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The
GameMaster's Blackjack School
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to Blackjack School Index
Lesson
12: Casino
Playing Tactices
What
Are Casino Playing Tactics?
It's
a sad fact of life that casino personnel,
especially floor supervisors and
pit bosses do not like card counters
playing at their Blackjack games.
They know the game can be beaten
by a skilled player, so depending
upon how deep their paranoia runs,
their reaction to a player who wins
and is suspected of being a counter
may vary from close scrutiny ('heat')
to outright barring of that player.
Consequently, a skillful player
must hide his or her abilities and
appear as just another 'loser' while
winning at the game. Proper casino
playing tactics help to disguise
your skills, thus allowing you to
continue to play.
A
Casino 'Profile' of a Counter
Casino
supervisors believe they have card
counters profiled and can spot them
by their actions. While the list
is long, here are some of their
prejudices:
-
Card counters are usually young,
white males (probably with beards)
who dress too casually for the
amount of money they throw around.
-
Card counters 'scout' the tables
in a pit, looking for a good count
before sitting down.
-
A counter will change $200-300
into chips but then only bet $5
or $10 on the first hand.
-
Counters don't talk to anyone;
they stare at the discard tray
and rescan the table, checking
on the count.
-
Counters don't smoke or drink
alcohol.
-
A counter thinks a while before
placing his bet.
-
A counter doesn't hesitate before
playing a 'stiff' hand.
-
A counter never takes insurance
with a minimum bet out, but does
take insurance when a big bet
is out, regardless of his hand.
-
A counter varies his bet beyond
a 'parlay'.
-
Counters don't tip the dealers.
-
A counter pulls back a big bet
and lowers it on a 'push' or when
the shoe ends.
-
A counter always makes a minimum
bet on the first hand of a newly-shuffled
shoe.
Card
Counter Camouflage
To
make money at Blackjack, you must
maintain your welcome at the casinos.
But even though you may feel that
there's a big red 'C' on your forehead
the first few times that you play
as a counter, it really isn't there
and if you avoid a few of the 'newbie'
mistakes, the casino supervisors
probably won't pay any attention
to you at all.
If
you are playing for high stakes,
you'll be noticed whether you win
OR lose; high-stakes players are
always noticed. But, if you are
starting with the $5 to $60 spread
which I recommend, you probably
won't be noticed at all. How often
you play at a particular casino
has a lot to do with this. Remember
that most casinos have at least
two shifts, so try to spread your
play around between casinos and
shifts. AVOID PLAYING FROM ONE SHIFT
TO ANOTHER. Keep your sessions fairly
short and it will take them a long
time to even begin to figure out
what you're doing.
The
real key to fooling the casino personnel
is to appear as though you are just
another gambler. Here are some techniques
which I use.
-
Dress appropriately for your betting
level. A 'high-roller' should
look like a prosperous person
not, as one author put it, "like
an out-of-work substitute school
teacher." If you go to a local
casino on the day shift during
the week, dress like a business
person who's playing hooky from
the office. Do NOT dress like
a tourist (a very effective disguise)
if they are going to see you again
next week.
-
When you enter a casino, walk
directly to a table where the
dealer is shuffling and sit down.
Talk to the dealer, or at least
say "hi".
-
If you are playing a $5 minimum
bet, buy in for less than $100,
but more than $40. Do not use
terms like 'red' or 'green'; 'nickels'
or 'quarters'. Call the chips
$5 or $25 chips.
-
Do not order anything from the
cocktail servers; they are too
slow and waiting for a drink may
cause you to play at a negative
deck while you're waiting. Instead,
order non-alcoholic drinks at
the bar (O'Doul's, orange juice,
anything with a lime) and carry
it around with you.
- Try
to always have a bet in your betting
circle. Remember, only counters
think about how much to bet; gamblers
just put something out there.
If you busted your hand or got
a Blackjack, place your next bet
as the dealer is playing his hand.
With practice, your bet will be
the correct amount, but it won't
appear as though you had to think
a lot about how much to put out.
-
Gamblers NEVER leave a table after
a win. If the count has dropped
below -1, continue playing at
the minimum bet until you lose
a hand.
-
Hesitate before hitting a 'stiff'
hand. Talking to the cards helps.
-
Occasionally, insure your Blackjack
against the dealer's Ace when
you have the minimum bet out.
Do not ask for 'even money'; go
through the motions like you don't
know how it all works. This will
also make the dealer slow down
on her insurance calls in the
future which will give you extra
time to calculate the true count.
It's best to do this 'minimum'
insurance bet when a floor supervisor
is looking.
-
If you are going to tip the dealer
(something which you should do
sparingly), wait until the count
is high and you have a big bet
out. Placing a bet for the dealer
at that time will make it look
like you want her to help you
win.
-
Once or twice in each session,
start off a new shoe with a bet
of 2 or 3 times the minimum.
-
Do not vary from proper basic
strategy as a form of camouflage;
most casino personnel wouldn't
know good play anyway. In fact,
perfect basic strategy players
look like idiots -- hitting a
12 against a 2 or 3 or doubling
an A-7 against a 4 is nuts! (To
them.)
-
Do not talk to others at the table
about your abilities; do not help
others to play their hands properly.
Never admit that you've understood
a book about Blackjack. Do not
appear confident, but don't act
like a loser when you're obviously
winning -- gamblers love to win!
-
I can't bring myself to wear one,
but a 'fanny pack' has got to
be one of the most disarming items
a counter can wear. With that
and a pair of glasses on, damn
few supervisors will ever think
you're this cold-blooded, card
counting, steely-eyed destroyer
of casinos. But I guess if my
usual act ever starts to wear
thin, I'll get one and put it
on. I'd rather be rich than cool.
Homework
Here
are the answers for last week's assignment.
Calculate
the casino's starting advantage
for the following games:
Single
deck, double only 10 or 11, dealer
hits A-6. Answer: .33%
Six
decks, double on any first two cards,
dealer stands on A-6, resplit pairs,
incl. Aces, double after split allowed.
Answer: .33%
Two
decks, double on any first two cards,
no resplit of pairs, no double after
split, dealer stands on A-6, late
surrender. Answer: .30% (I didn't
specify if the dealer stands or
hits on A-6; this figure is for
a game where s/he stands.)
As
always, if you have any questions,
e-mail me at
aceten1@mindspring.com
and Ill get back to you ASAP.
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