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 [...]
MBS-2
If you expand the TC range downward to include the 3 integers, as shown on the next table (MBS-2), then you will have at your disposal the perfect playing strategies for over 86% of the TC’s that normally occur within any six-deck shoe game. As mentioned in chapter 4, the TC stays within [...]
MBS-1
The first MBS chart below (MBS-1) shows in bold type the points at which changes should be made to normal BS plays, as the TC rises to + 3 according to the corresponding index numbers listed. Various plays indicated are to be altered from regular BS plays for specific hands only if the TC is [...]
The MBS Advantage
There is one additional, truly significant step that you can take, however, to increase your winnings even more dramatically. It is the main focus of this chapter. By adjusting or “modifying” your BS play according to what the TC happens to be, you can increase your advantage by up to three percentage points or more, [...]
Commonsense MBS
Common sense alone can usually indicate how to modify your playing strategies if and when memory fails. Just keep in mind that the more restrictive the rules, the more conservatively you should play. Conversely, the more liberal the rules, the more aggressive you can afford to be, especially on your splitting and doubling opportunities. The [...]
Charity MBS
Slight changes to BS should also be implemented if you find yourself playing at a charity casino or at one of the increasingly popular native peoples’ casinos. Charity casinos and most European casinos generally do not permit their dealers to take hole cards. (Instead, dealers draw their second cards only after all players have completed [...]
