Blackjack is really easy - you're a fool if you walk into the casino without knowing exactly how to play.
This is how to play:
http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack
I play at Crown (Melbourne)...the rules here are:
- 8 decks per shoe
- 75% penetration (6 decks are dealt before a shuffle)
- Dealer stands on soft-17 (A-6)
- Blackjack pays 3:2
- Can split up to 4 hands
- Can double on 9-11 only
- Insurance pays 2:1
- Double/split bets only lose original bet where dealer's upcard is an A and dealer gets BJ
- Double after split is allowed
- There is no "5 card charlie"
- Cannot get blackjack on split A-A
I play too much, but it's pretty good fun to sit at a table with a stack of black chips and play heads-up with the dealer (well I think so anyway).
I think I'll go play now.
Also A-A is always split, can't double (at Crown) anyway.
Insurance is for fools - insurance pays 2:1 and the chance of a T is 5/13. Unless the deck was loaded with Ts then it's a bad bet. The deck will never be loaded with Ts to that extent on an 8-deck shoe dealing out 6 decks (leaving 100 odd cards in the shoe unseen - you will need there to be at least 50+ Ts in the deck to make it worth it, which happens rarely. When it does happen, you are only an even-money bet on insurance ANYWAY - no guarantee of getting paid off. I avoid it.