How To Play What Are The Odds
Choose a number of rounds to play. Odds and Evens is a point-based game, so you need to decide a game format ahead of time. Be sure to agree on a total number of rounds so you can accurately keep track of how many points each player has. For instance, if you’d like to play a longer game, have the game be 20 rounds. What Are the Odds, or Odds Are, is a simple game where you dare another player to do a ridiculous task. One player asks another how likely they are to complete a dare, and then the second player picks a number between 2 and 100 as a limit for a number range. Both players then choose a number within the range. After a quick glance at the moneyline odds, you will immediately know which side is the favorite or the underdog in a game. Oddsmakers will attach odds to both sides of the equation. The favorite will be designated with negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds attached. History – How To Play – Rules – Odds – Strategy – Pro’s Perspective Whether online or land-based Blackjack is one of the most popular card games at casinos, whether online or land-based. The game is sometimes referred to as 21, as players will try to get a hand total that is equal to 21. How To Play What Are The Odds The vocal game “What Are The Odds” is akin to truth or dare with only the daring part. To summarize it what happens is one person proposes a dare then both players guess a number. If they match they the one who was dared is S.O.L. And is stuck doing the task.
Blackjack Probability and Blackjack Odds
To fully understand the game of blackjack, you must understand and master blackjack odds. It's crucial to know how the casino gains its edge and how it helps them win. It's also important to understand blackjack odds such as the odds of hitting a 10 or the odds of being dealt a blackjack. You can read over these blackjack odds charts to help understand the logistics behind blackjack.
Casino and Dealer Advantage in Blackjack
In most casino games of blackjack, the house advantage (the dealer advantage) is ~ 8%. The house gets this advantage by the dealer being the last player to act. By acting last, all other players have already made their decisions and could quite possibly bust before the dealer has his turn.
By using correct blackjack basic strategy, you can turn the casino edge in blackjack from 7%-8% down to 0.5%. If you correctly use advanced card counting techniques, you can often change blackjack odds and give yourself the advantage over the casino. Manipulating the house odds to your favor is the reason most casinos don't allow card counters to play blackjack.
Probability of Busting on a Hit
It's very important to know the probability of your hand busting when you are holding any total in the game of blackjack. The following odds chart shows the blackjack odds of busting, depending on your current hand value:
| Hand Value | % Bust If You Hit |
|---|---|
| 21 | 100% |
| 20 | 92% |
| 19 | 85% |
| 18 | 77% |
| 17 | 69% |
| 16 | 62% |
| 15 | 58% |
| 14 | 56% |
| 13 | 39% |
| 12 | 31% |
| 11 or Less | 0% |
Two-Card Count Frequencies
This interesting blackjack odds chart is the two card count frequency chart. This chart shows the percentage chance that you will be dealt a hand in each given value range. The most important frequencey to note is the chance of being dealt a natural blackjack (natural 21 value. The odds of being dealt a natural blackjack are merely 4.8%. Following this chart you will see that the most common two card hand, at 38.7%, is a hand totaling 1-16, which is considered a decision hand.
| Two Card Count | % Frequency |
|---|---|
| Natural 21 | 4.8% |
| Hard Standing (17-20) | 30.0 % |
| Decision Hands (1-16) | 38.7% |
| No Bust | 26.5% |
| TOTAL | 100.0% |
Dealer Final Hand Probabilities
This blackjack odds chart shows the dealer final hand probability. These are the percentages that the dealer will end up with a hand totaling each corresponding value (up to 16). Read over this chart to understand the odds that the dealer has to make his final hand.
| Dealer Final Hand Value | % | Cumulative % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Natural 21 | 4.82% | 4.83% |
| 21 (3 or More Cards) | 7.36% | 12.19% |
| 20 | 17.58% | 29.77% |
| 19 | 13.48% | 43.25% |
| 18 | 13.81% | 57.06% |
| 17 | 14.58% | 71.64% |
| 16 | 28.36% | 100.00% |
Player Advantage vs. Dealer Up Card
The first two columns in this odds chart explain the dealer's chance of busting, depending on the up card that he is showing. You should note that the dealer has the highest chance of busting when he is showing a 5. The third column in this chart shows the player advantage of using basic strategy, compared to each up card the dealer is showing. You can see that the player has the highest advantage of 23.9%, when the dealer is showing a 5. When the dealer is showing any card that is 9 value or higher, the player is in the negative advantage range.
| Dealer Up Card | Dealer Bust % | Player Advantage % with Basic Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 35.30% | 9.8% |
| 3 | 37.56% | 13.4% |
| 4 | 40.28% | 18.0% |
| 5 | 42.89% | 23.2% |
| 6 | 42.08% | 23.9% |
| 7 | 25.99% | 14.3% |
| 8 | 23.86% | 5.4% |
| 9 | 23.34% | -4.3% |
| J,Q,K | 21.43% | -16.9% |
| A | 11.65% | -16.0% |
Effects of Removing Cards from a Deck
When looking at the odds of removing certain cards from a 52-card deck, some cards have a much greater effect on blackjack odds. To create the strongest card counting system ever invented, you would have to incorporate all of these slight and subtle differences into the numbers to be a completely accurate system.
Removing every 5 from a deck cards would make the largest impact of improving your blackjack odds, as a player. On the other hand, removing every Ace from a deck of cards would make the largest impact on improving the odds for the casino.
| Card | % Effect of Removal |
|---|---|
| 2 | 0.40% |
| 3 | 0.43% |
| 4 | 0.52% |
| 5 | 0.67% |
| 6 | 0.45% |
| 7 | 0.30% |
| 8 | 0.01% |
| 9 | -0.15% |
| 10 | -0.51% |
| A | -0.59% |
See also:
US Players and Credit Card Deposits Accepted!
- Menu ▼
By Ralph Welton
example 1
| Dummy ♣ A K 3 You ♣ J 5 4 |
You have two masters, and one losing honor. You also have a shortage of spot cards. If you lead toward your losing honor, it doesn't help to find the ♣Q on sides. Losing a trick to the on-sides ♣Q establishes your ♣J as a master, but you will have only two clubs left in each hand, so your new master (♣J) will crash with your ♣AK.
How To Play The Game What Are The Odds
Your only chance for a third club trick is to get lucky. Lead out your two masters. If the ♣Q was dealt singleton or doubleton, it will drop under your ♣AK, and your ♣J will be a third round master.
example 2
| Dummy ♠ A K 3 2 You ♠ J 5 4 |
Suppose you have one more spot card. Now if you lead toward your losing honor it does gain a trick to find the ♠Q on sides. After they take their ♠Q, you have just enough spot cards to play your three masters on separate tricks.
Which play gives you a better chance for a third trick – playing for the ♠Q to drop, or leading toward your losing honor?
With 7 cards, the 50-50 odds of leading toward ♠J are better than the odds of trying to drop the ♠Q.
How can you figure out the odds of plays like these? It depends on how many cards they have in this suit. The fewer cards they have, the greater the chance that the critical honor will drop. Fortunately, you don't have to figure out the actual odds. Just learn this simple guideline:
If they have 4 cards, play for a 2-2 division, and for the queen to drop.
If they have more than 4 cards, lead toward your losing honor, or finesse.
example 3
| Dummy ♥ A K 7 6 4 2 You ♥ J 8 5 |
How many hearts do your opponents hold?
Should you lead toward your losing honor (♥J)?
So lead out your ♥A and your ♥K.
So lead out your ♥A and your ♥K.
reviewing blocked suits...
You want to take six heart tricks, so you're pleased to see the doubleton ♥Q drop when you play your ♥AK. You also want to win the third round of hearts in the North hand (when you lead the ♥7) so you can continue with more heart leads from that hand. Which heart must you preserve in the South for the third round?
example 3 (repeated)
| Dummy ♥ A K 7 6 4 2 You ♥ J 8 5 |
Instead you must play your ♥5 on the third round because it is the only card in the South that can allow North's ♥7 to win the third trick. Then North retains the lead for the remaining hearts.
Plan ahead so you don't carelessly play the ♥5 on the♥AK before you start thinking.
Instead you must play your ♥5 on the third round because it is the only card in the South that can allow North's ♥7 to win the third trick. Then North retains the lead for the remaining hearts.
Plan ahead so you don't carelessly play the ♥5 on the ♥AK before you start thinking.
The lead can only remain in the North if the ♥7 wins the third trick. So you must save your only card lower than North's ♥7.
Plan ahead so you don't carelessly play the ♥5 on the ♥AK before you start thinking.
example 4
| Dummy ♦ K J 7 6 3 You ♦ A 5 4 |
You lead the ♦A, and they both follow suit with spot cards. You continue with a lead toward your losing honor (♦J) in dummy. West plays another spot card.
How many diamonds did they start with?
8 + 5 = 13
Do you finesse or play for the drop?
It's possible, though against the odds, for the ♦Q to be doubleton, and playing the ♦K would make it drop.
But it's 50-50 (the better odds) to take the finesse, playing for the ♦Q to be on-sides.
It's possible, though against the odds, for the ♦Q to be doubleton, and playing the ♦K would make it drop.
But it's 50-50 (the better odds) to take the finesse, playing for the ♦Q to be on-sides.
example 5
| Dummy ♦ K J 7 6 3 You ♦ A 5 4 2 |
Does the addition of the lowly ♦2 change the way you should play? As usual, the answer comes from counting.
How many diamonds did they start with?
9 + 4 = 13
Do you finesse or play for the drop?
The Odds Movie
They started with 4 diamonds, so we play for them to be 2-2. It's slightly better odds to play for the ♦Q to drop rather than finessing.
They started with 4 diamonds, so we play for them to be 2-2. It's slightly better odds to play for the ♦Q to drop rather than finessing.
example 6
| Dummy ♣ Q J 4 2 You ♣ A T 8 6 3 |
Once again, you're missing 4 cards, but this hand is different because you're missing the king instead of the queen.
Is it better to play for the drop of the ♣K, or to lead the ♣Q for a squishing finesse?
The drop is unlikely because you have only one master to lead out. The squishing finesse is the better odds.
As when you are missing the queen, there is a simple guideline to remember about the king...
If they have 2 cards, play for a 1-1 division and for the king to drop.
If they have more than 2 cards, finesse their king.
example 7
| Dummy ♣ Q 9 5 4 2 You ♣ A J 8 7 6 3 |
How many cards do they have?
What Are The Odds Dares
Do you finesse or play for the drop?
Missing the king...
if their cards could be 1-1, play to drop their king with your ace
if they have more cards, play to finesse their king
Missing the queen...
if their cards could be 2-2, play to drop their queen with your ace-king
if they have more cards, play to finesse their queen
Go to the next topic:
→ Drop Their Honor
Bridge Bears is run by a retired teacher and ACBL life master who has 35 years teaching experience and who's been playing bridge for over 50 years. I don't claim to be one of the top players, but I do understand how slowly beginners need to go when they are trying to learn how to play bridge.
Copyright © 2010-2020 by Ralph Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be copied, displayed on another website, or distributed in any way without permission from the author.