Dear Mark, I have
not seen any Basic Blackjack Strategy that suggests
doubling down on a hard eight. All I have read or
seen on Basic Blackjack Strategy states you only
hit the hard eight. Do you have a professional's
view of the decision to double down on eight? I
do not remember you addressing this issue. Dan J.
Because single deck games
are harder to find than the proverbial needle in a
haystack, current writings on blackjack, (as well
as on blackjack basic strategy cards) are created
for multiple deck games. Usually they all suggest
the same thing: Hit your hard eight against any card
the dealer is showing. However, Dan, if you happen
to stumble upon a single deck game it is commonly
recommended that you double down on a hard eight when
the dealer is showing a five or a six.
