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- The reason that the game of blackjack is subject to mathematical analysis is because it is, inherently, a mathematical game; that is, blackjack has a fixed set of rules. CASINOS’ EDGE In Chapter 1, I showed you how you can reduce the casinos’ edge in blackjack to about 0.2–0.5% (rule dependent) by knowing the correct playing decisions (i.
- Blackjack is a fun game and it certainly has changed since Dr. Thorp published 'Beat the Dealer' in 1961 and gave us tips for optimal play at casino blackjack tables. Yet, like all games, the more you know, the better your experience will be.
- Scout the blackjack tables to find the most liberal playing rules. Play only on tables where a blackjack pays 3-2 (and avoid all games where the payoff is 6 to 5 blackjack, or worse, even money). Other liberal blackjack rules are the dealer stands on soft 17, players can double down on any two cards, and doubling after pair splitting is allowed.
Not too surprisingly, there are secrets that casino bosses would rather that you not know.
Blackjack is a game that reminds me of a crazy ride. It is a game that starts slowly, but gradually picks up speed. As you build up your bankroll, you feel like you are getting to the top of the coaster and then when you are not expecting it, the bottom drops. Revealed blackjack secrets. If you are a gambler, you understand clearly that there are lots of secrets of each gambling game. You will wonder about the true mechanism that controls every play, the best strategies that will turn each attempt into the winning round and the main tips that you have to stick not to lose everything.
Here are them.
“The House Edge on Spanish 21 is the Same as It Is for Blackjack.”
This is another piece of advice I overheard a casino supervisor tell a player, who was contemplating playing Spanish 21. What the supervisor was saying was almost right. Here’s the secret that he forgot to mention. The Spanish 21 playing rules are much different from the traditional blackjack playing rules; therefore, the basic playing strategy is different. If you sit down and play Spanish 21 using the traditional basic blackjack strategy for standard blackjack, you will get hammered. If you want to play Spanish 21, you should learn the basic playing strategy for this particular game. Online casino pioneer 888casino has the most complete guide to blackjack strategy that explains in depth strategies and house edges for different blackjack variations.
“$50,000 First Place Blackjack Tournament Prize.”
That’s what it stated on a postcard I received from a local land-based casino that was hosting a blackjack tournament. However, when you read the fine print, it stated that the $50,000 top prize “will be distributed in $25,000 cash and $25,000 in promotional chips.”
What’s the secret? The promotional chips (also known as “promo chips”) that the casinos give to the winners can’t be cashed out. They must be wagered, usually on any bet that pays even money (e.g., blackjack, pass line in craps, bank or player bet in baccarat, etc.). The vast majority of promo chips can be used only once, meaning that, when you bet it, win or lose, the casino keeps the promotional chip. Therefore, the promo chips have an expected value of roughly half their face value, or, in this case, $12,500. Why do casinos split tournament prizes into half cash and half promo chips? The reason should be obvious … they get to promote their tournaments with large prizes when, in fact, they give away less than the advertised amount in cash.
“I’m Sorry Sir, But You Can’t Play Blackjack.”
The card counter makes a big score in a casino, without any heat. He comes back to the same casino a few months later, and after playing only a few hands, he’s told he can’t play blackjack anymore. What’s going on here?
The secret is that if a casino suspects a player is a card counter, it will replay the tape of his playing session after he leaves to determine his skill level. If the analysis of his play confirms he was card counting, the next time he shows up to play, they nail him. That’s why card counters nowadays have to be very cognizant not only of the floor supervisors who are watching the game, but also of the personnel in the casino’s surveillance department that are taping the game. (There is an interesting book about how to beat casino surveillance by a former casino surveillance supervisor and card counter, Vinny DeCarlo.)
“These Shufflers Don’t Change the Odds.”
That’s what I overheard a pit boss telling a high roller when he inquired about a new automatic shuffler that the casino was using (the dealer was placing the discards after each round into the shuffler, rather than into a discard tray). The shuffler was a continuous shuffling machine (known as a CSM). What the pit boss was saying was almost correct. It’s true that CSMs don’t increase the house edge. (Actually, the house edge decreases slightly with a CSM due to the absence of the “cut card effect” … but that’s a story for another time.) However, what the pit boss didn’t tell the high roller is that the casino can deal about 20% more hands per hour using a CSM compared to a conventional auto shuffler). Unless you are card counting, the casino will have the edge on every hand, and when they deal more hands per hour, your theoretical hourly loss will also increase by 20%. Therefore, CSMs negatively impact all players and should be avoided.
“We Offer Single-Deck Blackjack Games”
You’ll see billboards, marquees, and newsprint advertisements screaming about a casino’s newly implemented single-deck blackjack games. The reason that casinos like to promote single-deck games is that, historically, they offer players better odds than multiple-deck games, and therefore, management hopes that the single-deck games will attract more players. So, what’s the secret? On most single-deck games nowadays, a winning blackjack hand is paid at 6-5 or 7-5 payoff odds rather than the traditional 3-2. A 6-5 payoff increases the house edge in a single-deck game by 1.39%, and a 7-5 payoff increases it by 0.46%. Some casinos are also brazenly paying 6-5 on double- and six-deck games, and even money in so-called “party pits.” (Yikes!) Before you sit down and buy in at any single-deck blackjack game, ask the dealer what a blackjack hand pays, and if she says “6-5,” say thank you and walk away from the table.
“You Can’t Lose When You Take the Even Money.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard blackjack dealers and floor supervisors tell that to players. Even though what they say is correct, here’s the secret they don’t reveal.
When you get a blackjack and the dealer shows an ace, the casino will gladly pay you even money on your wager before the dealer checks her hole card to see if she has a blackjack. But here’s the catch. Over time, you will win roughly 4% more money if you decline the even-money proposition when it’s offered to you. The reason? More often than not, the dealer will not have a blackjack and you will get paid 3-2 for your natural rather than even money. Sure, sometimes she’ll have the ten and you’ll wish you had taken even money. But in the long run, this is a sucker bet that will cost you money and make the casino more money (which is why they go out of their way to offer players even money).
“Double-Deck Game”
You glance at the blackjack table and see a dealer with two decks of cards in her hand, pitching them to players. So, you take a seat at what appears to be a double-deck game. Right? Not always.
In their paranoia over card counters, some casinos implement a fake double-deck game. Here’s how this secret works. The game is actually a six- or eight-deck game. After the cards are shuffled, the dealer picks off two decks and deals the cards with them. What appears to be a double-deck game is actually not a double-deck game. If you see this scam, voice your complaint to the floor supervisor (loudly so other players will here you), and then walk away.
“Single-Player Video Blackjack Game.”
You’ll often find a video blackjack game as one of the options on video poker or slot machines. The betting limits are often much lower than the regular table game, which makes video blackjack games attractive to low-rollers. How can the casino afford to offer the game? If you check the playing rules, you’ll see that that a blackjack often pays 2 for 1. So what’s the big deal, you ask? A 2 for 1 payoff means that, when you win, you get back a total of $2 for every $1 you wager. In other words, a 2 for 1 payoff is the same as a 1 to 1 payoff. Paying only even money on a blackjack boosts the house edge by over 2.3%. Thanks, but no thanks.
Now that you know some of the casino secrets that you are not supposed to know, you’ll be a much smarter casino player!
by Stanford Wong
From Blackjack Secrets
Free Blackjack Secrets
, by Stanford Wong, pages 72 to 76, © 1993 by Pi Yee Press. This material appears with the express permission of the author and Pi Yee Press.Wonging
'Wonging' is a word made up by Atlantic City card counters in the late 1970s. It means hopping from table to table, playing only when you have an advantage. When I wrote Professional Blackjack in the early 1970s, I was making trip after trip to Nevada in which I made flat bets the whole trip, playing only positive counts. Then it worked great, but then there were very few people doing it.Wonging still works. Rather than sitting at one table for long periods, walk around and look at the cards in play at other tables. When you see a pack become profitable, sit down and play at that table. When the pack turns unprofitable, leave the table. If you do not play against unprofitable packs, you have no need for small waiting bets. Your waiting bet is as small as it can get -- zero. Casino personnel do not equate leaving the table with making a small bet. A small bet tends to look bad, while leaving the table usually passes unnoticed. You must, however; make your standard bet against freshly-shuffled cards once in a while lest casino personnel catch on to you.
The only justification for playing in unprofitable situations is 'advertising.' If you think that leaving the table will look suspicious, then stay and play another round. Only play in an unprofitable situation if doing so will buy you more playing time. Otherwise, play only when you have the advantage or when the pack is neutral. Have patience. Do not play just to be playing. If you do sit down at a game in progress because you see small cards, and then aces and lOs pop up to make the count negative, get up and go without playing a single hand. If you are already playing and the count goes negative, you should leave the game.
You are not trying to get in the most hands possible; rather you want to play as many favorable hands and as few unfavorable hands as possible. Not playing at all costs less than playing against a negative count. Hop- ping from table to table with a uniform bet is more profitable than sitting at one table and varying your bet size, because when you stay at one table you have the advantage only a fraction of the time. The rest of your time can be better spent looking for profitable situations than betting small because the dealerhasthe advantage.
Jumping in with small bets is easy against multiple decks; you find a dealer who has just shuffled and watch a few rounds without playing. If the pack becomes profitable, you jump in and play; if it becomes unprofitable, you leave; and if it stays neutral, you can stay and watch another round.
Blackjack 21 Card Game
Against a single deck, or with big bets, subtlety is required, and watching the cards without playing is an art. If you watch a single deck being shuffled, watch a couple of rounds being dealt and played, and then, when the count is good, jump in with a big bet, you will find that you are being eyed suspiciously Perhaps your action will even cause the dealer to shuffle away a profitable situation. When looking for a profitable single deck, keep walking as you are looking at the cards at various tables. Never take root and stare. You may stop and watch, if a round is in progress, because you must wait until the round is finished before you make a bet. When the dealer is ready to deal the next round you have only two valid options -- bet or walk away Do not watch a second round at that same table, because your watching may be watched. You do not want anyone to question the chastity of your blackjack playing.
You may wonder whether betting exactly the same amount each hand hour after hour and day after day might be interpreted by casino personnel as unusual behavior. It has never attracted any attention to me.
You may vary your bet size if you wish, but be sure to do it in a manner that is not suspect. Do not appear to bet bigger because the pack has turned more favorable. You want to be mistaken for a gambler. Alot of gamblers bet small when they first sit down at a table and bet bigger after they have been at the table for a while. You may do this too if you wish. For example, bet half your standard bet on the first hand you play at a table, then go to your full standard bet on the next round ifyou stay
You can usually switch back and forth between one hand and two hands without attracting attention. For example: When the pack is profitable, bet two hands; when it is neutral, bet one hand; and when it is lousy, walk away
If casino personnel watch you closely in an effort to discover why you hop from table to table, you could give them a reason for what you do. For example, you could leave a table only when the count is negative and you have just lost a hand, and never leave a table after a win. Your expected win rate will be reduced slightly if you play occasionally when the cards are unfavorable, but the offsetting benefit is that the pit bosses will attribute your table-hopping to your losing a hand.
A similar disguise might be used for altering the number of hands you play. For example, if you play one hand and lose, continue to play only one hand whether or not the pack is favorable. If you play one hand and win, then play two hands on the following round -- if the count is favorable.
Blackjack Secrets
You can increase your bet size against a fresh shuffle without attracting adverse attention. You might consider doing so if you have been playing two hands and winning. Suppose you have been winning with two hands of $200 each. If you think that cutting back to one hand of $200 when the dealer shuffles will look bad, you might switch to one hand of $300. You now have only $300 on the table instead of $400, but the dealer and pit boss may think that you are increasing your bet size.
Blackjack Tips And Secrets
To get more money on the table, you can double up after a loss, or let a winning bet ride. If you really want to look unlike a card counter; play two hands of unequal bet size.
If the pit bosses think that they know why you do what you do, and if they think that what you are doing does not involve getting an edge over the casino, then you can play indefinitely. Read Ian Andersen's Turning the Tables on Las Vegas for an excellent discussion of playing without getting barred.
Pi Yee Press