Blackjack question - this version beatable?

[DBL0SVN]

OK, not poker, but I know some of you guys play blackjack too.

Went to a local casino (UK) with my wife and some friends. No hold em on offer, so I thought I'd try my hand at Blackjack. Now, my knowlege of the rules is a little sketchy, but I thought that at most places if the dealer got the same as you, you lost your bet. At this place, if you both had the same hand, you kept your stake - no win, no loss. It was only if the house hit BJ that everyone would lose their stake.

In addition, you could double your bet if you had 9, 10, or 11 and take one further card only. A good play if the dealer was showing a 5 or 6 for example (dealer had to take another card up to 16 and stick on 17 or higher).

To me that sounds like the house is forfeiting a lot of its advantage - ie. if we both have 18, I don't lose my stake. AND when I am in a good position , holding 9-11 with the dealer showing a poor card, I can double my stake, so increasing my return.

Is this game beatable? If so, what would you suggest holding on depending on which card the dealer was showing?

FWIW, I didn't win - but I think only because I didn't have an optimal strategy worked out for this game

[CrunchyNuts]

Pretty standard rules, the house still has the advantage.

For your reading pleasure:
http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack

[DBL0SVN]

Ah, for some reason I thought the house won your money even when it was tied on other hands, not just BJ. So then the house advantage is purely from the fact that if you both bust, the house takes your money, right?

[ChrisBCritter]

Yes, Position in Blackjack (just like Poker) is the advantage that the house has over you...

[eeeee]

Pretty standard rules, the house still has the advantage.

For your reading pleasure:
http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack

To add -- "standard" rules can be cleverly maniplated by a house to eat the uninformed player. Further down the WOO blackjack page, Wizard also ranks the importance of the rules, and the value each has to the House Advantage (HA.) The Player-Loses-Ties rules should be avoided like a slot machine.