Changing the Playing Strategy

According to the Count

First of all, the basic strategy outlined earlier should always be applied with a neutral count, either prior to the first round of play or during a later round of play, when the count is neither plus nor minus.

The following rules can be put into play during a running count; that is, a count taken during an actual round of play based on the cards the player sees.

It always pays to be in the third baseman's seat or a seat close to the end of the table, where you'll be able to watch the previous plays of bettors' hands. This seat placement also offers you the opportunity of taking a running count. Here's how this is done:

Suppose the count is neutral after a round of play. You are sitting in the third baseman's seat and have been dealt an 8, 2 for a hard 10. The dealer's upcard is a 9. The correct play here is to double down, for it gives you a slight advantage over the dealer.

However, the first player hits and gets a 10-value card (from now on called simply a 10), hits again, gets another 10, and busts. The next player hits and gets a 10, hits again, gets an ace, and stands. The other players at the table stand.

From a neutral deck the deck has gone down to -3, with an additional ace played out. Those three l0s plus the ace would have been very strong cards for you to be dealt on your double down. In this case, with a running count, you would simply hit your 10, rather than doubling down against a dealer's 9.

the variations presented

the first player

the borderline hands