I live down by the Everglades and am being held hostage by the Seminole Casinos. The closest one has all 8 deck, CSM, BJ games. Unless I want to play $100 a hand 2 deck pitch game, which for this cracker is too high. In general, how many decks should one practice with, same as what you play, or a different amount just for the action with different hands? Thanks, I'll sit down for my answer!
[Editor's Note: As is our wont, we asked Arnold Snyder to answer this question, which he did (and always does).]
For practicing, if you’re dealing hands to yourself, the number of decks you play with won’t make much difference. Just use one deck. If you’re trying to learn basic strategy, slight differences depend on the number of decks in play, so practice with a single deck, but use the correct strategy for the number of decks you’ll be playing against in a casino.
If you have computer software to practice with, then definitely use the number of decks that you’ll be playing against in a casino. Most blackjack practice software allows you to set up any number of decks and all common rule variations. The best software will also alert you if you make an error and this is a great feature for learning; you'll find that you keep making the same types of errors and you'll correct your trouble areas quickly.
The best software on the market for practicing blackjack is Casino Verité. It sells for $95 and has many practice features, including a realistic table setup, where you can play heads up with the dealer or have other players entering and leaving the table as you play. Technically, it’s primarily designed to teach a player who knows nothing at all about the game how to start with basic strategy, then step by step become a proficient card counter.
I’m sure you can find less expensive blackjack practice software online, probably even free software. If you have serious intentions of eventually learning to count cards, I’d highly recommend you invest in the Casino Verité software. You can order it from Las Vegas Advisor through the ShopLVA online store.