Page 12 - Jackpot Magazine Tunica ~ November, 2026

PLAY TO WIN
Play To Win Again
Maybe the move to make isn’t the right one
“If every instinct you’ve had is wrong,
The right play with
then the opposite would have to be
this hand is to split
right.”
the 8s, even though
~ George Costanza, from TV’s Seinfeld
many people first look
The Best of… Series
at that hand and think
Some blackjack hands are easy to play.
Holding a hard 19 or 20 usually means
standing, while a low total generally calls
for hitting in hopes of improving your
hand. Hitting or doubling on an 11 is
also a smart move.
But there are hands that are likely
to be flubbed by players, according to
gaming expert and enthusiast Henry
Tamburin. In a past column in Jackpot!,
Tamburin, author of many best-selling
books, including Blackjack: Take the
Money and Run, talked about some
specific hands that mess with players. He
also summarized the correct way to play
each hand, giving the reasons why.
“no way.” But, playing two hands with
a starting count of 8 on each hand is
much better than starting with a single
hand of 16. You are giving yourself two
decent starting hands, while breaking
of the time. If you
double down instead,
you’ll win only 54
percent of the time
but remember it is for
$20. So, what would you rather do? Win
$10 56 percent of the time, or $20 54
percent of the time? The choice should
be clear. You can’t afford not to double
down on 11 against a dealer’s 10.
up a horrible 16. However, both of the
split-8 hands will lose you money in the
long run.
Here’s the rub — your combined
losses will be less than what a single
hand of 16 would lose in the long run.
Yes, it’s sometimes difficult to think long
term when you are staring at a pair of 8s
against a dealer’s 10 with your 10 bucks
on the layout.
And yes, sometimes you’ll split and
lose both split hands and then start
How To Play:
Soft 18 Against the Dealer’s 10
The mantra of most players who
believe 18 is a good hand that should
never be messed with is “never hit a hand
of 18.” However, these are the facts: If
you have a soft 18 (an ace and a seven)
against a dealer’s
10 and you stand,
you will lose more
money than you
win. When you hit,
you also lose more
than you win, but
you don’t lose quite
as much as when you
stand.
So hitting soft 18 against a dealer’s
10 upcard is the correct play (even when
your soft 18 hand consists of three or
more cards, such as ace-2-ace-4).
second-guessing yourself as to why you
split in the first place. Nevertheless,
listen up.
The correct play, the one that will
save you more money during your
blackjack-playing career, is to split the
8s against the 9, 10 and ace. If you don’t
have the courage
to make that play,
you shouldn’t be
playing blackjack.
Pair of 8s Against the
Dealer’s 9, 10 or Ace
An 11 Against
the Dealer’s 10
Doubling on an
11 against a dealer’s
10 is a good strategy. Most average
players get queasy about doubling down
on an 11, figuring the dealer has a 10 in
the hole for a pat 20. In fact, the dealer’s
chances of making that 20 are less than
your chance of making a 20 or 21.
Here’s the bottom line: If you bet $10
and hit your 11, you’ll win 56 percent
A 12 Against the Dealer’s 3
Players often stand when they have
a 12 and the dealer has a 3 as they are
hoping the dealer takes the bust card.
This is another play that confounds
average players, partly because they have
heard so many times that they should not
risk busting their own hand when the
dealer has a weak upcard showing. But,
there are two reasons players shouldn’t
stand with 12 against a 3.
When you hit a 12 once, you can
bust only if you draw a 10. What are the
chances of that happening? Only four
out of 13 times on average, which means
nine out of 13 times you will survive the
draw and not bust. In fact, five cards —
the 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 — will give you a pat
hand of 17 to 21, so there are more cards
that can help you than break you.
In addition, the dealer’s chances of
busting are not as great as you think.
With a 3 upcard, the dealer will break
about 37 percent of the time (compared
to 40 percent with a 4 upcard, and 42
percent with a 5 or 6 upcard).
Bottom line: Even though you’ll never
get rich on 12 against a 3, no matter how
you play it, hitting is the better play,
because in the long run it will save you
money compared to standing.
Do you have a question on the
best way to play to win? Email us at
jackpotmagazine@gmail.com.
12 JACKPOT! MAGAZINE • November 2026 THE SOUTH’S LARGEST GUIDE TO GAMING & FUN • www.jackpotmagazine.com