From: jacobs@cs.utah.edu (Steven R Jacobs)
Subject: Vegas World Blackjack Strategy
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Date: 2 Oct 92 10:58:23


The following strategy will maximize the player's expectation when
playing "action" chips at Vegas World.  This strategy assumes that
you are allowed to play real chips when doubling down.  In effect,
this is equivalent to a "triple down", since the action chips are
only worth 1/2 of their face value.  Note that since blackjacks are
paid only even money, it becomes correct to double down a 21 vs. 6.
Several other soft doubling plays become correct, and doubling hard
9 vs. 7 becomes a correct play.

This strategy also assumes that the player is allowed to use real
chips when splitting pairs, anyone know if this is allowed?  The
only change in splitting strategy in this case is to split 99 vs. 7.
However, it is important to note that you should only split using
real chips when pair splitting is favorable for the player (marked
as upper case 'P' in the strategy table).  There are many pair splitting
situations which actually favor the house, and in these situations
pair splitting will only reduce the players losses.  In such cases,
the pair splitting should be done with the less valuable action chips.
(These are marked with a lower case 'p' in the strategy table).

Using this strategy, the house edge is almost eliminated.  If pair
splitting is allowed using real chips, the house edge is reduced to
about 0.1%.  If you are NOT allowed to split by adding a real chip
to your action chip, then the house edge is reduced only to about
0.3%, but this is still a big improvement over the 2%+ edge that they
normally get.

By using this strategy, the value of the bogus Vegas World "action"
chips can be increased virtually to 50% of face value.  In fact,
Vegas World BJ is probably beatable by card counters in this case.


              Basic Strategy Table

     <---might bust--->  <---might stand--->  <---- dealer possibility
---+----------------------------------------
     2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   X   A    <---- dealer's up card
---+----------------------------------------  Pairs
XX | S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   
99 | PS  PS  PS  PS  PS  PS  PS  ps  s   s   
88 | Ps  Ps  Ps  Ps  Ps  Ph  ph  ph  ph  ph  
77 | ps  ps  Ps  Ps  Ps  ph  h   h   s   h   
66 | ph  ps  ps  Ps  ps  h   h   h   h   h   
55 | DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  H   H   
44 | h   H   H   DH  DH  H   h   h   h   h   
33 | h   h   Ph  PH  PH  ph  h   h   h   h   
22 | h   ph  Ph  PH  PH  ph  h   h   h   h   
AA | PH  PH  PDH PDH PDH PH  PH  Ph  Ph  Ph  
---+----------------------------------------  Soft Hands
AX | S   S   S   S   DS  S   S   S   S   S   
A9 | S   S   DS  DS  DS  S   S   S   S   S   
A8 | S   DS  DS  DS  DS  S   S   S   S   S   
A7 | DS  DS  DS  DS  DS  S   S   h   h   s   
A6 | DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  H   h   h   h   h   
A5 | h   h   DH  DH  DH  h   h   h   h   h   
A4 | h   H   DH  DH  DH  H   h   h   h   h   
A3 | H   H   DH  DH  DH  H   H   h   h   h   
A2 | H   H   DH  DH  DH  H   H   h   h   h   
AA | H   H   DH  DH  DH  H   H   h   h   h   
---+----------------------------------------  Hard Hands
21 | S   S   S   S   DS  S   S   S   S   S   
20 | S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   
19 | S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   S   
18 | S   S   S   S   S   S   S   s   s   s   
17 | s   s   s   s   s   s   s   s   s   s   
16 | s   s   s   s   s   h   h   h   h   h   
15 | s   s   s   s   s   h   h   h   h   h   
14 | s   s   s   s   s   h   h   h   h   h   
13 | s   s   s   s   s   h   h   h   h   h   
12 | h   h   s   s   s   h   h   h   h   h   
11 | DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  
10 | DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  H   H   
 9 | DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  DH  H   h   h   h   
 8 | h   H   H   DH  DH  H   h   h   h   h   
 7 | h   h   h   H   H   h   h   h   h   h   
 6 | h   h   h   H   H   h   h   h   h   h   
 5 | h   h   h   H   H   h   h   h   h   h   
 4 | h   h   h   H   H   h   h   h   h   h   
---+----------------------------------------
S=stand H=hit D=double P=split Q=surrender

NOTES:
       1) If more than one option is listed,
          options to the left are preferred
          over options to the right.  Options
          less favorable than STAND or HIT are
          not shown.

       2) Use the "Hard Hands" table only
          when the other tables do not apply.

       3) If splitting Aces is not allowed,
          use the "Soft Hands" table.

       4) Uppercase options favor the player,
          lowercase options favor the house.

---+----------------------------------------
--
Steve Jacobs  ({bellcore,hplabs,uunet}!utah-cs!jacobs, jacobs@cs.utah.edu)
"Be afraid.  Be very afraid.  I have K-10 offsuit...."