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 Blackjack, eh?
Admit it. Casinos exist only because in every game there is a house
advantage. Otherwise casinos couldnt operate. They wouldnt 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 houses 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 Great card counters began to gain such an advantage over the house that
professional blackjack casinos had to begin to employ methods to counter their losses. Sometimes
player, used his card- it was as obvious as approaching suspected counters and engaging in chit-
counting techniques chat with them (to distract them from the task at hand). Casinos also offer
to win at blackjack. He suspected counters free drinks, in the hopes that the alcohol will impair
was so effective that their concentration. Its a brutal world out there. But, its also a lucrative
he ended up being world
barred from several
casinos. 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, lets first learn the rules of the game.

Casino Basics
Choosing a Table

It is very important to choose

The ever-prevalent a table that suits your betting
Eye in the sky and playing styles. The most
security cameras. important thing to pay attention
to is the sign that indicates
maximum and minimum bets.
In most casinos, youll 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 youve done this, it is time to find out what kind of game
you want to be dealt. Now, if youre a beginner youre 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 casinos 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). Dont try to Canadian Mountie
hand your money to the dealer. For security reasons he cannot accept it.
And dont 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 youre 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 cant be confused for a bet). The dealer
 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 18th-
century 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.

Vingt-et-un differs from Blackjack: it was not necessary to hit a natural for
17th Century French the best to win. The object of the game was to beat the dealers score and
Folk stay in the game. It should be noted that there wasnt 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
dealers 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 dont worry about feeling like a suck if
the dealer or if any of the other players see your cards. In fact, when youre
learning to play, dont hesitate to show your cards to the dealer and other
players and ask questions. Just dont forget to tip the dealer especially if
youre winning and if hes 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.

Cards from 2 through 9 are all valued at their face

to value.
The suits do not have any value in Blackjack. A hands 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 doesnt 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 wont 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 dealers 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 Dealers 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 houses advantage.

The dealer is bound by very specific rules and regulations. He cannot split
pairs, double down or surrender. He cant take insurance. He cant act
on intuition or emotion or suspicion or instinct. If both the dealer and
the player have the same total, its called a push and no money changes
hands. Its 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 youre
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 youre 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. Youll 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 youve 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 Always Split Aces
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.
 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 youre holding out at a
price, you could win at 2:1 odds if you didnt 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, skills 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 dealers 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

Dealers 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.

4. The dealer must follow the house rules. If he has a winning hand of 16,
he must draw another card
Example of a
Soft Hand 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 Dealer Showing Action

19, 20, 21 All Stand
3, 4, 5 or 6 Double Down
18 9, 10 or Ace Hit
2, 7 or 8 Stand
17 3, 4, 5 or 6 Double Down
2, 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace Hit
15, 16 4, 5 or 6 Double Down
2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace Hit
13, 14 5 or 6 Double Down
2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace Hit

Sometimes, you will draw a card that will convert your hand to a hard hand.
Hard hands are hands that dont have an Ace in them or an Ace valued at 1.

Players Total Dealer Showing Action

17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 All Stand
12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 Stand
7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace Hit Example of a
9 or less All Hit Hard Hand

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:

Players Hand Dealer Showing

(Ace & 6) or (Ace & 7) 3, 4, 5 or 6
(Ace & 2) or (Ace & 3) 5 or 6
(Ace & 4) or (Ace & 5) 4, 5 or 6

Hard Hands - when to double down:

Players Hand Dealer Showing

9 3, 4, 5 or 6
10 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9
11 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10
Never split a pair of 5s or 10s. Two 10s gives you a 20 and two 5s a 10.
When holding a 10, you shouldnt 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 youll 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 Dearler Showing

2, 3 or 7 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7
4 5 or 6
6 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6
9 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 youre 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 dont 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. Its 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 Thats why money
management is so hard. Its not just a matter of putting rules and regulations
in place, its 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:

Lets 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 Labouchre Betting System

Also known as Cancellation, Crossout, Labby and Split Martingale,

the Labouchre 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
What would you do?
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 Scenario #1
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 Dealer hand: 5 total
improve the value of doubling. A high number of ten or ten-value cards Player hand: 4 + 5 (9
also makes the insurance bet more profitable. Low cards are good for the total)
dealer: he must hit stiff hands (hard hands totalling 12 through 16), unlike
What to do?
the player who can hit or stand according to strategy Tens will bust all
The best thing is to
stiff hands and increase the chances of the dealer losing. double down. You
double your bet and
It is a myth that a player requires above-average mental skill to count cards. agree to take only more
Counters simply assign a point score to each card that estimates the value hit. The logic here is
of the card while they track only the sum of these values, they do not track that you have a good
and memorize specific cards. chance of landing a
10-value card on your
next hit, which would
bring your total to 19
Systems a very competitive
hand.
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 Scenario #2
that cards counting value. Low cards increase the count as they increase
the percentage of high cards remaining in the shoe, whereas high cards Dealer hand: 5 total
decrease the count for the opposite reason. Player hand: Queen +
4 (14 total)
The point values assigned to cards aim to correlate to each cards Effect of
Removal (EOR), which refers to the actual effect the removal of one card What to do?
Logic says you should
has on the house advantage. This then allows the player to gauge the
stand. You might be
effect of removal for all cards dealt and assess the altered house advantage
tempted to hit, given
of the game based on the new composition of cards. that 14 is a middle-of-
the-road figure. But
The High-Low system is a level-one (or single-level) count, because the theres a fairly high
count never increases or decreases by more than one predetermined unit. chance, here, that the
The Zen Count or Wong Halves, on the other hand, are multilevel counts dealer will bust. Given
and make more fine distinctions between card values. Rather than all cards that the dealer must
having a value of +1, 0, or -1, an advanced count might include card ranks keep hitting until 17,
hell need to take at
that are counted as +2 and -2. In addition, advanced players might hold
least two more cards
a side count of certain cards, such as Aces, to deal with situations where
before hes allowed to
the best count for betting accuracy differs from the best count for playing stand. Theres a good
accuracy. Higher-level counts have one disadvantage: they can take away chance, then, that hell
the players ability to act quickly and accurately. More hands played per 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.

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 +1 +1 +1 +1 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

Running Counts The Design of Card Counting Systems

versus
True Counts The primary goal of a card counting system is to allocate point values that
correlate directly with the cards EOR (referred to above). The larger the
Running count: ratio between a given point value, the better the players ability to correlate
the running total of the actual EOR. However, they do add complexity to the system i.e. they
each cards given provide the counter with more calculations to keep track of. Therefore,
value. 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
True count: achieve balance in three categories:
essentially the
running count Betting correlation (BC): When the sum of all the variations of the un
divided by the dealt cards offer a positive expectation to a player using optimum
number of decks playing strategy, there is a positive expectation to a player placing a
that havent been bet. A systems BC gauges how effective a system is of informing the
dealt yet; this can be user of this situation.
calculated exactly
or approximated In other words, when the table is hot i.e. your count is reaching the positive
with an average card numbers, it is time to bet big because what you put down on the table
count per round the will likely generate profit. If you are counting with a good system, you
number of rounds should be walking away with money in your pocket every time you bet in
dealt. However, the positives.
many variations
of the True count Playing efficiency (PE): Part of the players profit comes from altering
calculation exist. playing strategy based on the known changed composition of the cards.
Because of this, a systems 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 youve 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 youve actually seen i.e. the amount of cards youve 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

Card counting is often used by teams of players to maximize the advantage

Standford Wong 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.

In 1979 a course was introduced into the MIT syllabus entitled How to
Massachusetts gamble if you must. The course aimed to teach students how to play
Institute of
Blackjack based on the principles of card counting. A number of students
Technology (MIT)
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.
Bill Kaplan
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
whod 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 counters 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.
 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 dealers 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 Dont Play.

Fortunately, however, MindPlay was discontinued in 2007 so it

shouldnt 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 tables 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 dont succeed that you dont 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

Blackjacks Greats
Roger Baldwin

Baldwin became interested in Blackjack during his time in the army. His
masters 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,
Baldwins 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 Thorps practical application of his passions (physics and mathematics).
Thorp has a masters 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.
Thorps 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 didnt like the
idea of the player being able to gain an advantage over the house. Some
casinos even tried, without success, to change the games rules to prevent
card counting.

So what were the casinos 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 Thorps book,
hundreds of thousands of blackjack players would have a better chance
of winning; thats a lot of beatings! So casinos came up with a solution:
continually reshuffling a tables cards at random points during an evenings
Beat The Dealer
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).
 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 houses 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 couldnt be banned for

counting cards. It wasnt 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.

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
Ken Uston
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 Ustons 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.

Keith Taft 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 Thorps 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 Thorps (before having even seen
them). Wong later even found a way to beat the Continuous Shuffling
Machines (or CSMs). Many of Wongs 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. Monicas
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 Brian Zembic (a.k.a.
the Wiz)
women will go to attract men. The discussion then turned to breast
implants and whether or not it was a ridiculous step to take. Zembics
friend said it was and Zembic said it was not, and so the foundation was
laid for a great wager.

Months later Zembics 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
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 doesnt 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 youre ready get off the chesterfield and hit the tables!

When youre 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 cant 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 youve got. If youve got all of the above,
youll do a beauty of a job. If youre 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 players
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, theres
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 Lots of free drinks
some thought as to why alcohol is referred to as a chip remover by some
experts. The average Canadian doesnt drink on the job, the average
person doesnt 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.
 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 youve put
some thought into it, without having played as a result of impulse or peer
pressure.

Real Money

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 isnt helped when youve been
consuming alcohol all night).
Versus
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 dont 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. Youre 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 multi-
chat 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 ex-

perience), 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 guide 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 Pros Way,
ISBN: 978- 0910575201

Arnold Snyder, Blackbelt in Blackjack: Playing

21 as a Martial Art, I