Archive for the ‘Blackjack Strategy’ Category
June 12th, 2009
For AC counters heading to NV:
The true count just hit +4 and suddenly a pair of college kids are splashing black action on your table, eating the tens and aces you worked so hard to get to. Welcome to the world of mid-shoe entry. They may or may not be counters, though you can probably determine this in the next few minutes by the way they play their hands, and especially if they leave the table as soon as the count nose-dives.
Advice: If you don't start table-hopping yourself, you will come to hate many Nevada counters.
For NV counters heading to AC:
The true count just hit +4 and suddenly the pair of college kids sitting beside you start discussing the number of aces left in the shoe and the proper index for standing on 15 vs. 10, right out loud. You leave quickly when one of them asks you what system you're using. Are they imbeciles? Shills? House dicks? No, they're college kids. Since casinos can't bar counters, many amateurs and wannabes discuss count strategies right at the table. Although the AC casinos can restrict them to a flat bet, this countermeasure simply gives them bragging rights. If they're half-shoed or bet-restricted, nothing can stop them from getting up and walking over to a table in the next pit, where they are again free to spread their bets until they're caught again.
Advice: If you are trying to make money at the tables and not just brag to your friends about being labeled a pro, you will come to hate many AC counters.
For AC counters heading to NV:
The game has great rules, deep penetration, and no heat. Unfortunately, although you're currently stuck about eight thousand due to bad cards, the "friendly" pit boss just told you to take a hike and don't come back. At least, not to the blackjack tables—ever. Can he do that?
Advice: Yes. Go back to AC where the games are better.
For NV counters heading to AC:
You're stuck eight thousand bucks and the boss just told you you're being restricted to a $100 flat bet. How are you going to dig out? Should you sneak over to the next pit where those college kids are playing? Can the boss do that?
Advice: Yes. Go back to Nevada where the games are better.
In other words, your assessment of table conditions in any individual casino depends on many factors, not just the game itself. One counter's dream game may be another counter's nightmare. This will become even clearer to you in the upcoming chapters, as we discuss the all-important money issues. How much money do you need? How much should you bet? We'll also touch on casino surveillance, countermeasures, legal issues, and so on.
Blackjack may be just a card game, but you'd better take it as seriously as the casinos do if you expect to beat them. And believe me, they are dead serious about beating you.
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Tags: blackjack, online casino, pit boss
June 11th, 2009
Counting cards in Nevada is not the same as counting cards in Atlantic City. East Coast counters who visit Nevada for the first time are often amazed at the tremendous variety of blackjack games available, while Nevada counters in AC for the first time are likewise in for some culture shock. If you have pretty much limited your play to either Nevada or New Jersey, and you are now considering a trek across the country to test new waters, here is a brief guide to what to expect.
For AC counters heading to NV:
Yes, you will find hand-held one and two-deck offerings—but that doesn't mean you actually want to play them! Most big money players would tell you the single-deckers are unplayable. The penetration sucks — if you raise your bet, they shuffle up, and do it a few times and you'll be nailed as a counter. Unlike in AC, they can throw you out for counting It's not illegal to think in Nevada per se; it's just against Gaming Control Board regulations for smart players to think while they're in the casinos. Advice: Look for a decent six-deck shoe.
For NV counters heading to AC:
The preponderance of eight-deck tables will be depressing, especially when you see signs all over that say "No Mid-Shoe Entry," and the penetration is not that great to begin with. It's not against CCC regulations for smart players to think while they're in the casinos; it's just against house policies in the AC casinos to give players anything to think about. How do you beat these games?
Advice: Look for a decent six-deck shoe.
For AC counters heading to NV:
So you just walked up to a hot six-deck table, dropped some chunky black action on the felt, and nobody's even looking! This is incredible! Or so it seems… Unlike in AC, surveillance in the big Vegas stores is usually done from the eye. Assume you're being watched, and with black action, it's a good bet that you are—especially if they don't know you. The first tap on your shoulder is likely to be a smiling host, asking if you need a room for the night. Meanwhile, the surveillance goons upstairs will count down your shoes, entering your plays into their counter-identification software, and searching their photo files for your mug.
Advice: Don't drop your camouflage.
For NV counters heading to AC:
So you just walked up to a $100-minimum six-deck table in the VIP pit, converted a few thousand dollars into black chips, and suddenly, you've got three suits staring at you—and they don't look friendly. What's going on? Do you have a new photo spread in the card-counter mug books you were unaware of? Probably not. In AC, the pit attitude toward new big players is always one of suspicion, and they don't hide it. Since they can't bar counters, they go for intimidation. They'll hawk your game until they feel you're safe, and that could be a long time. And don't expect a casino host to come running to greet you just because you started pumping a little black action onto the felt. There are black chip players in AC who have been playing there for years who don't even know what a host is. Comps don't come so easily in AC; you've got to prove yourself to be a real idiot before the pit warms up to you. Losing a bundle helps.
Advice: Don't drop your camouflage.
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Tags: blackjack, counting cards, online casino, smart players