Quick winning principles
- Memorize basic strategy — never take insurance.
- Always split aces and 8s; never split 10s or 5s.
- Double on 11 vs dealer 2-10; on 10 vs 2-9.
- Assume the hole card is a 10 unless counting says otherwise.
Ideal strategy
- 1
Basic strategy is a complete decision chart derived from billions of simulated hands. Deviation costs roughly 0.5% edge per common mistake.
- 2
Soft hands (ace as 11): double soft 17-18 vs dealer 3-6; stand on soft 19+. Treat them as flexible totals, not fixed numbers.
- 3
Pair splitting: split 2s and 3s vs weak dealer upcards; never split 4s (8 total is better for doubling). Split 9s vs 2-9 except 7.
- 4
Surrender where offered: hard 16 vs 10 and 15 vs 10 are canonical give-up spots that save long-run money.
- 5
Hi-Lo counting basics: +1 low cards, -1 high cards, bet spread with true count. Penetration and table rules matter more than genius.
- 6
Bankroll discipline: even with an edge, variance is brutal. 200+ max bets in reserve or don't play seriously.