double-deck question

I've sort of latched on to DD games as the place to take advantage of counting play. I've played mainly on the MS coast and on the strip in Vegas, plus a few scattered casinos around the country (no AC yet). Here is what I consider to be the "norm" for DD games:

1. S17
2. D10 (double 10/11 only) - have seen some DA2 DD games, but they seem to be rarer.
3. RS to 4 hands.
4. DAS (double after split)
5. resplit aces (this seems to be almost 50-50 as to whether it is allowed or not, what is the general consesus on which is more common, resplit aces or not?)
6. LS (also seems to be more common at larger casinos (MS coast, Vegas strip, but not at places like Pearl River Resort, etc.) Which is more common, LS or NLS?
7. insurance. Of course I don't recall seeing a game where insurance is not allowed.

Reason I'm asking is that I've decided to bone up on additional BS deviation indices, and thought I would pick the game where it would do me the most good (IE I can play 6d games and the BS deviations don't seem to be that important after the I18 and F4.)

I did play a DD game in vegas that used very good rules including DA2 and RSA, but that seems to be less common based on my somewhat limited sample. I like this game for a couple of reasons. first is that the count seems to be a bit more unstable and bounces around. In a 6d game, if the count goes south, it pretty well stays south. If it goes up, it stays up, but winning is slow and painful. Second, DD is more relaxed (slower). Easier (for me) to count, chat, kibitz, and so forth, requiring a lower level of concentration to keep up. Finally, I've won _way_ more money at DD than at 6d. 6d can be beat, but it is like pushing a car uphill by hand. DD lets me drag the car up the hill using my truck. :)

I also try to stick to $25 DD tables, although I have seen plenty for more and a few for less. Betting $25 to $100-$150 doesn't cause my wife to hyper-ventilate much. Playing on a $100 table (I've only done this a couple of times) gets her attention in a hurry. :)

I can remember one game at the Beau Rivage where I had bet $200, had 9's against the dealer's 6, TC high (don't remember what, but probably +5 or more), I split, got another 9, split, got another 9, now $800 on the table. Wife pale. First card was 2. Double. Paler. Second card was ace. Breathed easier. third card was 2. Paler still. Fourth card got Ace, really considered a double there, but thought the wife might collapse. Dealer turned over a 5. Wife almost collapses. :) Fortunately he didn't get one of the surplus 10's, got an A for 12, then busted. Wife said "let's go eat". I think just to get me off the $100 table. As we left she told the dealer/pit boss "don't let him play here again, he almost gave me a heart attack." Pit boss said "if you count all the black chips, you might want him to come back again. He did pretty well."

However, when I went back, it was full. Of course I had this horrible tugging on my right arm as we got close so it was probably for the best. :)

What she didn't know is that I could bet $100 on the $25 min table. :)

We do have fun doing this, don't we? :)

most common on the coast is DOA, DAS, S17, no surrender.

CM, (Biloxi) Palace, both grands, and TB also allow RSA.

Copa offers LS, but no RSA.

can't speak for Vegas as i've never been there.

I much prefer DA2 over RSA myself. I've not had many chances to resplit aces overall, but find plenty of opportunities to double a 9 vs 3-6, and even 9 vs 2 or 7 at the proper +TC...

Guess the idea is that there is no real standard, and that sometimes the standard changes. I played at casino X, split aces, got something small, and the dealer waited for me to say hit or stand or double. Later, same casino, dealer (different) gave me one card and moved on. I asked and he said "I was told one card on split aces here...". Perhaps I was just lucky with the first dealer...

Don't know any stores on MS coast that have D10 on DD ,all DOA . Was there last week but didn't go everywhere . Copa still has SD with D10

I'm not a math person, but looking at your $100-table experience at the BR, it appears you may not be aware of some of the numbers behind your play. With a min bet of $100, and TC of +6, betting $200 is well under the recommended 1 - 6 or 1-8 spread for this game. So playing at a $100 table, your max bet would be $600, and the recommended bankroll for 1-6 spread would be 125 x $600 = $75,000 (with, if I recall, something like a 1 1/2 percent ROR.)

I understand that the TC may have sprouted to +6 too quickly for your bet level to get ramped up discreetly, and that is why your bet was so low at this point. DD can be pretty volatile that way.

However, failing to double at the appropriate time because of bankroll limits can be considered a symptom of overbetting.

And betting $100 at a $25 table is still spreading only 1-4.

Going home with a nice stack of blacks is fun. But I'd suggest looking into the numbers a little more deeply before playing further at this level. In other words, trust your wife's instincts. And your own sweat flow rate. :-)

:: ::

I was playing at the $100 table as a bit of a "lark" with my wife. I was really a $25 bettor, but had to start at 4 units due to the table min. And yes, at a $100 table what I was doing was a bit under. When I went by the DD games, of which there were only 2-3 IIRC, all but the $100 table was full, and my wife (apparently jokingly) said "try that one" so I did. :) Didn't stay long however, as it really was beyond the BR I had with me to play with...

That's also why I'm not a "black chipper" obviously... I'm comfortable with a $100-$200 max bet. But 400+ is a bit much for my nerves and comfort level. :)