Why Choose Blackjack?
The dice used in Over & Under and craps and the little white balls on roulette wheels all behave in a random fashion every time they roll. The numbers that they generate are totally independent of each other. Contrary to what many players believe, they bear no relationship to those numbers that may have come up in the past, assuming the games are run with completely “honest” equipment. (Gaffed wheels and loaded dice are always a possibility, but they are unlikely to be found in modern casinos. Management would be foolish to risk their gaming licenses on such things, especially since they would provide “hard” evidence that could be used against the house in court.)
According to the law of averages (although there is actually no such “law” in mathematics) if a certain number appears ten times in a row in roulette, it is just as likely as any other number to appear again the very next spin. Since there are usually thirty-eight possible slots on the wheel, the odds of any particular number coming up remain constant at once in every thirty-eight spins. Similarly, when playing craps, the probability of rolling a 12, for example, on your next toss is always one chance in thirty-six, even if those “boxcars” haven’t appeared in the last hundred throws or more.
Bouncing balls, rolling dice, spinning wheels and the like there is absolutely no way that these things can have a “memory” of previous results, in order to “even things out” eventually. Each specific number that they may produce at any given time can be predicted no more accurately than any other. Mathematically speaking, the odds in these games always remain constant in favor of the house. They are a “given” generated by truly “independent, random events.” (See chapter 4 for details of probability theory.)
In roulette, craps, and every other casino game except blackjack, the odds remain constant, and always in favor of the house. No skill whatsoever is involved in playing; it’s all a matter of luck on the player’s part. Therefore, although you may win money at these games from time to time, they cannot and will not be beaten over the long run. (Poker can involve considerable playing knowledge and skills, but the house always takes its set percentage off the top of every pot.) Regardless of the skill level of other players at your table, or the different rules you may encounter, the fact remains that only blackjack can be beaten consistently over time.
Beating blackjack is accomplished by simply keeping track of which cards are brought into play, because at certain times during the game the odds actually favor the player. This process is known as “counting” and is much easier than most people assume. (Chapter 6 explains everything about counting.) Only by playing blackjack skillfully can you be guaranteed long-term winnings. This fact alone should be reason enough to choose blackjack as your casino game of preference. Everything you need to know in order to become an expert player is explained thoroughly herein.
“Why are you willing to give up a goose that lays golden eggs?” This is the recurring question skeptical students ask me regarding my writing of this text. Their doubts, in fact, are usually twofold: (1) Can blackjack actually be beaten? (2) If so, why would a successful player such as myself voluntarily part with this valuable knowledge?
1. If players can consistently win money from blackjack over time, how can the casinos afford to offer the game? The answer is, because only an extremely small number of people have acquired the knowledge necessary to beat the game, i.e., less than 2% of all players. Since Beat the Dealer first appeared in 1962, it has been well known that the game is vulnerable to card-counters. Worried casinos even tightened up their rules for this reason, but soon relaxed them again as their blackjack business began to drop off. They quickly realized that so few players knew how to beat the game that they had nothing to fear. The casinos have continued to actually make more money from the game over intervening years because of the increased volume of players. Popularity surged primarily because practically everyone has been exposed to blackjack’s positive publicity. The game can obviously be beaten; it’s simply because so few players bother to learn how that modern casinos can make unprecedented earnings.
2. Blackjack has personally rewarded me greatly both financially and emotionally. Among other things, it has helped me live the good life much earlier than most. As a former teacher, I know the inner satisfaction that can be derived from sharing one’s knowledge. Believe me, I am losing nothing by passing on the rather esoteric information in the following pages. In fact, I feel even richer for doing so. Writing this blog has been essentially a labor of love for me. As a result of studying it, I hope, more players will force the greedy casinos to share a greater portion of their huge blackjack profits.
Even if you know absolutely nothing about the game, you now hold in your hands all that you will ever need in order to play at a professional level. The extent to which you make use of this text is entirely up to you. Its information can provide all the necessary strength and nourishment required, but you must eventually spring from your nest to try your own wings. Truly, only through your high-flying successes will my mentoring be complete.
