Multiple hands

[bjarg]

Edited.

[TheBalanceOfJudgement]

All I'll say is, it would behoove you to do some deep reading on blackjack and the how and why of how the various strategies have been devised. One thing that is absolutely true about blackjack is that what seems obvious is often not correct.

You don't necessarily need to try to learn the deep details of the math but you shouldn't be playing at that level without understanding exactly why you're playing the number of hands you play and exactly what effect that has on your expectation.

[21forme]

If you have the BR for it, and no heat. Go for it! The 78% number is to maintain the same ROR as the one hand bet.

[bjarg]

Edited.

[Diver]

What you shouldn't be doing my friend is telling other people - especially people you don't know - what to do.
More so if you are not even going to try and help them with your advise!
I appreciate your concern, but if I should or shouldn't be playing at that level is for me to decide.
Trust me, it may not seem that way to you, but I kinda know what Im doing.

It seems to me TBOJ's comment was thoughtful and helpful to anyone learning to play blackjack, whether they are personally known or not. I can appreciate how you might feel like you were being "talked down to" and therefore responded defensively, but it's important to remember the exchange of information here is for the benefit of all, not just the person posing a question. So I think the broad admonition to study and fully understand a given playing or betting technique is at least as valuable as 21forme's succinct answer, and probably even more.

[bjarg]

Edited.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

Just round the 78% down to 75% or up to 80% if that figure uses less chips.

[Anton Chigurh]

I just dont understand why that is.

The outcome of the two hands is not independent: they will often win or lose together. For example: the dealer has a blackjack, the dealer draws on a 16 and pulls a 5, the dealer busts, or the dealer only has seventeen. Also, if the dealer shows a high card, you'll be more likely to bust both hands, and so on.

So a stretch of good or bad hands for the dealer will have a greater impact on you, on way or the other, if you're playing two hands. Thus your risk of ruin betting two hands of $100 is higher than it would be betting a single hand of $100. The lower bets keep the risk of ruin the same.

[bjarg]

Edited.

[Sonny]

Thanks a lot for all your help!
One more question: if I play 3 hands instead of 2, what should my bet be on those 3 hands to keep my risk of ruin the same as in 1 hand?

http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showthread.php?t=3069

-Sonny-

[bigplayer]

Stanford Wong's Professional Blackjack has a good explanation of this. In short, bet 150% of your one hand bet spread out over two hands to maintain the same risk of ruin. So 150% of a one hand $200 bet is $300 spread between two hands (or $150 on each). It is never advantageous to play more than two hands at blackjack unless you know that either way it's going to be the final hand of the shuffle OR you're bumping up against a low table max and just need to get more money on the table. If you decide it's advantageous to play three hands then you can bet 162% of your one hand bet spread between the three hands (example if your one hand bet is $200 then the three hand bet you need to make to keep the same risk of ruin is $108 (round to $110) on each of three hands.

There are a lot of considerations with regards to how many hands to play, particularly having to do with Card Eating. I suggest you read Wong's book (and several others) and then get back to us with your questions after you've had a chance to ponder things.

[doubledownfacedown]

So could you play 1 hand during low/negative counts, then play 2 hands at 75% normal bet once you hit the +2 TC or higher (the point at which most systems increase their bet) ?

ie:

TC: -1000 -> 1 = 1 hand of $100
TC: 2 = 2 hands of 150 each. (200x1.5 = 300. 300/2 = 150)
TC: 3 = 2 hands of 225 each. (300x1.5 = 450. 450/2 = 225)
TC: 4 = 2 hands of 300 each (400x1.5 = 600. 600/2 = 300)
Etc....+75 per true count?

[AussiePlayer]

As mentioned above, read the books that have been recommended to you.