XT-compatible running at 4.77 mHz,
the computer will pay about a hand a second. On a 20 mHZ, 80386
machine, it will play four to six hands per second. To get the
maximum speed and preserve your sanity, it's a good idea to turn
sound effects off from the Setup Screen before engaging Auto-
Play.
The Enhanced Video Blakjak offers two major improvments to
auto-play. First, you can tell the computer to play as many hands
as you wish. Second, you may use Auto-Play to continue a session
you've already begun.
3.7 Change Strategy
This Main Menu choice will allow you to switch from the
BASIC Blackjack Strategy to the ADVANCED, Point Count Method. The
computer's hits and Auto-Play strategy will be based on thhe
strategy you've chosen.
Video Blakjak Page 19
When you select "Change Strategy" from the Main Menu, you'll
be asked, "Do you want BASIC or ADVANCED Strategy? (B/A)." Type
"B" for the BASIC strategy or "A" for Advanced Strategy.
Video Blakjak Page 20
Chapter 4
The General Rules of Blackjack
Blackjack, or "21," is a popular game around the world,
although it goes by various names. For example, the English call
it "Van John" and Australians call it "Pontoon." Most of the
names are variations on the "21" theme. In Germany, the game is
called "Drei und Achtzehn," which translates into "Three and
Eighteen."
The basic rules of Blackjack apply to virtually every casino
in the world. However, there are a number of variations that can
have a major impact on your strategy and wagering patterns.
Blackjack is generally played at kidney-shaped tables that
can accommodate up to 7 players and a dealer. Each table has a
minimum bet requirement and a "table limit," or maximum allowable
bet. Tables are referred to by the size of the minimum required
bet; for example, a $2 table, a $5 table, or a $25 table. The
minimum bet and table limit may be changed as part of your Video
Blakjak Setup. See Page 27 for details.
In some casinos (Northern Nevada in particular), one or two
decks of cards are used. These are generally dealt from the
dealer's hand. In other areas, four, six or eight decks are used.
These are placed in an open box called a "shoe." The dealer
removes cards one at a time from a slot in the front of a shoe.
You can change the number of decks as part of your Video Blakjak
setup.
At the outset of a hand, each player places his wager in a
circle or other designated betting area on the table in front of
his seat.
The dealer puts two cards before each player, including
himself. The players' cards may be face up or face down,
depending on the casino. One of the dealer's cards is always face
up, and the other is always face down. The down card is called
the dealer's Hole Card.
The point of the game is to get cards totaling as close to
21 as possible without going over 21. Each player plays his hand
against the dealer. When all players have finished playing, the
dealer plays his hand.
Video Blakjak Page 21
4.1 Card Values
Here's how the cards are counted:
* All numbered cards are counted at face value.
* All picture cards (Jack, Queen and King) are counted as
10.
* An Ace may be counted as 1 or 11.
4.1.1 Hard and Soft Hands
A hand that containing an Ace that can be counted as 1 or 11
is called a SOFT hand. A hand that does not contain Aces, or a
hand in which counting an Ace as 11 would put you over 21, is
known as a HARD hand.
We likewise refer to hand totals as HARD or SOFT. And we
always refer to SOFT hand totals by the highest possible count.
For example:
10,7 is a HARD 17.
A,6 is a SOFT 17 (It can also be counted as 7).
10,6,A is a HARD 17
4.1.2 Blackjack
If a player or dealer is dealt an Ace and a 10-card at the
outset of a hand, he has a natural 21, or BLACKJACK.
When a dealer has an Ace or 10 showing, most casinos require
him to look at his cards to see if he does have Blackjack.
If a dealer has Blackjack, he automatically wins and
collects bets from all players who do not also have Blackjack.
If the player has Blackjack and the dealer doesn't, the
player automatically wins.
The payoff for a player's Blackjack is 3-2. So if you
wagered $10 on a hand, Blackjack would result in a $25 payoff
(your original $10 wager plus 1.5 X $10, or $15).
Video Blakjak Page 22
4.2 Hitting and Standing
If neither player nor dealer has Blackjack, the player has
the option of HITTING or STANDING.
When a player tells the dealer he wants to HIT, he is dealt
another card. If his total is still less than 21, he has the
option of HITTING or STANDING again, and so on.
When a player STANDS, he tells the dealer he doesn't want
any more cards. If there are other players at the table, they
proceed in turn. When all players are finished, the dealer plays
his hand.
4.3 BUSTING
When a player is dealt a card that puts his hard total over
21, he has BUSTED his hand. The hand is over and the player loses
his wager.
The dealer does not have to play out his hand against a
BUSTED player, although he must play his hand against any other
players at the table who have not BUSTED.
4.4 Special Two-Card Options
When the first two cards have been dealt, the player may
have several options besides basic hitting or standing.
4.4.1 Doubling
When the first two cards are dealt, the player may have the
option of DOUBLING DOWN. This means he places a wager equal to
his original bet in the circle in front of his seat.
A player who has DOUBLED gets only one more card. The dealer
then continues with the next player (or his own hand, if the
DOUBLING player is the last one at the table).
Some casinos allow players to double on any two cards.
Others allow doubling only if the first two cards total 10 or 11.
Being allowed to DOUBLE on any two cards is advantageous to the
Video Blakjak Page 23
player. Doubling rules may be changed as part of your Video
Blakjak setup. See Page 27 for details.
Also, some casinos allow doubling on SPLIT hands. Others do
not allow this. Being allowed to DOUBLE on a split hand is
advantageous to the player. This can be changed as part of your
Video Blakjak Setup.
4.4.2 Splitting
If a player's first two cards have the same point value, he
may SPLIT his hand. For example, a player can split a 9,9 or a
10,Queen (since the 10 and Queen have the same point value).
The player who splits places an amount equal to his original
wager in the circle in front of his seat. The two cards are
split, and each becomes the first card of a separate hand.
Split hands are played normally, with a few exceptions.
* Some casinos allow doubling on the first two cards of a
split hand. Other do not allow doubling after a split.
This can be changed as part of your Video Blakjak Setup.
* If the first two cards of a split hand have the same point
value, some casinos allow the player to declare another
split (with another wager). Other casinos do not allow
splits on splits. Video Blakjak does not allow splits on
splits.
* If a player splits a pair of Aces, he gets only one more
card for each hand. Play then moves to the next player, or
to the dealer if the splitting player is the last one at
the table.
4.4.3 Surrender
When the first two cards are dealt, some casinos allow a
player to SURRENDER. A player would normally surrender if he
thinks his hand will lose.
When a player surrenders, he loses half his bet. The other
half is returned to him. The dealer continues with the next
player. You can turn surrender on or off through the Video
Blakjak setup screen. See Page 27 for details.
Video Blakjak Page 24
4.5 The Dealer's Rules
One of the advantages a Blackjack player has is that the
dealer must play his hand by a strict set of rules. They are as
follows:
The dealer must HIT, or draw a card, if he has 16 or less.
The dealer must STAND if he has 17 or more.
If the dealer's hand contains one or more Aces, an Ace must
count as 11 unless it will put the dealer over 21. A hand with an
Ace that can be counted in two ways is known as a SOFT hand. If
counting an Ace as 11 will put the dealer's total between 17 and
21, it must be counted as an 11.
There is one exception to these rules. In some casinos, the
dealer must HIT a Soft 17 (for example, an A-6). This gives the
house a little extra advantage. You should always be sure you
know how the dealer treats a Soft 17. You can adjust this rule in
your configuration setup screen.
4.6 Who Wins and How Much
If the player's total is higher than the dealer's, the
player wins. He is paid even money. This means a $10 wager
returns $20 (the original wager plus $10).
If the player and dealer have equal point totals, the hand
is known as a PUSH hand. The player's original wager is returned.
Some Video Blackjack machines that accept bets of less than $2 do
not return the player's money on a PUSH hand unless a minimum
amount is wagered (generally $2). This is VERY DISADVANTAGEOUS to
the player. If you're going to play one of these machines, always
wager the minimum amount that will cause a bet on a PUSH hand to
be returned. Likewise, a very few casinos don't return your bet
on a PUSH hand. Do NOT play in one of these casinos. It's
virtually impossible to win.
If a player has Blackjack and the dealer doesn't, the payoff
is 3-2. A $10 wager would therefore return $25 (the original bet
plus 1-1/2 times $10).
A natural 21 on the first two cards of a split hand is not
Blackjack. The dealer still gets his turn. If the dealer gets a
Video Blakjak Page 25
21, the result is a PUSH hand and the player's wager for that
hand is returned. If the dealer does not get 21, the payoff is
even money.
Video Blakjak Page 26
Chapter 5
Video Blakjak Setup
While many computer Blackjack simulations area available
today, most are designed for simple play and amusement. Video
Blakjak takes this a step forward by letting you tailor the game
to simulate different casino rules and strategies.
Variations in the rules and strategies can have a profound
effect on your ability to win money at the Blackjack table.
Practicing under the rules you'll actually encounter is important
if you want to leave the casino with more money than you brought.
When you choose Option 5 from the Main Menu, you'll see the
Video Blakjak Setup screen. It lists the various options and
allows you to change them. The screen looks like this:
------------------------------------------------------------
Video Blakjak Setup Screen
-----------------------------------+------------------------
:
How many Decks? (1-8): 6 : True Count Ratio of
Sound Effects? (Y/N): N : Min Bet.
Double on Any Two Cards? (Y/N): Y : -5 1.0
Double After Split? (Y/N): Y : -4 1.0
Surrender Allowed? (Y/N): Y : -3 1.0
Display Card Count? (Y/N): Y : -2 1.0
Dealer Stands on Soft 17? (Y/N): Y : -1 1.0
Shuffle Percentage (25-85): 75 : 0 1.0
Player Starting Pot: 5000 : +1 2.0
House Starting Pot: 20000 : +2 3.0
Table Limit: 100 : +3 4.0
Minimum Wager: 10 : +4 5.0
Log session to Printer? (Y/N): N : +5 6.0
Log session to Disk? (Y/N): N : +6 6.0
Log File Name: BJ +------------------------
Default Strategy (A/B): A : Use ENTER or ARROW keys
Monitor Type (C/M): C : Hit ESC When through.
-----------------------------------+------------------------
To change any of the values on the screen, just type a new
value in place of the old one. You can move from item to item by
using the Up or Down arrow keys or by hitting the ENTER key. If
you don't want to change a particular value, just skip over it.
Video Blakjak Page 27
When you reach the last item, the cursor will automatically cycle
back to the first.
For items with single-character settings (such as "Y" or
"N"), you do not have to hit ENTER. The cursor will automatically
jump to the next item when you type a character. For items that
require more than a single character (such as monetary amounts),
type your information and hit ENTER to move on to the next item.
* When you're through with the Setup Screen, hit the ESC
key.
* A message will appear at the bottom asking if the
information is correct.
* If the information is correct, type "Y" and the
information will be stored on disk in the BJ.CFG file. The
next time you run Video Blakjak, the program will remember
these settings.
* If the information is not correct, type "N" and you'll be
returned to the Setup Screen to enter the proper
information.
* When the Setup has been stored, you'll get a message
telling you to strike any key to return to the Main Menu.
Here's what the entries mean:
1. How many decks? Type a number between 1 and 8. This is the
number of decks in the shoe. Today, most casinos use a six
or eight-deck shoe, although some Northern Nevada casinos
still deal a one or two-deck game. The default setting
when you first run Video Blakjak is six decks.
2. Sound effects? Type "Y" if you want arcade style beeps,
bloops, dings and dongs. Type "N" if you prefer the game
to be played in silence.
3. Double on any two cards? Type "Y" if you want to be
allowed to DOUBLE DOWN on any two cards. Type "N" if you
want doubling to be limited to two-card totals of 10 or
11. The default allows doubling on any two cards.
4. Double after split? Type "Y" if doubling is allowed after
the first two cards of a split hand. Type "N" if doubling
is not allowed during a split. The default allows doubling
after a split.
Video Blakjak Page 28
5. Surrender Allowed? Type "Y" if you want the surrender
option. Type "N" if you don't want the program to allow
surrender. The default setting allows surrender.
6. Display Card Count? Type "Y" if you want the running and
true card counts displayed on the playing screen. Type "N"
if you don't want the card counts displayed. By default,
the program displays card counts. For more information on
counting cards, see Page 39.
7. Dealer Stands on Soft 17? Type "Y" if you want the dealer
to stand on a "Soft" hand of 17 (A,6). Type "N" if you
don't want the dealer to stand on soft 17. If you choose
"N" the dealer will hit instead of standing on a soft 17.
By default the dealer will stand on soft 17.
8. Shuffle Percentage: Type a number between 25 and 85. This
is point at which the deck will be shuffled. If you choose
75, for example, the cards will be shuffled after 75
percent of the deck has been played (actually, a few cards
beyond 75 percent will be dealt because shuffles only
occur after a hand is completed).
9. Player Starting Pot: Type a number between 1 and 99999.
This is the size of your bankroll. If you lose it all,
you'll be returned to the Main Menu. You can get more
money by starting a new session. This is why practicing
with a computer is preferable to practicing in the casino.
The default is $5,000 (Why not be a big spender?). If you
select Auto-Play, make sure you have enough money so that
you don't go broke.
10. Dealer Starting Pot: This is the size of the dealer's
bankroll. The default is $20,000. Normally, there's no
need to change this, but some people might want to adjust
it downward to get the thrill of breaking the bank. Or,
you can adjust it upward if you want to play for really
high stakes.
11. Table limit: Type a number between 2 and 1000. This is the
maximum bet you can place. In most casinos, you'll find
the maximum is $1,000. This usually occurs at tables where
the minimum bet is $100.
12. Minimum Bet: This is the minimum bet for the table. Type a
number between 2 and 1000. At most casinos, $2 is the
minimum, but in practice, it's often hard to find a $2
Video Blakjak Page 29
table. You're more likely to find $5 table with an
opening. The default is $10. We're big spenders, too.
13. Log Session to Printer? This is an option only with the
Enhanced Video Blakjak program. It will print out each
hand (including all the cards played, the wager, and the
player's running cash total). If you're using the
Shareware version of the program, changing this value to
"Y" will not result in a printout of each hand.
14. Log Session to Disk? This is an option only with the
Enhanced Video Blakjak program. It's just like logging the
session to your printer, except that the information will
be placed in a file on your disk drive. The file is a
standard ASCII text file that can be sent to the printer
via the DOS print command or viewed with any word
processor. If you're using the Shareware version of the
program, changing this value to "Y" will not result in
logging the session to disk.
15. Log File: This is an option only with the Enhanced Video
Blakjak program. It's the name of the file in which you
want the record of your session saved if you choose the
Disk Logging option. The default filename is BJ. The
filename you choose will always be given the .LOG
extension.
16. Default Strategy: This determines which strategy (Basic or
Advanced) the program will assume when you run it. Type
"B" for Basic Strategy or "A" for Advanced Strategy.
17. Monitor Type: Type "C" if you have a color monitor and
you'll play the game in beautiful living color. Type "M"
and you'll play in beautiful Monochrome. If you're running
the program on a Laptop computer with a Liquid Crystal
Display that emulates a color monitor, choose Monochrome
anyway for best results.
18. Ratio of Minimum Bet: This option is available only in the
Enhanced Video Blakjak program. When you let the computer
play for research purposes, it varies the size of your
wager with the true card count. The number for each count
is a multiple of the minimum bet. Changing these numbers
will not affect anything in the Shareware version of the
program.
Video Blakjak Page 30
Chapter 6
Blackjack Strategies
In the 1950's, serious students of Blackjack began wondering
whether it would be possible to develop scientific strategies
that would give the player an advantage over the house.
These researchers were not professional gamblers, but
mathematicians, game theorists and others with advanced
professional training in statistics. In fact, the first truly
scientific study of the game was published in the Journal of the
American Statistical Association in 1956 by Roger Baldwin,
Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel and James McDermott. Their basic
strategy, the result of three years of excruciating work with
desk calculators, served as a building block for later
researchers.
Two of those researchers in particular are credited with
with developing the strategies used by serious Blackjack players
today. They not only had strong scientific backgrounds, but they
also had access to mainframe computers which enabled them to play
millions of hands to develop and test their theories.
Edward O. Thorp was a professor of mathematics at the
University of California at Irvine when he published "Beat the
Dealer" in 1962. Using an IBM 704 computer, he refined the work
of Baldwin's team and developed the first workable "point count"
theory. He became an instant celebrity, and the book became a
national best-seller.
As a result, casino owners changed the rules of the game to
make it less favorable to the player. While Thorp's systems are
generally regarded as being too complex for the average player,
(and new playing conditions make some of Thorp's strategies
impossible) "Beat the Dealer" remains the Bible of the game for
those who want a solid background in Blackjack theory.
As an interesting footnote, Thorp used some of the same
tools to analyze the stock market and founded an investment
consulting firm that provided its clients with spectacular
successes in the 1970's and 1980's. He retired from active
investment consulting in 1990.
Video Blakjak Page 31
Thorp's work was later analyzed and refined by Julian Braun,
a computer scientist with IBM. Braun is credited with developing
the simplified point count strategy used by most players today.
His system was detailed in his 1975 book entitled "How to Play
Winning Blackjack," another must for anyone seriously interested
in studying the game.
Since Thorp's book was published, there has been a constant
battle between "card counters" and casino owners. As counters
have refined their strategies, casino owners have countered with
ever more restrictive rules. In many cases, casinos have
increased the number of decks in the shoe, which makes it more
difficult for a player to gain an advantage. Decks are shuffled
more frequently. Where one or two-deck games still exist
(Northern Nevada, in particular), the rules of splitting,
doubling and surrender have been adjusted to take away much of
the player's advantage.
In Nevada, casinos may bar card counters from play, and
owners circulate names and pictures of suspected system players.
In Atlantic city, where the gaming commission has ruled that
casinos may not bar card counters, eight-deck shoes are common,
and shuffling techniques that make random distribution of cards
less likely have been employed.
Still, it's possible for a smart player to make money
playing Blackjack. In Nevada, where casinos have more control
over the rules, it's a matter of competition. The houses with the
most favorable rules generate the most business. Since most
players will lose anyway, the casinos still make plenty of money.
Even in Atlantic City, where the rules are more consistent,
casinos find that anti-card counter methods such as frequent
shuffles hurt business because they reduce volume.
Our own research shows that even with a basic, non-counting
system, an intelligent Blackjack player who knows how to pace
himself, when to quit, and is willing to accept a series of small
profits instead of a blue-sky big payoff, can wind up ahead of
the game.
6.1 The Economics of Blackjack
If you've played Blackjack in a casino, you've noticed that
there's an ebb and flow to the game. You'll win a few hands, lose
a few hands. If you start with $500 and play for an hour or two,
you may wind up a slightly ahead--or more likely, slightly
Video Blakjak Page 32
behind. Unless you're making foolish moves or ridiculous bets,
you probably won't walk out with enough to buy a new Mercedes,
but you probably won't end up dead broke, either.
Casino owners aren't interested in the size of your
bankroll, but in how much you wager. Let's say you start with
$500 and sit down at a table with a minimum $5 bet. You double
and split aggressively and bet the minimum most of the time, with
a maximum of $30. After 100 hands of blackjack, you've broken
even. But over that period, you've wagered a total of $1,000.
The $1,000 you wagered is the casino's "action." Its profits
or losses are reckoned as a percentage of that amount. In most
casinos, the rules (and the ignorance of most Blackjack players)
give the house a 5 percent edge. This means the casino will keep
5 percent, or $50 of every $1,000 bet. You may be a winner today
and the next guy may be a loser, but overall, the casino makes
its 5 percent.
If you're a businessman, you'll probably say that a five
percent return on sales isn't a very good margin, and you're
right. But if you do a big volume you can make a LOT of money.
Supermarkets operate on this theory. They make 1/2 to 1 percent
profit on sales, but they generate huge sales volumes.
The problem with depending on volume is that things can turn
rather nastily against you. If you make a penny on each dollar
and generate $100 million in sales, you're up $1 million. But if
you're not careful about costs, shrinkage and returns, you might
lose a penny on each dollar. That's a $1 million loss. There
isn't any cushion.
Because most Blackjack players are not proficient, the
casino's margin is virtually guaranteed by mathematical
certainty. But a smart Blackjack player can narrow that margin
considerably and even turn the tables slightly in his favor. As
we've seen, the percentage switch doesn't have to be that large
if the volume is high enough. A team of card counters descending
on a casino can create substantial losses in a short period of
time. This is why casinos do their best to discourage counting
and set up rules that will guarantee their profit.
On the other hand, casinos cannot promote rules so
restrictive that they would hurt business and decrease volume.
You can foil almost any card-counting scheme by using an eight
deck shoe and shuffling it halfway through. But that would slow
down play tremendously (decreasing volume) and turn many players
Video Blakjak Page 33
away. People come to the casino to play Blackjack, not to watch
card shuffling.
Card counting aside, volume is one reason casinos are
gravitating toward tables with higher minimum bets. There are
fewer and fewer $2 tables available. A $2 table doesn't generate
much volume, even when it's full. If the same players can be
persuaded to play $5 hands, the volume (and take) have more than
doubled, while the casino's expense is the same.
6.2 Tipping the Edge
When playing casino Blackjack, it's virtually impossible to
tip the odds greatly in your favor over the long run. But you can
nudge them a little. That little nudge is all it takes to make
your trip to the casino profitable. Basic and Advanced Blackjack
strategies are aimed at moving the percentage of wagers collected
a few tenths of a percentage point in the the player's favor.
In this chapter, we'll talk about two kinds of strategies.
The first is a Basic strategy which requires that you remember
only a few simple rules. Given casino countermeasures, it's not
as effective as it once was, but it will give you a shot at
making some money.
The second strategy involves so-called "card counting."
Counting cards is not nearly so mysterious or difficult as many
would have you believe. But it does require some concentration
and practice. It will also yield better results if pursued with
discipline and patience.
6.3 Why Not Play Like the Dealer?
Many novice Blackjack players figure that if the dealer can
make money playing by his rules, they should be able to do the
same thing. There's nothing further from the truth.
Although the dealer is bound by the house rules (hit on 16
or less and stand on 17 or more), he has a major advantage. If
you bust your hand, you lose automatically. The dealer doesn't
have to play the rest of his cards against your hand.
As a result, research shows, playing the dealer's rules will
result in a net, long-term loss of 5.6 percent of the total
Video Blakjak Page 34
amount you wager. In real terms, suppose you play 200 hands of
Blackjack and wager $10 a hand. Your total wager would be about
$2,000 (this can vary with splits and doubles). If you adopt the
dealer's playing rules, you can virtually count on losing $112.
This is hardly the strategy we're looking for.
The house does give players a chance to overcome this
disadvantage through the 3-2 Blackjack payoff and the options of
doubling, splitting and surrender. Knowing when to hit and stand,
when to split or double, and when to take advantage of the
distribution of the cards to increase the size of your bet can
make the odds more favorable.
6.4 Basic Strategy
The Basic Strategy is at the heart of most Blackjack
systems. It assumes a random distribution of cards. It requires
that you remember a fairly simple set of rules based on your hand
and the dealer's up card. The Basic Strategy is built into Video
Blakjak's on-screen recommendations if you choose to use it.
Depending on the rules, a Basic strategy will generally
reduce the house's natural advantage to something approaching
zero. In some cases, you'll have a slight advantage. These
differences are measured in tenths and hundredths of a percentage
point. Either way, the nullification of the house's edge gives a
smart player the chance to make some money.
Before getting into the Basic Strategy rules, it's a good
idea to familiarize yourself with the overall distribution of the
cards and the possibility that the dealer will bust, based on the
card he is showing.
The overall distribution is simple. Cards with a value of 10
make up 31 percent of the deck. Other cards account for about 7.7
percent each.
The probability of the dealer busting is a little more
complex. Here's the way it looks:
Video Blakjak Page 35
6.4.1 Probability of Dealer Busting
TABLE NO. 1
PROBABILITY OF DEALER BUSTING
Up Card Probability that dealer
Value Will Bust (%)
============================================
2 35.3
3 37.6
4 40.3
5 42.9
6 42.1
7 26.0
8 23.9
9 23.3
10 21.4
A 11.6
============================================
As you can see, even if you have a two card total of 4, you
can stand on your hand and win more than 40 percent of the time
when the dealer has an up card of 4, 5 or 6. If you play your
hand with even a minimum of common sense, you're pretty likely to
win the hand. If you take the opportunity to double your bet, or
slit a pair when you face a 4, 5 or 6, you can push your
advantage even further.
Likewise, the dealer is quite unlikely to bust when the has
a 7 or better showing. So you need an entirely different strategy
when the dealer is showing strength.
6.4.2 Basic Hitting and Standing - Hard Hand
In the following tables, your hand will be shown in the
left hand column, while the dealer's up card will be shown across
the top.
First, the basic hitting and standing rules. (Note: All
tables assume a four to eight deck shoe. It's possible to adjust
the table for one or two decks, but the advantage gained is
slight).
Video Blakjak Page 36
TABLE NO. 2
BASIC HIT, STAND AND DOUBLE RULES
YOU HAVE A HARD HAND
Dealer Shows
Your
Hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
============================================
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 D D D D D D D D D H
10 H D D D D H H H H H
9 H D D D D H H H H H
8- H H H H H H H H H H
S=STAND H=HIT D=DOUBLE
If you look closely at this table, you'll notice a couple of
patterns.
First, the dealer's strongest position occurs when he has a
7 through Ace showing. You have to play aggressively to have any
chance of beating him. This means hitting 14, 15 and 16. You'll
wind up busting a lot of these hands, but you'll wind up winning
more than if you stand.
There's a good reason for this. When the dealer has a 7 or
better showing, the probability that he will bust is 26 percent
or less (See Table 1 above). Moreover, the probability that he
can beat a 16, 15 or 14 is better than even.
The dealer's weakest position occurs when he has a three
through six showing. Five and six are particularly bad news for
the dealer. He has a relatively high probability of busting. For
this reason you can stand on relatively low totals and double
aggressively when you have the advantage of a 9, 10 or 11.
Likewise, your strongest position occurs when you have 11.
If you have 11, you should DOUBLE against all dealer up cards
except an Ace.
Video Blakjak Page 37
6.4.3 Basic Hitting and Standing - Soft Hand
TABLE NO. 3
BASIC HIT, STAND and DOUBLE RULES
YOU HAVE A SOFT HAND
Dealer Shows
Your
Hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
============================================
19+ S S S S S S S S S S
18 S D D D D S S H H H
17 H D D D D H H H H H
16 H H D D D H H H H H
15 H H D D D H H H H H
14 H H H D D H H H H H
13 H H H D D H H H H H
12 H H H H H H H H H H
S=STAND H=HIT D=DOUBLE
Notice that the rules for soft hand play are quite
different. Some of them, such as the decision to double or hit on
a soft 18 or 17, would seem to go against common sense. But
research (and a mathematical look at card distribution) shows
that you'll better off making this decision over the long run.
6.4.4 Basic Splitting Rules
TABLE NO. 4
BASIC STRATEGY SPLITTING RULES
Split Dealer Shows
Card 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 10 A
================================================
2 P P P P P P H H H H
3 P P P P P P H H H H
4 H H H P P H H H H H
5 D D D D D D D D H H
6 P P P P P H H H H H
7 P P P P P P H H H H
8 P P P P P P P P P P
9 P P P P P S P P S S
10 S S S S S S S S S S
A P P P P P P P P P P
P=SPLIT H=HIT D=DOUBLE S=STAND
Video Blakjak Page 38
This table assumes that doubling after splitting is allowed.
This makes it more profitable to split aggressively. Video
Blakjak's internal rules are programmed for doubling after a
split. If you want to eliminate this rule, make the following
adjustments:
Do not split 4,4.
Hit on 2,2 or 3,3 against the dealer's 2 or 3
6.4.5 Insurance - A Bad Bet
If you're playing a BASIC strategy, don't buy insurance when
the dealer has an Ace showing. Without going into details of the
mathematics, consider that the odds are greater than 2-1 that the
dealer does not have Blackjack (10 cards account only 31.7
percent of the deck), while the payoff is only 2-1.
Over the long run, you'll wind up with a disadvantage of as
much as 6 percent if you buy insurance regularly. This is why
dealers will often encourage insurance. It's a free ride for the
house.
If you're counting cards, you can narrow this a bit, and
there are instances in which insurance is advisable. We'll
discuss those later.
6.5 Advanced Card Count Strategies
The Basic strategy we've just examined is based on the
assumption that the distribution of cards throughout the deck is
random. This means that at any time, we can expect 31 percent of
the deck to be 10-value cards, and 7.7 percent for each of the
other cards.
However, the deck is rarely distributed in this manner. As
play continues, there will be imbalances of various types of
cards. For example, an inordinate number of threes may be dealt
early. Or there could be three Blackjacks in a row, depleting the
10's and Aces.
This means that the odds are constantly changing. This makes
Blackjack unlike any other casino game. For example, the roulette
table always has the name numbers, and the chance of the ball
falling in any particular slot is always the same. But in
Video Blakjak Page 39
Blackjack, the chance of getting any particular card changes
constantly as the deck is depleted.
Obviously, the player who can remember every card played has
a definite advantage over the dealer. The dealer is bound by a
strict set of rules, while the player can alter his hitting,
standing, doubling and splitting strategy, as well as the size of
this wager.
We've all heard tales of people with "photographic memories"
who can tell you at any time exactly how many of each card have
been played. This is extremely difficult with a single deck of
cards, and virtually impossible with a six-deck shoe. In fact,
we've never met anyone who could do it.
So Blackjack researchers were faced with two formidable
tasks. First, they had to determine what advantage or
disadvantage the player faced given a surplus or deficit of
particular cards. Second, they had to develop a simple way for
the player to determine when those advantages or disadvantages
exist.
6.5.1 The Point Count Strategy
Thorp's research showed that a deficit of low value cards
tended to favor the player, while a deficit of high value cards
favored the dealer. He developed a fairly complex method of
assigning a plus or minus value to each card dealt. The player's
job was to keep a running total of these point values. When the
point value was high, the player would bet large amounts and
modify the Basic Strategy to be more aggressive about doubling
and splitting. This is a lot simpler than trying to remember how
many of each card have passed before your eyes, and it turned out
to be the basis for the strategies to follow.
After more research, Thorp, Braun and others came to the
conclusion that a complicated set of point values was not needed.
In fact, they determined that a player could do very well by
remembering that low cards had a point value of one, while high
cards had a value of minus one. Thus, starting with a running
total of zero when the deck is shuffled, players only have to add
or subtract one from the total when each card is dealt.
This point total is the "count" referred to when people talk
about "card counting." They're not really counting cards at all.
Card counting of this type is not difficult to learn; it just
takes some practice and concentration. The real difficulty is in
Video Blakjak Page 40
remembering what to do and how much to bet given different point
counts.
6.5.2 Point Count Differences
Ever since Thorp, Braun and their peers developed the first
point count strategy, the debate over card counting has centered
on just what point values to assign to each card played.
Video Blakjak uses a slightly modified version of the so-
called Hi-Opt point count described by Lance Humble and Carl
Cooper in "The World's Greatest Blackjack Book" (Doubleday, 1980,
1987). If you're looking for an understandable and entertaining
primer on the game, it's definitely worth buying.
The differences between single-level point counts are minor,
although the experts will fight duels to the death over which one
is better. We chose the Hi-Opt largely because it is somewhat
simpler than the others.
6.5.3 How to Count The Cards
Counting cards is actually very simple. When a 3, 4, 5 or 6
is dealt, add one to the running total. When a ten is dealt,
subtract one. All other cards count as zero and can be ignored.
In table form, the count looks like this:
Card Dealt: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
===================================================
Point Count: 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1 0
For those who might want to try alternate strategies, Braun
and Thorp also recommend adding one to the count when a 2 is
dealt, and subtracting one when an Ace is dealt. Since there are
an equal number of twos and aces, these will balance out in the
long run. Hi-Opt players believe it's not worth the extra effort.
However, much of the debate among Blackjack experts over the last
decade has revolved around just which cards to count as one and
which to count as -1. The most successful players learn one count
and stick to it. The Enhanced Video Blakjak allows you to set up
the count any way you desire.
6.5.3.1 A Practice Example
Here's an example to show you how the running point count
works. Let's say the following cards are dealt immediately after
a shuffle. Our running count starts with zero:
Video Blakjak Page 41
10 Q 5 A 9 3 4
The respective point values are:
-1
-1
+1
0
0
+1
+1
-----
+1
As you can see, the running count at the end of this string
of cards is +1. In normal play, the count will vary most of the
time between -4 and +4. Occasionally it will go as high as 18 or
19 in either direction. But as we'll see in the next section, the
running count is not always accurate. So we'll have to
compensate.
6.5.4 The True Count
The running count would be fine if we were playing a single
deck game. If you're playing single-deck Blackjack, it's all you
have to remember. In fact, all counting systems work best with
single-deck games.
Unfortunately, most casinos now use multiple-deck shoes.
Obviously, the removal of a single card from a six-deck shoe of
312 cards will not have anywhere near the impact that the removal
of the same card from a 52-card deck will have. So we have to
adjust the count proportionally to the size of the shoe.
This adjustment produces the "True Count," the count we use
to make betting and playing decisions. In simplest terms, the
True Count is the running count divided by the number of decks
remaining in the shoe. Mathematically, this can be expressed as:
True Count = Running Count/Decks Remaining
Since the top of the shoe is open, you can estimate the
number of decks remaining. However, this will take a little
practice. Just remember that the formula works the same whether
the count is positive or negative. Use normal rounding.
For example, if there are four decks remaining in the shoe
and the count is +8, the true count will be +2. If the running
Video Blakjak Page 42
count is -8, the true count will be -2. If the running count is
-1 and there are four decks remaining, the true count will be
considered zero.
6.6 What the True Count Means
The True Count is really an expression of whether the deck
favors the player or the dealer, and by how much.
A positive True Count means the deck favors the player. The
deck is rich in 10's and depleted in lower-value cards. With a
deck rich in 10-value cards, the dealer is more likely to bust,
since he's required to hit on 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. The player,
on the other hand, is not required to hit.
Ken Uston, the card-counter who gained widespread public
attention for his single-minded pursuit of decks with favorable
True Count values, was known to jump in and out of games with
huge wagers on a single hand. Unfortunately, this made him a
marked man in the casinos, and ostentatious play will do the same
for you. Casinos don't like card-counters. In Nevada, they'll
throw you out if they think you're card-counting. In Atlantic
City, they can't throw you out, but you'll find more frequent
shuffles (which, combined with the large shoe, makes it very
difficult to put a point-count strategy to work).
6.7 Point Count Strategy Tables
The following tables show a relatively easy-to-learn
modification of the Hi-Opt strategy. Some strategies require that
you remember different rules for true counts from -8 to 8. This
table requires that you memorize only true counts from -4 to 4.
While it may result in a few hundredths of a percentage point
difference in the odds, it's better to learn a simpler system
well than struggle with a harder system.
Video Blakjak Page 43
HARD HIT AND STAND
Dealer Shows
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
============================================
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 S 0 S
15 S S S S S H H H 3 H
14 -3 S S S S H H H H H
13 -1 -2 -3 S S H H H H H
12 2 1 0 -1 -1 H H H H H
HARD DOUBLING
11 D D D D D D D H -3 1
10 D D D D D D H -1 H 4
9 1 0 -2 H H 3 H H H H
8 H H H 3 2 H H H H H
7 H H H H H H H H H H
H=Hit S=Stand D=Double #=Trigger Number
The table above shows the rules for hitting, standing and
doubling when you have a HARD hand. It's a minor modification of
the Basic Strategy.
Where you see a number shown in the HIT/STAND portion of the
table, STAND if the True Count is GREATER than or EQUAL TO than
the number shown. HIT if the True Count is less than the number
shown.
Where numbers are displayed in the DOUBLING portion of the
table, DOUBLE if the True Count is GREATER THAN or EQUAL to the
number shown. Hit if the True Count is less than the number
shown.
SOFT STAND AND HIT
Dealer Shows
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
============================================
19 S S S S S S S S S S
18 S S S S S S S H H 1
17 H H H H H H H H H H
This table shows you strategies for hitting and standing
when you have a SOFT hand. As you can see, this is almost
identical to the Basic Strategy table. The only difference is
Video Blakjak Page 44
that you STAND on Soft 18 if the True Count is GREATER THAN or
EQUAL to 1. HIT a Soft 18 if the true count is LESS THAN 1.
SOFT DOUBLE
Dealer Shows
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
============================================
20 S S S S S S S S S S
19 S S 3 1 1 S S S S S
18 1 -1 D D D H H H H G
17 1 -2 D D D H H H H H
16 H 3 -1 D D H H H H H
15 H H -1 D D H H H H H
14 H H 1 -2 D H H H H H
13 H H 2 -1 -1 -2 H H H H
This table shows you doubling strategies when you have a
SOFT hand. Where numbers are displayed, DOUBLE if the True Count
is GREATER THAN OR EQUAL to the number shown. HIT if the True
Count is less than the number shown.
The "G" under the dealer Ace column where you have a Soft 18
indicates that you should GO TO the Soft Standing and Hitting
Table for your play (HIT if the True Count is less than 1, STAND
if the True Count is greater than or equal to 1).
PAIR SPLITTING
Dealer Shows
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
=============================================
A P P P P P P P P P -3
10 S S S S S S S S S S
9 -2 -3 S S S 3 P P S S
8 P P P P P P P P P P
7 P P P P P P 1 H H H
6 -1 -3 P P P H H H H H
5 G G G G G G G G G G
4 H H 3 1 0 H H H H H
3 -2 H P P P P H H H H
2 H H P P P P H H H H
P=Split H=HIT S=STAND
This table shows the rule for deciding whether to split
pairs. Where a number is shown, SPLIT your hand if the True Count
is GREATER THAN or EQUAL to the number shown. If the True Count
is less than the number shown, treat the hand as a regular Hard
Hand. Use the normal Hard Hit, Stand and Double table.
Video Blakjak Page 45
The letter "G" in the 5 row indicates that you should GOTO
the Hard Hit/Stand/Double table. We do not split 5's. The choice
is between HITTING and DOUBLING.
Note: This table assumes that doubling is allowed after a
split. It is possible to modify the table for casinos where
doubling on splits is not allowed, but the modifications are
fairly minor. The most important adjustment is to treat 4's the
same way as fives--if doubling on a split is NOT allowed, use the
Hard Hit/Stand/Double table with both fours and fives.
SURRENDER
Dealer Shows
7 8 9 10 A
=========================
16 H G 1 -2 0
15 H H 2 -1 1
14 H H G 3 G
13 G G G G H
When you're counting cards, surrender can be more beneficial
than it is with a Basic strategy. This table applies to HARD
hands only. Do NOT surrender a soft hand showing any of these
totals. Where numbers are shown in this table, SURRENDER if the
True Count is GREATER THAN or EQUAL to the number shown.
Otherwise, play the hand as a normal hard hand. Where asterisks
(*) are displayed, do NOT surrender. Play the hand as a normal
HARD hand.
In cases of hands where a split is possible, the following
modifications apply:
* Split 8's against everything except a Dealer's 10. If the
dealer has a 10 showing, SURRENDER if the true count is
GREATER THAN or EQUAL to 1.
* Do NOT surrender 7's against a Dealer's 8. Refer to the
Hard Hand tables for the proper play.
6.8 Adjusting Your Wager
The strategy outlined above does not call for adjusting your
wager. It assumes placing the same size bet on each hand.
Video Blakjak Page 46
However, other systems often call for adjusting the size of
the wager based on your advantage at a particular time.
Generally, when the count is POSITIVE, the advantage is on the
player's side. A NEGATIVE count gives the dealer the advantage.
Theoretically, the smart player would increase the size of
his wager when the count is positive and bet the minimum when the
count is negative. This is simply pressing your advantage.
Let's say we've decided that $5 a hand is our minimum bet
(it may well be the table minimum, too). We'll call that $5 a
betting unit. The most common strategy calls for increasing the
bet by one unit for each positive point in the True Count.
For example, if the True Count is 1, we would bet 2 units,
or $10. If the True Count were 5, we'd bet $30.
Unfortunately, there's a down side to this equation. First,
casinos look for just those patterns to ferret out card counters.
A smart dealer may be counting cards with you, and he'll notice
pretty quickly if you're betting $5 a hand and suddenly jump in
with $25 bets. The result will be "heat," as they say in the
trade. You may find quick shuffles, unfriendly pit bosses
standing over your shoulder, or an invitation to leave the
casino.
As a result, most experts recommend limiting the "spread" of
your bets to a maximum of three or four units, no matter what the
card count. The idea is to avoid suspicion. Some counters will
start a session with random bets, or sprinkle larger bets
throughout the session in an effort to look like an impulse
player (the kind casinos love) and avoid detection.
The other problem is that Blackjack is still a game of
chance. No matter how good your counting, you can run into a
streak of bad luck, even when the card count is in your favor. If
you're making large bets when this happens, you may find yourself
in a hole from which you can't recover (see the next section on
"What You Can Expect").
The Enhanced Video Blackjack gives you the option of setting
different spreads, so that you can test them against various
playing conditions and house rules. This will allow you to do
your own research over thousands of hands (played by your
computer in a very short period of time).
Video Blakjak Page 47
Chapter 7
What To Expect
As we mentioned earlier, Blackjack playing strategies are
aimed at changing the odds by a few percentage points.
Under normal circumstances (if you played by the dealer's
rules), the house would have a 5 to 6 percent advantage. With a
Basic strategy, you can even those odds and even tip them
fractionally in your favor in a one or two-deck game. In games
with larger shoes, you'll probably come close to the theoretical
break-even point. Card counting improves on the Basic Strategy
and can provide a slight advantage even if the shoe contains six
or eight decks.
The problem, statistically, this that these percentages are
accurate over a very large number of hands. You're not very
likely to sit down to 1,000 or 2,000 hands, let alone 100,000.
You're more likely to play a hundred or two hundred hands.
Our research shows that the outcome of any particular 100 or
200-hand session can vary widely. This makes it important to
practice and get some feel for the ranges of dollar gain and loss
you can expect, given the length of time you'll be playing. (In
auto play, the Enhanced Video Blakjak does this for you). The
critical factor is when you quit.
If you get comfortably ahead, be willing to call it a day
and take your money home with you. A series of modest wins is the
best way to make money over the long run. When you try for the
Big Score, you're likely to wind up with nothing, or even less.
Likewise, if you're behind, don't assume that you'll make up your
losses by staying in. It doesn't work that way.
SET AN AFFORDABLE LOSS LIMIT AND STICK TO IT.
A couple of points to remember:
Things don't always even out. Researchers have shown that
even in random contests, such as coin-flipping sessions, you're
likely to be ahead or behind most of the time in each session.
Even if events do come close to being even over the long
run, you can still wind up losing your shirt. Let's say you start
Video Blakjak Page 48
out with $500 in your pocket. You've played 200 hands with $10
standard bets. At the end of 200 hands, you're down by $150 on a
total wager of $3,000. That's a 5 percent loss on the total
wagered, but it represents 30 percent of your bankroll.
If you stick it out for another 200 hands, the odds may tilt
toward the theoretical break-even point. In fact, you may have
cut the 5 percent deficit to only 3 percent. But in doing so,
you've wagered another $3,000. That makes your total wager
$6,000. Three percent of $6,000 is $180. So in theory, you're
closer to breaking even, but in reality, you're worse off than
when you started.
Over 1,000 hands, you might get the deficit down to 1
percent. But you've wagered $15,000. Which means you're still
down by $150. And you're probably very tired.
Worse yet, you may never even get to 1,000 hands. Our
research (based on several thousand sessions of 200 hands each),
shows that over the course of play, you may be down by as much as
$1,500. In this case, you've lost your bankroll completely before
you had the chance to "catch up" with the odds.
If you're serious about playing, consult some of the better
books on Blackjack to get a feel for the exact percentages
involved. The Bibliography at the end of this manual is a good
starting point. The Enhanced Video Blakjak includes the results
of our research into the issue of when to quit--the real secret
of successful Blackjack.
Video Blakjak Page 49
Chapter 8
Final Notes
LIMITED WARRANTY: This program is designed for entertainment
and research only. It carries no warranty of any kind. The
Enhanced Video Blakjak is guaranteed to load and run as indicated
in the manual. Otherwise, it carries no warranty of any kind.
Neither the author nor Federal Hill Software will be responsible
for any loss resulting from the use of this program or manual, or
any other program or manual. In no case shall the liability of
the author or Federal Hill Software exceed the purchase price of
the program.
8.1 Distributing this Program
The User-Supported version of Video Blakjak is distributed
only by third parties, such as user groups, "Shareware"
companies, on-line services and bulletin board operators. If you
have purchased or obtained the User-Supported version from one of
these suppliers, the responsibility for the integrity of the
media and inclusion of the proper files rests with the supplier.
If you have a problem with the disk, or the disk does not
include the proper files, contact the supplier. Federal Hill
Software receives no money or royalties for this version of the
program. Federal Hill Software does guarantee the reliability of
the media and inclusion of proper files on registered versions of
the Enhanced Video Blakjak which it distributes.
Please feel free to pass on copies of the User-Supported
Version of Video Blakjak. User groups, shareware companies, and
bulletin board operators are permitted and encouraged to
distribute it. There are only two conditions. You must include
all the files on this disk (or in the archived file which
contains the program). These files are listed on Page 6. Also,
shareware companies and user groups who charge a fee for a disk
containing a copy of the program are required to notify
purchasers, through their catalog or other written materials,
that this is a User-Supported, or Shareware product.
Video Blakjak Page 50
8.2 Technical Notes
This program was written and compiled using the Microsoft
Basic Professional Development System, Version 7.0. The playing
and data input screens were designed using Screen Sculptor and
Speed Screen, products of the Software Bottling Company of New
York. The SPEEDSCR.COM file included with this program is
licensed from the Software Bottling Company for distribution with
Federal Hill Software's products.
Video Blakjak Page 51
Appendix A
Bibliography
This manual is not intended to be a definitive work on
Blackjack. It merely discusses overall strategy for playing the
game. If you're interested in playing Blackjack seriously, the
following Blackjack titles will be of great help to you.
Braun, Julian H. How to Play Winning Blackjack, Chicago, Data
House Publishing, 1980.
Cardoza, Avery. Winning Casino Blackjack for the Non-Counter, New
York, Cardoza Publishing, 1985.
Humble, Lance and Cooper, Carl. The World's Greatest Blackjack
Book, New York, Doubleday, 1987.
Revere, Lawrence. Playing Blackjack as a Business, Lyle Stuart,
Secaucus, N.J., 1980.
Einstein, Charles. How to Win at Blackjack, Las Vegas, Gamblers
Book Club, 1976.
Thorp, Edward O. Beat The Dealer, New York, Vintage, 1966.
Video Blakjak Page 52
Appendix B
The Cambridge Handicappers
If you're a racing fan, you've probably wondered whether
your computer can help you make money at the track.
It can.
The Cambridge Handicappers from Federal Hill Software are
solid, time-tested programs for analyzing Thoroughbred, Harness
and Greyhound races. We first published our handicappers in 1983,
and we've been improving them ever since. We have thousands of
satisfied customers.
As you probably noticed from reading this manual, we don't
believe in get-rich-quick schemes. Our handicapping programs are
designed to make you a winner over the long run by identifying
good horses in good races and showing you how to make sound
wagers.
Our theory of handicapping rests on two simple premises.
First, the handicapping system itself must be a sound one.
There's no magic to handicapping. There are plenty of good
handicapping systems around. Ours uses solid handicapping
principles. It would be good with or without a computer. The
computer just makes it faster and more accurate. We show you how
to pick your races, and how pick the best prospects in each race.
We explain how to bet on those prospects, and how to manage your
money.
The problem with many handicapping systems is that they're
just too time consuming and complicated. This brings us to the
second premise.
A good handicapping system must be easy to use. If a system
requires three hours to handicap a race, you aren't likely to use
it very long. You'll go back to betting hunches and wind up
losing your shirt. With The Cambridge Handicappers, you can
handicap a race in a few minutes and a whole card in less than an
hour.
Just fill out a simple, on-screen handicapping form for each
horse or dog in the race. All the information you need is readily
Video Blakjak Page 53
available in the Racing Form, Harness or Dog Track program. We
even provide a diagram showing exactly where to get each piece of
information you need. On-screen help is always available. When
you're through, the program ranks the horses or dogs in each
race. It displays its analysis on screen or sends it to your
printer.
Our clearly-written manual tells you which races to bet and
which to sit out--one of the secrets of good handicapping. It
tells you how to eliminate bad horses and dogs right away--which
saves you even more time. Most important, we tell you how to bet
and how to manage your money.
The Thoroughbred, Harness, and Greyhound Handicappers are
$30 each. You can order any two for $50 or all three for $70. If
you order Video Blakjak, you can get any of our handicappers for
$20 each. Use the order form at the end of this manual. You can
spend a lot more for handicapping software, but we don't think
you'll find a better one.
Video Blakjak Page 54
Appendix C
How to Order
Use the form on the following page to order Video Blakjak
and/or The Cambridge Handicappers. If you just want Blakjak, you
can also use the on-screen order form directly from the program.
The price is $30 for the first program and $20 for each
additional program. Mix and Match any way you want. Foreign
orders must be payable in U.S. funds.
We accept checks, money orders, Visa or MasterCard. If
you're ordering by credit card, be sure to include the card
number, expiration date and your signature. We'll rush your
software to you right away.
Video Blakjak Page 55
===========================================================
Video Blakjak Order Form
Federal Hill Software
8134 Scotts Level Road
Baltimore, Md. 21208
301-521-4886
===========================================================
Your Name:
------------------------------------------------
Address:
------------------------------------------------
City: State: Zip:
-------------------- ---------- -----------
Please Send Me the Following Software:
( ) Video Blakjak
( ) Thoroughbred Handicapper
( ) Harness Handicapper
( ) Greyhound Handicapper
Total Number of Programs Ordered: ( )
Price: 1 Program - $30 3 Programs - $70
2 Programs - $50 4 Programs - $90
Payment Type: ( ) Check/M.O. ( ) Visa ( ) Master Card
Credit Card No. Exp. Date.
------------------------------ ---------
Signature:
----------------------------------
Send this form to: Federal Hill Software, 8134 Scotts Level Road,
Baltimore, Md. 21208.
Video Blakjak Page 56