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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Einstein Variation
Charles Einstein, in 1968, was the first to suggest that Aces should be removed from the RC altogether. Because of their dual nature i.e., the fact that they can be regarded as high or low cards depending upon the situation Einstein claimed that Aces should be counted as neutral. It is a somewhat valid point [...]
Cardoza/Silberstang Variation
In 1982, Edwin Silberstang and Avery Cardoza claimed to have systems that were definite improvements over Hi-Low primarily because their TC’s were more accurate. Instead of dividing the RC by the number of decks unseen, they suggested dividing it by the number of half-decks unseen to obtain a truer TC.
The problems with the Silberstang/Cardoza approach [...]
Revere’s Advanced Point Count
Lawrence Revere offered an “Advanced Point Count” system for sale in the early 1970s which became quite popular. It assigned new values to the cards as seen during the game: Aces = 4; T’s = 3; 9s = 1; 8s = 0; 7s and 2s = 2; 6s, 4s [...]
Other Counting Systems
During the thirty-odd years since the first viable counting system was introduced, dozens of “new and improved” counting systems have been offered for sale to unsuspecting blackjack players eager for easy winnings. Each additional system sported a slightly different variation of the original Hi-Low model. Each promised more simplicity, accuracy, or playing efficiency than the [...]
Aggressive TC Bet-Ranging Chart
If TC Is [...]
