Basic Strategy Doubles

[Sundown]

Having trouble understanding the logic of doubling soft hands obviously a dealer showing a 5 or 6 is a great opportunity to double as those are considered bust cards, but why double on a dealers 3 at Ace 6 and A7 but not on Ace 2 or Ace 3?

Basic Strategy chart
A,2-A,3 Double 5-6 otherwise hit
A,4-A,5 Double 4,5,6 otherwise hit
A6 Double 3-6 otherwise hit
A7 stay 2, 7, 8 Double 3-6, hit 9, 10, A.

[moo321]

When determining whether to double down, you look at the value of hitting vs. doubling. All soft hands below 17 have the same doubling value. But they have slightly different hit values. If you have Ace 2 or ace 3, and you draw and get an ace or two, you can hit again. So, the hit value of Ace 2 is slightly higher than Ace 3, which is slightly higher than Ace 4, etc.


Once you get to Ace 6, Ace 7, Ace 8, and Ace 9, they have higher doubling values than Ace 2- Ace 5. This is because there are more tens in the deck than anything else, so you have a higher chance of getting a pat hand. In fact, Ace 9 has the highest doubling value, but it also has a strong stand value, so we don't double it until the count is pretty high.

[Freightman]

Another way of looking at it
A7 is a stronger double than A6, which is stronger than A5, which is stronger than A4, then A3, then A2.

The higher the dealer stiff upcard, the more successful the double will be, I.e., A7v6 is the strongest of the soft doubles then v 5, 4, 3..

A2 or 3 v 6,5, are also okay. Against 4 - marginal at best - I tend to avoid.

A2 or A3 v dealer 2 or 3 are both money losers. Maybe a good cover double when you’re in a new joint - depending on your philosophy.

[Sundown]

Thanks for the explanation regarding hit vs doubling values. If one does double and gets that ten for a pat hand, doesn't that put you at a disadvantage since you may have taken the dealers bust card or are we thinking there are many more Tens left and the dealer will still bust?

Thanks again

[Sundown]

Thank you sir. Just trying to remember and go by the math when I'm actually playing, but I see your point

[DSchles]

All soft hands below 17 have the same doubling value. But they have slightly different hit values.

They obviously have slightly different doubling values, as well. Why would you think they're all the same?

Don

[moo321]

They obviously have slightly different doubling values, as well. Why would you think they're all the same?

Don

I should have said "the EV of doubling any hand below 17 is almost exactly the same."


It's a slight oversimplification, but I stand by the point. The only difference between those doubles is the difference in the effect of removing the other card that's not an ace (2,3,4,5). In a shoe game, the EV of doubling for all of those hands are all within 1 % of each other for the same upcard. The reason we double some and not others is because of the changing value of hitting, which can be 5 or 6% different from A2 to A5.

https://wizardofodds.com/games/black...dix/9/6dh17r4/