Blackjack strategy IV – more basic strategy
While some of the most common factors needed to formulate a basic strategy for any blackjack player are a game table using three or more card decks, dealer standing on soft 17 and being allowed to view his hole card to check for blackjack, doubling down and double after split rules being used and 3:2 winning odds as a blackjack payout, in some cases the doubling down option may be suspended. In this case, the player must adapt his basic strategy regarding his hard total or soft total hands.
For a hand value totaling a hard 9, the player should double when the dealer’s face up card is a 3 or a 4 or a 5 or a 6 and in all other cases, hit. If doubling down is not an option in the game, then hitting should be done. However, if the player’s hard total hand value ranges between 5 and 8, his basic strategy to follow is hitting and drawing extra card(s) irrespective of the dealer’s face up card.
Now, if the player’s hand value is a soft total, the basic strategy is altered considerably. So if the player is holding a hand where his initial two cards is either an ace and a 9 or an ace and a 8, then all he can do is stand and lock his hand vale irrespective of whatever value the dealer’s face up card may show. Now if the player has a soft 18 where the two cards are an ace and a 7, he can hit if the dealer has a 9 or any ten-valued card or an ace as his up card. If doubling is not allowed, the player should stand on every other value showed by the dealer’s face up card. In case doubling down is a valid rule, then the player must double against the dealer’s 3, 4, 5 or 6 and should stand if the dealer holds a 2 or a 7 or an 8.
