Title: Blackjack / Basic Strategy (France — true ENHC, 6-deck S17)
Tags: hard pairs soft rules contrast

Hand: Does blackjack in France use a hole card?
Section: Rules
Answer: No — ENHC (no hole card). The dealer takes one upcard and draws the second only after all players have acted. No peek for blackjack.

Hand: Is France OBO or true ENHC?
Section: Rules
Answer: True ENHC. A dealer blackjack takes all your money — original bet plus every double and split. OBO is uncommon in France.
Note: House rules vary — confirm at your table, but assume true ENHC.

Hand: OBO vs. true ENHC — what's the difference?
Section: Rules
Answer: OBO: dealer blackjack takes only your original bet; doubles/splits are returned → plays like the US peek game.
True ENHC (France): dealer blackjack takes everything, so you double/split less vs. a 10 or Ace.

Hand: Why does true ENHC change basic strategy?
Section: Rules
Answer: Doubling/splitting adds money to the table. A dealer can still draw a blackjack after you act and sweep it — so against a likely-blackjack card (10 or Ace) you avoid raising your bet.
Note: Only 3 hands actually change. See the orange cards.

Hand: The 3 hands true ENHC changes (vs. the normal chart)
Section: Rules
Answer: 1) Hard 11 vs. 10 → hit (not double).
2) 8,8 vs. 10 or A → hit (not split).
3) A,A vs. A → hit (not split) — but still split A,A vs. 10.
Note: Everything else is the standard 6-deck S17 chart.

Hand: Soft hand vs. hard hand?
Section: Rules
Answer: Soft = contains an Ace counted as 11 (can't bust on the next card). Hard = no Ace, or an Ace forced to 1.

Hand: France standard config (this deck assumes…)
Section: Rules
Answer: 6 decks · dealer stands on soft 17 (S17) · true ENHC · blackjack pays 3:2 · DAS commonly allowed · insurance offered on dealer Ace · surrender varies by house.
Note: Check the felt for H17 and 6:5 — both are worse and do appear.

Hand: Should you take insurance in France?
Section: Rules
Answer: No. Offered when the dealer shows an Ace, pays 2:1, but true odds are ~2.25:1 — about a 7% house edge. Decline every time.
Note: Even money (insuring your own blackjack) is the same bad bet — decline.

Hand: Hard 8 or less
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Always hit.

Hand: Hard 9
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Double vs. 3–6. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Hard 10
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Double vs. 2–9. Hit vs. 10, A.

Hand: Hard 11
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Double vs. 2–9. Hit vs. 10 and A.
Note: ENHC change: in a US/OBO game you'd double vs. 10 too.

Hand: Hard 12
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Stand vs. 4–6. Hit vs. 2, 3, 7–A.

Hand: Hard 13
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Stand vs. 2–6. Hit vs. 7–A.

Hand: Hard 14
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Stand vs. 2–6. Hit vs. 7–A.

Hand: Hard 15
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Stand vs. 2–6. Hit vs. 7–A.
Note: If the table offers surrender (abandon): surrender vs. 10.

Hand: Hard 16
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Stand vs. 2–6. Hit vs. 7–A.
Note: If the table offers surrender (abandon): surrender vs. 9, 10, A.

Hand: Hard 17 or higher
Section: Hard totals
Answer: Always stand.

Hand: Soft 13 — A,2
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Double vs. 5, 6. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Soft 14 — A,3
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Double vs. 5, 6. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Soft 15 — A,4
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Double vs. 4–6. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Soft 16 — A,5
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Double vs. 4–6. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Soft 17 — A,6
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Double vs. 3–6. Otherwise hit.
Note: Never stand on soft 17 as the player.

Hand: Soft 18 — A,7
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Stand vs. 2, 7, 8. Double vs. 3–6. Hit vs. 9, 10, A.
Note: The trickiest hand to memorise. S17 version.

Hand: Soft 19 — A,8
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Always stand.

Hand: Soft 20 — A,9
Section: Soft totals
Answer: Always stand.

Hand: Soft-doubling caveat (France)
Section: Soft totals
Answer: If your table only allows doubling on hard 9/10/11 (no soft doubles), then hit every soft hand through soft 17 instead of doubling.
Note: Many French tables restrict doubling — check before you sit.

Hand: Pair of 2s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–7. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Pair of 3s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–7. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Pair of 4s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
Note: Only splittable because DAS is allowed.

Hand: Pair of 5s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Never split. Play as hard 10 → double vs. 2–9, hit vs. 10, A.

Hand: Pair of 6s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–6. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Pair of 7s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–7. Otherwise hit.

Hand: Pair of 8s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–9. Hit vs. 10 and A.
Note: ENHC change: in a US/OBO game you always split 8s.

Hand: Pair of 9s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–6, 8, 9. Stand vs. 7, 10, A.
Note: Stand vs. 7 — your 18 already beats a likely 17.

Hand: Pair of 10s
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Never split. Stand on the 20.

Hand: Pair of Aces
Section: Pairs (DAS)
Answer: Split vs. 2–10 (including vs. 10). Hit vs. A.
Note: ENHC change: in a US/OBO game you always split Aces. Vs. 10 you still split.

Hand: 11 vs. 10 — US/OBO vs. France?
Section: US vs. France
Answer: US / OBO: double. France (true ENHC): hit.

Hand: Pair of 8s vs. 10 or Ace — US/OBO vs. France?
Section: US vs. France
Answer: US / OBO: always split. France: hit (don't split) vs. 10 and A.

Hand: Pair of Aces vs. Ace — US/OBO vs. France?
Section: US vs. France
Answer: US / OBO: split. France: hit. (But still split A,A vs. 10.)