Using the basic strategy and counting, I am confused as to when or if to use the surrender option when it is avaliable. Please advise. Thanks, Heavyweight.
......surrender (if available) then Hit-stand
4 basic strategy surrenders 15 vs 10; 16 (but not 8,8) vs 9, 10, A
example 1: playing in a casino that allows surrender you hold 10, 6 vs dealer A, basic strategy says you surrender.
example 2: you have same hand as above, you hold 10, 6 vs. dealer A, but casino does not allow surrender, basic strategy says you hit.
......if counting, then for the above hand of 10,6 vs A, decision order now adds insurance to your logic. The counting decision logical order becomes: insurance, surrender, then hit-stand. Also, all 3 decisions would be made acording to your true count deviation matrix, or the mathematical point where it is correct to deviate from basic strategy according to the count you are using.
Note: Basic strategy states never take insurance, so it would not be a consideration in the 1st 2 examples.
.....if you are counting, your true count will determine whether you apply basic strategy to your decision or deviate from basic strategy. Also keep in mind that the specific rules for the game you are playing - e.g. Dealer hits Soft 17 (H17), double after splits (DAS), etc - may have differing true count deviations from basic strategy.
Let me try to clarify the example of a player 10, 6 vs dealer A in a couple of actual game situations:
You are playing 6 decks and 2 decks have been played. Your count (e.g. AOII) uses a true count (TC) conversion of dividing your running count (RC) by the # of remaining decks (in this example, [(6 decks) less (2 decks played) = 4].Therefore you divide the running count by 4. Your running count is +29, TC 7+.
Your order of decisions: Insurance, Surrender (if available), Hit-stand. The AOII matrix numbers to deviate from basic strategy are:
Insurance: +6; For 16 (not 8,8) vs Ace, Surrender: -1; Hit-Stand: S17 +14 / H17 +5. Why the difference for S17 and H17? A dealer may bust when they hit soft 17. Obviously for S17, they cannot bust if they hold soft 17.
Your 1st decsion: Insurance? AOII says to take insurance when the TC is +6 or greater. Since your TC is +7 is greater than +6, you deviate from basic strategy and insure your hand.
Next, if this casino allows surrender on this 6 deck game, and because your TC of +7 exceeds the matrix TC given by AOII as -1, basic strategy applies to this decision so you would surrender. Note, you would NOT surrender if your TC was less than -1. With a TC of less than -1, you would deviate from basic strategy by not surrendering and hitting your 16 instead!
Last decision, hit-stand:
if the game you are playing is S17, then because the TC of +7 is less than the matrix deviation # of +14, basic strategy applies and you hit your 16.
if the game is H17, then because the TC of +7 is greater than the matrix deviation # of +5, you deviate from basic strategy and stand on your 16.
A few more quick examples, same situation 10,6 vs dealer A:
Example W
6 deck, 3 decks played, RC -4
TC?
Insurance? Y/N?
Surrender allowed - surrender Y/N?
Hit-Stand? S17 H/S?; H17 H/S?
Example X
2 decks, 1 deck played, RC 15
TC?
Insurance Y/N?
Surrender allowed - surrender Y/N?
Hit-Stand? S17 H/S?; H17 H/S?
Example Y
4 decks, 1st hand out of the shoe, RC -4
TC?
Insurance Y/N?
Surrender allowed - surrender Y/N?
Hit-Stand? S17 H/S?; H17 H/S?
Example Z
8 decks, 1 deck played, RC 36
TC?
Insurance Y/N?
Surrender allowed - surrender Y/N?
Hit-Stand? S17 H/S?; H17 H/S?
Answers on a later post
