Here's the situation:
You're playing in a multiple deck game, and receive a five and a three for a two-card total of eight while the dealer flips a six as his upcard. Standing with this hand is, of course, out of the question. Your decision comes down to whether you're going to hit the hand or double down. Which of these do you do?

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• 8 Deck Blackjack Rules
• Splitting 8s Index Play?

My best advice as to the correct play is not to double, but to hit the hand.

1 Deck 4 Decks 6 Decks 8 Decks Let's consider card counting on a blackjack game with 6 decks of cards. This is one of the most popular games at online and land casinos, but, do not forget that it is impossible to count cards online. Classic Blackjack is played with a standard 52-card deck. In most varieties of blackjack, the rules allow playing with 2 to 8 decks of cards, with no joker. Check also our Classic Blackjack Simulator. You can play it right here for free, no deposit required. Blackjack can be played with a single deck or 4-8 decks. Most casinos I’ve been to have single deck or use six decks. Also, some casinos require the dealer to stand with a soft 17, and some mandate the dealer to hit with a soft 17. If the dealer has to stand with a soft 17, that will give you better odds. This attractive 8-deck blackjack shoe not only makes any table look professional, but it also provides security by keeping the cards covered preventing any tampering or card counting. It is made of a shiny plastic with a heavy wedge inside. 8 Deck Blackjack Strategy if you deposit £25 or more. The maximum Bonus available to you will 8 Deck Blackjack Strategy be the equivalent to 100% of your deposit amount and no more than £50. In order to receive the Offer, you will 8 Deck Blackjack Strategy be required to claim the Bonus whilst making the first deposit.

Look - having the eight is really not a strong enough hand to be doubling on. Remember that the average dealer hand comes out to a value of 18.23. So as far as a winning hand is concerned, you're holding something that is actually less than average.

Also remember that even with a six as his upcard, the dealer will only bust about 43% of the time. So your positive yield for doubling is minimal since you're only going to win 4% more than you lose.

On the other hand, when you hit the eight, you'll win nine more hands than you lose, per hundred. So your gain with simply hitting is slightly greater than if you executed a double-down.

Always keep in mind that opinions are not relevant in the game of blackjack. Mathematics matters. Probability takes precedence. Solid basic play is not predicated on the proposition that your 'hunch' is going to work this time around. We play the percentages. We don't flinch. We memorize the right way to go and we do it every time.

US vs. THEM Blackjack Strategy Series
An Analysis
By Charles Jay

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More on How to play Blackjack

Splitting 8s Index Play?

• Appendices
• Miscellaneous
• External Links

Introduction

To use the basic strategy look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. The splittable hands have been divided into two groups depending on whether or not doubling after splitting is allowed. In multiple deck games doubling after a split is usually allowed and that rule can go either way in single deck. In the body of the chart are color coded cells that indicate the best play: H=hit, S=stand, D=double, P=split.

It should be noted that this strategy is applicable when the dealer stands on a soft 17, which is almost always the case in an 8 deck game. If the dealer hits a soft 17 the player should double on 11 against an ace.