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FIVE- CARD STUD
The Dealers Strategy The dealer really
employs no strategy, for his play is determined automatically
by the rules of the game. If his initial hand totals 17,
18,19, or 20, he must stand. After the players have drawn,
he pays all hands that are higher than his, collects from
all hands that are lower, and declares a tie with all
hands of equal value. If the dealer has a total of 16
or less, he must continue to hit his hand until it totals
at least 17 or until he busts. He cannot hit a hand that
totals 17, unless the casino has a rule that the dealer
must hit on a soft 17, black jack meaning an ace and a sixwhich
could be counted as a 7, or a 17. Remember, any hand with
an ace and a card with a value of less than ten is considered
soft. Dealers must take a hit on a soft 17. This hit
on a soft 17 is slightly disadvantageous to the player,
like a little over one percentage point. Now, should you,
as a player, ever come across a game where the dealer
wins all ties, give it up, leave the building, as you
are giving the house another nine-point casino black jack advantage. Players
Options In addition to drawing additional cards, the player
has several options that are not available to the dealer.
These are splitting pairs, doubling down, taking insurance,
and surrendering.
Black Jack Poker
It is with regard to these options that
you are most likely to find variations from one locale
to another and even from one casino to another. Splitting
pairs. If the player has two cards of the same denominationthat
is, two aces, 2s, 9s, and so onhe may choose to turn
them face up and put up an amount of money equal to his
original bet, playing each card as a separate casino black jack hand.Ten-value
cards may also be split. Some casinos require that they
be of the same orderthat is, two jacks, not a jack and
a king. Most casinos, however, consider all 10-value cards
to be pairs. Except for aces, a player may draw to each
new hand as often as he wishes until he decides to stand
or until he busts. Howevet because they are such potent
cards, the house allows the player only one card, dealt
face down, for each of his aces.
Finallyand again with the exception of
acesif the first card the player draws to either hand
after splitting is of the same denomination as the split
card, in effect making another pair, he may split again
and bet another amount equal to his original wager, and
he may continue to do so each time casino black jack he makes an additional
pair. Doubling down. When, after receiving his first two
cards, a player feels he has a good hand that will become
a very good hand with one additional card, he may turn
his two cards face up, wager any additional amount up
to his original bet, and receive one and only one additional
card, usually dealt down. (Normally, if the hand is worth
doubling at all, you should bet the full amount to which
you are entitled.) Some casinos permit doubling down only
with a two-card total of 10 or 11. Others do so with 9,10,
or 11, while many permit doubling down with any two-card
hand. When one of the two cards is an ace, it is referred
to as soft doubling, since the casino black jack player has a soft hand.
Insurance.
Casino Dealer
When the dealers face-up card is an ace,
many casinos offer the player a side bet as to whether
or not the dealer has a 10-value card in the holeand
therefore a natural and automatic winner. Any time he
has an ace showing, the dealer must offer this insurance
bet before he looks at his hole card. Insurance casino black jack is paid
at the rate of two units for one bet, and the player can
bet up to one-half his original bet. If the dealer has
a 10 in the holeand hence a black jack the player loses
his original bet (assuming he didnt also have a casino craps)
and wins the insurance side bet. If the dealer does not
have a 10-value in the hole, the player loses the insurance
bet and continues to play his hand as he would normally.
Continued on part 3... Back to Black
Jack Casino
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