Hi Guys,

I am an experienced hockey bettor who has done well for himself in the past but for various reasons have decided to move on from it and have been bitten by the blackjack bug. I am still a true novice playing only at home or on the free online games the last few months. I don't wish to put any money at risk until I feel I am ready. I've got Basic Strategy down pat but have not tried to implement any counting yet other than up and down from the deck just to get my feet wet. I figure you have to walk before you can run. My betting strategies are pretty vanilla given the previous; basically flat, when I see the dealer getting very hot I switch shoes (in a manner of speaking) or simply back off, and press when the cards are swinging my way and the dealer is weak/busting more. I know this is rudimentary but again just trying to learn the flow of the game and take things step by step.

On that my question is with regard to doubling and splitting when in a positive phase and betting larger...I guess this would be comparable to you experienced guys when you are in a high positive count and are betting several times your base unit. I've found that I've often gotten dinged with bigger bets when doubling/splitting on low % hands...such as splitting 2's vs. a 2 or doubling A4 vs. a 4. To draw a sports betting analogy, I would only make double plays when I felt I had an additional probability of winning the game. In a situation like A4 vs a 4 where you have an extremely slim edge, it does not seem worth from a risk/reward perspective to make an already bigger bet even larger by doubling it. So basically, do you guys always double and split no matter what according to BS, or do you also take game situations and bet amounts into account in this regard?

Further, I know there's a a lot of stuff out there but any particular literature suggestions or advice as I move forward with the game to help improve my play would be well appreciated. Thanks in advance