The ultimate blackjack quiz #2

21 December 2013

By Henry Tamburin

This is the second part of a blackjack quiz prepared by my friend Fred Renzey, a contributing writer to my Blackjack Insider (BJI) e-newsletter and author of "Blackjack Bluebook II." Be forewarned, this is a challenging quiz.

1. When you have Ace-7 against a 9, if you stand, you’ll win the hand 8 times out of 20. If you hit, you’ll win it: (3 points)

A) 7 times out of 20 and worsen your chances.

B) 8 times out of 20 -- about the same as if you stood.

C) 9 times out of 20 and improve your chances.


2. When you have Ace-4 against a 3, the dealer will bust just 3 times out of 8. If you double down instead and take one card, you’ll end up with a "stiff": (3 points)

A) 3 times out of 8, and will usually be in a strong position.

B) 4 times out of 8, making doubling a modestly better play.

C) 5 times out of 8, and will usually need a dealer bust — or you lose.


3. You’re playing two spots at a full table. Off the top of a fresh six-deck shoe, the dealer has an Ace up. Among all 14 players’ cards, there’s not a single 10 on the board. You have 8-4 on your first hand and Ace-9 on your second. You should: (4 points)

A) Decline Insurance on both hands because a 10 is not likely to be the dealer’s hole card. Right answer, but not a very good reason. Even if it were RIGHT to take insurance, a 10 is STILL not likely to be the dealer’s hole card! It’s wrong because the odds against a 10 are greater than 2 to 1 against! If they were 1.9 to 1 against, a ten would still be “unlikely,” but insuring would be correct!

B) Insure your 20 to protect your good hand, but pass on the 12 since insuring a bad hand is an inferior strategy.

C) Insure both hands, good or bad, because a 10 is now due.


4. There are only three cards left in the shoe before the cut card comes out. They are a 7 and two 10s – but you don’t know their order. The dealer has a 4 up, but has clumsily exposed her hole card, a 10, giving her 14. Third base has 16. If he stands, the dealer will have two out of three chances to bust. But how often will the dealer bust if third base takes a card? (4 points)

A) 1 time out of 3

B) 2 times out of 3

C) 1 time out of 2


5. You’re a "streak bettor" using a 10-20-30-40 progression. You like it because if you win four hands in a row, you’ll win $100 -- whereas losing four in a row costs you only $40. When you win two and lose two (which is six times as frequent), your averaged result will be a: (4 points)

A) small loss – going 1 and 3 also loses more money than going 3 and 1 wins.

B) break even outcome, assuming there were no blackjacks, doubles or splits involved.

C) small gain – going 3 and 1 also wins more money than going 1 and 3 loses.


The answers are:
1) A
2) C
3) C
4) A
5) B
6) just kidding

Henry Tamburin is the editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com) and host of www.smartgaming.com. For a FREE three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial.com. To receive his FREE Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.