Bluffing's OK but
strategy's better
22 March 2004
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
I enjoy your writing and just received your BJ
Strategy Card, but I am not sure how to read the
Player's Hand portion. I assume the 8-16 means
total value of my two cards, and I understand
the 2's etc at the bottom. But, what is the
A2-A9? Also, do I assume a hit on any total less
than eight? As you can tell, I am a beginner.
George B.
Thanks, George; glad you enjoy the column. And
actually, beginner questions are the best ones,
as the concept of this column from the start
was, and still is today, Gambling 101: gaming
education for the innocent and trusting among
us.
Blackjack is a game that many play, but few play
well. The solution for the rank-and-file is to
go at all times armed with a basic strategy
card, and
use it mercilessly.
Basic strategy is nothing more than the
mathematically best way to play your hand
against the dealer's "up card." Playing your
hand correctly will bring the house advantage
down to less than one percent. Since you cannot
control how the cards fall (the luck factor),
you must focus on what you can control - how to
play them.
As for your lingo question, "A2-A9" represents
an Ace and a two, an Ace and a three, an Ace and
a four, etc. through an Ace and a nine. And on
your second question: "do I assume a hit of any
total less than 8?" I gather you are asking
whether you should elect HIT for any hand
totaling less than 11. The answer to that,
George, is YES. Always hit your hand to at least
a 12, and then what do you do? You REFER TO YOUR
BASIC STRATEGY CHART on what to do next.
Say for example, you have hit your eight, and
caught a six for a total of 14, with the dealer
showing a six. You would STAND. Another example
would be if the dealer had a face card showing,
and you hit your eight and got a seven. With a
total of 15 against a face card, you would HIT
again.
Dear Mark,
The announcers for the Travel Channel use the
terms bluff and semi-bluff. Could you please
explain the differences? Are they not really the
same, or is a semi-bluff just a bluff but with
less money? Melba H.
A bluff and a semi-bluff are only very distant
cousins, Melba, not distinguished by the amount
of money at risk.
In poker, Melba, there are generally two ways to
win a hand. One is for your opponent to fold,
conceding the pot; and the other is for your
opponent to call your hand and then wince when
you prevail in the showdown.
A bluff is a bet or raise when you have little
chance of winning the pot if called. With a
bluff, you have only one way to win: your
opponent folds. A semi-bluff is a bet made when
you have more cards to come, and although you
might not have the best hand right now, you have
some outs if you are called. An "out" is a
possibility that cards can turn up on the next
round that could turn your hand into a possible
winner. For instance, you have two spades in the
pocket (your hand) and two on the board. Here,
you might semi-bluff hoping to catch another
spade on the turn (Fourth Street) or the river
(Fifth Street).
I've got to ask, Melba: with that lovely name,
are you more frequently referred to as Peach or
as Toast?
Gambling quote of the week: "Surely you have
something better to do with your time than play
poker. I suggest a walk outside, volunteering at
a
homeless shelter, or listening to Bach. " -
Chris Ferguson
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