From: hall@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Michael Hall)
Subject: Re: How/Where to play DD in LV
Organization: NASA/ARC Information Sciences Division
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 23:59:14 GMT

In article <1992Oct6.094858.593@fibers.uucp> mbuck@fibers.uucp (Michael D. Buck) writes:
>In article <1992Oct5.115437.10730@midway.uchicago.edu>, kolt@quads.uchicago.edu (Matt K/Gonzo) writes:
>> OK. After my last trip in Aug, I decided that I probably ought to play some DD 
>> games, since the # of Strip games is dwindling. I have some questions.

>> When playing DD, do you count the # of rounds, or eyeball the discards?
>
>Actually, I eyeball the undealt cards in the dealer's hand if I can see them,
>but that's just 'cause I find that easier to mentally handle.  What does
>everyone else do?

It's a good idea to count rounds for an objective measure of how good a
game you're getting, but even when I do this, for true count calculations
I eyeball the discards (and sometimes the dealer's cards too.)

>> What kind of spreads do these rules require to grind out much of a profit?
>
>Not sure.  I wasn't too daring about my spread, and basically stuck to a
>1-3 spread.  (I know, I know, I'll never be able to win with that...)

1-16 or more for mediocre games
1-8 or more for average games
1-6 with good rules/penetration (or a 2 up to 8 down to 1 spread)
1-4 with excellent rules/penetration, perfect counting, almost no cover
1-3 if you never want to win

>> Is it worth playing DD at all? Is it worth playing tables/casinos w/ nDAS?
>
>Most people, I think, would tell you that it is not worth it.  However,
>I'm only a semi-serious card-counter, and I enjoy going straight up
>against the dealer one-on-one at the Mirage at DD much more than I enjoy
>playing at a full 2x7 SD table. (except maybe at the Frontier :-). )

Single deck blackjack is generally the most profitable, though the
best double deck games are at least as good as the average single deck game.

A little tip: on double deck, feel free to bet big (or at least medium)
on occasion for the first round, and don't do more than parlay a win for
the second round.  You can afford these forms of cover because you get so
many rounds.  (Hopefully you have chosen a head-on double deck game with
good rules and good penetration.)  A pit critter has no trouble counting
the first round, and thus you might even want to bet sometimes against
the count for the second round, but after that the critter's feeble mind
cannot be sure of the count, and you are free to bet more or less optimally.

Incidentally, I was barred recently for the second time in my life, after
quadrupling my bet for the second round on single deck in the first five
minutes of play (it didn't help that I took insurance too, and that the
dealer had blackjack...)  In the past, I was always amazed that I could
do stuff like this and the sky wouldn't fall down, but this time the
sky fell!  The pit phones started ringing right after that play, and I
was booted within a couple of minutes.  In addition to not jumping one's
bet on the second round, it's a good idea to play passively for the first
few minutes under the assumption that the sky is watching.

-- 
Michael Hall            \ If you don't get barred occasionally,
NASA Ames Research Center\ you're not playing aggressively enough.
hall@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov \ - paraphrased from BJ Forum