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DIFFERENT GAMES, DIFFERENT CHARTS
There are strategy charts for every possible rule variation you’ll ever encounter at a casino, and they all promise to boost your winnings over basic strategy by as much as a whole one-tenth of a percent! But you could drive yourself nuts memorizing every rule change and the appropriate strategy. For a tenth of a penny, it’s just not worth it.
You’re better off memorizing this one chart and applying it to every regular blackjack game you encounter, whether single deck or multideck.
The chart on pages 40-41 tells you how to handle each and every hand you get in blackjack. You simply look at your card total - whether you have two, three or more cards, or even a split - and line it up with the dealer’s up card to find out what action to take. So if you split a pair of Eights (which the chart says you should always do), and hit the first Eight and got a Three, reconsult the chart to see that you should double your 11 against any dealer up card except an Ace.
It may be confusing at first, but when you practice at home, you’ll see that most basic-strategy decisions make sense. If you have problems memorizing charts, simply take it with you. Most casinos don’t have a problem with you consulting a basic-strategy chart (some casino gift shops even sell them).
One last thing: A few casinos allow players to “surrender” half their bet when they’re in a near no-win situation. Unlike most casino offerings, this is actually a good thing, as long as you stick with the chart.
