Insider tips on how to turn the tables on the casino
In the past i was an enthusiastic user of the ace/ten front count. I learned about it while reading Fred Renzey's Blackjack Bluebook II. I've since moved on to primarily use the hi/lo count. It's been my experience that one of the difficulties with trying to get an advantage as a card counter is that the frequency of encountering shoes with advantageous counts are relatively few and far.
by Henry Tamburin
When you play in a blackjack tournament, you are competing against other players. By learning some simple tournament playing and betting strategies, you can gain the edge over your opponents.
Ever wanted to play blackjack recreationally without having to use your brain? Consider this a quick tutorial on how to minimize the house's edge on you in Blackjack in just three easy steps. This is NOT a discussion of using something like the infamous HiLo count but rather one on something called the Ace/10 Front Count. World's Easiest Card Counting Systems by Fred Renzey. Editor’s note: When this Card Counting article originally ran in the April issue, it contained several typographical errors, none of which were the fault of the author.
Do you want the edge over the casino when you play blackjack? Actually, that’s a ridiculous question because when you think about it, who wouldn’t want the advantage when he plays blackjack? Getting the edge is not as difficult as you think. In fact, I’m about to show you five ways that you can turn the tables on the casino and gain the edge over them.
At the minimum, you must be playing the basic playing strategy and play only blackjack games that have good rules. If you do this, you will reduce the house edge to 0.5% or less (depending upon the mix of rules and number of decks). Even though using the basic strategy is a great start, your return is still below 100% (it’s 99.5% when the house edge is 0.5%). To gain the edge, you have to get your return over 100%. Here are five ways to do this.
Learn a Card Counting System
Now don’t turn me off just because I mentioned the “C” word. What I’m proposing is that you learn any one of four simple counting systems designed for recreational players. They are the Ace/10 Front Count, Speed Count, Ace/Five Count, and the Rookie Knock-Out System.
You’ll be surprised at how simple these systems really are, and how easy they are to use in the casino. Moreover, by learning them and playing them accurately you will be able to boost your return to slightly over 100%. However, keep this in mind: your edge is very small and you won’t win every time you play. In addition, in the short term, your bankroll will fluctuate up and down; therefore, you need to have enough bankroll to prevent going broke when a negative swing occurs.
Here is where you can obtain information about these systems: Ace/10 Front Count (Blackjack Bluebook II by Fred Renzy), Speed Count (Beat Blackjack Now! by Frank Scoblete), Ace/Five Count (Appendix 5 on the blackjack page at www.wizardofodds.com), and K-O Rookie (Knock-Out Blackjack by Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs).
Take Advantage of Casino Comps
Another way to get your total return over 100% is to get back more in comps than what the casino thinks it will win from you. Here’s how this works.
Most casinos assume that they have a 2% edge over the aggregate of players that play blackjack, meaning that the house stands to win, on average, 2% of all the money that a player wagers. The house will usually return to the player 40% of what it thinks it will win from him or her in comps. Here’s an example.
Say you play three hours of blackjack and your average wager is $15 per hand. Different casinos use different models for estimating the number of hands a player plays per hour for comping purposes. The range is 80-90 hands per hour (on the high side), and 60-70 (on the low side). I’ll take the middle-of-the-road and assume 75 hands per hour. Therefore, you will have wagered $3,375 over the three hours ($15 average bet per hand x 75 hands per hour x 3 hours). The casino estimates that it will win 2% of the $3,375 or $67.50 from you. When you ask for a comp, the floor supervisor will give you a comp worth about 40% of that value, or $27 (for example, it could be a comp for two to the buffet or café). However, because you were playing blackjack skillfully, using the basic strategy, your theoretical loss is not 2%, but rather 0.5%. In addition, by playing at a crowded table you can reduce the number of hands played per hour. You can also slow down your play by taking your time making a playing decision, and taking a few breaks every hour (bathroom, cell phone call, etc.). By doing all this, you can easily reduce the number of hands you play per hour to roughly 50, and your theoretical loss to only about $11 ($15 average bet per hand x 50 hands per hour x 3 hours x 0.5% house edge). Your expected loss by playing this way is only about $11, yet the casino gives you a comp worth almost two-and-a-half times as much ($27). Your net return is a positive $16, meaning your overall return is over 100%.
The comping policies of your local casino may be slightly different from the above example. However, the principle remains the same. You can get a positive overall return by slowing down your play, reducing the house edge to the bare minimum by using the basic playing strategy, and taking advantage of casino comps (you must get a Player’s Card and be rated when you play). For more tips on how to get more comps than you actually deserve, consult the following books: Comp City by Max Rubin, and More Frugal Gambling by Jean Scott.
Use Matchplay Coupons
Don’t laugh at this technique to gain an edge over the house. I’ve done many “coupon runs” in Las Vegas during my lifetime that netted me a nice profit. It’s actually fun to do, and when you use the coupons, you have the edge over the casino. Here’s how it works.
Suppose you have a $5 Matchplay coupon. You take it to a blackjack table and wager a $5 chip along with the $5 Matchplay coupon (put both of them inside the betting spot). You now have $10 riding on the outcome of the hand. If your hand wins, the casino will pay you two $5 chips (one to match the $5 chip you wagered, and the other to match the $5 Matchplay coupon). Your net win is $10. If the hand loses, you are out only $5 (the $5 chip you wagered and the casino takes the Matchplay coupon). In other words, you risked $5 to win $10. (Note: Because you don’t win 50% of your hands at blackjack, a Matchplay coupon is worth slightly less than half of the face value of the coupon.)
There are other types of gambling coupons where you have the edge when you use them; for example, a coupon that pays you 2 to 1 on your blackjack or one where your first card is a (valuable) Ace. (For more information on gambling coupons, consult More Frugal Gambling by Jean Scott.)
There are several sources where you can get gambling coupons. One is the Member Rewards book that a subscriber to Anthony Curtis’ Las Vegas Advisor newsletter receives (www.lasvegasadvisor.com). Another is the coupons that are included in the 2012 American Casino Guide by Steve Bourie (www.americancasinoguide.com). In addition, check with the hotel that you are staying at to see if they give gambling coupons to their guests (many do in Las Vegas).
Play in Blackjack Tournaments
When you play in a blackjack tournament, you are competing against other players. By learning some simple tournament playing and betting strategies, you can gain the edge over your opponents.
Silver dollar casino tacoma hosmer. I can’t go into all the details of tournament skills; however, suffice it to say that if you want to get the upper hand, you have to learn when to increase your bets, depending upon whether you are the leader in chip count and your betting position. Likewise, you have to learn when to deviate from basic strategy, especially on the last hand in a round, to maintain a lead or to catch a leader.
The best all-around books on tournament strategies are the two e-books written by Kenneth Smith (How to Win More Blackjack Tournaments, and How to Win Even More Blackjack Tournaments). You can get more information about these e-books, including sample chapters, by going to www.bjinsider.com/win.
You’ll also find a schedule of blackjack tournaments in casinos across the U.S. in my Blackjack Insider newsletter (www.bjinsider.com) or at www.blackjacktournaments.com.
Get a Rebate on Losses
If you are a high roller, you should have paid attention to what basic strategy player Don Johnson did to three Atlantic City casinos last year (he hammered them for $15 million). Johnson pulled off this feat by negotiating a terrific rebate on his losses with the casinos.
I went into the details of Johnson’s deal with the casinos in two articles I wrote for Casino Player magazine (September and October 2011 issues). Suffice it to say that negotiating a rebate on your losses is a very valid way to get the edge over the casino (assuming you negotiate a good deal as Johnson did).
Tamburin’s Tip of the Month
Generally, you should always split a pair of 2s when the dealer’s upcard is 2 though 7. However, if the rules do not allow you to pair split after doubling down (no das), the correct basic playing strategy is as follows:
Single deck: split 2s when the dealer’s upcard is 3 through 7.
Double/Six/Eight deck: Split 2s when the dealer’s upcard is 4 though 7.
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Henry Tamburin is the editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), the lead instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack Course (www.goldentouchblackjack.com), and host of smartgaming.com. For a free three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial. To receive his free Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.
The step-by-step process of becoming an expert blackjack player
By Henry Tamburin
Ace Blackjack 21
There is no magic bullet when it comes to winning at blackjack. It’s not like playing slots, where one lucky spin, no matter how long the odds, can result in a life-changing payout. It’s a slow grind and a journey that begins at what I call Stage 1.
A reader sent me an email the other day that contained this question:
“You always say that winning at blackjack is a process and a journey. Can you explain what you mean?”
I’m happy to explain why I chose those particular words, especially since this is an important topic.
There is no magic bullet when it comes to winning at blackjack. It’s not like playing slots, where one lucky spin, no matter how long the odds, can result in a life-changing payout. Blackjack isn’t like that. It’s a slow grind and a journey that begins at what I call Stage 1.
Stage 1
There are two types of players in this stage. The majority are novices that are new to the game, and the rest are experienced players who always depend on luck when they play. Players in this stage know only the rules of the game and nothing about the basic playing strategy. They use intuition when it comes to playing their hands. In addition, some experienced players, who might know something about basic strategy but insist on playing bad blackjack games (e.g., blackjacks paid at only 6-5, or worse, even money), fall into this category. Stage 1 players face a house advantage between 1.5% to 2.0%. This means they can expect to lose roughly $15 to $20 every hour they play blackjack. (For simplicity, I assumed a $10 bettor playing 100 hands per hour. If you bet more, you’ll lose more; if you play fewer than 100 hands per hour, you’ll lose less.)
Stage 2
Many players in Stage 1 will advance to Stage 2 at some point in their playing career. Stage 2 players have discovered the basic playing strategy but haven’t quite mastered the entire strategy. Therefore, they still use intuition to play some of their hands, even though they know that basic strategy says otherwise. For example, Stage 2 players may not split 8s against a dealer 10 or Ace, not hit 12 against a dealer 2 or 3, or not hit a soft 18 against dealer 9, 10, or Ace. Most use a progressive betting system, thinking that it will help them win (it won’t). Players in Stage 2 are smart enough to avoid playing any 6-5 games; therefore, they face a house edge of about 1%. This means a $10 bettor can expect to lose about $10 every hour he plays blackjack.
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Stage 3
Speed Count Blackjack
Most players in Stage 2, who eventually get tired of losing money, will finally buckle down, master the entire basic playing strategy, and become Stage 3 players. Players at this stage will only play games with good rules, so combined with their mastery of basic strategy, they’ve reduced the house edge to a minuscule 0.3% to 0.5% (rule dependent). This is a great start towards becoming a winning player but even at this stage, a player still has a negative expectation (meaning, over the long haul, he will lose more than he wins). Many players in this stage use a progressive betting system, but that does nothing to reduce the house edge against them. Facing a 0.3% to 0.5% house edge, players in Stage 3 can expect to lose about $3 to $5 per hour playing blackjack.
Let me pause for a moment, on our journey, to make two comments. Some players in Stage 3 can decrease, and quite possible wipe out, their monetary loss from playing by being rated when they play and then asking for comps (which have value). Some players will also use the services of a casino host, which can boost the amount of their comps even more. If you want to remain a Stage 3 player for the rest of your life, then you should consider being rated when you play blackjack. At the minimum, you may be able to play a dead-even game against the casino; however, it’s doubtful that you will be able to turn a negative expectation into a positive expectation every time you play. Therefore, you should consider moving up to the next stage.
Even though players in Stage 3 have mastered basic strategy and can play every hand perfectly, they are still gamblers because they have a negative expectation. To turn their fortunes around, they need to become an advantage player, which requires learning card counting. In the past, recreational players were reluctant to do this because they viewed popular card counting systems (e.g., Hi-Lo and K-O) as too complex and difficult to use. They want to have “fun” when they gamble and are willing to pay the price. However, nowadays, recreational players have another option and that’s to advance to Stage 4.
Stage 4
Players in Stage 4 follow the basic playing strategy, but instead of using a progressive betting system, they use a simple card-counting system that tells them when to bet more (e.g., Speed Count, Ace-Ten Front Count, Rookie K-O Count, or the Ace-5 count). This gives them a slight edge over the house of about 0.1% to 0.5% (rule and bet spread dependent). This means a player who averages $10 per hand stands to win roughly $1 to $5 every hour. (This doesn’t seem like much but it can amount to as much as a $10 increase per hour over the Stage 3 player.)
Let me make two comments about Stage 4 players. By learning and using these simple systems, many players in this stage realize that card counting isn’t as difficult as they first thought, and after some experience using these systems, they will advance to Stage 5. On the downside, some players will take a step back to Stage 3 because, emotionally, they can’t handle losing streaks. (All card counters, no matter how big an edge they have, will eventually experience a losing streak. It’s the nature of the game. My advice to Stage 4 players is this: If losing money leads to anxiety and sleepless nights, then you need to drop down in your bet size or find a different hobby than playing blackjack.)
Stage 5
Players in Stage 5 have mastered a traditional card counting system, such as Hi- Lo or K-O. They increase their bets only when they have the edge, and they deviate from basic strategy based on the count. They fully understand the risk of ruin and the importance of Kelly betting (betting a fraction of their bankroll in proportion to their edge). Stage 5 players understand that their advantage manifests itself in the long run and they don’t get overly upset when those inevitable short-term losing streaks occur. They know about the risk of ruin and they maintain a maximum bet to bankroll ratio so the chance of losing all their money is no more than about 5%. Stage 5 players have an edge over the casino of about 0.5% to 1.5% (The precise edge depends on how aggressive the bet spread is, among other factors.) Betting an average of $10 per hand, these players stand to earn about $10 per hour playing blackjack. (As they begin to win money, many Stage 5 players will gradually increase their betting level in order to increase their hourly profits.)
There you have it … a road map you can follow on your journey to becoming a winning player. It’s a process that has many rewards for players who advance to Stage 4 or 5.
Running Count Blackjack
Tamburin Tip’s of the Month
How would you play this hand?
No Count Blackjack
Many players split the picture cards, figuring the dealer has a good chance of busting and they’ll win double their initial bet. Even though you will make money when you split — and please pay attention to this — you’ll make more money if you stand with 20. For example, in a typical six-deck game with the standing on soft 17 rule, you’ll win 70 cents, on average, for every dollar bet if you stand with 20, and win only 57 cents if you split. And get this … players who split, draw another 10-value card, and then resplit once or twice, will make even less money (only 49 cents per dollar bet for one resplit and 45 cents for two resplits). Bottom line: Forget about splitting 10s against a dealer’s 6; instead always stand with 20.
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Blackjack Ace Rules
Henry Tamburin is the editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), the lead instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack Course (www.goldentouchblackjack.com), and host of smartgaming.com. For a free three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial. To receive his free Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.