Tag: blackjack
How to Avoid Detection in Blackjack Card Counting
Although blackjack card counting is a widely legal activity as long as you’re only using your head to count, a typical casino management will not hesitate to remove a successful card counter from the premises. Such bans can be somewhat frustrating, but the house has a full right to exercise it.
The solution? Don’t be obvious. Be discreet, and your Blackjack wins will likely be perceived as blind luck only. Here are some tips to help you achieve that.
Vary your bets
Develop a system in which you are regularly placing different bets. In other words, don’t keep your wager consistently small, only to dramatically bet high when the deck is in your favour. It could make the dealer suspicious.
Stay at the same table
Resist leaving the Blackjack table if the deck goes cold on you, since this kind of behaviour will look odd in the long run. Rather than moving to another table, place a small wager and wait for the next hand.
Be sloppy about your winnings
If you are arranging your chips and cheques into immaculate little stacks, it is going to look as if you are on a calculated mission to win money. You don’t want to give away that impression, so try keeping your cheques in careless heaps instead.
Tip the dealer
It is a common belief that counters don’t tip the dealers, since their winning margin typically isn’t high. You will give off a better impression if you occasionally tip the dealer â for example, each time you have a blackjack.
Relax
Looking like a tense, concentrated, sober player will quickly reveal you as a counter. Accept an occasional free drink, but drink slowly. Keep your face relaxed and exchange a line or two with other people â after all, you need to look like you’re having fun!
Becoming an Advantage Player in Blackjack
If you have mastered the basic Blackjack strategy and feel ready to hone your skills to the point where you can call yourself an advantage player in blackjack, read on. Becoming a successful player is not easy, but knowing the fundamentals of advantage play will help you get on top of this game.
The essential requirement for every aspiring advantage player is discipline. This includes everything from keeping your head cool and betting big only when you have the advantage, to waiting patiently at the table even if the cards don’t seem to favour you. Panic, impatience and other big emotions are game killers.
Advantage play at Blackjack is not a trick or some sort of scheme that will make you miraculously rich in a blink of an eye. Instead, it relies on math systems that take a reasonable amount of effort and offer realistic advantages to dedicated players.
Speaking of dedicated players… Becoming really good at Blackjack takes time and practice, and a lot of it. Learning advanced Blackjack strategies is not enough â you need to practice them until you are able to use them flawlessly, regardless of distractions. Also, keep in mind that the longer you play, the faster you will become. Don’t push yourself too hard at the start.
There are excellent Blackjack software products that will help you master various advanced Blackjack strategies. The use of software is strongly recommended.
Negative variance happens. Sometimes you will lose some money. The cards won’t favour you; the dealer will have a lucky spell… This will occasionally happen regardless of your skill level. Make peace with the fact that negative variance happens and prepare your bankroll accordingly.
Remember these advices well and good luck on becoming a successful advantage player!
Blackjack Mnemonic Techniques – What are they and why use them?
Blackjack Mnemonic Techniques - What are they and why use them?
Before we explain how mnemonic techniques are used in blackjack, we need to first clarify what a mnemonic is and why they are useful to the individual.
What is a mnemonic?
A mnemonic (pronounced nem-on-ic) is simply a device that is used as an aid to memory. A good example of a simple mnemonic that everybody is aware of is the saying ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Football’ to indicate what notes the lines on a musical scale refer too.
How are mnemonic’s useful in blackjack?
To become a good blackjack player, you need to understand the Basic Strategy of the game. Indeed, many players would argue that understanding this key element of the game – which is based upon the odds of success, should any given set of cards be dealt to you or the dealer – is fundamental to long term blackjack success.
Unfortunately, for a new player learning the basics of the game, while basic strategy may be simple to understand, the sheer number of situations that can arise in a blackjack hand mean that remembering what to do in each of these situations – surrender, split, double or hit – can be a real task.
This is where mnemonic memory devices come to the aid.
The best mnemonic devices for blackjack, such as one readily available for download from the iTunes shop, offer the user a way to remember which action to take in a certain situation, by remembering a key rule, or rhyme.
Once these devices are learned, the player can then play blackjack using basic strategy to a decent level and increase the odds of them winning, or at least not losing too much money on a poor hand.
Are mnemonic blackjack strategies a guaranteed way to profit?
No, these strategies only help the player improve the chances of success, they do not guarantee it. The basic strategy of blackjack only helps keep the odds in your favour, it does not eliminate failure. You will still lose, but hopefully you won’t lose quite as often and when you win, you should hopefully win more!
All you need to know about Shuffle Tracking in Blackjack
What is Shuffle Tracking?
Shuffle tracking is the method by which a gambler identifies and watches groups of cards (called clumps) in multiple deck card games (such as Blackjack). By understanding where each clump of cards are in the pack and what cards are most likely to be in that clump, they can increase the odds in their favour by betting when the cards are more likely to give them a win, while making smaller bets when the cards in the clump are not in their favour.
Can I use Shuffle Tracking playing Blackjack online?
No â You can only use shuffle tracking techniques when playing in a real-world blackjack game with a dealer who shuffles the cards by hand.
In addition, if the casino uses a continuous shuffling machine, then shuffle tracking does not work.
Does Shuffle Tracking work?
Yes, but only if you are able and skilled enough to be able to keep track of several clumps of cards in a multiple deck game. This isn’t as easy as it sounds and does require some advanced card counting techniques and also the ability to clearly identify which clump of cards is where at all times.
If you can do this, and many experienced blackjack players can, then you can turn the odds in your favour when playing the game, but it is worth remembering that this is NOT a guaranteed method of success. It only increases your odds of winning, or of decreasing your losses. It is not a sure-fire way to win at blackjack.
How do you learn to Shuffle Track?
There are many websites which give users a detailed explanation of how to shuffle track during a game of blackjack. However, it is well worth honing your skills in private before attempting to take on professional croupiers in a casino.
Is Shuffle Tracking illegal?
No, but casinos are very adept nowadays at identifying people who are clearly using such techniques and this may result in you being evicted or even banned from a casino if discovered.
The Best Card Counting Systems for Blackjack
In Blackjack there are many card counting systems from which to choose, so to make it easier for you, here’s a suggestion of some of the finest known systems. If used correctly, most of these strategies will help you estimate your Blackjack advantage with nearly perfect accuracy.
Wong Halves
One of the most reliable card counting systems, Wong Halves is also one of the most difficult to master. This Level 3 balanced strategy demands strong concentration and good math skills, since it’s using fractions to achieve greater accuracy. It was created by Stanford Wong and is recommended for advanced card counters.
Counting Values:
| A | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| -1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | -1 |
Zen
Created by Arnold Snyder, Zen is a Level 2 balanced strategy, notable for the emphasis it places on 4, 5 and 6. One of the strongest Level 2 strategies out there, this system is also one of the more popular ones.
Counting Values:
| A | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| -1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
Red Seven
An easy Level 1 unbalanced strategy, Red Seven is another Snyder’s system that is widely used. Its simplicity makes it a good choice for card counting beginners, but at the same time Red Seven has high accuracy. Keep in mind that 7’s counting value depends on the colour of its suit - red sevens count as 1, while black ones count as 0.
Counting Values:
| A | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| -1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
Hi-Lo
If all those systems seem too challenging at the moment, you can try honing your Blackjack skills with Hi-Lo, a Level 1 balanced strategy. Unlike Red Seven, this system won’t require you to keep track of suit colours. Invented by Harvey Dubner, Hi-Lo has since been revised several times by different authors. Once you master Hi-Lo, we recommend that you move on to one of the more complex systems, as they offer better chance of success.
Counting Values:
| A | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| -1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
Final tip: whichever system you decide to use, be sure to practice it before you venture off to your favourite casino!
