Las
Vegas Strip Rules: Dealer must draw to all totals of 16
or less and stand on all totals of 17 to 21. Players may double
down on any initial hand and split any pair. All pairs may
be split and drawn to like an initial hand, except for Aces.
Players get only 1 card on each of the split Aces. Doubling
after a split is usually permitted. The same goes for re-spliting.
Blackjacks pay 1 1/2 to 1 and insurance on a dealer Ace pays
2 to 1. . . Downtown Las Vegas Rules: These are the
same as the above LV Strip rules except that the dealer draws
to a soft 17 and stands on a hard 17 to 21. Also most houses
are more restrictive about after split play. The best games
with the highest player advantage are usually found on the
strip.
Two blackjack
strategy charts are shown here. Both strategies use the
same statistical information but in different presentation
formats. It's not necessary to memorize both charts but you
need to know one of the two perfectly. The Condensed Optimal
Strategy is the easiest for most to remember and use. Since
the player's hand constantly changes as hits are taken, while
the dealer's up-card doesn't, the condensed version's focus
on the dealer's upcard, rather than the player's hand, gives
you much less to have to remember as your hands are being played
out.*
*Note: Against
some of the lower dealer cards in the condensed
chart, an A7 hand is recommended twice (as a
down-for-double play and also as a soft total limit). If you
are dealt A7, use it for your double. However if instead of a
double, you develop a soft draw hand of some sort, use A7 as
your soft draw limit.
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