What is your least favorite Basic Strategy move in Blackjack

[bones261]

    One of the 1st steps any blackjack player should take is to learn the basic strategy. Some of these recommended moves seem rather dreadful. Exactly what basic strategy move do you particularly despise. Please also inform us if you go against the basic strategy recommendation in such cases or do you grudgingly follow it anyway.
  Here are some of my least favorite basic strategy moves.

Splitting 9s. I realize that when a dealer is showing something like a 5, it is best to get the most money on the table as possible. However, my experience with doing this move has been less than ideal. Furthermore, when I execute it at a brick and mortar casino, my fellow players seem to bitch about it. Especially when my move somehow took "the bust card."

Splitting 8s against a 9 10 or ace. I realize that a hard 16 is a rotten hand. However, having two 8s against a dealer high card seems even worse. Many times I end up with two or more bad hands, rather than one bad hand.

Hitting any stiff hand. It's rather unpleasant to hit a stiff hand and bust just to watch the dealer bust and pay the survivors.


Edit: Please reference this chart, before posting. Unless the community wants this thread to turn into a tutorial of what basic strategy is. 

[Fedice]

One of the 1st steps any blackjack player should take is to learn the basic strategy. Some of these recommended moves seem rather dreadful. Exactly what basic strategy move do you particularly despise. Please also inform us if you go against the basic strategy recommendation in such cases or do you grudgingly follow it anyway.

One of the best strategy has always been to follow your instinct and it has worked well for some players most times, though not all the time.

As a general rule. Always split (a soft 12 total is not great, and you have a chance of getting two 21s, both almost definitely winners).

Splitting Shortcuts

For some players, it's easier to memorize the splitting strategy as follows:

Always split Aces and 8s

Never Split 4s, 5s, and 10s

For 2s and 3s, let n=2 or 3 and split on dealers n+17

For 6s, 7s, and 9s, let n=6, 7 or 9 and split on dealer's 2n

Don't change your bets too often. A highly varying bet is usually a sign that someone is counting cards - all it takes is for the pit boss to be counting cards too to be sure you're counting, and then you're out of there!

[buwaytress]

One word. Insurance. I don't know why, but no matter the argument, it's my LEAST favourite basic of BJ.

I'm not too sure about the odds on this, but for any kind of Black Jack that offers insurance, some systems say it gives you a slight edge and you should always take insurance if you don't have any 10s. But it's bollocks to me to insure to win 2/1 for a roughly over 2/1 event and so I simply play no insurance BJ.

[bones261]

One word. Insurance. I don't know why, but no matter the argument, it's my LEAST favourite basic of BJ.

I'm not too sure about the odds on this, but for any kind of Black Jack that offers insurance, some systems say it gives you a slight edge and you should always take insurance if you don't have any 10s. But it's bollocks to me to insure to win 2/1 for a roughly over 2/1 event and so I simply play no insurance BJ.

Actually, the basic strategy move on insurance is to never take insurance. The only way this ever makes sense is if you are keeping track of the cards, and there are way more 10s left in the deck than not. In a 1 deck game, after a fresh shuffle, this would be equivalent to no 10s being dealt with 2 hands being played. Since most casino games are more than 1 deck, this situation comes up very rarely. If you don't count cards, it's best to never take insurance or request "even money." (In an online game, it never makes sense to take insurance.)

Don't change your bets too often. A highly varying bet is usually a sign that someone is counting cards - all it takes is for the pit boss to be counting cards too to be sure you're counting, and then you're out of there!

I find that if you stick to certain rules when changing bets, you won't get too much heat.
1) Never change your bet after a tie. (Unless you plan on taking a bathroom/smoke break.)
2) Rarely decrease your bet after a win.
3) Doubling your bet after a win or loss looks like a standard player move. (Martingale, let it ride strategies.) Just don't get crazy with it.
4) Eat, drink and be merry.

[squatz1]

One word. Insurance. I don't know why, but no matter the argument, it's my LEAST favourite basic of BJ.

I'm not too sure about the odds on this, but for any kind of Black Jack that offers insurance, some systems say it gives you a slight edge and you should always take insurance if you don't have any 10s. But it's bollocks to me to insure to win 2/1 for a roughly over 2/1 event and so I simply play no insurance BJ.

Oh insurance is horrible. Odds ALWAYS say that this is a horrible bet all the time. The only way buying insurance is GOOD is if you're a card counter and know that the next card is (or has a high probability of being, a 10)


Take a quote from SFGate and Wizard of Odds

To quote Michael Shackleford, a.k.a., the Wizard of Odds, "The greater the ratio of 10 in the shoe, the more likely the insurance bet is to win." The operative words in this sentence are "in the shoe." If you've got two 10s in your hand, the last thing you want to do is bet that another one of them is hiding beneath the dealer's ace.

Insurance is a good bet in other realms, horrible in betting.

[ralle14]

My least favorite strategy is splitting the cards because I rarely have the chance to go for a split and if I have a chance I always stand. I would only split if I get a 2 A's but  with any other double card i'll always stand or hit. I'd rather lose one at a time and wait for few minutes before going for a second bet rather than doing two bets in one round. 

[crwth]

It depends on what kind of card you are dealt with because we all know that the best way to reduce the house edge is to play a basic strategy, all of which is quite important to one another.

• Surrender
• Pair Splitting
• Double Down
• Hitting
• Standing
• Insurance/Even Money

These different strategies would be helpful to you if you memorize a good plan, like what the OP included as a reference to blackjack strategies. I don't have a particular plan that is my least favorite but what I don't want to encounter most of the time is having a low pair of cards, and it takes a continuous hit to arrive at a point where you stand or hit again. In my mind, it makes it harder to remember how my strategy will go and go with the flow.

[bones261]

My least favorite strategy is splitting the cards because I rarely have the chance to go for a split and if I have a chance I always stand. I would only split if I get a 2 A's but  with any other double card i'll always stand or hit. I'd rather lose one at a time and wait for few minutes before going for a second bet rather than doing two bets in one round.  

You should consider always splitting 8s as well. Two 8's total 16, which is the worst blackjack hand. Also, when the dealer is showing a weak card, like a 4 5 or 6 you should definitely consider splitting 2s, 3s, 6s and 7s. It may be a pain, and you could end up losing all the bets. However, it is best to be as aggressive as possible when the dealer has a weak card showing.

[sheenshane]

Ain't expert in playing blackjack in online but I'd learned a little on it and I have my own basic strategies to move in blackjack game.
For me, I never take the insurance because that is not possible counting cards when playing online blackjack. Next is you need to split if you have pairs aces or 8 and get a high chance to change your holding and possibly get 18, not 16 because this is the worst card number by your hand. But if you have these numbers in your hand 6 or 10 don't split them because when you split I think it might turn to the worst hand or weak cards. IMO

However, these basic strategies will not give an accurate assurance of getting a win in online blackjack but one thing for sure, it will increase your chances of winning.

[bones261]

But if you have these numbers in your hand 6 or 10 don't split them because when you split I think it might turn to the worst hand or weak cards. IMO

However, these basic strategies will not give an accurate assurance of getting a win in online blackjack but one thing for sure, it will increase your chances of winning.

Actually splitting 6s is not a bad move if the dealer is showing a weak card of 4 5 or 6. When the dealer shows a weak card, the player should take every opportunity to put as much money on the table as possible. If the game allows double after split, splitting 6s against a 2 or 3 is also a good move. I agree with the 10s though. 20 is a good hand and will win more than 80% of the time. One should never split 10s unless you are counting cards and there are lots of 10s and aces in the deck.(Like a +5 true count, and only against a dealer weak card.)