Blackjack Double Deck Basic Strategy
Luckily all 2 deck Blackjack tables come with several basic strategy charts to prepare you for the varying rules applied to double deck games. Below we will walk you through the easy to learn steps you need to take to choose the correct basic strategy chart so you can quickly learn how to play 2 deck Blackjack tables whether you find them at a. Blackjack, when played with perfect basic strategy, has a house edge of less than 1%. But not every strategy works when it comes to winning at blackjack. This post – the first in a series – looks at some of the good and bad strategies for winning at blackjack.
- Blackjack Double Deck Basic Strategy Chart
- Blackjack Double Deck Basic Strategy
- Blackjack Double Deck Basic Strategy Card
Basic strategy for double deck blackjack is slightly different to the single deck version. Again mathematics plays its part in changing the way the game is played. Below you will see the value of the dealers hand noted across the top and the player’s hand going horizontally on the left. With each different version we have also recapped some of the rules just in case you haven’t been over other sections on our website covering the rules that dictate when the dealer must hit or stand.
Basic Strategy: 2 Decks and Dealer Must Stand on a Soft 17
Table of ContentsWhen the dealer has a soft 17, it basically means he/she has an Ace and a 6 card making 17. That basically means the dealer has to stand. In fact, in this style of Blackjack any hand 17 or above the dealer must stand.
- Split-D or Hit means to double after splitting if allowed or if you cannot split, then hit
- Double or stand means to double if you are permitted to do so, otherwise just stand
- Double or hit means double if you are allowed, otherwise hit
Basic Strategy: 2 Decks and Dealer Must Stand on a Soft 17
If the dealer has an A-6 card, then this is a soft 17. On some tables the dealer is forced to hit only when the hand is soft 17; while, any other hand worth 17, the dealer will stand.
- A card between 2 and 4 will be favourable to the dealer as the score will be quite high
- For example, if the dealer is holding an A-6 and draws a 2, 3 or 4, then the Ace counts as an 11 giving scores of (A-6-2) = 19, (A-6-3) = 20 or (A-6-4) = 21
- If the dealer draws another Ace card, then this would be (A-5-A) = 18 because the final Ace drawn would count as 1
- Any other 17 hand dealt to the dealer will be a hard 17 and the dealer will stand; for example, 10-7, J-7, Q-7, K-7
- Any other hand dealt to the dealer that is valued at 17 or above will be will mean the dealer will stand
- Split-D or Hit means to double after splitting if allowed or if you cannot split, then hit
- Surrender or Split/D means to surrender if the table rules allow you to surrender, and if not, then you should split and then double after the split if the double is allowed
- Double or stand means to double if you are permitted to do so, otherwise just stand
- Double or hit means double if you are allowed, otherwise hit
Blackjack Double Deck Basic Strategy Chart
Other rules to take note of when playing basic strategy
As you can see above, with the 2 different types of tables other rules apply that slightly affect your next action on the Blackjack table. For example, you may have a table where the dealer must stand on a soft 17, and the table allows players to double. You could similarly have a table that also states that the dealer must stand on a soft 17, but on this table you are not permitted to double. Then again another table may force the dealer to hit on soft 17, and allow doubles. It entirely depends on the casino you play.
Here some basic strategy tips to go with the above strategy guidelines:
Blackjack Double Deck Basic Strategy
- Always avoid taking insurance as this bet is heavily weighted in favour of the house
- If you cannot see a row for splitting; such as, 5s and 10s, you should count your hand as a hard total 10 or 20 and act accordingly
- When there are limits on splits, and this stops you from re-splitting, then you should count your hand’s total as a hard total and use the tables above to determine your next action
Final Word on Double Deck Blackjack
Basic strategy may seem complicated, but honestly all it is a case of is learning a set of tables and sticking to the suggested move. This way you will lose as little as possible; while, you will win as often as possible. Obviously learning these tables correctly and efficiently takes time and practise – but with experience, you will soon master each basic strategy table and be able to play a variety of Blackjack games according to mathematically proven optimal strategies.
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For those who are not familiar, (I'd imagine a lot are not) I'll summarize. A card counter keeps a running count of the proportion of high to low cards using tags. Then, they divide this count by the number of decks remaining to get a True Count, an estimate of the expected value of the next hand. It is assumed that a True Count has the same edge throughout the packet, however, it was discovered that this isn't true. In fact, given decent rules, a 6 deck game with a Running Count of 0 has a slight player advantage when only 1 deck is left. The actual effect is pretty much directly correlated to the same rules' edge with 'n' decks.
This has no value to the non card counter as the effects of using non-optimal (basic) strategy against high and low counts will eat up this advantage. To the counter, this knowledge has some slight effect, but hardly enough to utilize heavily. (It's probably good to know that at a RC of 0 with 1 deck left has a slight edge, and that higher counts will have a higher edge later in the shoe than earlier if you use the proper index plays)
But here's what I was wondering. The explanation of why this effect occurs is essentially that the remaining deck essentially acts the same as a single deck over time, when the Running Count is 0. So it's like playing against 1 deck, but with the 6 deck rules. That being the case, would you use a single deck basic strategy at a RC of 0? And Double Deck strategy with 2 decks left? Or would you always use the multi deck strategy? Which is better at that point in the deck, and if you do use the 'n' deck strategy, is it also best to use 'n' deck indices?
Optimally, if I was a perfect blackjack playing machine, would I constantly adjust my indices according to the number of decks left? I realize that constantly adjusting not only the RC, TC, Floating Advantage effect and so called 'Floating Basic Strategy and Indices' if they exist may just be overkill, but I'm mostly wondering if it would theoretically be applicable. (Even if not practical)
Has anybody read anything about this? I'm not sure if anybody has ever bothered to do any research on this, but I am looking for any literature I can find.
Administrator
Mostly out of curiosity, and partly because if these changes exist, they would be easy to learn, I'm wondering whether the effect would cause you to play 'n' deck strategy, where 'n' is the number of decks left, at a RC of 0.
Say with 1 deck left in a liberal 6 deck game, the RC is 0. You bet, knowing that you're playing at about a .2% advantage if you use Basic Strategy. Would it, however, be more beneficial to you to use the one deck strategy? Say you get 3,5 v 6, the change in index is enough to justify doubling. However, say you get A,8 v 6. In 6 deck you stand. In single deck you double. The RC is still 0, so I think that the same effect that causes the Floating Edge may justify a doubling down in this scenario, but I may be wrong.
As far as I know, though, nobodies ever done any research on that. And it seems to me, since I have most of the differnces between 1, 2 and 4+ deck strategy memorized, it may be worth knowing if this effect is present.
BTW: I have read that before and it does a nice job of explaining and simplifying the known concept, but I'm trying to find if anyone has studied the effect of penetration and Strategy at a neutral count.
Administrator
What I'm trying to figure out is if anybody has ever researched whether the same effect that causes the Floating Advantage would cause you to change your Basic Strategy based on the number of decks remaining.
I have no doubt that there is a better strategy for TC=0 at 1 deck left (i.e. better than basic strategy), but it won't be the single deck basic strategy.
The only question is: how much mathematics are you willing to 'spend' ?
No, you wouldn't. The last deck in a six-deck shoe has the same odds as the first deck, for the non-counter.
I realize that, I meant for the Counter. I guess my wording is just off - I just realized I forgot to mention that I meant for the counter, who knows the RC to be exactly 0.
Floating Advantage is an effect of card removal, so it is not governed by the true count (which is an estimate of card distribution).
I have no doubt that there is a better strategy for TC=0 at 1 deck left (i.e. better than basic strategy), but it won't be the single deck basic strategy.
The only question is: how much mathematics are you willing to 'spend' ?
Haha, OK so I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that this would effect would probably exist. I'm not anywhere near good enough to do the math myself, I was wondering if anyone had ever seen any work done, or literature about, this topic.
I'm almost certain that there would have to be some effect, although my intuitive idea of it being correlated exactly to # of decks at RC 0 is probably wrong. I do, however, think that many single deck plays would apply if the RC is exactly 0. (Such as Double Soft 19 against 6).Administrator
I just realized I forgot to mention that I meant for the counter, who knows the RC to be exactly 0.
'Seems that, at the one-deck level, extremely high counts produce less edge than expected for the basic strategist (many pushes) and the extreme negative counts were found to be even more unfavorable than previously thought (doubles, splits, and stands tend to be disastrous).' - Blackjack Attack, third edition, page 70.