Mother

Blackjack playing strategies and beliefs: A view from the field

“…A correct basic strategy for a particular set of blackjack rules was not calculated until a team of statisticians did so in 1956 (Baldwin, Cantey, Maisel & McDermott). Correct basic strategies for various rule changes were not determined until the 1960s when high speed computers were programmed to simulate all of the different hand combinations millions of times in order to determine the true odds for a specific play choice (Revere, 1980;Thorp, 1966). Using this system, researchers were able to determine the exact statistical difference between, for example, hitting an "ace, seven" against a dealer's six versus standing or doubling down.…”