Appendices
1: Total dependent expected return table for an infinite deck
2a: Probabilities of dealer blackjack after peek
2b: Probabilities of dealer blackjack before peek
3a: Exceptions to single-deck S17 basic strategy
3b: Exceptions to double-deck S17 basic strategy
3c: Exceptions to single-deck H17 basic strategy
4: Blackjack standard deviation details
5: Infinite deck expected return by player hand and dealer upcard
6: Fine points of when to surrender
7: Effect of card removal
8: Analysis of blackjack side bets
9: Composition-dependent expected returns for 1 to 8 decks
10: Continuous shuffling machine vs. cut card
11: Value and strategy for 678 and 777 bonuses
12: Risk of ruin statistics
13: Probabilities in the first four cards
14: Value of each initial player card
15: House edge using total-dependent vs. composition-dependent basic strategy
16: Basic strategy when dealer exposes both cards
17: The Ace-Five card counting method
18: Basic strategy exceptions for three to six cards
19: Blackjack splitting strategy when a back-player is betting
20: Blackjack doubling strategy when doubling after splitting aces is allowed
21: Details on the Wizard\’s Simple Strategy
Miscellaneous
My comments on the movie "21"
Australian Blackjack
Introduction to Card Counting
Rule Variations
Blackjack "Charlie" Rule
Rummy (Blackjack variant popular in Costa Rica)
External Links
Macau Blackjack rules
Simple Blackjack Explanation
Pair Play
Introduction
Pair Play is a simple side bet by Pala Interactive that pays 11 to 1 if the player's first two cards form a pair. It is mathematically the same as the two pair bets in baccarat.
Analysis
The following table shows the possible outcomes in a six-deck game, the number used in the Side Bet Blackjack game by Pala Interactive. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 11.25%
Pair Play — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 11 | 3,588 | 0.073955 | 0.813505 |
| Lose | -1 | 44,928 | 0.926045 | -0.926045 |
| Total | 48,516 | 1.000000 | -0.112540 |
The next table shows the house edge only for various numbers of decks.
Pair Play — House Edge
| Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 1 | 29.41% |
| 2 | 18.45% |
| 3 | 14.84% |
| 4 | 13.04% |
| 5 | 11.97% |
| 6 | 11.25% |
| 8 | 10.36% |