Basic Strategy Question

[davelevad]

For the soft hands table in Basic Strategy, if it tells me to hit, what then? Do I keep referring back to the soft hands table for the next action?

For example, if I have A, 2 and dealer has 10, the soft hands table says hit.

Say I get a 2 next, so I have A, 2, 3, and dealer has 10.

So, do I refer to the soft hands table for A, 4 for the next action? (A, 2+3).

And, do I keep referring to the soft hands table until my hand exceeds the entries?

[davelevad]

Say I get a 2 next, so I have A, 2, 3, and dealer has 10.

This should be:

"Say I get a 3 next, so I have A, 2, 3, and dealer has 10."

Or:

"Say I get a 2 next, so I have A, 2, 2, and dealer has 10."

(Why doesn't the "edit" button come up anymore? Why can't we edit our threads anymore?)

[ECD]

For the soft hands table in Basic Strategy, if it tells me to hit, what then? Do I keep referring back to the soft hands table for the next action?

For example, if I have A, 2 and dealer has 10, the soft hands table says hit.

Say I get a 2 next, so I have A, 2, 3, and dealer has 10.

So, do I refer to the soft hands table for A, 4 for the next action? (A, 2+3).

And, do I keep referring to the soft hands table until my hand exceeds the entries?

Hi Dave, first your Arnold Snyder question from your PM: Look after I exposed that scammer some clown gave him a copy of NBJ to review. I don't know if Snyder is still alive but he certainly, as a non player, was never qualified to review NBJ. I got the review you'd expect from a scammer I had just exposed. The guy could not produce a single winning student. As a result 5 of his card counters came to play me. All 5 lost spectacularly while I won $10,000 in a half hour W/O betting more than $200. End of story. Oh, except Jerry and Nancy Patterson can verify. They were right behind me. The Taj - Atlantic City

Ha, been a while since I answered such basic questions but I still remember 30 years ago when I had very similar questions myself so let me give it a shot.

For the soft hands table in Basic Strategy, if it tells me to hit, what then? Do I keep referring back to the soft hands table for the next action?

Basically a terminology question: Technically you are still soft until you have a hard 17 or better. But in reality it doesn't help you to be soft after 12 or more so upon a hard 12 or more go to the hard hand table.

For example, if I have A, 2 and dealer has 10, the soft hands table says hit.

Say I get a 2 next, so I have A, 2, 3, and dealer has 10.

So, do I refer to the soft hands table for A, 4 for the next action? (A, 2+3).

And, do I keep referring to the soft hands table until my hand exceeds the entries?

OK you have A,2,3 against a 10. You have 6 or 16 so you are still soft. HIT! Think about it. You have 6 and no card can break you. It's a free hit. And you might get a 5. ALways hit until you have hard 12 or more. There is no point in standing with 11 or less. But at 12 or more go by the hard table. Get it? Now you CAN break.

This will all become common sense in a few days of study. The light bulbs will start turning on. Then you'll start doing all these things automatically. The gen. rule is "Never stand if you can't break".

Most ALWAYS abide by that rule but eventually you'll learn some really neat parlor tricks wherein you might NOT abide by that rule.

For instance I had just entered a very hot game at the Show Boat at third base much to the chagrin of the three very high rollers. The pit boss had already thrown out the $10,000 high limit and his job was in grave jeopardy. There was $75,000 riding on the hand plus my $100. I stood on a pair of 3's! Everyone jumped to their feet and the table freaked out. The dealer, smelling blood, quickly dealt her third card. A ten! She broke! They carried me out on their shoulders. Hey, it pays to know! Now that is my brand of BJ!

[davelevad]

Thanks very much, Ellis.