Got a hand situation for you that just happened to me 30 mins ago. You are 1st to act and have 445. 2nd place has 400. Betting limits are 25 to 500. BJ pays 3-2 no surrender. What do u bet? I was BR1 and bet 40 and BR2 bet 100. Dealer BJ'd so I won instantly on my hard 17. BUT! Had the dealer NOT had BJ what would be my correct move? Double? Or stand and hope BR2 doesn't win? Cards are hidden btw!
Without any information about the skill level of your opponent, I think you made the right bet. Take the low and give him the high. His bet in response was not very good. Since he was forced to go high, he should have bet at least 130 in order to cover a winning double/split/BJ by you. Assuming it was just the two of you, an easy bet for him would have been all-in. The hidden cards (pitch game?) makes things interesting for playing your hand. Maybe some of the folks who played at Buffalo Run can help. I don't have any experience with this. I'm just guessing when I say that if it looked like the dealer was weak, or if you could read him and thought he had a winning hand, you might consider doubling/splitting.
I don't think that tourney draws hardly any SMART tourn players... i really don't! Saw ppl every rd including final table Hitting Stiffs against 2-6!!! Gronbog, you did not answer my question though: Had the dealer NOT had BJ what would be my correct move on Hard 14 against A? I remember it was 14 I had to which I stayed but come to think of it maybe I should have hit it anyways since he'd still have to beat the dealer to get paid???
Your original post said you had a 17, not 14. You also did not say what cards the other player had, nor what upcard the dealer would have in your proposed non-bj scenario.
Ken, I corrected it on my last post that I indeed had H14 against Ace. Read it again. Its a DD game so cannot see upcards of players. Same upcard of ace in my non-BJ situation.
Looks like you could have doubled to take the high and still have the low. That's why BR2's bet was not a good one. He could have easily bet enough to prevent this. I probably would have doubled.
Thanks guys... In that tournament I think I got confused and did NOT play BS when I should've... i ended up getting 3rd at the Final Table but had I simply hit my 15 vs 8 I woulda gotten a 4 and beat her 18 with a 19... but the reason I didn't hit was fear of busting and my opps knowing right away! Thinking about it again though... even if they knew I busted THEY would still have to beat the dealer anyway huh?! I usually don't NOT play perfect BS but thought there were times that its proper to do so... could yall remind me when that is the case? Thanks
The goal of basic strategy is to maximize the expected value of your hand. That is rarely (never?) your goal during the end game of a tournament. Your goal is usually to engineer some specific result like winning your hand or not being swung. Many times, the correct play is the same as the correct basic strategy play, but you shouldn't be thinking basic strategy in those situations.
