12. Winning At Blackjack

Players familiar with the grand old game of Black Jack as a back room pastime may be surprised to learn that it has be­come the only card game in many gambling houses and that in some, it has topped all other games in popularity. There is good reason for such surprise, as among old-line players Black Jack is known to be as deadly as its name signifies. They won­der, naturally, why anyone would desert the Roulette Wheel or the Crap Table for a fling at something that should swiftly knock out the fattest bankroll.

While playing poker you need to have perfect knowledge of the order of poker hand rankings in order to become a successful poker player.

But the game of Black Jack or Twenty One so popular in the gambling casinos is not the old-style version. It grants certain concessions and privileges to the player that at first gasp may cause him to think that he is getting better than an even break. That, of course, could not be so, but a wary player, by judi­cious placing of his bets, can get a long, long run for his money in a Grade-A gambling establishment.

In Black Jack, cards are valued from 1 to 10, with all face cards counting as 10. Aces, however, may be rated either low or high, meaning that they are worth 1 or 11 as a player may prefer. Suits are disregarded in the game.

Each player is dealt two cards. His big hope is to receive an Ace and a Ten—or a face card—so that his pair will total 11 + 10 = 21. This is called a "Natural" and the lucky player is paid l½ times the amount that he bet. If the dealer, who represents the gambling house, should get a Natural, he immediately picks up all the money bet.

In case of a tie between any player and the dealer, the result is a standoff. This applies to any total under 21, say 17, 18, 19 or 20. That's the part that amazes the back room players, be­cause in the old sociable game the dealer collected whenever there was a tie. But wait! More surprises are coming up!

After receiving his first two cards, a player may call for more, his purpose being to build up his score to as close to 21 as possible. For example: Holding a Two and a Five (2 + 5 = 7) the player would say, "Hit me!" Suppose that he received a Four (2 + 5 + 4 = 11) he would again say, "Hit me!" hoping for a face card to give him 21.

Suppose, instead, that he is dealt an Eight. Adding his cards (2 + 5 + 4 + 8 = 19) he sees that he is about as close to 21 as he can hope to get without going over. So he says "Stand," meaning that he has enough cards. He then hopes that the dealer's hand won't total 19 or better.

What if the player should draw an extra card that would take him over 21? In that case, he goes "bust" and the dealer picks up the money that the player bet. When the dealer comes to draw, he may go "bust" too, in which case he must pay even money to all players who still have wagers on the board. Ex­cept when losing to a Natural, the dealer pays even money whenever he loses.

Advantages to the Player

So far the game looks mighty even. But now we come to features that are in the player's favor. First, each player gets both his original cards dealt face down, while the dealer must turn one card face up. All bets must be placed before any cards are dealt, so players are hooked if the dealer's up-card looks too good.

But that card, good or bad, gives them an inkling as to the dealer's total. From that, they can decide whether or not to call for cards, or how many they should call for. Oddly, how­ever, the fact that the player's two original cards are face down does not handicap the dealer because:

In this form of Black Jack, the dealer is forced to draw as long as his total is 16 or under. Similarly, he is required to stand the moment that his score reaches 17 or over, up to 21. Beyond that, of course, he goes "bust." In short, though the players are free agents, the dealer is reduced to the status of a machine.

That, in itself, is not odd. The gambling house can't place itself at the mercy of an eccentric dealer who might go "bust" when it would be smarter to stand. What's more, the "draw on 16, stand on 17" rule gives the players still another break. Or does it? That, we shall see!

The Dealer's Edge

Anyway, the percentage now appears to be in the player's favor; but actually it isn't. The reason is that when a player goes "bust" he has to pay up. If the dealer goes "bust" later, he still keeps that player's money and merely pays the players who are still in the game.

Take this example, with the letter "H" standing for "Hit"

and the letter "S" signifying "Stand":

Player A: King Four Eight BUST
10 4 H 8                                 (22)

Player B: Two Ace Three Seven Jack BUST

2          1 H3 H7H10 (23)

Player C: King Ten (No Draw) TOTAL

10 10                           S                     20

Player D: Queen Five Nine BUST
10 5 H9                                   (24)

Player E: Three Jack Ace King BUST

3             10 HI H10                      (24)

Player F: Seven Five Three Eight BUST

7                   5 H3 H8                            (23)

DEALER: Six King Jack BUST 6 10 H 10 (26)

Note that if every player had decided to stand after reaching a total of 11 or more, all six would have won because the dealer went "bust" when he drew. But, as it turned out, the dealer took in the wages of five players, with only Player C collecting from the house.

Avoiding a "Bust"

Now suppose every player had stood: A on 14; B on 13; D on 15; E on 13; F on 12. The dealer would still have gone "bust" because he had to draw to his 16. So everybody would have won. But now note this:

If the dealer had picked up an Ace, Two or Three, he still would have beaten everybody except Player C. If the dealer had drawn a Four, he would have tied Player C; while with a Five, the dealer would have cleaned the board. That is, assum­ing that all the players had decided to stand, as just described.

Other things could have happened, too. Suppose Player D had been hit with a Four instead of a Nine. He would then have been able to stand on 19 instead of going bust. If the dealer had drawn a Two, for a total of 18, Player D—like Player C—would have been a winner.

This shows how difficult it is to calculate the odds in Black Jack. Unlike Roulette, Craps and other notable casino games, Black Jack is not immutable. The players themselves change the results of certain hands by the way they call for cards. That's why it's useless to watch a long session of Black Jack and come to any conclusions, unless you happen to be working for the gambling house. They have to check on the "take" as in any other business.

But whatever you might learn about odds from such ob­servation would all go haywire if the individual players drew their cards differently. Of course, if you watched the same group of players, night after night, all following the same set type of play according to rote, you could tabulate results re­garding that style of play. But another type would produce a different picture and neither would give the overall pattern of Black Jack as played in the lush casinos.

In any event the advantage is with the house—that you take for sure. The player's job is to follow a procedure that will in some way reduce or alter those odds so they are more to his benefit. If you guess what the next card is going to be, or play some crazy hunch regarding it, your chances are apt to get worse. In fact, that's why the game proves so profitable to the house.

That's why experienced players follow some procedure like the following:

The Play-Safe Method

Here, the player tries to chop down the dealer's advantage by never going bust. The rule is very simple: Never draw to a total of 12 or more. In that way it's impossible to total more than 21. Every time the dealer goes bust, the player sits back and collects.

What's more, in Black Jack as played in the gambling ca- sinos, the dealer can't do a thing about it. The rules say that the dealer must draw to 16 or less so he can't sit tight and try to beat the player at his own game the way he could if he ever played Black Jack in his own home.

With 16 as the dealer's count, there are (theoretically) 32 out of 52 cards that will bust him. At 15, there are 28 out of 52; at 14, 24 out of 52. If his count adds to 13, there are only 20 chances out of 52 that he will go bust on the next draw, but other hazards are looming up where the dealer is concerned.

There are 12 chances out of 52 that he will draw an Ace, Two or Three, raising his score from 13 to 14, 15 or 16. In that case he still has to draw another card, with a slightly increased chance that it will bust him. This, of course, is highly helpful to the player.

On the contrary, in "playing safe," the player is forced to sit by idly when the dealer's first two cards total 17 or better. Also, his faint-heart policy looks bad when he stands, for ex­ample, on a total of 12 and watches the dealer, with a score of 16, draw himself a Five.

That five-spot would have given one player a neat 17. But he let the dealer take it and instead of going bust the dealer came under the line with a juicy 21. However, such heart­breaks have to happen, if you decide never to go bust yourself. The "play safe" method helps the player's odds by eliminating that factor. That's why players who prefer this method insist on following it to the letter.

The direct opposite of the "play safe" policy is:

The Dealer Method

This is exactly what its name implies. The player copies the exact procedure of the dealer. That is, if his cards show a total of 16 or less he says "Hit me." The moment his score comes to 17 or above he says "Stand."

What is the advantage? Simply that the player is meeting the dealer on his own ground, or in a sense trying to beat him at his own game, which is regarded as a dangerous procedure in ordinary life.

But in a gambling casino, a player expects to have the odds against him. He figures it this way: "The house has set the rules for the dealer because they give him the best advantage-so why shouldn't I do the same?" So he does and meets the dealer on even terms, except on those occasions when he and the dealer both go bust, which happens comparatively seldom. ( This makes Black Jack about the same as Roulette or Craps as played in the best gambling casinos. The "double bust" in Black Jack works against the player about like the Zero, or the Zero and Double Zero in Roulette. Meanwhile, the player hopes for a lucky run or utilizes some system—or does both—in his customary effort to beat the house.

Both "playing safe" and "imitating the dealer" are auto­matic procedures. In contrast, we have:

The Calculation Method

Here, the player not only calculates his chances, but those of the dealer as well, so far as he can by studying the dealer's up-card. But this calculation is done in a methodical way so as to avoid any serious error. The only question is: How deeply do you want to calculate?

For practical purposes, the process should be kept quite simple. Experienced players and those who have a fondness for figures can add their own complexities. But from the stand­point of simplicity the first rule is this:

Never draw to more than 15. In that case you never run the same risk as the dealer who must draw to 16. That automatically reduces the chance of the player going bust when the dealer does. But it's still better to sit tight while the dealer goes bust on his own.

So the second rule is: Only draw to 15 when the dealer's first two cards may be worth 17 or better, as a draw is likely to be your only chance to beat or tie him. This is where a study of the dealer's up-card is important. You assume that his down-card is worth 10 or better, as 20 cards out of the pack of 52 come into that category (K, Q, J, 10 = 10 and Ace = 11). So if his up-card is a Seven or above, you figure the dealer for 17 or better.

However, if his up-card is a Six or lower (not counting an Ace, which must be classed as High) his count is 16 or less and he will have to draw, unless he has an Ace in the hole. In that case, it is smart to switch to the safe play by standing and let­ting the dealer run the sole risk of a bust.

That raises a question: Should the player draw to a total lower than 15. Some experts say "Yes," but reduce the figure to 13 or even 12, as 14 is quite a risky draw, with chances only slightly in the player's favor. That cuts it pretty thin, so thin, in fact, that very little difference can be noted in a long series of plays.

So the simplest course is to play it safe when you know that the dealer must draw. Other methods may yield a slightly bet­ter percentage, but they demand close attention to detail, more than many players are willing to give. No matter how thin you cut it, the percentage is still against the player, which means that you need a system if you want to beat it. That brings us to:

The Oklahoma System

This system, advertised as a "closely guarded secret" was sold for $5 to would-be Black Jack winners. How good it is, you can find out for yourself without spending $5 or even the price you paid for this book. What's more, you won't have to go to Las Vegas or even to the cigar store in the next block to try it out.

Just take a pack of cards, deal a few hundred hands, or a few thousand, playing your own against an imaginary dealer according to whatever method you want. Use the" safe play" method, the "dealer" method, or whatever "calculation' you prefer. If you wish, deal different hands for all three. See how each one works: Try before you buy.

They call it the Oklahoma System because a gambler from that state presumably tried it out and found that it worked. Now the crazy thing about Black Jack is the way it ruins sys­tems, by and large. Every now and then the dealer wins a long string of hands that would "break" a player who tried to "double-up" the way they do in Roulette.

What's worse, Black Jack is a comparatively "low limit" game. Start with $1 and try doubling after every loss. Bang! You're stopped by a $25 limit. The Oklahoma gamblers found that out. So they put the double-up system in reverse, placing the burden on the bank, so to speak. Here is the system that they recommend.

Start with a single unit (say $1) and if it is lost, the same wager is repeated. That is, the player never risks more than a single unit on any individual play. That keeps the bets within bounds where losses are concerned. But when a player wins, he can afford to go outside of bounds, so he does.

After each win the wager is doubled, but this is limited to three plays in all. When a player wins (1 unit) he doubles the next bet (1 + 1 = 2) and when he wins that bet he doubles the next (2 + 2 = 4). That is all. Win or lose, he goes back to the single unit (or basic bet) on the very next play.

Advocates of this system assert that if it is followed faith­fully it will give the player an edge percentage wise over the bank, the theory being that he should win three times in a row before sustaining more than seven losses. This is best understood by reviewing a sample series of thirty-two plays:

 1: Lose (-1). 2: Lose (-1). 3: Win (+1). 4: Win (+2).

 5: Lose (-4). 6: Lose (-1). 7: Win (+1). 8: Lose (-2).

 9: Lose (-1). 10: Win (+1). 11: Win (+2). 12: Win (+4).

13: Win (+1). 14: Lose (-2). 15: Lose (-1). 16: Win (+1).

17: Lose (-2). 18: Lose (-1). 19: Lose (-1). 20: Lose (-1).

21: Win (+1). 22: Win (+2). 23: Win (+4). 24: Lose (-1).

25: Lose (-1). 26: Lose (-1). 27: Lose (-1). 28: Lose (-1).

29: Win (+1). 30: Win (+2). 31: Win (+4). 32: Lose (-1).

Count the Wins and Losses; you will find that there are only 14 Wins as against 18 Losses. But when you add up the units given in the parentheses, the Wins come to 27 as opposed to 24 Units Lost. A Win on the 5th Play would have produced a total of 31 units, with a Loss of only 21, or a margin of 10 units to the good.

But don't get too optimistic: A series running Win, Win, Lose, Win, Win, Lose, Win, Win, Lose, and so on, would show a steady loss, despite the predominance of winning plays. How­ever, there are special factors that help the system player. One is:

Splitting Pairs

This is a privilege allowed the player when he is dealt two cards of the same denomination. He may use each as a "first card" and call for an additional card to be dealt on each one. The player then will be playing two hands against the dealer.

The system player will find it advantageous to:

Always split Aces. He has a nice chance of receiving a Ten or Face Card with either Ace, giving him an unbeatable 21, though it does not count as a "Natural" in this case and is, therefore, only paid even money. Whatever cards he may be dealt, the Ace will be helpful because its count can be figured either as 1 or 11. Often, a player will win on both Aces.

Never split Face Cards or Tens. They already show a count of 20, which will generally win or result in a standoff with the dealer. True, there is a chance of hooking a 21, but it only amounts to a theoretical 1 in 12½.

Don't split Nines. They show a count of 18, which is often all the player may need. However, some players like to split Nines when the dealer shows a Six or lower, excluding an Ace. The reason is that they may build a nice total on each Nine, while the dealer, being forced to draw, is likely to go bust.

Always split Eights. Together they total only 16, a score which the dealer must endeavor to beat. A draw to an Eight offers 2 out of 5 chances of hitting 18 or a possible 19, which may beat or tie a count on which the dealer is forced to stand.

Splitting Sevens or below is unwise and should ordinarily be avoided. With Sevens, there is a nice chance of totaling 17, but the dealer is forced to make that score or better, so he is apt to beat the player. This means that it's pretty much a gamble on the dealer going "bust," which isn't good enough. With Sixes you may hit 16, which is no good either.

Never split Fives, as they already total 10, giving an ex­cellent chance for 20 and a possible 21. Never split Fours, be­cause their total of 8 may bring you up to 18 or 19 if you are hit with a Ten or a Face Card. However:

The player using the Oklahoma System should split Sevens, Sixes, Threes or Twos when he is working for a second or third Win in a row. In betting split pairs, the player is required to put the same amount on each. So if either card builds to a Win, the player may consider it as part of his winning run.

Remember: In system play, the loss means little unless it wrecks a chain of three Wins. Splitting Twos, Threes, Sixes or Sevens may counteract this. But what if the other member of the split pair loses? Simply regard it as an isolated bet, that will be counterbalanced in the long run by other similar wagers that land in the Win column.

There are other helpful ways of balancing up, such as:

Doubling Down

Here, the player has the privilege of doubling his bet after his first two cards have been dealt. But he is allowed to draw [ only one card more, toward improving his hand. This process may be applied after splitting Pairs (if they are anything but Aces). After a card has been dealt to each member of the Pair, the player may "double down" on either or both sets.

Obviously, the time to "double down" is when a player's two cards total 9,10 or 11, as he is hoping to be hit with a card of 10 in value which generally offers a 1 in 3¼ chance or better. Even if he misses the player can still win if the dealer goes bust. So a conservative player will only "double down" when the dealer's up-card is a Six or lower, not including an Ace.

There are also:

Bonus and Insurance Bets

A "Bonus Bet" pays a player a special award if he holds some freak combination, such as a Natural consisting of the Ace and Jack of Spades. These, while rare, are helpful to the player except when he is forced to make an unwise draw, as for ex­ample, when a bonus is paid on the Six, Seven and Eight of any suit. System players should avoid these snares while building up a winning run.

A player may sometimes take an "Insurance Bet" when the dealer's first card, the up-card, is an Ace. A pause is made during the deal so that the player can bet that the dealer's next card, the hole-card, will produce a Natural 21. If it does, the dealer must pay the player 2 to 1 on the insurance bet.

In ordinary play, such bets should be ignored, as the odds are against the player. But, in playing a system, an insurance bet may be taken during a winning run, so as to offset the loss on that particular play and turn it into a standoff.

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