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Blackjack, eh? Admit it. Casinos exist only because in every game there is a house advantage. Otherwise casinos couldn’t operate. They wouldn’t be able to turn a profit. After all, they are businesses. But, there is one game that stands out from the rest, one game in which a combination of wit, intuition and mathematical strategy can reduce the house’s advantage quite substantially. This game is Blackjack. In fact, some players have seen these odds to be reduced so greatly that they view Blackjack as an investment. These are professional players, and certainly some of the greats have lead many of us to believe they are right. This is made evident from great financial gains they have received while playing Blackjack. Because of the nature of the game, Blackjack has attracted much interest from mathematicians, statisticians, and game theorists. In the mid-20th century, card counting was used as a sure-fire way to track statistical chances of winning. Theoretically, this was intended to alert the shrewd player when to bet high or low thereby cutting their losses: high cards (9 and above) advantage the player and low cards the dealer. James Van Alstyne, a professional blackjack player, used his cardcounting techniques to win at blackjack. He was so effective that he ended up being barred from several casinos.
Great card counters began to gain such an advantage over the house that casinos had to begin to employ methods to counter their losses. Sometimes it was as obvious as approaching suspected counters and engaging in chitchat with them (to distract them from the task at hand). Casinos also offer suspected counters free drinks, in the hopes that the alcohol will impair their concentration. It’s a brutal world out there. But, it’s also a lucrative world… Card counting may not be so easy to get away with today what with the ever-prevalent ‘eye on in the sky’, digital surveillance, along with facial recognition software, and automatic shuffling machines. But, if you can get it right (it is still within the bounds of the law and rules of the game), you can expect to win about 2/3 of the time (see more below). But, before we concern ourselves with that, let’s first learn the rules of the game.
Casino Basics Choosing a Table
The ever-prevalent ‘Eye in the sky’ security cameras.
It is very important to choose a table that suits your betting and playing styles. The most important thing to pay attention to is the sign that indicates maximum and minimum bets.
In most casinos, you’ll find these signs are colour-coded to match the minimum bets posted on them. Look around to find a table that suits your bet sizes. Once you’ve done this, it is time to find out what kind of game you want to be dealt. Now, if you’re a beginner you’re probably better off starting with a ‘shoe’ where 6 or 8 decks are used. The advantage in this is that the cards are dealt face-up, in front of each player, and the dealer can help with questions and decisions. Now: much as a Mountie will always catch his man, as you refine your skills you can switch to a game where there are fewer decks and the casino’s advantage is lower (especially if you employ skills like card counting) and you can start turning a much greater profit.
Buying Chips Once seated at a table, you will need to purchase chips from the dealer for your bets. Place your cash on the table when there is a break in the game (some casinos make you wait until the dealer shuffles to join). Don’t try to hand your money to the dealer. For security reasons he cannot accept it. And don’t expect change. The dealer will exchange the entire amount for chips; he will push the amount across the table to you and then drop the cash into a slot on the table top. If you have any questions regarding the values of the chips, ask the dealer. It is part of his job to help players learn the game.
Making a Bet In front of your place at the table, you will find a box or a circle for your bets. Before each hand, place your bet into this allocated area in one stack. If you are betting with chips of different values, those with a higher value go at the bottom of the stack. Once the cards are dealt, you may not touch your bet. If you need to know how much you have bet for doubling or splitting (explained later) the dealer will count them down for you. Once the hand is over, the dealer will move around the table paying winners and collecting chips from losing hands. After the dealer has paid out, you may collect your chips from the circle and place your next bet. If you want to let your winnings ride, organize them into one stack and wait for the next hand to be dealt…
Cashing In When you’re finished playing you will want to cash in your chips. Take them to the cashier to exchange. But first, the dealer may want to ‘colour up’ your chips. This is simply the exchange of smaller denomination chips for larger-valued ones. Wait until the end of the hand. Push your chips out between betting boxes (so it can’t be confused for a bet). The dealer
Canadian Mountie
will count down the chips and return you a smaller stack of chips for equal value. You can then take these to the cashier for cash, or to another table for more play.
A Brief History of Blackjack Modern-day Blackjack is thought to be derived from the 17th- and 18thcentury French game ‘vingt-et-un’, or ‘twenty-one’. But, that is not the earliest sign of a game similar to Blackjack. Similar games can be found as many as 100 years prior to that. The Spanish writer Cervantes mentions a game ‘ventiuna’ or ‘twenty-one’ in his tale ‘Rinconete y Cortadillo’. In the story, the game is played by trying to reach 21 without busting. Aces are valued at 1 or 11.
17th Century French Folk
‘Vingt-et-un’ differs from Blackjack: it was not necessary to hit a natural for the best to win. The object of the game was to beat the dealer’s score and stay in the game. It should be noted that there wasn’t a dedicated dealer; players took turns acting in the role of the dealer.
Basics of Modern Blackjack The goal of the game is to get a hand value that is of a higher value than the dealer’s but not over 21. The other players at the table are of no concern as their games are also pitted against the dealer. The rules of play are strictly dictated for the dealer, so don’t worry about feeling like a suck if the dealer or if any of the other players see your cards. In fact, when you’re learning to play, don’t hesitate to show your cards to the dealer and other players and ask questions. Just don’t forget to tip the dealer especially if you’re winning and if he’s been helpful (in chips)! Alternatively, you can place a bet for him… If you win the proceeds are his, if you lose it goes to the house.
Card Values Kings, Queens, Jacks (known as face cards or picture cards) and 10s are all valued at 10. Aces can count as 1 or 11 points, depending on which value advantages the player.
to
Cards from 2 through 9 are all valued at their face value.
The suits do not have any value in Blackjack. A hand’s value is the sum of the card values. It is assumed that the Ace always has the value that makes the best hand. A hand with an Ace can either be referred to as a ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ hand. In reference to a soft hand, one can always draw another card without fear of busting. For example, (Ace, 6) is a ‘soft’ 17. The hand (Ace, 6, 10), on the other hand, is a ‘hard’ 17 as the Ace must be counted as a 1 not to go over 21.
The Rules of the Game The Blackjack table is centred about the dealer with between 5 and 7 circles of play. Players sit opposite the dealer. The game is played between you and the dealer and thus, it doesn’t matter how many other players are at the table. If the dealer wins, you lose your bet (unless you take insurance, to be discussed later); if you win, you get paid at predetermined odds, depending on your hand. Once the deck has been shuffled, the dealer cuts it. The cards are then placed in a box called a shoe from which the cards will ultimately be dealt. Finally, the dealer removes the top card and places it face up at the bottom of the pack or face down in the discard tray – this is called burning the card. This emphasizes the randomness of the cards.
The dealer begins at his left (your right) and makes two passes, dealing one card on each pass so that the players and dealer have two cards each. The dealer will then flip one of his cards over, exposing its value. In shoe games, the cards are dealt face-up and players are not allowed to touch them. As a beginner, this is usually recommended as you won’t have to worry about handling the cards. In hand-held games, cards are dealt face-down and players pick up the cards. You may only touch the cards with one hand, you must keep them over the table and any cards that the dealer subsequently deals to your hand must be left on the table. Once the cards have been dealt, play proceeds around the table. This begins at the first seat to the dealer’s left, also known as first base. Each player then indicates to the dealer how he wishes to play the hand. Once each player has finished his hand, the dealer will complete his hand and then pay or collect the player bets.
The Dealer’s Play The dealer has no choice in how he plays his hand. There are two popular rule variations from which the dealer can choose. You can always determine this by looking at a Blackjack table top where either ‘Dealer stands on all 17s’ or ‘Dealer hits soft 17’ is written. • The rule ‘Dealer stands on all 17s’ dictates that the dealer must continue to take cards i.e. ‘hit’ until his total is 17 or greater. • ‘Dealer hits soft 17’ is an identical rule except he hits on soft 17s. This slightly increases the house’s advantage. The dealer is bound by very specific rules and regulations. He cannot split pairs, double down or surrender. He can’t take insurance. He can’t act on intuition or emotion or suspicion or instinct. If both the dealer and the player have the same total, it’s called a ‘push’ and no money changes hands. It’s ironic, given this obvious paucity in dealer choices and that the house still, by default, can maintain an edge. This surely indicates to the player how important good strategy is.
Your Play Surrender
Although this is one of the least common decisions used in Blackjack, it can be very handy. Not every game offers surrender, but those that do offer it fall into two categories: early or late (depending on when in the game you may surrender). Surrendering offers you the opportunity to fold your hand (provided you’re willing to lose half of your bet). As mentioned above, surrender is offered either early or late in the game. Should it be early, a player surrenders before the dealer checks his cards and offers up half his bet. This alternative offers a healthy advantage to the player and is therefore rarely offered. Instead, most players are commonly faced with a late surrender; here the dealer will only allow players to surrender if he is holding a blackjack. Surrender can really help you save some loonies and toonies, if you’re wise. But, think carefully. If you lose 75% of the time and win only 25% of the time, your net loss is about 50%... which is the SAME AS IF YOU SURRENDER EACH PLAY. So by all means use it, but use it wisely.
Hit/Stand
These are the most common decisions a player will make during a game. Hit: to draw another card. Stand: to stop at the current total.
In the face-up shoe game, you indicate you want another card by tapping behind your cards with your finger i.e. hitting. And you indicate that you want to stand by waving your hand over your cards in a horizontal motion. This eliminates confusion and also allows the ever-present surveillance cameras to keep a watchful lens on how the game unfolds. If you go over 21 and you bust, the dealer will collect your bet and remove your cards immediately. In a face-down game, things are a little different. You’ll hold the first two cards with one hand. If you want to hit, scrape your cards across the table felt lightly. The dealer will deal additional cards on the table, adding them to your total. When you’ve decided to stand, you should tuck the two cards you are holding face-down under the chips that you have bet. Remember that you cannot touch your chips – simply slide your cards underneath. The descriptions may sound difficult, but pay attention to everyone else and you should master the art soon enough.
Doubling Down
Doubling down allows you to receive one, and only one, more card while you place an additional bet equal to or less than your original bet. You may only double down after the first two cards have been dealt. The additional bet must be placed next to the original bet and, to signal to the dealer you are doubling down, you must point with one finger.
Split
Like doubling down, a split is only permitted as a first decision of a hand. If you hold two cards of the same value, you may split them into two separate playing hands. If you are playing a hand-held game, you must put the cards face up on the table in front of your bet (just like in a double down). Place the matching bet beside the original bet in the circle. In a split, you must match your original bet; loonie for loonie, toonie for toonie. The dealer will separate the two cards and treat them as two independent hands and hit you with a further card on each of the splits. It should be noted that most casinos will then allow you to double down on either of these hands. This is called a ‘double after split’. If you get additional pairs, most casinos will allow you to resplit. Commonly, a player can split up to three times, making four separate hands, with 4 separate bets. If double after split is allowed you can have up to eight times your initial bet on the table! Keep in mind, you can split any 10-valued cards e.g. a Jack and a 10, but this is usually a bad play… Keep the 20. Where the splits get tricky: splitting Aces is a very strong player move so casinos only allow you to hit once on each Ace. Also, if you draw a 10-valued card on one of your split aces, the hand is not considered Blackjack but a normal 21, and therefore you do not collect 3:2 odds. Some casinos allow for the resplitting of Aces. You may wonder why it is worth splitting Aces, but as 10-valued cards have the highest occurrence in Blackjack, you should ALWAYS split Aces.
Always Split Aces
Insurance
When the dealer shows an up-card that is an Ace, he offers the players insurance. Insurance is generally limited to half of the original bet. If the dealer does have Blackjack, your winning insurance bet will be paid at odds of 2:1… However, you will lose your original bet (unless you have Blackjack). Ultimately, you will break even. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, you lose your insurance bet and have your original bet to play out with. And if both you and the dealer have Blackjack? Your insurance will win 2:1.
Even Money Even Money is offered to the player when the player is holding a Blackjack and the dealer has an Ace up. This is insurance simplified. All you have to do is state you want ‘even money’ and you are guaranteed a profit even if the dealer does have a Blackjack. But, remember you’re holding out at a price, you could win at 2:1 odds if you didn’t take the even money bet.
Blackjack Strategies Unlike some casino games (like Roulette), Blackjack involves an element of skill. And like all games where skill is required, skill’s close companion, strategy, follows. It is thought that if you play with no strategy the house will have an advantage of as much as 6-10%. A good strategy can reduce this to as little as under 1%. To have a good strategy, one must be aware of a number of things: 1. The dealer always has the edge because the players go first. This means that when a player busts they lose immediately even if the dealer goes on to bust later in the game 2. The way to win is to get a better hand than the dealer. The object is to beat the dealer’s hand and, ideally, as close to 21 as possible. 3. There are two ways to win. You can hold a higher hand than the dealer OR you can stand when you believe it is likely for the dealer to bust
Dealer’s Face-up Card
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Ace
Chance of Busting
35% 37% 40% 42% 42% 26% 24% 23% 23% 17%
Notice that the dealer has a higher chance of busting when his face-up card is 6 or less than if it is 7 or more.
Example of a Soft Hand
4. The dealer must follow the house rules. If he has a winning hand of 16, he must draw another card
Soft hands also dictate a certain type of behaviour as an Ace that has a
value of 11 that can be changed to 1. The basic strategy with a soft hand is to double down when the dealer has a high probability of busting. Soft Total 19, 20, 21 18 17 15, 16 13, 14
Dealer Showing All 3, 4, 5 or 6 9, 10 or Ace 2, 7 or 8 3, 4, 5 or 6 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace 4, 5 or 6 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace 5 or 6 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace
Action Stand Double Down Hit Stand Double Down Hit Double Down Hit Double Down Hit
Sometimes, you will draw a card that will convert your hand to a hard hand. Hard hands are hands that don’t have an Ace in them or an Ace valued at 1. Players Total 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 9 or less
Dealer Showing All 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace All
Action Stand Stand Hit Hit
As discussed above, doubling down allows you to increase your wager, this is a good move when your chances of winning are high (no doubt). Again, there are different strategies for soft and hard…
Soft Hands - when to double down: Player’s Hand (Ace & 6) or (Ace & 7) (Ace & 2) or (Ace & 3) (Ace & 4) or (Ace & 5)
Dealer Showing 3, 4, 5 or 6 5 or 6 4, 5 or 6
Hard Hands - when to double down: Player’s Hand 9 10 11
Dealer Showing 3, 4, 5 or 6 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10
Example of a Hard Hand
Never split a pair of 5s or 10s. Two 10s gives you a 20 and two 5s a 10. When holding a 10, you shouldn’t split because the card you are most likely to draw in Blackjack is a 10 (think about it, there are four different cards with the value of 10), thus resulting in a 20. Armed, or handed one should say, with a 20, the probability of you winning is very high. By the same token (that you are likely to draw a 10 – or higher), always split Aces and 8s (and never split 4s). This way you’ll end up with 18 and 21. Both of these are very difficult for the dealer to beat. Other splitting decisions depend on what the dealer is showing.
Player Pair 2, 3 or 7 4 6 9
Dearler Showing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 5 or 6 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 9
Surrendering is only recommended when you have a hard 16 and the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace. OR when you have a hard 15 and the dealer is showing a 10.
Insurance is generally not recommended.
In the gambling world, insurance is often referred to as a ‘sucker bet’. A bet that is full of promise to the uninformed (generally new players), but in reality holds nothing but loss or no gain. Neither of which are particularly promising for a player who is out to win. Unless you’re a card counter (see below), it is pretty difficult to tell when insurance will work to your advantage. So unless your skills are very fine-tuned, fight the pressure – don’t insure. Once you have mastered the above simple strategies, there are further more advanced strategies you can add to your playing repertoire.
Money Management This is a technique you should employ as early in your gambling career as possible. But often, when a player makes the shift from a hobbyist to a professional, money management becomes more vital. A professional plays with his livelihood. To manage your money successfully as a player, you must know how much money you are willing to lose and how much money you are satisfied winning, before you sit down at the table. You then divide the amount you are willing to lose into units and bet that amount (an easy way is to bet 1% of the total amount you are willing to lose). When you have won or lost your predetermined limit – quit for the day. This may be the easiest of the advanced strategies to understand and, in actual fact,
it should be applied to any every gambler. But, although it is the easiest strategy to understand, it is the hardest to follow… Picture yourself, feeling like a real suckie, your losses have reached your limit. It’s time to quit. But, you play one more hand. Blackjack. You get a glimmer of hope. A glint in your eye. Will you keep on playing? Be honest… That’s why money management is so hard. It’s not just a matter of putting rules and regulations in place, it’s about following them and, often, going against your impulse.
Blackjack Betting Systems Blackjack betting systems enable you to use betting as a strategy. There are a number of different kinds of systems. The best available system would be to vary your bet according to card count, to do this you would have to be proficient at card counting (see below). Other systems include:
The Paroli Betting System The Paroli Betting system is a positive progression system. You start with one unit. If you win that bet, you increase your next bet. If you lose, you decrease your bet. If you are going to use this system, you should begin with an overall betting plan. How far are you willing to increase your bets before you start the system all over again? This will depend on what type of game you are playing and what the odds you are getting at the game. The advantage of the Paroli system is that it does not require a large bankroll.
The Parlay Betting System Also known as the ‘Let it Ride’ system, the Parlay Betting system is a positive progression betting strategy similar to the Paroli system. As one of the oldest forms of wagering, the Parlay system is based on compound interest. Commonly found in horse race betting, but also found in Blackjack, the Parlay Betting system is based on pyramiding your profit. To use this system, you simply start by making a bet of any size. If you win this initial bet, you use the original bet and profit (or some of it) to place your next bet. Should you lose a bet, you return to your original bet.
1-3-2-6 Blackjack Betting System The name of this system explains it all. The system is based on a betting pattern of 1 unit, 3 units, 2 units and 6 units. This system is based on the Paroli system and on the principle that you can win four times in a row. This is a positive progression system: you increase the betting amount when you win.
An example of the 1-3-2-6 Blackjack Betting System: Let’s assume the first bet is $5 and all bets are won at 1:1. After winning this bet, $5 is added to the $10 on the table which makes the second bet $15. Assuming you also win this bet there will be a total of $30 to play with. You take back $20, leaving the third bet at $10. Should you win the third bet, you will have $20 left on the table. Add $10, making a total of $30 for the fourth bet. If the fourth bet wins, there will be a total of $60 left on the table, which is all your net profit. The betting cycle has been completed so you loop back and start all over again. If you lose a bet at any point before the betting cycle is completed, you start back over with the original $5 bet. With this system you are risking a small amount to win a much larger amount, if you complete the betting cycle.
The Martingale Betting System This is a system that goes by negative progression. It is one of the simplest and oldest betting systems, it is also more commonly known than other systems. The betting system is usually applied to even-money-type bets. You will start by betting one unit, and when you win, you will return to betting one unit. However, should you lose, you will double your bet until you win a hand. Once you have won a bet, you will return to betting one unit. This system guarantees a profit of one unit when you win a bet. This system will always turn a small profit unless you lose an infinite number of times.
The Labouchère Betting System Also known as ‘Cancellation’, ‘Crossout’, ‘Labby’ and ‘Split Martingale’, the Labouchère has been around for a very long time. It is a negative progression system. The user of such a strategy decides, before playing, how much money they want they want to win and writes down a list of positive numbers that add up to that amount. The list does not have to be sequential. It can be short or long. To determine your bet, you add the first and last numbers and place a bet equal to the total of the numbers. If you win the bet, cross out the first and last numbers in the series and move along to the new first and last numbers. If the bet is unsuccessful, the amount lost is added to the end of the list and so it becomes the new number at the end of the list. The process continues until the list is completely crossed out, at which point the desired amount of money has been won, or until the player has run out of money to wager. The theory behind this strategy is that since you are crossing out two numbers for every win and adding a number for every loss, is that you always turn a profit when you finally finish cycling through your entire betting series by winning all bets (even winning
the ones you lost back). Once the cycle is finished, you can start again. BUT, you will (without doubt) have the best advantage if you learn how to card count and bet accordingly.
Card Counting The basic principle behind card counting is that high cards, particularly Aces and 10s, are better for the player while it is desired that the dealer be dealt lower-valued cards, namely 4s, 5s and 6s. A high concentration of Aces and 10-valued cards increase the chances of a Blackjack and 10s improve the value of doubling. A high number of ten or ten-value cards also makes the insurance bet more profitable. Low cards are good for the dealer: he must hit stiff hands (hard hands totalling 12 through 16), unlike the player who can hit or stand according to strategy… Tens will bust all stiff hands and increase the chances of the dealer losing. It is a myth that a player requires above-average mental skill to count cards. Counters simply assign a point score to each card that estimates the value of the card while they track only the sum of these values, they do not track and memorize specific cards.
Systems Basic card counting assigns a positive, negative or zero value to each card value. When a card of a certain value is dealt, the count is adjusted by that card’s counting value. Low cards increase the count as they increase the percentage of high cards remaining in the shoe, whereas high cards decrease the count for the opposite reason. The point values assigned to cards aim to correlate to each card’s Effect of Removal (EOR), which refers to the actual effect the removal of one card has on the house advantage. This then allows the player to gauge the effect of removal for all cards dealt and assess the altered house advantage of the game based on the new composition of cards. The High-Low system is a level-one (or single-level) count, because the count never increases or decreases by more than one predetermined unit. The Zen Count or Wong Halves, on the other hand, are multilevel counts and make more fine distinctions between card values. Rather than all cards having a value of +1, 0, or -1, an advanced count might include card ranks that are counted as +2 and -2. In addition, advanced players might hold a side count of certain cards, such as Aces, to deal with situations where the best count for betting accuracy differs from the best count for playing accuracy. Higher-level counts have one disadvantage: they can take away the player’s ability to act quickly and accurately. More hands played per
What would you do?
Scenario #1 Dealer hand: 5 total Player hand: 4 + 5 (9 total) What to do? The best thing is to double down. You double your bet and agree to take only more hit. The logic here is that you have a good chance of landing a 10-value card on your next hit, which would bring your total to 19 – a very competitive hand.
Scenario #2 Dealer hand: 5 total Player hand: Queen + 4 (14 total) What to do? Logic says you should stand. You might be tempted to hit, given that 14 is a middle-ofthe-road figure. But there’s a fairly high chance, here, that the dealer will bust. Given that the dealer must keep hitting until 17, he’ll need to take at least two more cards before he’s allowed to stand. There’s a good chance, then, that he’ll bust.
hour, played with a simple count, can often turn a greater profit. Below are some of the more popular ranking systems for card counting. Many others exist.
Running Counts versus True Counts Running count: the running total of each card’s given value.
True count: essentially the running count divided by the number of decks that haven’t been dealt yet; this can be calculated exactly or approximated with an average card count per round the number of rounds dealt. However, many variations of the True count calculation exist.
Card Strategy
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10, J, Q, K A
Hi-Lo
+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 0
0
0
-1
-1
Hi-Opt I
0
0
0
-1
0
Hi-Opt II
+1 +1 +2 +2 +1 +1 0
0
-2
0
KO (‘All Sevens’) +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 0
0
-1
-1
Omega II
+1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +1 0
-1
-2
0
Zen Count
+1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +1 0
0
-2
-1
+1 +1 +1 +1 0
The Design of Card Counting Systems The primary goal of a card counting system is to allocate point values that correlate directly with the card’s EOR (referred to above). The larger the ratio between a given point value, the better the player’s ability to correlate the actual EOR. However, they do add complexity to the system i.e. they provide the counter with more calculations to keep track of. Therefore, the ideal system is usable and offers the highest average dollar return per period of time when dealt at a fixed rate. All that said, systems aim to achieve balance in three categories: • Betting correlation (BC): When the sum of all the variations of the un dealt cards offer a positive expectation to a player using optimum playing strategy, there is a positive expectation to a player placing a bet. A system’s BC gauges how effective a system is of informing the user of this situation. In other words, when the table is hot i.e. your count is reaching the positive numbers, it is time to bet big because what you put down on the table will likely generate profit. If you are counting with a good system, you should be walking away with money in your pocket every time you bet in the positives. • Playing efficiency (PE): Part of the player’s profit comes from altering playing strategy based on the known changed composition of the cards. Because of this, a system’s PE estimates how effectively it informs the player to modify strategy according to the actual composition of undealt cards. The PE can have a great effect on total gain.
This means that if the system which the counter is using is sufficiently accurate, the running count will give an indication of what cards have been dealt and thus what cards remain to be dealt. Consequently, the player will be able to modify strategy according to what cards remain to be dealt i.e. playing a high or a low bet. • Insurance correlation (IC): At high counts, it becomes highly profitable to take an insurance bet. An increase in IC will offer additional value to a card counting system. It should be noted that the observation of the Ace is a very important task in card counting and that the Ace will have an assigned point value and you will see an increase in point value as the Ace is the most valuable card in the deck. It is most common to keep a side count of Aces. Ideally, one would keep a side count of every card and achieve almost 100% PE but this would result in overtasking of the brain. Thus, it is important that a system be easy to use… Even if it is at the cost of the categories mentioned above.
What can a card counter expect to walk away with? A player with perfect basic strategy can expect to be met with a house advantage of less than 0.5%. Should you count cards, and should you range your bets aptly, in a game with six decks you will have approximately a 1% advantage over the casino. But, if you think your chances are good then, you can have an advantage of up to 2.5% when counting six-deck Spanish 21. This will depend on your skill as a counter, hands dealt in an hour, the fraction of the pack that was cut off and how much your bet may vary. Generally, the table will only be hot enough for you to raise your bet 10-35% of the time. Many factors have an effect on the amount you will take home: • The effectiveness of the system you’ve chosen – does it create and detect your advantage? • The rules of the game • Penetration: the fraction of the pack cut off - this will affect the amount of cards you’ve actually seen i.e. the amount of cards you’ve counted. • The number of players seated at a table: the more players at any given time, the fewer hands will be played in a given time frame • The speed of the game itself: a game with side bets will take longer than a game without and thus, the number of hands dealt over time will be reduced • Shuffle machines increase game speed, if used to start a new game. However, they also confound counters as they have been known to ‘randomly’ shuffle decks to defeat cheating and card-counting. This can seriously affect the odds of taking a fair amount home.
Wonging Also known as back-counting, Wonging gets its name from its namesake, Stanford Wong. Players ‘Wong in’ (enter the game) when it is to their advantage and bet accordingly. Some players ‘Wong out’ (exit the game) when it is no longer to their advantage, others when the deck is shuffled. Wonging is usually done on shoe games of 4, 6, or 8 decks. Back-counting provides a certain advantage over card counting in that the ‘Wonger’ does not play every hand he sees; he can play far more strategically than the card counter. On the other hand, players are generally not very accepting of a player sitting down mid-game (they become quite irritated) and a player who hops in and out of games is also quite likely to get the attention of the casino personnel.
Working, or should we say Wonging, as a Team Standford Wong
Card counting is often used by teams of players to maximize the advantage against the casinos. A team will have spotters who will sit at a table and play, betting the minimum while keeping a count. They are essentially the back-counters. When the table is sufficiently hot, one of the spotters will signal a big player who will then ‘Wong in’ and wager very large amounts (very close to, if not the table maximum) while the count is high. When the count cools off or the shoe is shuffled, the big player will ‘Wong out’ and look for other counters signalling a high count.
The MIT Blackjack Team MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a university that places a great emphasis on scientific and technological education and research. Known for molding some of the greatest analytical minds, MIT has produced visionaries in all of their respective fields – visionaries who tend to see loopholes within ostensibly rigid systems and structures. Visionaries like the MIT Blackjack Team. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
In 1979 a course was introduced into the MIT syllabus entitled ‘How to gamble if you must’. The course aimed to teach students how to play Blackjack based on the principles of card counting. A number of students decided they would put their new-found skills to the test. This group travelled to Atlantic City and although they used their card counting techniques, they failed miserably. On graduation, the group parted and only two members maintained an interest in the game. Then, in 1980, J.P. Massar and another member of the original team created their own course on card counting in the hopes of recruiting members for a new team. Flyers were handed out across campus and so candidates were recruited. Students had to undergo rigorous
testing to see if they were suitable: only those with the best emotional and intellectual resources would make it on the team. The initial team had limited success and broke up due to inconsistent results. But, the team was changed forever when, in 1980, Massar met Bill Kaplan. A new team was formed and within 10 weeks the team managed to more than double the initial investment of $89 000. Players and investors split the profits. Players were paid in proportion to their playing hours and win rates. By 1984, Kaplan had come to be too much of a business risk to any casino and, had he shown his face, he would quickly be followed, searched and asked to leave. Nonetheless, the team played throughout the 1980s with roughly 35 players using capital amounts of up to $350 000. The 1990s brought on a new partnership: Strategic Investments, headed up by Massar, John Chang and Kaplan. In 1992 the aforementioned decided to capitalize on the opening of the Foxwood Casino in Conneticut. Strategic Investments would bankroll a team of 80 players, with up to 30 players gambling simultaneously at different casinos around the world. The teams generated great profits. But, the casinos were becoming more savvy and players were being quickly identified and subsequently banned. In response, Strategic Investments simply recruited new members. Those who’d been banned stayed in the shadows to coach and train recruits. Eventually, the casinos clicked. Most of the new faces were MIT students. As a pre-emptive measure, casinos routinely upload images of all MIT students to their facial recognition database… But, this is not where casinos stop at bringing an end to card counting.
Bringing the House Down on Card Counting Casinos have and do go to great effort to disrupt, prevent or ban counters from counting in their casinos. Here are some of the countermeasures you can expect to find yourself up against if you decide to take up card counting: • Harassment whilst playing by casino staff. May be as simple as engaging a suspected card counter in a conversation whilst playing • Decreasing the amount of cards dealt before a shuffle (penetration). This reduces the counter’s ability to take advantage of a high count that has developed • ‘Blacklisting’ counters with facial recognition systems • Computerized scanners that can identify card counting systems when in use like the scanner, MindPlay.
Bill Kaplan
Tables using MindPlay use marked chips and cards. Using MindPlay, the casinos will know exactly how much you have played, your average bet and skill level. By marking every card, the casino can determine when the shoe is turning in your favour, and can use this information to reshuffle. The easiest way to spot a MindPlay table is because of the recessed ‘well’ to the dealer’s right. The dealer inserts the cards into this ‘well’ before they are dealt so that MindPlay can know the exact order of the cards before they are dealt. If you come across a table like this – Don’t Play. Fortunately, however, MindPlay was discontinued in 2007 so it shouldn’t be too difficult to avoid. • Heuristic systems that keep a count and track players’ bets looking for patterns that match the count. • Computer systems used by surveillance staff to target suspected players (and quantify them as a threat to the house). • Shuffling when a playing increases their bet. • Changing the table’s rules and stakes. • Flat betting a player or making it so they cannot change the amount they bet during a shoe. Card counters are detected by many trends that are common amongst counters but not amongst other players. These include large buy ins and bet sizes, great bet variation especially with larger bets being placed towards the end of the shoe, refusal to play rated, table hopping and playing multiple hands. Although serious countermeasures may be put in place in the hope that you don’t succeed that you don’t succeed as a counter, if you do, odds are in your favour. Look at the MIT team. You could go home singing! And maybe you too could go down in the Blackjack Hall of Fame…
Blackjack’s Greats Roger Baldwin Baldwin became interested in Blackjack during his time in the army. His master’s degree (from Columbia University), his love for mathematics and his fascination with Blackjack led him to be the first to apply mathematical theory to the game of Blackjack in his paper ‘The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack’ published in 1956 in the Journal of the American Statistical Association. It was essentially the first exploration of Blackjack of the players having the best chance of beating the dealer.
Soon Baldwin and his friends, with whom he wrote the article, expanded their findings into a book, ‘Playing Blackjack to Win’ (1957). Although, Baldwin’s research was ground-breaking, it was largely inaccessible to the public because of its complexity. The public needed a simpler system.
Edward O. Thorp, the Man with the Simple Solution Edward Thorp, physicist and mathematician, is known to be the father of card counting. His great contribution to Blackjack is, in actual fact, a result of Thorp’s practical application of his passions (physics and mathematics). Thorp has a master’s degree in physics and a doctorate in mathematics and has worked at some of the leading universities in the US. Thorp, being a true scientist, could not accept his premise without devising an experiment to prove his results. So, along with his friend, Claude Shannon, he spent a weekend in Las Vegas… Edward O. Thorp Manny Kimmel, an illegal bookie with connections to the mob, contributed $10 000 in starting capital and Thorp and Shannon hit the tables in Vegas. Thorp’s theory was so accurate and successful that he won $11 000 in just one weekend. Unfortunately for Thorp, his winning streak caught the attention of casino security and he was repeatedly kicked out of a variety of casinos for winning too much. Eventually, Thorp had to begin entering casinos in disguise because pit bosses were so aware of him. Thorp published the book Beat the Dealer in 1972 with his findings and it soon became a Blackjack Bible for anyone seeking to gain an advantage over the house. It goes without saying that the casinos didn’t like the idea of the player being able to gain an advantage over the house. Some casinos even tried, without success, to change the game’s rules to prevent card counting. So what were the casino’s options? One option was to administer a harsh beating that was accompanied with a stern warning never to return. But, this would be a losing battle. Judging by the popularity of Thorp’s book, hundreds of thousands of blackjack players would have a better chance of winning; that’s a lot of beatings! So casinos came up with a solution: continually reshuffling a table’s card’s at random points during an evening’s play. This worked. However, it left players impatient and bored. They started leaving tables – that meant the casinos were losing money. Finally dealers came up with a solution: teaching their own dealers to count cards using the Thorp method. This enabled dealers and pit bosses to quickly identify card counters by examining their betting habits, and their expressions (card counting requires a lot of concentration for most people).
Beat The Dealer
The Dynamic Duo: Ken Uston and Keith Taft Ken Uston was a mathematical genius: equipped with a very high IQ he even went to Yale University at the age of 16 and received his MBA from Harvard. Uston was renowned for using team play to beat the house’s odds. During the 1970s, Uston began taking casinos’ money left, right and centre and came to be known as their worst nightmare. Like Thorp before him, Uston ultimately had to use disguise to get to the tables. Uston took the casinos to court. He claimed he couldn’t be banned for counting cards. It wasn’t cheating. The New Jersey Court agreed. And Uston won. But, as if Uston could anger the casinos more… He formed an alliance with Keith Taft.
Ken Uston
Keith Taft
Taft, an electronics engineer, had, together with his son, built a computer that computer that could beat the house at Blackjack. The computer (named George) was to be worn around the belt of the player. Based on a number of morse-code-like signals, George would advise the player on what kind of wager to make. Although George was somewhat cumbersome, when Intel released the 8-bit microcomputer in 1976, this allowed Taft to produce David – a more efficient computer which produced much better results. In fact, Taft and Uston went on to win $100 000 in a five week Blackjack spree. The casinos were furious and accused Taft and Uston’s team of cheating. However, after a thorough investigation, it was determined by the FBI that their devices could not be considered cheating mechanics and all charges were dropped.
The Ever-Relentless Casinos The casinos did not give up, using their extensive financial and social leverage the major casinos moved to change the law against the use of mechanical Blackjack aids. They succeeded. The Nevada Senate Bill 467, signed into law stated, ‘It is unlawful for any person at a licensed gaming establishment to use, or possess with the intent to use, any device to assist in projecting the outcome of the game.’ If you are to contravene this law, the penalties are stiff: first time offenders can expect a prison term of up to 10 years and/or a $10 000 fine; second time offenders will be incarcerated. Nevertheless, Taft features in the Blackjack Hall of Fame 2004 for his contribution to the game. You can find many of his devices on display at the Blackjack Museum at the Barona Casino in California. Despite their illegality, you will find some modern-day machinations. In 2009, an iPhone application made card counting available for mass consumption. But, remember the ramifications and think twice, perhaps three times before you pull your phone out your pocket…
Stanford Wong – the Relentless Player Also known as John Ferguson, Stanford Wong is best known for publishing the book Professional Blackjack in 1975. Wong tells the tale of having read Thorp’s Beat the Dealer in 1963 and by the tender age of 14 he was already working out his own Blackjack strategies and then double checking if his own strategies matched Thorp’s (before having even seen them). Wong later even found a way to beat the Continuous Shuffling Machines (or CSM’s). Many of Wong’s strategies are still very active today (see ‘Wonging’ above). Like some of his predecessors, Wong has made it into the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
Renowned Canadian Players Monica Reeves Monica Reeves, from Oakville, Ontario, is a former model-turned-gambler who began her career in 2005 under the tutelage of expert poker player Jim Worth. After 9 months, she began playing professionally. She went on to win the fourth preliminary tournament in the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, as well as finishing second in the ladies event. Reeves is one of the endorsed pros on the Ultimate Blackjack Tour. Monica’s total live winnings from live tournaments in 2008 were roughly $40 000.
Monica Reeves
The Wiz Brian Zembic (a.k.a. ‘the Wiz’), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba is known as a magician and high-stakes gambler specializing in backgammon and blackjack. While the Wiz really does have remarkable and daring skills in these professional games, he is better known as a man who is willing to take on any bet, at any odds.
The $100 000 Breasts In 1996 Zembic was playing a high-stakes game of Backgammon with a friend when they entered into a conversation about the lengths some women will go to attract men. The discussion then turned to breast implants and whether or not it was a ridiculous step to take. Zembic’s friend said it was and Zembic said it was not, and so the foundation was laid for a great wager. Months later Zembic’s friend advised him poorly in the stock exchange and so he told him it was time honour his bet. The conditions were that he had to get at least size 38C implants and pay for the surgery himself and
Brian Zembic (a.k.a. ‘the Wiz’)
after a year of keeping them in, he could remove them and his friend would pay him $100 000. Although Zembic could not afford the surgery, he went on to win a few games of Backgammon with a plastic surgeon friend of his and his surgery was paid for. A year later he had 100 000 dollars in his pocket. In 1999 his tale was the title feature in a book of short stories called The man with the $100,000 breasts and other gambling stories and his breasts have brought him a great many public appearances. One of the most bizarre things though is that when it came time to remove the implants, Zembic decided to keep them in, saying that the only person who could convince him to get rid of them is his daughter, Mika. Over a decade later, Zembic is yet to remove the implants. Today Zembic can be found playing in the online casino environment and doing regular performances as a magician.
What it takes to be a Professional Blackjack Player A professional Blackjack player doesn’t need to be a mathematical genius or play on a fancy team to be able to consistently win at the game. The only characteristics required for success are discipline, drive and success AND an average aptitude. Kevin Blackwood, a professional gambler, insists that although he has a very good memory, his card counting skills are not because of a photographic memory but, rather, his tenacity. If you are seriously considering gambling as a career path, it is important you look to your predecessors like Uston and Wong and Thorp. And, before even setting foot in a casino, try card counting at home. In fact, perfect it. And, when you’re ready get off the chesterfield and hit the tables! When you’re on the circuit you will need perseverance, drive and patience to stay there. Especially to stay away from the casino surveillance. You have to constantly move around and not regularly frequent the central hubs of gambling: if you get banned, you can’t come back. Start off your career humbly; bet what you can afford to lose and only start taking greater risks once your bankroll gets bigger, then bet relative to your bankroll. A professional blackjack player never wins all of the time. If you are a proficient card counter, you should expect to win two-thirds of the time (says Blackwood). Skills and assets required for a professional Blackjack player: • Flexible, adaptable and resilient • A passion to master the mathematics involved in the game • A good memory and keen observation
• The ability to card count is a serious help • Nerves of steel: a professional must be able to make big decisions in high-stake games under pressure • A bankroll that will support you in high-stake games • A professional must be a good listener – this is advantageous in that it allows relationships to be formed with other players and casino staff • Charm • Highly observant and alert • Slow to anger • Self-confident Now if you think you fit the profile, get practicing. In fact, try a hand at Maple Casino and see what you’ve got. If you’ve got all of the above, you’ll do a beauty of a job. If you’re still not sure of where your skills may best be put to use, consider the following…
Online vs. Land-Based Casinos Both online and land-based casinos have their advantages and while they do share some similarities, they are, in fact, very different entities. While online casinos can never replicate the atmosphere of a land-based casino, they do not go to such great lengths to negatively affect the player’s chances of winning. And this is where the land-based casino falls short.
Comps
Excalibur Las Vegas Casino
With so many online casinos competing to get, and maintain, your business, many online casinos offer no-deposit-required comps, percentage bonuses, match bonuses and existing player bonuses. Although, there’s usually a catch - for example, bonuses must be played several times over. But, if you pay attention to how you play, you can make that money go a long way. One online writer describes how he used his $100 bankroll (which included his bonus of $50) to walk away with $2 800. In a hotel casino you have to spend hundreds of dollars to even be considered for a comp. When playing Blackjack at a major Vegas casino, you must bet $75 a hand consistently to even be considered for the smallest give away. Land-based casinos do, however, like to give one thing away: free drinks. But, before you gratuitously accept, maybe give some thought as to why alcohol is referred to as a ‘chip remover’ by some experts. The average Canadian doesn’t drink on the job, the average person doesn’t drink on the job. Why should you?
Variety In reality there are only a handful of casinos in Canada, where online the world is your oyster with over 1 000 online casinos just a click away. More choice means more control over where you play.
Lots of free drinks
It should also be noted that because, in the online market, there are so many competitors they all go to great lengths to vie for your attention (see comps above).
Strategy There is no place for a hurried decision when playing online. You will not feel the discerning looks of the dealer and the other players when playing. If you are unsure whether to hit on a 15 and the dealer is showing a 7, you can take your time… You can even refer to a source; a program or one of the volumes of data that have been produced about situational moves. Thus, it could be said that the more time you have, the more money you can make. When playing online, you can be secure in your play, knowing you’ve put some thought into it, without having played as a result of impulse or peer pressure.
Real Money
Versus
Money loses its value when it is in the form of a plastic chip. Your sense of money management is hindered when your money is represented by a colour-coded piece of plastic (and your case isn’t helped when you’ve been consuming alcohol all night). Online gambling has a solution to this. When you play online, the software clearly shows how much you are wagering and how much you have left in real dollars. This results in you paying closer attention to the rate at which you are either losing or making money and thus, making more educated decisions.
Environment Brick-and-mortar casinos may have their glitz and glamour as their claim to fame; their atmosphere. There is something to be said for the roaring crowds, the shows and the waitresses, but as they all subside, you should ask yourself: is there really any better place from which to place your bets than your favourite chair? At a land-based casino, it is generally frowned upon to snack on a bag of Doritos while mulling over whether you are going to hit or stand. And you can no longer light up anywhere, nor do you want enter a cancer cage just to play a game if you are a non-smoker. And when was the last time you noticed a clock in a casino? Casino operators don’t want people to take notice of the time, the more consumed they get, the higher their chances
of losing money (and handing it over to the house). Although these are not make-or-break differences, they do make a difference as comfort does influence your chances of producing positive results. And rather tend to the tiniest details to improve your odds than not at all.
Cost Going to a land-based casino costs money. Travelling costs. Often you have to stay in a hotel. Food. Tips. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky if your winnings cover your expenses. And as much as those free drinks seem like such a great perk, they are not looking so perky anymore. At home, you only have to concern yourself with what you win, or what you lose.
Pressure Online games enable you to stay away from advice or jeers from peers at the table. This is why most experts will tell you to stay away from multichat games online.
Ease of Access You can spend hours waiting for a seat to open up at a Blackjack table at a land-based casino. But, this is not the only problem you will have at a land-based casino: online operators have created games and machines that offer better odds than those found at a land-based casino.
The Verdict? While land-based casinos cater to a niche market (people seeking an experience), if you want to increase your odds of winning, if you want to decrease the number of distractions in your environment, if you want to give yourself more time to make a decision, online gambling is for you. And, if you have appreciated and understood this guideâ&#x20AC;Ś Blackjack is your game.
Recommended Resources Edward Thorp, Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty One, ISBN: 978- 0394703107
Frank Scoblete, Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution, ISBN: 978- 0912177168
Stanford Wong, Basic Blackjack ISBN: 978-0935926194
Olaf Vancura, Knock-Out Blackjack: The Easiest Card-Counting System Ever Devised, ISBN: 978-0929712314
Don Schlesinger, Blackjack Attack: Playing the Proâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Way, ISBN: 978- 0910575201
Arnold Snyder, Blackbelt in Blackjack: Playing 21 as a Martial Art, I