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Basic BlackJack Strategy:
As in most casino games, the house has a statistical
advantage over the players that will play itself out in the long
run. But because blackjack, unlike other games, has an element
of player choice, players can actually reduce the casino
advantage to just a small percentage by playing what is known as
basic strategy.
This strategy determines when to hit and when to stand, and
also determines when doubling down or splitting is the correct
action.
Basic strategy is based on the player's point total, and the
dealer's visible card. There are slight variations in basic
strategy depending on the exact house rules and the number of
deck used.
Under the most favorable conditions (single deck, downtown
Las Vegas rules), the house advantage over a basic strategy
player can be as low as 0.25%. Indeed, casinos offering special
rules like surrender and double-after-split may actually be
offering a positive expectation to basic strategy players; they
are counting on players making mistakes to make money.
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