The Gravy Train
Remember that implementing good money management skills and learning how to play optimally only gets you halfway to where you want to go. The other part of your ticket consists of successfully hiding your acquired knowledge and skills, because the casinos will not hesitate to bar you from playing once they realize you can beat [...]
The Macho Mentality
The lure of playing beyond one’s limits is sometimes difficult to ignore. Some blackjack players feel a sense of superiority when they are placing the highest wagers at a table. Others feel that they have a leg up on weaker players whenever they deign to explain some aspect of the game to them. Some are [...]
The Luck/Chance Quandary
Not understanding the difference between “luck” and “chance” has cost gamblers plenty over the years. Part of the problem lies in semantics, while part comes from just plain ignorance. When the French say, “Bonne chance!” they really mean “Good luck!” Luck and chance refer to fortune and probability respectively. Luck is not a commodity that [...]
The Psychology of Blackjack
There are several interesting blogs about the psychology of gambling. At least one professor of psychology has theorized that there is a stronger human motive toward “play” than there is toward “work.” If this is true, then the game of blackjack oilers the promise of complete fulfillment in this sense, since it is certainly a [...]
Counting on Cruises
It has been my experience that cruise ships are generally oblivious to counters. I have been on several of these floating resorts that have made no attempt whatsoever to discourage blatant card-casers. I have often stood around the tables, jumping in and out of games with bets of any size, or simply asking to be [...]
Do’s and Don’ts
The following DO and DON’T lists will help you avoid arousing the suspicion of eagle-eyed pit bosses and conscientious dealers, thereby allowing you to stay in the game and ply your skills:
DO stash chips away in a pocket or purse surreptitiously, especially when winning.
DON’T ever use a betting range of more than ten units, no [...]
Casino Credit
Most casinos are happy to provide you with a “line of credit” for any amount you wish, as long as you have enough money in your bank back home to cover it. There is no fee for this service, and it can usually be in place within twenty-four hours after filling out the application. There [...]
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Myth 8. Surrender Is For Suckers
“Did you come here to gamble, or just to give your money to the house?” grunted the surly old loser next to me, after I surrendered the first three hands I received. I just shook my head in disgust and didn’t bother pointing out to him that while I had lost a bet and a [...]
Myth 4. Always Play Your Hands So That You Win Most Often
This is a not-so-obvious paradox, but BS sometimes requires the player to follow a lower percentage-win strategy in order to maximize overall winnings. For example, suppose as a noncounter you receive an A,7 while the dealer is showing a 6. If you stand with the soft 18 you will win 63% of the time; however, [...]
BS Questions
Another way to practice BS is to think about the following questions, then check the BS chart to confirm your answers.
When would you double with a beginning total of 9?
When would you split 9s?
When would you double on a T? Against every up-card?
When would you surrender your 16?
When would you double-down with an A,7?
When would [...]
BS Practice Exercises
Work through the following three practice exercises, which increase in difficulty from normal to complex, until you make absolutely no mistakes. None. The answers should come to your mind quickly and effortlessly. The beginning total for each hand is always on the left, and the dealer’s up-card is on the right. The BS answer is [...]
The Importance of BS
The good news is that the following BS chart is the only one you will ever need to learn in order to win consistently. It shows the absolute best, mathematically proven, correct play for every possible two-card player total versus all possible dealer up-cards, for every shoe game you will ever encounter. These recommended plays [...]
