Cap. 1

The Moves

Hit, Stand, Double Down, Split, Surrender

Basic strategy answers every hand with one of five moves: hit, stand, double down, split or surrender. Each move exists for a precise mathematical reason — doubling gets more money onto the table exactly when you're favored, splitting turns one bad hand into two better ones, surrender cuts your loss on nearly hopeless hands. This chapter walks through each move one at a time: what it does to the odds, and how to signal it at the table.