How do you calculate the standard deviation for simply flat betting versus a spread of lets say 1 - 8 on a 8 deck game.
Is there any difference? I would have to believe there is since you are not betting any high amounts. What is the formula for this?
Thanks,
Brendan
"How do you calculate the standard deviation for simply flat betting"
Since the e.v. for a single hand of blackjack is very close to zero, calculating the s.d. for flat betting is virtually the same as calculating the average squared result of a single hand of blackjack.
Peter Griffin gives an illustration at the bottom of p. 167 of his book. There, he gets 1.26 for the variance, and, therefore, 1.12 for the s.d., which is the square root. For DAS games, s.d. is closer to 1.14 for flat betting. See also
http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/appendix4.html
for an excellent discussion of this.
"versus a spread of lets say 1 - 8 on a 8 deck game.
"Is there any difference? I would have to believe there is since you are not betting any high amounts. What is the formula for this?"
I explain the method for calculating s.d. when you spread and even when you play more than one hand, on pp. 19-21 of BJA3, and in Table 2.1, on p. 20. You need to square the bet size, multiply by the frequency with which you make the bet, then by the variance at each of the counts in question, and sum vertically. When you're done, you then take the square root, to get the s.d.
And yes, the s.d. is much higher when you spread.
Don
I appreciate the detailed response. I'll go back and review the information in your book.
Curious about how often you get out to play. Do you make it out a few times a year or is it more often? For me it a little harder having a family with young children. With that said, I am scheduled to go to Las Vegas 10/14 -10/16 and will be staying at the South Point. Seems like a nice place for the family and is off the strip and should be less busy. However, I do not know how busy it is with the economy being so down.
See ya,
Brendan
