Peeking Data
We all know the rules of Blackjack and the information with which we have to work. But that doesn't mean that we can't look for a bit more information. The next several pages look at the gains from finding additional data.
What is the gain from peeking at player down cards?
Single-deck and double-deck games are nearly always dealt face down. This means that we do not see all of the dealt cards before making decisions unless players bust or turn over a Blackjack. Suppose that we sit at third base (far left seat) in a three-player, single-deck game. Suppose that we take a peek at the cards of the player to our right when we need to make an insurance decision.
We have gained additional information about the remaining cards — the purpose behind counting cards. This chart displays the gain from peeking at one other player’s cards for the purposes of insurance at penetrations from 26 to 13 cards cut off. The gain is not large, but could be increased by seeing additional players' cards. You can find a chart at www.qfit.com/book/z701Chart.gif for double-deck, not included here since the gain is minuscule.
www.qfit.com/book/z700Chart.gif
· Single-deck, H17, DAS, 3 players, Hi-Lo, truncate, full indexes, quarter-deck resolution, penetrations from 13-26 cards cutoff by the card
· Peek at one hand and no hands. Two billion rounds each, all sims use optimal betting
© 2009 Norman Wattenberger
