In the game of casino blackjack you can be dealt 340 different basic hand situations. When you have 13 and the dealer shows a 6, that's a hand situation. 16 against a 10 up is another. About a hundred of these hand situations play themselves. By that I mean, nobody with two brain cells to rub together needs to be told how to play them -- they're automatic. Some of these no-brainers are when you've been dealt a total of 5 against the dealer's face-card, or a 19 against a 4 up. A genius and a moron would both play these hands the same way

You absolutely need to know the basic strategy whether you are a card counter or not. It is the mathematical basis, or logic, for the best way to play the cards. You modify that strategy using "gut" instinct if you "feel" a card coming, or if you are a "literal" card counter or "casual" card counter, which will be discussed later on.

The following four charts show playing strategies for single-deck, double-deck, and multi deck black¬jack, and my own modified version for playing any type of deck. Most of this is not new; I've run the information through my own computer systems and have come up with pretty much the same outcomes except for a few deviations. Just see which one works the best for you and study it well.