Blackjack : Split Those 4's

Usually some people who play blackjack by basic strategy wants to pick out one or two playing strategies to diverge with and to reject. I was always surprised by this.

A few months ago, I wrote a short article about blackjack. It didn't involve any advanced or complicated theories; the discussed subject was only a “debate” about why blackjack offers the player an almost even playing field against the casino, why the casino has an edge at all, and which table rules give back to the player some of that advantage.

The next point I took to discuss was how a blackjack player using basic strategy can gain an advantage by refining playing strategy for both soft hands and pairs.

When talking about pair splitting I can admit it can be a bit problematic and the motive is that for pair splitting you have 2 different strategy charts: one is for the game where doubling after splitting is not allowed, and on the other chart you follow when DAS is allowed.

It's all right to use non-DAS basic strategy even at a table where doubling after splitting is permitted, in my opinion at least. It's considered generic basic strategy, and it works okay. In case your aim is to squeeze out every little fragment of profit that you can, then you will prefer the more refined DAS basic strategy.

We all know that are some people who walk into a casino, pick a blackjack table and toss down big bucks without ever consulting a strategy chart. They play either the way their friends have always taught them to play or by some inner "seat-of-the-pants" intuition, which is usually wrong. Others just pick to choose a simplified basic strategy that reduces the house edge from 5 to 2 percent. Those guys are the one who are relaxed, happy and only play for the fun of it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m one hundred percent okay with this kind of players and I can usually recognize these players within two or three hands, but I've learned to keep my mouth shut unless I'm asked for advice.

I received an e-mail from a gentleman that I have since met and have a great deal of respect for. He started out saying that although he agrees with much of my advice, some is a little weak on logic. "NEVER split 4s," he says. "Eight is eight and you are only placing your hand at double the risk if you split them."

Let's back up and let me tell you why I consider charts so helpful and true. There are two steps in arriving at modern-day, computer-derived basic strategy. First, you eliminate the three cards that make up the player's first two cards and the dealer's up card. Then you calculate and match up every combination of cards that can be drawn for each way to play that hand. The second step is to run billions of computer-simulated hands, a step which verifies the earlier calculations.

These refinements have in fact been accomplished in the last 35 to 40 years, and any person relying on strategies that predate the early 1960s is most likely not relying on the most sophisticated strategies. I have a couple of books that are full of mathematical formulas that I absolutely cannot understand, but I did find a concise non-Greek-symbol reasoning. It's from Fred Renzey, columnist for the Chicago Daily Herald and author of Blackjack Bluebook and Blackjack Bluebook II. His explanation goes like this:

"Now the only reason to split up a reasonable total like 8 into two terrible totals of 4 each is because you're looking to pick up a good double down. Think about it. When you split two 4s against a dealer's 6, what happens if you get a 5, 6, 7 or ace on either 4? You'll have 9, 10, 11 or ace/4 against a 6 - and what do you do then? Double down! Why? Because you're anywhere from a 55 percent to 67 percent shot with each of them! Without that doubling potential, you wouldn't split 4s in the first place."

He continues by saying that in your choices to split, hit or double, all three will bring you profit. Splitting will make the most, then hitting, then doubling makes the least of the three. So there you have it - it's a close call. But I know what choice I'll make.