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1993-11-13
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101KB
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2,117 lines
+-----------------------------------------+
| |
| BlackJack! |
| |
| Your Key To Winning Casino Play |
| |
+-----------------------------------------+
Version 2.41D
Copyright 1988 - 1993
Donald L. Granger dba Glencoe Computing
All rights reserved
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
BlackJack! License Provisions........i
Introduction........................ii
General Information..................1
System Requirements..............1
User Support.....................1
Description......................1
Backing Up BlackJack!............1
Installation.....................1
Running BlackJack!...............2
Blackjack Basics.....................3
The BlackJack! Main Menu.............5
At The Casino........................6
Casino Table Set-Up..............6
Automated Play...................7
Placing Bets.....................8
Playing The Hand.................8
Statistics......................10
History Statistics..............11
Editing The Casinos.................12
Setup BlackJack!....................13
Card Counting...................13
Strategy Tables.................14
Auto Players....................14
Betting Options.................14
Other Options...................16
Basic Strategy Practice.............17
Card Counting.......................19
Why Count?......................19
Counting Basics.................19
The 'True Count'................20
Card Counting Practice..............21
Betting & Money Management..........22
Tournament Play.....................24
Appendixes..........................25
Automated Betting...............25
Reshuffle Point.................25
Red-7 Card Counting.............27
Problems........................28
Strategy Tables.................29
BlackJack! Registration Form........31
i
BlackJack! License Provisions
BlackJack! IS NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BlackJack! is the copyrighted property of Donald L. Granger,
Glencoe Computing. You are granted a limited license to use
BlackJack! for evaluation purposes, and to copy and
distribute it, provided the following conditions are met:
1. No fee may be charged for such copying and distribution
other than a reasonable distribution fee.
2. BlackJack! may ONLY be distributed in its original,
unmodified state complete with data files and
documentation.
3. BlackJack! may be distributed as part of a package or
group of programs provided it is properly labeled and
marketed so as to retain its individual identity.
4. You may not make any changes or modifications to this
software.
See the file VENDOR.DOC for complete information.
GLENCOE COMPUTING
DONALD L. GRANGER
1100 HIGHWAY C
GLENCOE, MISSOURI
63038-1404
CompuServe EMAIL 72416,1362
NOTICE
~~~~~~
If you paid a shareware vendor for this program, you
paid for their service of copying and distribution, and not
for the program itself. None of these proceeds ever go to
the author of this program. You may evaluate this product,
but if you make use of it, you should register your copy.
+----------------------------------------------------+
| The benefits of registration include: |
| |
| - The latest version of BlackJack! |
| - User defined Basic & True Count strategy tables. |
| - The ability to save and restart a casino session.|
| - Full product support. |
| - Printer formatted documentation. |
| (HP LaserJet, Epson-FX and Plain) |
| - Professionally printed manual (optional). |
| - An overall good feeling! |
+----------------------------------------------------+
ii
The ShareWare Concept
The ShareWare concept is an attempt to provide quality
software at low cost. The cost of offering a new product by
conventional channels is staggering, and hence dissuades
many independent authors and small companies from developing
and promoting their ideas. ShareWare is an attempt to de-
velop a marketing channel where products can be introduced
at low cost.
If the ShareWare concept works, then everyone benefits. The
user will benefit by receiving quality products at low cost,
and by being able to "test drive" software before purchasing
it. The author benefits by being able to enter the commer-
cial software arena without first needing large sources of
venture capital. But it can only work with your support.
We're not just talking about BlackJack! here, but about all
user supported software. If you find that you are still us-
ing a program after a couple of weeks, then pretty obviously
it is worth something to you, and you should register.
My thanks to The many users who have offered suggestions
for features and enhancements, whose support has encouraged
me to continue my work, and especially to Leslie Granger, a
very special and very patient person.
Introduction
The most popular casino game today, both for players and
casino owners, is unquestionably Blackjack. For the player
the attraction is the simplicity of the rules (just about
everyone knows how to play "21") and the friendly atmosphere
of the table. For the owners the popularity is due to the
fact that the Blackjack tables have become the most
profitable real estate in the casino. It is the purpose of
BlackJack! to do something about the latter!
First, let's make sure that the object of the game is clear.
You are not out to see who can get closest to 21 without
going over... you are out to BEAT THE DEALER! This concept
is overlooked by many novice players, and it leads to fatter
wallets for the casino bosses. Although getting close to 21
is often the best strategy, it's just as important to know
when to sit back and let the dealer beat himself.
iii
With Blackjack you always know exactly how the dealer is
going to play his hand. This is the key feature that has
allowed the development of Basic Strategy Tables, the most
important tool at your disposal when at the tables. The
importance of learning the Basic Strategy Tables cannot be
over stressed. You cannot play blackjack by the seat of
your pants and expect to win. These tables are your key to
winning! By utilizing these strategies you can lower the
house percentage (sometimes called vigorish) from around 6%
to close to 0%! Often in a session the money is made on the
secondary bets (splitting and doubling down) while the
regular play ends up in a push. With a firm knowledge of
the basic strategy you will know when to make these bets.
The basic strategy tables are found at the end of this
manual. I recommend printing these tables for reference
when using BlackJack!.
In the early seventies card counting became quite a
publicized subject, with many feature stories appearing on
television and in magazines. System sellers were quick to
exploit this new awareness and a plethora of "sure win"
systems were touted and sold. Curiously during this period
the casino profits began to rise at a disproportional rate
to the increase in table activity. Hmmmm, how could this
be? The answer is simple, too many casual players armed
with too small bankrolls were attempting to apply extremely
complex systems without the necessary long hours of
preparation. The only sure winners were the system sellers
themselves and, of course, the casinos!
Card counting, when properly utilized, can actually give the
player up to a 1.5% edge over the house. The biggest
problem with most counting systems is that they are quite
complex and far too difficult for the casual player to
master. Casinos also frown heavily on card counters and
with certainty will ask a player suspected of counting to
leave the tables (and maybe the casino). This adds to the
difficulty since the counter must go unnoticed.
Of the numerous counting systems being touted and sold the
simple "Plus / Minus" (+-) type is one of the best choices
for the average player. BlackJack! will concentrate
primarily on the +- system of counting in this discussion
(although program provisions exist for implementing a user
defined counting system). Counting systems are discussed
under the Card Counting Practice heading of this manual. In
spite of the apparent simplicity, you should not even
consider employing a counting system until you know the
basic strategy tables inside out, being able to make the
correct decision 100% of the time.
I hope that you find BlackJack! a useful and fun to use tool
in gaining the skill and confidence to be a winner. The
next time you return from the tables, I hope it takes a
truck to carry home your winnings.
Donald L. Granger
1
General Information
System Requirements
Due to BlackJack!'s very high resolution graphics, an EGA,
VGA or Hercules compatible graphics adapter or equivalent is
required. BlackJack! will NOT run with the CGA or MDA display
adapters. A minimum of 256K display memory is required on EGA
type adapters.
BlackJack! requires 320K of available system memory.
BlackJack! will run on any floppy based system as well as hard
disk systems.
User Support
User support is free to registered users and is available by
telephone evenings at (314) 458-2863, via Compuserve Mail
(user ID# 72416,1362), or by mail.
Description
BlackJack! is a fun to use aid to learning Blackjack. It is
designed to be a totally accurate simulation of casino play.
BlackJack! is capable, with your effort, to take you to any
level of play, it IS NOT a sure-win scheme or quickie system
for beating the casinos. To become a proficient player you
will have to spend many hours practicing basic strategy and if
you desire, card counting. If anyone tells you anything
different, don't believe it. These skills simply cannot be
learned over night. As with any skill, you must "use it or
lose it". Once you have reached your desired level of
expertise you must periodically spend a few hours with
BlackJack! to stay sharp. If you currently are using a
playing system, BlackJack! can easily be adapted to support
it. You can enter your own basic strategy tables, wagering
system, true count tables(registered version) and counting
system.
Backing Up BlackJack!
Make backup copies of your BlackJack! files. Do this by
placing your original BlackJack! diskette in drive A: and a
blank formatted diskette in drive B: (for single floppy
systems refer to the DOS manual for the correct procedure to
make backups). Enter the DOS command
COPY A:*.* B: [Enter] or DISKCOPY A: B: [Enter]
Always use the backup to run BlackJack!
Installation
BlackJack! does not require special installation procedures
prior to use. If you are using a floppy disk system all files
must be on the same diskette and the program must be started
from the default drive.
2
If you have a hard disk you can copy the program and data
files onto the disk and run the program without the use of
floppies. The following is an example for setting up the
program on a hard disk (assume drive C:):
C>CD \ (switch to root directory)
C>MD BJ (create directory named BJ)
C>CD \BJ (switch to BJ directory)
C>Copy A:*.* C: (copy all files)
It is important that all files be in the same directory and
that directory be selected as the default. For more
information on hard disks and directories please see your DOS
reference manual.
BlackJack! uses the files CARDS16.IMG and SUITS16X.IMG with
color systems and CARDSHGC.IMG and SUITSHGC.IMG with Hercules
systems. To save disk space you can delete the .IMG files not
needed.
Running BlackJack!
From the DOS prompt simply type BJ and press [Enter].
Startup Options - European / Australian Play
BlackJack! has three start up options.
/B Prevents "B U S T" message from covering card images.
/P Prevents changes to video color palettes - useful to
laptop and monochrome VGA users.
/A Australian style play. The dealer is not dealt a
second card until all players have finished their hands.
Example: To invoke all of the above options type
BJ /B /P /A [Enter]
Prompt Lines
Throughout this documentation, and while using BlackJack!
Press and Enter have the following meanings:
PRESS- just press the key corresponding to your response.
ENTER- press the key(s) corresponding to your response
and then press the [Enter] key.
When BlackJack! is waiting for input you will be prompted
(usually across the bottom of the screen) for your response.
The available choices are listed with their key letter
enclosed in square braces [ ]. You make your selection by
pressing the corresponding key. Selections that require
pressing a function key have the key represented as the letter
F plus the key number.
Example prompt lines:
[H]it [S]tandspli[T]
[F1] Help [F2] Statistics
To select split you would press [T]. To get help you would
press function key [F1]. Note: [Ctrl] is represented in
prompts by the '^' symbol. [Ctrl][S] is shown as [^S]
3
Blackjack Basics
In Blackjack players wager against the dealer's hand. The
object for the player is to have a hand value that exceeds the
value of the dealer's cards without going over 21. The object
of the game for the dealer is essentially the same. You win
by either having the hand value closest to 21 or by having the
dealer exceed 21 (bust). Cards count face value with the
King, Queen, and Jack valued as 10. The Ace can count as 1 or
11.
Each player is dealt 2 cards, one at a time starting with the
player to the dealer's left. In most casinos each player is
dealt face up and the player is prohibited from touching the
cards. A few still deal face down allowing the player to pick
up the cards. The dealer is dealt one card up and one face
down.
Each player, from dealer left to right, is given the chance to
stand (draw no more cards), hit (draw additional cards in
hopes of getting closer to 21), or take one of the other
options described later. You may hit until you have reached
21 or gone over. If you bust you lose regardless of the
outcome of the dealer's hand.
The dealer must play his hand according to strict rules. He
must always hit on a point total of 16 or less and must stand
on a score of 17. Some casinos allow the dealer to hit a
"soft 17" (a score of 17 that includes an Ace valued at 11,
for example Ace - 6). This is not a common practice and is
found mainly in the Tahoe - Reno area of Nevada.
If the player is dealt blackjack (a 2 card score of 21) and
the dealer does not also have blackjack, you are an automatic
winner and are paid at odds of 3:2. If both dealer and player
have blackjack, it is a push (tie) and no chips change hands.
If the dealer has blackjack and the player has a total of 21
but with more than 2 cards, the dealer wins the hand. This
last situation can occur when, for security reasons, the
casino only allows the dealer to check his hand for blackjack
when his up card is an Ace. In these cases when the dealer
does have blackjack only the player's original bets are lost.
Double down and split bets are not taken.
Splitting Pairs:
If your first two cards have the same value, you can split
them into separate hands. Note that any two cards with a 10
value may be split. If you elect to split a pair you must
place an additional bet equal to your original bet on the
second hand. Play is completed on the first hand before any
cards are dealt to the second hand. If a pair of Aces are
split most casinos do not allow additional cards to be drawn.
Note that 2 card totals of 21 on split hands ARE NOT treated
as a blackjack and pay only even money. Some casinos allow
for resplitting if the original split results in another pair.
BlackJack! allows a maximum of one resplit.
4
Doubling Down:
After you are dealt your first 2 cards you may elect to double
down by making an additional wager up to the amount of your
original wager and drawing only one additional card. Note
that BlackJack! only allows making the maximum wager on double
downs. Most all houses allow doubling down on split hands.
Rules vary among casinos on what point totals you may double
down, but the most common is any two cards.
Insurance:
If the dealer's face card is an Ace, you will be offered the
opportunity to take insurance. To do this you make an
additional wager of 1/2 your original bet. If the dealer has
blackjack your insurance bet is paid at 2:1, but your original
bet is lost, effectively amounting to a push (unless of course
you have blackjack). If the dealer has any score other than
blackjack the insurance bet is collected and play continues.
Surrender:
Some casinos will allow the player to drop out of the hand by
giving up (surrendering) 1/2 their original bet. This can be
an advantageous move when you hold what amounts to a hopeless
hand. For example, the dealer is showing an Ace and your hand
count is 16. You must indicate your desire to surrender prior
to drawing any cards. Very few casinos still offer this
option, but at the ones that do it is an important part of the
basic strategy.
"Cute" Rules:
Some casinos may offer special payoffs for situations such as
having 6 cards under 21 or 3 sevens. These are rare and are
not addressed in BlackJack!.
5
The BlackJack! Main Menu
+---------------------------------+
| CASINOS |
| 1 - User Casino |
| 2 - Bally's Park Place |
| 3 - Caesar's Palace |
| 4 - Peppermill Casino |
| |
| Other Choices |
| 5 - View Casino Definitions |
| 6 - Edit Casinos |
| 7 - Card Counting Drill |
| 8 - Basic Strategy Drill |
| 9 - Setup BlackJack! |
| 0 - History Statistics |
| * - Registration Form |
+---------------------------------+
- Load A Casino: [1] through [4]
The top 4 menu choices represent the different casinos that
BlackJack! is programmed to simulate. To select a casino for
play press the corresponding number.
- Quick Load A Casino: [F1] through [F4]
By pressing the function key [F#] that corresponds to the
casino you bypass the Casino Table Setup screen and jump
directly into casino play. see Save Casino Setup, page 7
- View Casino Definitions: [V] or [5]
A screen showing the description and house rules of the avail-
able casinos will appear. To scroll the different descrip-
tions press the arrow keys. To play at the displayed casino
press [Enter], to exit to the main menu press [Esc].
- Edit Casinos: [E] or [6]
Edit the configuration of the casinos.
- Card Counting Practice: [C] or [7]
Sharpen your card counting skills. See Card Counting, page 21
- Basic Strategy Practice: [B] or [8]
Practice Basic Strategy drills. See Basic Strategy, page 17
- Setup BlackJack!: [S] or [9]
Configure BlackJack! options. See Setup BlackJack!, page 13
- History Statistics: [H] or [0]
View cumulative statistics for the casino play.
- Program Exit: [Q] or [Esc]
To exit BlackJack! and return to DOS.
- Quick Exit: [Ctrl][Q]
Pressing [Ctrl][Q] at any time will quickly exit BlackJack! to
DOS. This can be handy should someone be practicing when one
should be working.
6
At The Casino
BlackJack! allows for multiple players. Although most likely
you will be playing alone, it is possible to play more than
one hand giving you the opportunity to try out different
betting strategies at the same sitting. Multiple players also
offers a more realistic setting for practicing your card
counting skills.
Casino Table Set-Up
After selecting a casino you will need to provide the fol-
lowing information for the table. An input form will be
displayed and you will be prompted for the following data.
Note that items shown in () are only used as needed.
[T]ournament / [N]ormal:
Select style of play.
Default: Normal.
(Number Of Players:)
Enter the total number of players at the table.
Default: 1.
Number Of Auto Players:
Enter the number of automatic players.
Default: 1 less that total number of players.
(Hands remaining in round):
Enter number of hands remaining in the tournament when
play begins. See Tournament Play for more information.
Default: 60.
(Number Of Auto Hands):
If the number of automatic players is the same as the
total number of players you will be prompted to enter the
number of fully automated hands to be played.
Minimum Bet:
Enter the minimum bet allowed for each hand.
Default: $5
Table Limit:
Enter the maximum bet allowed for each hand.
Default: 100 times minimum bet ($300 for tournament).
Player's Stake:
Enter the amount of money each player has.
Default: 1/2 the table limit ($500 for tournament).
(Status Box:)
Press [Y]es or [N]o for the Status Box display.
Default: YES (not used with full auto play)
(Seating Arrangement):
If the table contains a mix of human and automatic
players you will prompted for the seat placements. Seat
#1 is to the dealers left (screen right).
Default: Always seats auto players first.
[A]bandon [R]edo [^S]ave [P]lay
After completing the setup form you have the choice to
abandon play and return to the main menu, re-enter the
data, save the casino setup or play. Default: Play.
7
Save Casino Setup:[Ctrl][S] / [S]
BlackJack! allows you to save a default set of parameters for
the casino setup. This enables you to bypass the Casino Table
Setup Screen and jump directly into casino play. Pressing [S]
will save the setup information and move you into the casino.
Pressing [Ctrl][S] saves the setup without moving into the
casino. Once you have saved your favorite setup you can go
directly to the casino by pressing the 'F' key that
corresponds to the casino number from the Main Menu. For
example, to jump directly into casino number 3, you would
press [F3] from the Main Menu. If you want to make changes in
the setup you can use the regular method of just pressing the
casino number. The default responses in the setup screen will
be your saved setup data.
BlackJack! keeps separate data for each of the four casinos.
Automated Play
Any or all of the players can be made AUTO players making
BlackJack! capable of fully automated play. Simply specify
the number of AUTO players desired from the Casino Table Setup
screen. This feature can make for a more accurate simulation
and is particularly useful when practicing tournament style
play. If in normal casino mode (not tournament) the AUTO
players will use the currently selected wagering style.
Tournament AUTO players play a style unique to that form of
Blackjack.
Full Auto Play:
When you set the number of AUTO players equal to the total
players everything will be automated. Play will proceed un-
attended for the number of hands specified. Full automated
play can be interrupted by pressing any key between hands.
Accelerated Full Auto Play:
Accelerated full automatic play is implemented by setting the
automatic playing speed to INSTANT and designating all players
as AUTO players. Set the number of hands to play at the
Casino Table Setup. There will be no card display and hands
will be played at a rate of approximately 2000 per minute.**
To interrupt accelerated automatic play Press and HOLD any
key, release the key as soon as play has halted.
For fully automated tournament play, set the hands remaining
in round to 0 during Casino Table Setup.
See the SETUP BlackJack! section, page 13, for more informa-
tion on configuring automatic players.
See TOURNAMENT PLAY, page 24, for more information on
tournaments.
____________________
** Speed on 10mhz AT type computer, 386 & 486 will be
significantly faster
8
Placing Bets
The Wager Box:
The Wager Box shows the amount in your bankroll and an input
field for your wager. The default value on the opening hand
is the minimum table bet. On subsequent hands the default is
your previous wager or the remaining balance of your funds,
which ever is lower. You can enter any amount (provided you
have the funds) between the table limit and the minimum wager.
You can sit out a hand by placing a bet of $0. You will not
be dealt any cards but any AUTO players will continue play.
Pressing [F1] will give advice based on the wagering system
you have specified under Setup BlackJack!.
Drop Out of Game: [Ctrl][D]
You can quit while in the Wager Box by pressing [Ctrl][D]. If
there are multiple players only the current player is dropped
and play continues. AUTO players cannot drop out.
Playing The Hand
After all players have placed their bets the hands are dealt,
one card at a time from the dealer's left to right. After all
players have received their cards the hands are played in the
same order. The following are the possible actions available
to the player:
[H]it Draw another card.
[S]tand Stand on the cards you have.
[D]ouble down Double your bet and draw one card.
Spli[T] Split a pair into two separate hands.
This requires an additional wager that
is equal to the original.
Sur[R]ender Drop out of the hand by yielding 1/2
your original bet.
[I]insurance If the dealer's up card is an Ace, each
player will be offered the chance to
make an insurance bet. If the dealer
does have blackjack the insurance is
paid and the original bets are collected
(effectively amounting to a "push").
Otherwise the insurance bets are
collected and play continues.
After all players have finished the dealer plays his hand and
the bets are settled.
Advice Help: [F1]
Advice is available by pressing [F1]. When playing a hand you
are advised of the correct action to take based on the Basic
Strategy Table for the casino rules under which you are
playing. When making a wager you are advised on the type of
bet to make based on the active card counting system.
9
The Status Box: [F2]
The Status Box is located in the upper left corner of the
screen. It shows pertinent information to the game in
progress. Included in the Status Box are the casino name, the
size of the shoe in decks, number of hands played, length of
each players current streak, number of cards played from the
current deck, the number of aces played, and the current
plus/minus and true count card count value. You can toggle
the display of the Status Box at any time by pressing the [F2]
key.
Borrowing Funds: [F3]
Players automatically have a line of credit established for
them at 1/2 their original stake. For example, if you begin a
session with a stake of $500, you will have $250 available for
borrowing. Players are not allowed to borrow past this
amount. If a player has exhausted both his original stake and
his line of credit they will be asked to leave the table.
At the beginning of each hand you are given the opportunity to
borrow money from the house. To obtain a loan press [F3]
prior to placing your bet. A window will open showing the
money you have available for borrowing and you will be
prompted to enter the amount you desire. The default response
is the maximum loan. If at any time your current funds fall
below the minimum bet the loan window will open automatically.
Advances are not allowed during play so plan ahead to have
enough funds for splits and double downs.
Display Hand Values: [F4]
BlackJack! normally displays the value of each hand. If you
wish to add up your own hands this feature can be disabled by
pressing [F4].
Discard Pile Graph: [F5]
A bar graph is displayed in the upper right corner of the
casino screen. It shows the percentage of the deck or shoe
that has been played. This feature is offered as an aid in
estimating the number of cards remaining to be played. For
shoe games (more than two decks) yellow lines are shown
indicating each deck. A red line is shown to indicate the re-
shuffle marker.
The graph can be toggled on and off by pressing [F5] during
casino play. The default condition is ON.
Strategy Deviation Error (Play Watch): [F6]
A short beep will sound whenever a player deviates from basic
strategy, including true count variations when Use True Count
is active. The correct action is briefly displayed above the
hand. The warning can be toggled on and off by pressing [F6]
during casino play. A tone will sound to confirm activation
of this feature.
The default condition is OFF
10
Reshuffle: [Ctrl][R]
You can force a reshuffle between hands by pressing [Ctrl][R].
Fast Shuffle: [Ctrl][F]
You can eliminate the sound (and delay) of deck shuffling by
pressing [Ctrl][F] during casino play. Each press toggles
Fast Shuffle on or off. A short beep confirms the keypress.
The default condition is normal (with sound) shuffling.
Statistics
At the end of each session the following statistical infor-
mation is provided on different screens. You also can jump to
the statistics screens from casino play by pressing
[Ctrl][V]iew between hands. The arrow keys will scroll among
the screens, and [Esc] will return you to the casino, or to
the main menu if the session has ended.
Finances:
How much was won or lost.
Peaks & Valleys:
Highest & lowest balance and the hand on which they occurred.
Game Statistics:
The number of hands played, wins, losses, pushes, splits,
doubles, surrenders, blackjacks, and a report on the accuracy
of your strategy play.
Streak Stats:
BlackJack!'s streak tracking keeps count of how many streaks
of each length occur. Streak lengths of 2 through 11 are
distinctly tracked. The following is an example report:
Len 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12+
123 45 23 26 16 0 4 0 1 0 0
101 52 21 19 28 3 0 0 0 1 1
Wins are listed first in GREEN. Losses are second in RED.
The longest winning & losing streaks are also shown. Streaks
are counted using the following system:
Win Zero the loss count & increment win count.
Loss Zero the win count & increment the loss count.
Push No effect.
Surrender No effect.
Split The net result of the split used. For example,
a split that results in one win and one loss will
have no effect. Two winning hands from the split
will advance a win streak by one
Double Treated as a regular hand.
11
Advantages:
In all casino games there is a "house advantage". This is
usually expressed as a percentage. It represents the dif-
ference between the actual odds of the game and the odds that
the house pays. In blackjack the advantage cannot be
calculated in this manner since the player has the ability to
control the outcome of the game. In spite of all the
discussion in books regarding house or player advantages in
blackjack, I have never seen an actual formula published.
BlackJack! keeps two running totals, gross wagers and gross
winnings. Pushes are not counted. A result of 50% should
indicate an even game, above 50% an advantage for the player
and lower than 50% an advantage for the house. BlackJack!
very accuratly shows the play advantage. This number,
expressed as a percentage, indicates the rate of return you
can expect from your level of play. For example, if the
advantage is +1.35% you can expect to win $1.35 for every $100
wagered. Play advantage is very helpful when evaluating new
strategy or betting systems.
Error Tracking:
As you play at the casinos BlackJack! keeps track of the
strategy errors that you make. The error tracking screen
reports these errors in the following manner.
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|--- Errors
A-7 S D D D D S S H H H 3
_ _
The errant plays are highlighted in the grid. The number at
the right indicates how many errors were made in this line of
the strategy table. Error tracking works with both standard
and true count strategy tables.
History Statistics
BlackJack! keeps track of all statistics between play
sessions. The statistics are accumulated only for "human"
players. In the event of more than one human player in a
session the first human player is used for the history
statistics. Tournament play is never counted regardless of
player type. In the event of playing a saved game, only the
new plays are added to the history file and the number of
sessions played is not incremented.
The History Statistics are viewed by pressing either [H] or
[0] from the Main Menu. History Statistics are separately
kept for each of the four casinos plus a grand total
reflecting cumulative totals of play at all casinos. The
History Statistics are also included as part of the suite of
statistical screens accessible after a casino session, or by
pressing [Ctrl][V] between casino play hands. When accessed
via [Ctrl][V] only the active casino is shown and the values
DO NOT reflect the current session's play.
12
Editing The Casinos
+-------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Casino name Glencoe's Golden Palace |
| Location User Defined Casino |
| Number of decks 6 |
| Splitting rules |
| Resplitting allowed YES |
| Double down on splits YES |
| Double down rules |
| Double down on Any 2 |
| DD more than two cards YES |
| Miscellaneous |
| Insurance offered YES |
| Surrender allowed YES |
| Dealer hits soft 17 YES |
| Dealer peeks YES |
| Depth of deal Random |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------+
After selecting Edit Casinos from the Main Menu you will be
able to scroll through the Casino Definition screens. To
select the casino for editing press [Enter]. You will be
presented an editing window allowing you to define the name,
location, and house rules for the casino as you wish. Answer
each prompt with the indicated type of response. To retain
the current value of an item simply press [Enter]. Here are a
couple of examples:
Number of decks
Surrender allowed?
For Number of decks press a number between 1-8.
For Surrender allowed? press either [Y] or [N].
Early Surrender:
BlackJack! allows for early surrender. This rule allows a
player's surrender to be valid even if the dealer has
blackjack.
Dealer Peeks / Doesn't Peek:
If the dealer doesn't peek all hands are played out prior to
his checking his down card for blackjack. Any splits or
doubles are ignored if the dealer does have blackjack.
Depth of Deal:
Controls how deep into the deck or shoe the deal goes. Can be
set to Deep, Medium, Shallow or Random.
13
Setup BlackJack!
This selection pops up the Setup Menu. The illustration below
shows the menu layout. The currently active settings of
choices 1, 4, 7 and 9 are shown to the right under the heading
CURRENT.
+---------------------------------------+
| CARD COUNTING CURRENT |
| 1 - Active System [User] |
| 2 - Edit User System |
| 3 - View Active System |
| |
| STRATEGY TABLES |
| 4 - Incorporate True Count [Yes] |
| |
| AUTO PLAYER |
| 5 - Play Speed [Med] |
| 6 - Wagering Style [Cnt Based] |
| 7 - Progressive Wagers... |
| 8 - Edit Count Based Wagers |
| |
| OTHER |
| / - BlackJack! Colors |
| + - Mode Of Play [Normal] |
| * - Configuration Save |
| |
+---------------------------------------+
Card Counting
- Active Count System: [A] or [1]
Selects which counting system is active. Each press toggles
between USER and +/-, and RED 7. The active selecting is dis-
played under the CURRENT heading. The active system will be
used for all BlackJack! features that involve card counting.
- View Active System: [V] or [2]
To review the card values and breakpoints for the active count
system press [2] or [V]iew. A window will display all of the
current settings.
- Edit User System: [E] or [3]
Define your own counting system. For help press [F1].
Card Values
A window will open and you will be prompted to enter the count
value for each of the 10 card values in the deck. The current
value of each card will be shown blinking. To retain the same
value simply press [Enter]. A running total is shown
indicating the total count value of single deck.
Beginning Count Value
Enter the beginning count value for your system. This value
will normally be zero.
14
Activation Point
Running count systems generally are not effective in the early
stages of a deck. Enter the percentage of the deck that needs
to be played before your counting system becomes active. For
example, if your system is reliable after 2/3 of the cards
have been dealt you would enter 66. By its nature, the true
count does not require an activation point. If you intend to
only use the true count you can enter any activation values
since they will be ignored.
True Count Insurance
True count systems often provide a count value for taking
insurance. Enter the value at or above which insurance should
be taken. If you don't want to take insurance enter a high
number such as 9.
Strategy Tables
- Incorporate True Count: [I] or [4]
Toggles between [Yes] and [No]. When set to [Yes] the true
count variations will be used for casino play help and by the
automated players. Deactivated when Red-7 count is active.
Auto Players
- Play Speed: [P] or [5]
To adjust the speed of the automatic players press [6] or
[P]lay Speed. The CURRENT heading will toggle among the four
speeds available for automatic players.
Instant: This is the fastest setting, there are no delays.
Fast: Slight delays between cards and betting.
Medium: Default setting, play is brisk but easy to follow.
Slow: Plenty of time allowed to watch each play.
Betting Options
- Wagering Style: [W] or [6]
Toggles among the four available wagering systems. These
styles are used for Auto Players and for betting advice in the
casino. The active style is shown in the CURRENT column.
Flat: Only the minimum wager is ever made.
Progressive: The Progressive Wager Table is used.
Count Based: The Count Based Wager Table is used.
Count & Progr: Both the Count & Progressive tables are used.
The progressive is wager is first determined
and then any count based wager adjustment is
added to it.
Betting advice in the casino is given based on the selected
wagering style.
15
- Progressive Wagers...: [P] or [7]
Brings up the following submenu.
┌────Edit Progressive Wagers─────┐
│ │
│ 1 - Winning │
│ 2 - Losing │
│ 3 - Progression Type [Both] │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────┘
Press [1] or [W] to edit the Winning Progression, [2] or [L]
to edit the Losing Progression and [3] or [P] to change the
active progression.
You can define the betting progressions used by the AUTO
players and you can also establish a "stop loss point". A
betting progression increases the amount wagered based on the
number of consecutive wins or losses you have had. For
example you may want to increase your bet by 1 unit after 2
consecutive wins. The values you enter are the amount wagered,
not an amount added to the opening bet.
The first entry is the opening bet. This is the first wager
made in the progression. BlackJack! does not directly support
fractional bets in the wagering tables. If your progression
calls for fractional increases you can modify the opening bet
to accommodate this. For example, if you want to increase the
wager by 1/2 you can set the opening bet to 2 units and the
next bet to 3. You are able to enter up to 10 levels of the
progression. If your system does not require this many levels
simply repeat the same amount for the final entries.
The next entry on the screen is the stop loss, or drop out
point. For example, if your betting system dictates quitting
after 6 consecutive losses you would enter 6 as the stop loss
point. Once an AUTO player has dropped out, they cannot
rejoin the game. The stop loss point is monitored using the
method described for Streak Stats. It is possible that the
stop loss point can be exceeded by one hand. This occurs when
a player splits a hand and loses both when consecutive losses
are one less than the stop loss point.
Progression Type toggles among WIN, LOSS, and BOTH.
The progression table data is saved with CONFIGURATION SAVE.
16
- Edit Count Based Wagers: [C] or [8]
Count based wagers are amounts added to the opening bet, based
on the card count value. Count based wagering works with both
running and true counts. You are able to enter 10 count
values and their corresponding bet increase amounts. The
following example is a segment of the table:
Card Count Add To Bet
-1 0
1 1
3 2
4 3
The card count values do not need to be consecutive, but they
must be in ascending order. Any value below the first entry
is treated the same as the first, any value above the last
entry is treated the same as the last. The rest of the wagers
are determined by the following formula:
if current_count >= table_position and < next_table_position
use table_position wager.
In the above example, a count of 2 would result in a wager
increase of 1 unit, a count of 3.7 would result in a wager
increase of 2 units.
When used with Red-7 count the "Card Count" value is relative
to the pivot point. In the above example a count of pivot
point + 3 would result in a bet increase of 2 units.
Other Options
- BlackJack! Colors: [J] or [/]
You can customize the color palettes used in BlackJack!. When
saved, these palettes will be used whenever you run
BlackJack!. There are two phases to this option, selection of
the graphics mode palette and selection of the text mode
palette. You can assign any of the 64 available EGA/VGA
colors to any of the 16 palette colors. For example, you can
assign a shade of dark green (EGA/VGA #16) to the BLACK
palette register which is the one used as the background
color. This will give the appearance of the green felt used
in casinos. A side effect in this example is that spades and
clubs will also have their spots this same shade of green
(although it is barely noticeable). Sample screens are shown
so that you can immediately see the effects of your changes.
The editors offer the option of resetting the user values to
the BlackJack! defaults, so you can experiment without fear.
Keyboard instructions are provided on screen.
Your selections will become active upon exiting the palette
editor and will remain in effect throughout the current play
session. To make these choices permanent for future play you
MUST do a CONFIGURATION SAVE prior to exiting BlackJack! to
DOS.
The color editor will not activate on Hercules Mono systems
17
Mode Of Play: [M] or [+]
BlackJack! provided two modes of play, NORMAL and REALISTIC.
Realistic Mode more accurately simulates the flow of play in
an actual casino setting. Player's cards are retrieved, and
bets settled in the order of play. Bust and surrendered hands
are immediately removed from the table before play progresses
to the next player. All cards are cleared prior to the Press
Any Key To Continue message. Realistic Mode is provided to
better simulate the amount of time that card counters have to
asses the values of cards on the table.
Normal Mode settles bets after all play has been completed and
leaves all cards on the table until you begin the next hand.
Normal Mode is significantly faster than Realistic.
You toggle between Normal and Realistic play by pressing
either [M] or [+] ([=] works too) while in the Setup Menu.
The currently active mode of play is displayed in brackets to
the right.
The speed of Realistic Mode corresponds to the AUTO PLAYER -
SPEED setting. You may need to experiment to find a speed
that you like, but for most the NORMAL setting should be good.
As with all play options, the play mode is saved with
Configuration Save.
- Configuration Save: [C] or [*]
The settings for the auto players, count system selections,
and color palettes are saved to disk. When BlackJack! is
started these values are read become active.
Basic Strategy Practice
This is the biggie! You should know basic strategy inside-out
before ever considering sitting down in a casino.
Extensive research and work was done by Dr. Edward Thorp and
Julian N. Braun in the early 1960s to develop these tables.
They represent, based on millions of computer simulated hands,
the optimum method of play. When followed they yield the best
decisions for all of the blackjack options.
As you will note from the tables there are subtle differences
depending on the number of decks used. For the casual player
it recommended that you concentrate on the multi-deck table.
The slight difference in performance when using multi-deck
strategy in a single deck game (about 0.05%) is worthwhile
considering the confusion that can result from using multiple
strategies. The multi-deck strategies are also more
conservative with fewer splits and double downs.
18
On the subject of the insurance bet, there is one simple
rule... NEVER BUY INSURANCE! As with any rule there is an
exception: When counting cards insurance can be a profitable
wager. See The 'True Count' below for more information.
Select the Basic Strategy Drill by either pressing [7] or [B]
from the Main Menu. The drill works much the same way as
actual Blackjack play. You and the dealer will be dealt
hands. Press the key corresponding to the action you believe
should be taken. If you make a wrong play you will hear a
short beep and the correct action will be displayed above your
hand.
19
Drill Definition
The drill definition box is displayed in the upper right of
the screen. You can change the configuration (and therefor
the strategy needed) by pressing the indicated [F] keys.
Definition selections become effective with the next hand.
[F1] - Number of decks... [Single or Multi(4 deck)]
[F2] - Double down on... [Any 2, 10-11, 9-10-11]
[F3] - Double down on splits... [Yes, No]
[F4] - Surrender allowed... [Yes, No]
[F5] - Counting... [True, Red 7, None]
[F6] - Focus on...
All - all types of hands
SPLITS - only pairs are dealt
SOFT - all hands are ace combinations
UNDER 17 - only hands valued 16 or less are dealt
When "Counting" is set to [True] a count value is displayed
above the players hand. Your play decision should be based on
the true count variations strategy table. When set to [Red 7]
a count value relative to the pivot point is shown.
Pressing [P] will toggle the Performance Box display which
shows the number of hands dealt, the number of correct plays
made, and your accuracy as a percentage. These totals can be
reset by pressing [F7].
Save Strategy Drill Setup:
Pressing [Ctrl][S] while in the Basic Strategy Drill saves all
of the options to disk. These will be the settings used the
next time you run the drill.
Card Counting
Why Count?
Accurate card counting allows you to have a picture of what
cards remain in the deck, and therefor an idea of the like-
lihood of the occurrence of certain hands. Note that I said
likelihood, it will NOT allow you to predict actual hands,
only the probability of hands. What good is this? If it is
known the remaining cards in the shoe are rich in tens and
Aces we know that more blackjacks and good standing hands such
as 19 or 20 will be dealt. Of course this holds true for the
dealer, but the dealer is not paid 3:2 for blackjack, he
cannot split pairs, and he must always hit his "stiff" hands
(12-16) with an increased probability of breaking.
Counting Basics
We will use the tried and true Plus/Minus counting system
first developed by Harvey Dubner in 1963. This system is easy
to learn and one of the most effective.
Each card in the deck is given one of 3 count values; either -
1, 0, or 1. Count values are assigned as follows:
Low Cards 2,3,4,5,6 +1
Middle Cards 7,8,9 0
High Cards 10,J,Q,K,Ace -1
20
Since the middle cards are valued 0, we only need concern
ourselves with the low and high ends of the deck. As each
card is played you add the count value to the running total
for that deck. When the running count total is high it means
that more low cards have been played than high. Note that for
counting to be effective you must be near the end of the deck.
In a 6 deck shoe a high count total after only 30 of 312 cards
have been played is not a good indicator since there are still
too many cards remaining for accurate prediction. You want to
deploy your card count betting strategy late in the shoe.
Simply put, the higher the card count, the bolder your betting
should be. This is also a time when bending the basic
strategy rules is allowed. For example, the card count is 10
late in the shoe and you are dealt a pair of Jacks with the
dealer showing a 6. Basic strategy dictates always standing
on 20, but since we know there are many 10s and Aces remaining
it becomes our advantage to split this pair.
Another popular system, Hi-Opt I***, is as follows:
3,4,5,6 +1
Ace,2,7,8,9 0
10,J,Q,K -1
The 'True Count'
As an adjunct to the running count described above many count
systems employ what is known as a "true count". The true
count takes into account and makes allowances for the number
of cards remaining to be played. To obtain the true count the
running count is divided by the number of decks remaining to
be played. For example, in a 4 deck game a running count of 9
occurs after 1 deck has been played. The true count for this
instance is only 3 (running count / decks remaining, 9 / 3 =
3). When using the true count it is not necessary to restrict
betting and play adjustments to late in the deck.
The primary advantage of using the true count is the basic
strategy variations. With an accurate true count the basic
strategy can be finely tuned to give the player the optimum
decision for all play situations based on the cards remaining
in the deck. Standard basic strategy is based on the
assumption that all hands are played from a complete deck.
Insurance becomes a viable bet when keeping a true count.
When the true count indicates a deck rich in 10s (a non-10s to
10s ration less than 2) insurance is a good bet.
Finally, don't even consider using card counting until you can
perfectly complete the Card Counting Drill at a rate of about
30 seconds per 52 card deck.
____________________
***The Hi-Opt I system is one of the simplest and most
powerful of the advanced methods. A full description is found
in "The World's Greatest Blackjack Book" by Lance Humble and
Carl Cooper, published by Doubleday (c)1987.
21
Card Counting Practice
Sharpen your card counting ability. The drill will involve
all the cards in the shoe being displayed for a short period
of time. You should keep a running total of the count.
Card Counting Practice uses the currently active counting
system as selected from the Setup BlackJack! menu (see ACTIVE
SYSTEM for more details). The active counting system is shown
in the lower portion of the screen.
Count Drill setup:
Number of decks:
Press a number between 1 and 8 to set the number of decks
per shoe.
Auto or Manual Deal: [A] or [M]
If you wish to control the pace of the drill manually it
can be done. Press any key to view the next card in the
deck. Pressing a toggle key will activate the toggle and
advance the cards.
The default response is Auto.
Number of Cards Displayed: [1-5] or [R]andom
Pressing 1 through 5 results in that number of cards
being displayed with each deal. Random results in
varying displays of 1 to 5 cards.
The default response is Single.
Drill Speed
To increase the speed of the drill press the [+] key, to
slow the drill press the [-] key. A speed bar shows the
relative drill speed. The speed indicator will turn
green (color) or black (monochrome) when you have
selected a rate of approximately 30 seconds per deck or
faster.
Count Drill Options:
The following options act as toggles when their key is
pressed.
[H]elp: As an aid you can have the count value of
the current card displayed.
[S]tatus Box: Shows the current running and true count and
the number of cards that have been displayed.
[P]ause: The drill can be paused at any time. The
Status Box will be displayed during the pause.
[M]ute: Controls the card dealing sound.
[Q]uit: Terminates the drill.
22
Note that when using the Plus / Minus system the card count at
the end of the shoe will always be 0 since the 20 high cards
cancel out the 20 low cards. Other counting systems may yield
different results. See Counting Basics for more information.
The drill ends with the following options
[R]epeat [O]ptions [Q]uit
Pressing [R] will restart the drill using the same options,
[O] will return you to the setup screen, [Q] of course returns
to the Main Menu.
Betting & Money Management
Along with mastering the strategies of Blackjack you also need
to have a money management plan. Nothing is worse than losing
your entire bankroll on the first day of a three day junket.
Your money management program should contain the following
important considerations.
Only play with money that you can afford to lose. Losses
should be considered a cost of entertainment.
Allocate a portion of your total stake for each day of
your stay. Do not borrow from tomorrow's funds and do
not add todays winnings or surpluses to tomorrow's stake.
Establish a minimum and maximum bet size designed to
stretch your bankroll over the length of each playing
session.
There are many different betting strategies and schemes with
varying levels of complexity. The best are those based on
card counting. In lieu of a sophisticated system the method
covered here is my personal favorite. This is by no means the
only system available.
It is based on a system know as Anti-Martingale and is de-
signed to take advantage of "hot" streaks and minimize losses
when faced with an unfriendly deck. It can be considered
quite conservative.
This first decision that needs to be made is how much risk
capital you want to put into play for a particular session at
a table. Once an amount has been decided upon DO NOT make any
increases. This amount will be referred to as your "opening
stake". Your opening stake will influence your table
selection at the casino. The minimum bet allowed will vary
from table to table, if you have decided on an opening stake
of $100 you should seek out a table with a low minimum bet
such as $2 or $5. The obvious reason being that you will be
able to stay in the game longer than at a $25 table.
23
For the sake of this discussion we will use the term "betting
unit" to refer to the minimum amount you will wager. Each
session will begin by wagering one betting unit. If that hand
wins the bet remains at one unit. After a second consecutive
win increase to two betting units.
This is the only time that the bet will be doubled. All
subsequent increases will be in an amount equal to 1/2 the
amount just won.
In cases where a fraction of a betting unit would be involved
you should round down to the nearest whole unit. As soon as a
bet is lost return to betting one unit. Here is an example
session showing six consecutive winning hands and the amount
of winnings withheld from the previous hand.
Hand Bet Withheld
1 1 0
2 1 1
3 2 0
4 4 1
5 6 2
6 9 3
7 13 5
A loss at the seventh hand results in a net gain of 12 betting
units. Amounts won as a result of splits or doubles should
NOT be included in the increased bet.
If you reach your personal maximum bet, stop there and con-
tinue play at that level until a loss.
There are many variations that can be derived from this sys-
tem. For example you can increase each bet by a fixed amount
rather than a percentage of the winnings.
Finally, you should only keep an amount equal to your original
stake on the table. In the above example, any funds above
$100 should be taken out of play. Any time that the original
stake has been lost play should be discontinued... No matter
how much of the casino's money you have won. Disciplined play
is a secret to success.
24
Tournament Play
BlackJack! is capable of simulating tournament style play.
Tournaments are becoming a popular form of Blackjack play. A
large jackpot, generally based on a percentage of the entry
fees collected, is awarded the winner along with any winnings
accumulated during play. Tournaments are played in rounds,
with one or two players from each table advancing to the next
round. There are usually four rounds per tournament. Rounds
are played for either a fixed length of time, or for a preset
number of hands, usually 60. It is important to note that
players compete against each other and not the casino. The
winner of a round is the player with the most money, even if
it represents a loss from the opening stake. All players 'buy
in' to the tournament for a preset amount, wins and losses do
not carry over from round to round. This gives all partici-
pants an equal chance at the start of each round. Some
tournaments offer eliminated players the option of re-entry on
the first round.
The 'buy in' for each round is typically $500 - $600 with a
minimum bet of $5 - $10 and a maximum allowed bet of $300. To
eliminate seat location advantages betting and play rotate
clockwise. Example: Hand #1, player 1 is the first to bet,
and the first to play. Hand #2, player 2 becomes the first to
bet and play, and player #1 becomes the last.
Tournament play often deviates from Basic Strategy. For
example when a player has a substantial lead it is prudent not
to split or double down no matter what the hand so as to
minimize the funds at risk. On the other hand a player may be
behind late in the game making it worth the risk to make
splits or doubles that are contrary to Basic Strategy.
A detailed description of tournament strategy and play is
beyond the scope of these instructions. For more information
consult the casino running the tournament and any of the
excellent books available on the subject.
To play tournament style press [T]ournament as the first item
during Casino Table Setup. BlackJack! supports automated
opponents. Rounds consist of 60 hands. You can either play a
full 60 hand round or enter 'mid stream'. Specify the number
of hands remaining in the round during Casino Table Setup.
The skipped over hands will be automatically played placing
you in a realistic game situation. Example: You wish to
practice your play for the final 10 hands of the round (often
the most crucial). From the Casino Table Setup you enter 10
for number of hands remaining. The computer will
automatically play 50 hands using a tournament style of
betting and play. At this point normal play will begin and
all current game statistics will be displayed. Prior to
placing bets all players' funds and relative funds (current
lead or deficit) are displayed along the bottom of the screen
as follows...
$475.00 $610.00 $535.00 <- current funds
-$135.00 $75.00 -$75.00 <- relative funds
25
Appendixes
Automated Betting
The following describes the logic and procedures used by
BlackJack! to make automated wagers. Which method is used is
determined by the Wagering Style setting selected from the
Setup BlackJack! menu.
Flat betting:
The automated player always bets the table minimum.
Progressive Wagering:
Wagers are increased based on the number of consecutive wins
or losses. The minimun bet made is the value for Opening Bet
in the table. This method is designed to take advantage of
winning streaks while minimizing losses during losing streaks.
The Progressive Wager tables are used to make decisions.
When Progression Type is set to either WIN or LOSS the Opening
Bet is used as long as you are not on a streak of the selected
type, as soon as a streak begins the progressive wagers follow
the table. When the streak ends your bet returns to the
Opening Bet amount.
When Progression Type is set to BOTH, both tables are active.
Since you will always be either on a winning or losing streak
the Opening Bet amount is only used for the first wager of the
session. Any other time the streak length will be at least 1.
Count Based Wagering:
The amount wagered is determined by adding the amount
indicated by the Count Based Wager table to the table minimum.
The additional amount is determined by looking up the current
card count on the table and using the corresponding value.
This method is employed with both true and running count
system.
Count and Progressive:
This is a combination of the above two systems. First the
progressive wager is determined and then the count based
amount is added.
Reshuffle Point
Examples: 1 Player, 4 Deck Shoe
Cards Remaining
RANDOM 10 - 100
SHALLOW 84 - 100
MEDIUM 48 - 84
DEEP 10 - 24
2 Player, 2 Deck Shoe
Cards remaining when shuffle
RANDOM 15 - 50
SHALLOW 42 - 50
MEDIUM 24 - 42
DEEP 15 - 24
26
Red-7 Card Counting
Description:
The Red-7 Count can be described as a "semi-advanced" counting
system. Rather than rely on complicated true count calcula-
tions, Red-7 uses an unbalanced running count. The unbalance
comes from counting only red 7s. To utilize this imbalance,
Red-7 has the "pivot point". The pivot point is always equal
to 2 times the number of decks in play. Any time the running
count is above the pivot point you have a favorable deck, the
greater the amount the more favorable the deck. This becomes
a good indicator for increasing wagers.
The Red-7 Count also provides for adjustments to normal basic
strategy, again using the pivot point. The changes to basic
strategy are:
Pivot point or higher:
Stand on 16 vs 10
Stand on 12 vs 3
Take insurance in 1 and 2 deck games
Pivot point + 2 or higher
Stand on 12 vs 2
Stand on 15 vs 10
Double on 10 vs 10
Take insurance with any number of decks
That's all there is to it. A very simple and very effective
system.
The Red-7 Count was developed by Arnold Snyder and is fully
described in his book "Blackbelt in Blackjack". The book
covers other systems as well as betting strategies and other
blackjack advice. A catalog with this and other blackjack
materials is available from:
RGE Publishing
414 Santa Clara Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610
27
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28
Strategy Tables
TABLE ONE
Multi-Deck, Double After Split, Double On Any Two Cards
Player's Hand Strategy For Dealer Up-Card
Simple Hands
5...8 Always Hit
9 Double on 3 - 6, Otherwise Hit
10 Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
11 Double on 2 -10, Otherwise Hit
12 Stand on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
13...16 Stand on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
17...21 Always Stand
Ace Combinations
A-2, A-3 Double on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
A-4, A-5 Double on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
A-6 Double on 3 - 6, Otherwise Hit
A-7 Double on 3 - 6, Hit 9, 10, Ace
Stand 2, 7, 8
A-8...A-10 Always Stand
Pairs
A-A Always Split
2-2, 3-3 Split on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
4-4 Split on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
5-5 Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
6-6 Split on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
7-7 Split on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
8-8 Always Split
9-9 Split on 2 - 6, 8, 9
Stand on 7, 10, Ace
10-10 Always Stand
TABLE TWO
Single-Deck, Double On 10 Or 11 Only
Player's Hand Strategy For Dealer Up-Card
Simple Hands
5...9 Always Hit
10 Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
11 Always Double
12 Stand on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
13...16 Stand on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
17...21 Always Stand
Ace Combinations
A-2...A-6 Always Hit
A-7 Stand on 2 - 8, Otherwise Hit
A-8...A-10 Always Stand
Pairs
A-A Always Split
2-2 Split on 3 - 7, Otherwise Hit
3-3 Split on 4 - 7, Otherwise Hit
4-4 Always Hit
5-5 Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
6-6 Split on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
7-7 Split on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
8-8 Always Split
9-9 Split on 2-6,8,9 Stand on 7,10,Ace
10-10 Always Stand
TABLE THREE
Single-Deck, Double After Split, Double On Any Two Cards
Player's Hand Strategy For Dealer Up-Card
Simple Hands
5...8(6-2) Always Hit
8 Double on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
9 Double on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
10 Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
11 Always Double
12 Stand on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
13, 14, 15, 16 Stand on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
17...21 Always Stand
Ace Combinations
A-2...A-5 Double on 4 - 6, Otherwise Hit
A-6 Double on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
A-7 Double on 3 - 6, Hit 9,10
Stand 2,7,8, Ace
A-8 Double on 6, Otherwise Hit
A-9, A-10 Always Stand
Pairs
A-A Always Split
2-2 Split on 3 - 7, Otherwise Hit
3-3 Split on 4 - 7, Otherwise Hit
4-4 Double on 5 - 6, Otherwise Hit
5-5 Double on 2 - 9, Otherwise Hit
6-6 Split on 2 - 6, Otherwise Hit
7-7 Split on 2 - 7, Otherwise Hit
8-8 Always Split
9-9 Split on 2-6,8,9 Stand on 7,10,Ace
10-10 Always Stand
TABLE FOUR
General Purpose Basic Strategy Table
Dealer -> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
5...8 H H H H H H H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
8(5-3) H H H B B H H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
S 9 B D D D D H H H H H
I -------------------------------------------------
M 10 D D D D D D D D H H
P -------------------------------------------------
L 11 D D D D D D D D D B
E -------------------------------------------------
12 H H S S S H H H H H
H -------------------------------------------------
A 13, 14 S S S S S H H H H H
N -------------------------------------------------
D 15 S S S S S H H H R H
S -------------------------------------------------
16 S S S S S H H H R R
-------------------------------------------------
17 & up S S S S S S S S S S
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A-2 H H B D D H H H H H
A -------------------------------------------------
C A-3 H H B D D H H H H H
E -------------------------------------------------
A-4, A-5 H H D D D H H H H H
C -------------------------------------------------
O A-6 B D D D D H H H H H
M -------------------------------------------------
B A-7 S N N N N S S H H H
O -------------------------------------------------
S A-8 S S S S B S S S S S
-------------------------------------------------
A-9, A-10 S S S S S S S S S S
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A-A, 8-8 T T T T T T T T T T
-------------------------------------------------
2-2, 3-3 P P T T T T H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
4-4 H H H L L H H H H H
P -------------------------------------------------
A 5-5 D D D D D D D D H H
I -------------------------------------------------
R 6-6 T* T T T T H H H H H
S -------------------------------------------------
7-7 T T T T T T H H R H
-------------------------------------------------
9-9 T T T T T S T T S S
-------------------------------------------------
10-10 S S S S S S S S S S
TABLE FIVE
True Count Variations To Basic Strategy Table
Dealer -> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
S 8 H H 5 3 2 H H H H H D
I ------------------------------------------------- B
M 9 1 0 -2 -4 -4 3 H H H H L
P -------------------------------------------------
L 10 B D D D D -6 -4 -1 5 4 D
E ------------------------------------------------- W
11 D D D D D D -5 -4 -3 1 N
Double if the true count is greater than or equal to the table value,
otherwise hit.
12 2 1 0 -1 -1 H H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
13 -1 -2 -3 -4 -4 H H H H H
H ------------------------------------------------- S
A 14 -3 -4 -5 S -6 H H H H H T
N ------------------------------------------------- A
D 15 -5 -6 S S S H H 6 3 H N
S ------------------------------------------------- D
16 S S S S S H 6 4 0 R
-------------------------------------------------
17 S S S S S S S S S -6
Stand if true count greater than or equal to the table value, otherwise hit
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A-2 H 6 2 -1 -2 H H H H H
A -------------------------------------------------
C A-3 H 5 1 -2 -4 H H H H H D
E ------------------------------------------------- B
A-4 H 5 -1 -4 D H H H H H L
C -------------------------------------------------
O A-5 H 3 -1 -5 D H H H H H D
M ------------------------------------------------- W
B A-6 1 -2 -5 D D H H H H H N
O -------------------------------------------------
S A-7 1 -1 -5 S B S S H H H
-------------------------------------------------
A-8 6 4 3 1 1 S S S S S
-------------------------------------------------
A-9 S S 6 5 5 S S S S S
Double if true count is greater than or equal to the table value, otherwise
use Basic Strategy substituting Hit for Double Down where appropriate
TABLE FIVE (cont)
(Without DD after split)
Dealer -> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A-A T T T T T T T T T -4
-------------------------------------------------
2-2, 6 1 -3 -6 T T H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
3-3 H 4 0 -2 T T H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
4-4 H H H L L H H H H H
P ------------------------------------------------- S
A 5-5 USE VALES FOR 10 IN SIMPLE HANDS P
I ------------------------------------------------- L
R 6-6 2 0 -1 -4 -5 H H H H H I
S ------------------------------------------------- T
7-7 T T T T T T H H R H
-------------------------------------------------
8-8 T T T T T T T T T T
-------------------------------------------------
9-9 -1 -2 -3 -5 -3 6 T T S S
-------------------------------------------------
10-10 S S 6 4 4 S S S S S
(With DD after split)
Dealer -> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
A-A T T T T T T T T T -4
-------------------------------------------------
2-2, -4 -5 T T T T H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
3-3 -2 -6 T T T T H H H H
-------------------------------------------------
4-4 H H 3 1 0 H H H H H
P ------------------------------------------------- S
A 5-5 USE VALES FOR 10 IN SIMPLE HANDS P
I ------------------------------------------------- L
R 6-6 -1 -3 -4 -6 T H H H H H I
S ------------------------------------------------- T
7-7 T T T T T T 1 H R H
-------------------------------------------------
8-8 T T T T T T T T T T
-------------------------------------------------
9-9 -2 -3 -5 -6 -5 3 T T S 4
-------------------------------------------------
10-10 S S 6 4 4 S S S S S
Split if true count greater than or equal table value, otherwise do not
split and follow standard basic strategy for non pairs of same hand value.
Matrix Codes:
H Hit
S Stand
T Split
D Double if allowed, otherwise hit
N Double if allowed, otherwise stand
B Double if allowed & single deck, otherwise hit
R Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
P Split if DD after split is allowed, otherwise hit
L Split if DD after split, double if single deck,
otherwise hit
* Hit if no DD after split
OK, admittedly these last tables are a bit complex, but it will
cover just about any set of house rules that you may encounter.
With this data you can construct your own Basic Strategy Table
for your favorite form of the game.
True Count Variations:
Table five represents a starting point for true count variations and
is provided primarily as an example. This table is the BlackJack!
default. Registered users gain the ability to define and modify a
user table to suit the particular counting system you are using. It
can be selected as the active system and is used in Casino Play and
the Basic Strategy Drill.
More Information:
An excellent source of information on the game of Blackjack is...
RGE Publishing
414 Santa Clara Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
1-510-465-6452
Also available from Glencoe Computing:
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