Why is the basic strategy for one deck different than for multiple decks? If Im not counting cards, what difference does it make?
The answer has to do with the fact that once a card is played it has an impact on the distribution of the remaining cards. For example the single deck basic strategy calls for standing on two sevens against a ten, with two more decks the player should hit. In the situation with one deck the probability of drawing a third seven on the third card is only 2/49, or 4.08%. With two decks this probability rises to 6/101 or 5.94%. With the lower probability of catching a 3-card 21 in single deck (the only total that can beat a dealer 20) the best play is to stand. The effect of removing a single card increases as the number of decks decreases.
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