Chicago Sun-Times: Blackjack strategies must vary by game

Cutting the house edge in any blackjack game starts with basic strategy. Learning when to hit, stand, split pairs and double down can't entirely overcome the house edge, but it can greatly reduce it.

But some variations on blackjack require basic strategies of their own. If you simply use the same strategy in everything that looks like a blackjack game, you'll find yourself giving the house a little more than you should.

That goes double for Double Exposure Blackjack. We need to take advantage of the one big plus the game offers--the fact all cards are dealt face up and we know the dealer's two-card total before we make a strategy decision. We also have to account for the biggest negative- -that the dealer wins all ties.

Let's start with strategy for hard totals--hands that don't include an Ace being counted as an 11. The strategy here is for games in which the dealer hits soft 17 and doubling down after splitting pairs is not permitted, because I find these the most common conditions. I'm also going to assume the house permits doubling down on all two-card totals. If double downs are restricted to totals of 9, 10 or 11, I recommend passing up the game.

*Player has 5, 6 or 7: Double down if the dealer shows hard 14, 15 or 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 8: Double down if the dealer shows hard 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 9: Double down if the dealer shows hard 5, 6 or 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 10: Double down if the dealer shows hard 4 through 8, 12 through 16 or soft 14 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 11: Double down if the dealer shows hard 4 through 9, 12 through 16 or soft 13 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 12: Stand if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6, 12 through 16 or soft 14 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 13: Stand if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6 and either hard or soft 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 14: Stand if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6, 11 through 16 or soft 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 14: Stand if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6, 10 through 16 or soft 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 14: Stand if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6, 8 through 16 or soft 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has 17 through 20. For all these totals, hit only if the dealer has your total or higher, regardless of whether the dealer's hand is hard and soft. Hit 17 against 17 or higher, 18 against 18 or higher, 19 against 19 or higher and 20 against 20. You won't get the chance to hit against a dealer's two-card 21--that's blackjack, and the dealer wins unless you also have blackjack.

Now let's try Double Exposure strategy for soft totals, when the player does have an Ace counted as an 11 and therefore can't bust the hand with a one-card draw. If you have an Ace-5 for soft 16 and draw a 6, you don't have 22. Instead, you count the Ace as 1 for a total of 12, and revert the strategy for 12s on the hard totals chart.

*Player has soft 13: Double down if the dealer shows hard 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has soft 14 or 15: Double down if the dealer shows hard 6 or 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has soft 16 or 17: Double down if the dealer shows hard 5, 6 or 12 through 16. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has soft 18: Double down if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6 or 12 through 16. Stand if the dealer shows hard 7 or hard or soft 17. Otherwise, hit.

*Player has soft 19: Double down if the dealer shows hard 12 through 16. Hit if the dealer shows hard or soft 19 or 20. Otherwise, stand.

*Player has soft 20: Double down if the dealer shows hard 12 through 16. Hit if the dealer shows hard or soft 20. Otherwise, stand.

*Player has soft 21: You have blackjack. Stand.

That leaves strategy for splitting pairs:

*Split 2s, 3s, 6s or 7s if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6 or 12 through 17.

*Split 4s if the dealer shows hard 6 or 12 through 16.

*Never split 5s.

*Split 8s if the dealer shows hard 2 through 8, 12 through 17 or soft 16 or 17.

*Split 9s if the dealer shows hard 4 through 6, 8, 12 through 16, 18 or soft 15 or 16.

*Split 10s if the dealer shows hard 13 through 16.

*Split aces if the dealer shows anything but hard 11 or any 17 or higher.

That's a little more complex than basic strategy for regular blackjack, but in a game with its own complexities, it needs to be.