Can someone here confirm me for a game with single deck, H17, DOA, noDAS, no surrender, the soft 18 against A should be hit or stand? Thanks in advance.
Hit all soft hands to soft 19 vs 9-A. Quick BS primer:
There are a standard set of rules for playing Blackjack that have been calculated to be the correct plays for each and every possible hand called Basic Strategy. Here they are for multi-deck games:
If dealer shows 2 or 3 take cards until you have 13 or more.
If dealer shows 4 5 or 6 take cards until you have 12 or more.
If dealer shows 7 8 9 10 or Ace take cards until you have 17 or more.
If you have an Ace in your hand, take cards until you have 19 against the dealers 9 10 or Ace, 18 for anything else. When your Ace can only count as a 1, go back to the above rules.
Double your 2 card total of 11 against anything less.
Double your 2 card total of 10 against anything less.
Double your 2 card total of 9 against 3 4 5 or 6.
Double Ace 7, Ace 6 against 3 4 5 or 6.
Double Ace 5 Ace 4 against 4 5 or 6.
Double Ace 3 Ace 2 against 5 or 6.
Always split Ace's and 8's.
Never split 10's 5's or 4's.
Split 9's against 2 3 4 5 6 8 or 9 only.
Split 7's against 2 3 4 5 6 and 7.
Split 6's against 3 4 5 and 6.
Split 2's and 3's against 4 5 6 and 7.
Never take Insurance.
Single deck, H17 = Hit
Everything else = Stand
For either cover or for a generic basic strategy, learning only one decision costs very little in EV.
If dealer hits soft 17, should hit A7 vs A.
If dealer stands on soft 17, should stand on A 7 vs A.
The logic is, your 18 will beat his 17 if he happens to have a 6.
DrO
I know what the book says. DD vs 3. But the proof is fuzzy math to me. I am thinkin of just staying with this hand, unless the count is substanial postive.
Anyone want to try to give me a theory or proof?
Seven ranks of cards (A, 2, 3 and 10, J, Q, K) will either improve your hand or at the worst leave you with the same eighteen you had before. Only six ranks will hurt you, and even if you get one of those, the dealer still has to get into the 17-21 range from what is most likely a 13 start. Your chances look pretty good. They look even better as the count climbs.
