A basic strategy chart is just what the word says -- basic. It was developed to give you a clear, definitive, black and white way to play all your starting hands. In that regard it's a life saver. Browsing over a basic strategy chart though, you tend to get the impression that all the correct plays are equally correct. This is not really the case. Here's what I mean.

When you have 16 against an Ace, odds are you'll win the hand 24 times out of 100 if you hit (counting pushes as a half win and a half loss), but only 17 times if you stand. Mathematically, it's
a no-brainer. You've got to hit it every single time since it's not even close. If you don't, you'll always be hurting your chances to win the hand, big time. In fact, that's how it is with most hands.

When playing tournaments you really have to be something akin to a military strategist, especially on the last hand of the round. I've seen so many folks in fifth or sixth position con¬servatively play 70% to 75"rb of their final bankroll and win the last round because they anticipated and scrutinized everyone else's final bankroll and bet. After analyzing all the possible outcomes, these folks stay in contention as top play¬ers in the round.

Please understand that in many cases a player would win the final round anyway if he or she received a blackjack, and subsequently doubled the last wager, putting that player on top. But also in many cases, a player keeps enough in reserve to stay in contention in the event he or she loses. The key to winning in tournaments is being able to assess the probabilities of the people in the lead going into the final hand, busting out their hands, and not having enough reserve bankroll to stay in contention on the final chip count. It's a real chess game to be sure.