ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BLACKJACK
¢. Typically used in the literature to mean only low stakes are available (e.g., $1 – $25 only).
C. Acronym for coupons may be available.
CA. See combinatorial analysis.
CAA. See Beyond Counting by James Grosjean.
C. Johnny. See John Chang.
C., George. The author of several excellent blackjack reports including Shuffle Tracking for Beginners and Advanced Card Counting. Creator of the level 2 Unbalanced Zen 11 (UBZ2) count. Former moderator for the Blackjack Review Network Shuffle Tracking Forum. According to Henry Tamburin, George C. has been a high-stakes blackjack player for over 50 years who conducted pioneering research in risk of ruin formulas, which formed the basis of Chapter 8 in Schlesinger’s Blackjack Attack.
[ BJRNET: George C. Reports ] [ 888casino.com ]
CAB 2000. A reference to Dustin D. Mark’s Cheating At Blackjack 2000 CD-ROM product.
CAC2. (c2023) A modern 2-level card counting strategy developed by Cacarulo in collaboration with Zenfighter. The system’s primary focus is on shoe games.
[ QFIT.com ]
Cacarulo. A pseudonym of one of the foremost computer analysts and authorities on combinatorial analysis. He was regarded as one of our leading experts on the subject of index generation and determination of the precise values of rules variation for all varieties of blackjack games. His tables of expected values for blackjack hands, featured on Richard Reid’s former bjmath.com Web site and in Appendix A of the third edition of Blackjack Attack, were perhaps the most accurate and extensive study ever done on the subject. Creator of the CAC2 card counting strategy.
[ blackjacktheforum.com ] [ ARCHIVE: AdvantagePlayer.com 2015 ]
Caddy blackjack. A private blackjack game, popular in the Northeast, where the deal rotates from player to player.
[ 81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 316 ]
cage. Where the casino cashier is located. Casinos have a habit of placing the cage in the back or farthest point from an entrance or exit.
calculators, games and wheels. ← SEE SPECIAL SECTION
California. Player banked blackjack and blackjack variations can be found on some Indian reservations in this state. In 2016, California had 47 casinos with over 800 blackjack tables.
[ qfit.com ]
California Aces. A player banked game variant of blackjack. Object is to get 22 as opposed to 21. A pair of Aces is the best hand you can get. Four jokers are used and are known as California Aces.
[ ARCHIVE: casinopedia.org ]
California blackjack. 1) An ace and a nine. A facetious expression. 2) A reference to player banked blackjack games in California.
[ 87 Clark Dictionary of Gambling & Gaming 34 ] [ ARCHIVE: casinopedia.org ]
California No Bust Blackjack. (c2008) A blackjack variation once offered in the player banked games in California. Rules vary. Some casinos use one or more wild card jokers or treat jokers as 2 or 12 points.
[ wizardofodds.com ]
call bet. An amount to be bet, called out by a player, without the exact amount of money in evidence. Call bets are typically not allowed at a blackjack table unless the player has excellent casino credit or has money in the cage.
caller. The player who controls the hand at a table. See rider.
call for insurance. This is an announcement made by the dealer to the players when the dealer has an ace as an up-card. See insurance.
call-in. {CS} A blackjack team term that refers to the signal to the big player to come to the table. See wave-off.
[ Wattenberger Modern Blackjack Vol. 2, 623 ]
call-in numbers. {CS} A blackjack team expression for pre-determined numbers representing the adjusted running count used by the counter to signal a big player to his table.
[ 81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 316 ]
call plays. {CS} A blackjack team expression referring to the signals given a blackjack player by a counter for how much to bet and how to play his hands.
[ 81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 316 ]
camouflage. {CS} To disguise the way you are betting and playing so as not to draw attention to the fact that you are a card counter. See act. See cover.
[ Dalton Blackjack Player’s Guide to Idiot Camouflage ] [ SUM 91 Scanner Camouflage: Secret Weapon… EBN ] [ 9/93 Schlesinger Basic Strategy Camouflage… BJF 7 ] [ 21 Snyder Radical Blackjack 59 ]
Campione, Anthony John. (1933 – Nov 19, 1996) aka Tony Blueberry. In 1994, blackjack player Anthony Campione filed a lawsuit against the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. In April 1995, a Superior Court jury in Camden, NJ awarded $1,475,500 to Campione as compensatory damages. Anthony Campione passed away in 1996, at the age of 63. MORE INFO
[ 97 In Memory of Anthony Campione BJR 6.1 ] [ AMAZON: Big Book of Blackjack has a good review of the Campione case ] [ OBITUARY: GenealogyBank.com ]
Canada. In 2017, there were at least 128 legal land-based casinos in Canada. These included:
- 22 in British Columbia
- 7 in Saskatchewan
- 43 in Alberta
- 6 in Manitoba
- 4 in New Brunswick
- 1 in Newfoundland and Labrador
- 4 in Nova Scotia
- 30 in Ontario
- 2 in Prince Edward Island
- 1 in the Yukon Territory
[ Canada Casinos Map ] [ 81,9/89,9/90 Snyder Blackjack in Canada BJF ] [ VIII, Issue 8 Rose Oh! Canadian Casinos CAM 14 ]
Canal 21. (c2019) A blackjack variant found in Panama where blackjacks pay even money. (HA ~ 0.12% to 1.20% ???)
[ wizardofodds.com ]
candy store. Often used in the literature to refer to a casino with excellent blackjack rules and conditions.
Canfield, Richard Albert.. (aka Joe Hinton) A former bit boss and author of the book Blackjack Your Way to Riches. Publisher of the Blackjack Monthly newsletter. See Robert Gates.
Canfield Expert. {PCS/L1}. (Richard Canfield) (c1977).
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 -1 -1
[ 77 Canfield Blackjack Your Way To Riches ] [ Gates Blackjack Monthly Newsletter] [ qfit.com ]
Canfield Master. {PCS/L2}. (Richard Canfield) (c1977) An advanced point count system. See Omega II.
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 -1 -2
[ 77 Canfield Blackjack Your Way To Riches ] [ Gates Blackjack Monthly Newsletter ] [ qfit.com ]
Canjar, Robert Michael. (aka MathProf) (Sept 12, 1953-May 7, 2012) Known to the blackjack community as “MathProf”, Canjar was a Mathematics and Computer Science professor at the University of Detroit Mercy. Canjar was a well respected and regular contributor to many blackjack and advantage play websites and most often to Stanford Wong’s site. According to Wikipedia, he won a record number 16 times the award for Post of the Month on BJ21.com.
[ WIKIPEDIA ] [ ARCHIVE: fredwoodfuneralhome.com/notices/DrR-Canjar ] [ Advanced insurance Play in 21 ] [ Photo credit: Family Photo ]
Cant, Clarke. Major contributor to Arnold Snyder’s book The Blackjack Formula. Author of the very unusual but entertaining treatise called Blackjack Therapy. See Precision Count.
Cantey, Wilbert E. Sr. (aka Preach) (March 17, 1931 – May 21, 2008) Co-author of the ground-breaking and historically significant book Playing Blackjack to Win: A New Strategy for the Game of 21. Cantey was a mathematician and statistician at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland’s Harford County in the 1950s. A 2008 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. See Four Horsemen of Aberdeen. See Blackjack History.
[ Blackjack Hall of Fame ] [ washingtonpost.com ] [ Photo credit: Family Photo ]
cap. 1) A chip of a different denomination atop a stack of chips which are the same denomination. 2) {CHS}. To add a chip or chips to a bet after the cards have been dealt.
Captains Pair. See Fun Pairs.
card count. The total numeric value of cards held in a hand. See count.
card counter. A blackjack player who keeps a mental tally of cards played for betting and playing purposes. A typical card counter will bet higher when he detects a favorable situation (i.e., a positive count) and use the count to vary from basic strategy. The card counter can also detect when it is advantageous to take or not take insurance. See also case the deck. See Anatomy of a Card Counter.
[ 80 Rich What to do While Card Counting Vol.13,22 ]
Card Counter’s Cafe’. (CCC) (Started Feb 12, 1999). A reference to to the Yahoo Group, which was formerly one of the largest free public Internet forums for the discussion of blackjack, card-counting and count-related strategies. See rec.gambling.blackjack.
[ ARCHIVE ]
Frequently Asked Question
What is the best card counting system?
card-counting. {CS} A method of keeping track of the cards by assigning a value to certain cards in the deck. The theory behind card counting is based on the fact that when a deck or shoe is deficient in small cards the player is at a greater than normal advantage and when the deck or shoe is deficient in high cards the player is at a less than normal advantage. All card counting systems fall into one of two categories: 1) Balanced and 2) Unbalanced. Balanced counts start with a running count at zero and end with zero. Unbalanced counts start and end on a number other than zero. To achieve optimal results from a balanced strategy you need to convert the running count into a true count. Unbalanced counts typically use the running count for playing and betting purposes. An example of a balanced card counting system is the Hi-Lo count. An example of an unbalanced card counting system is the KO count. See point count system. See Card Counting System Comparisons.
[ QFIT Card Counting Strategy Summary ] [ ARCHIVE: blackjackforumonline.com ] [ WIKIPEDIA ] [ YOUTUBE ] [ Griffin Theory of Blackjack ]
[ 2/78 Mitchell BJ Systems From BS… GT 15 ] |
card-dauber. A person who marks the backs of cards for purposes of cheating. See marked cards. See daub.
card down. A statement made to a pit boss or floorman by a dealer when a card is dropped from the table. Dealers are not allowed to bend over and leave the chip tray exposed, therefore a pit boss or other person must retrieve anything a dealer drops.
card eating. See eating cards.
Cardoza, Avery D.. (Born 1957) Author, professional gambler and publisher of numerous books (over 20) on gambling including Winning Casino Blackjack for the Non-Counter. Cardoza Publishing has published millions of books on gambling. In 2014, Cardoza became the new owner of the Las Vegas Gambler’s Book Club / Store and Gambler’s General Store.
[ baccaratinbooks.com ] [ cardozabooks.com/ ] [ WIKIPEDIA ]
Cardoza Base Count Strategy. {???} (Avery Cardoza) (c1985-1990?) Cardoza School of Blackjack, Cardoza Publishing, Cooper Station, NY. Seen advertising in several of Cardoza’s gambling books. He advertises that you can “become an expert in two days“.
Caribbean. Casino gambling is legal in many countries in the Caribbean and Central America. You will find blackjack offered in the following countries:
- Antigua
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Bonaire
- Columbia
- Curacao
- Dominican Republic
- Guadeloupe
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Martinique
- Puerto Rico
- St. Kitts
- St. Maarten
St. Vincent
[ 9/89 Dog-Ass Johnny Blackjack in St. Maarten BJF ] [ 90 Gaffney Winning BJ in Atlantic City and…87 ]
Caribbean Blackjack. (c2015) A blackjack variant and side bet. The player makes two blackjack bets and an optional poker-based side bet. (HA ~ 1.58%)
[ wizardofodds.com ]
Caribbean 21. (c2000) A blackjack variant offered by RealTime Gaming internet casinos. Options allow players to split any two initial cards and to hit and redouble after doubling. Player loses all ties. (HA ~ 0.19%)
[ wizardofodds.com ]
Carlson, Bryce. A professional blackjack player and author of one of the best blackjack books on the market, Blackjack For Blood. Carlson also developed the Omega II Blackjack Casino blackjack card counting software.
[ Ready Bet Go Interview ] [ ARCHIVE: blackjackbomb.com ] [ PODCAST ]
carpet joint. Slang for an upscale casino.
Carson City. The state capital of Nevada. This small city is east of Lake Tahoe and west of Reno. Carson City has had several small casinos that offer blackjack games.
Carson City Rules. 
Rules have been typical of Reno.
Carter R.P.I.. {PBS}. (Sci-Rater, Williston Park, NY). R.P.I. stands for Regressive Progressive Increments. Just a fancy name for another progression type system. Not recommended.
[ 80 Revere Playing Blackjack as a Business 172 ] [ 88 Watson Beating Casino’s Blackjack 92 ]
Cartwright. A guest on the Gambling with an Edge podcast who analyzed the 21 Magic side-bet in Colorado.
[ PODCASTS: Aug 1, 2014, Aug 10, 2017 ]
case. (i.e. “last”) An example from single deck: Player has 4,4 vs a 4. Players hits and gets a 10. Dealer show a 6 in the hole. Dealer hits and gets a 4. So, dealer pulled the “case” or “last” 4 to get 20.
casing. See case the deck.
Case, Sam. A casino cheating expert and an important and frequent contributor to Arnold Snyder’s Blackjack Forum magazine. Provided computer programming and analysis for Arnold Snyder’s Beat the X-Deck series of reports, the Over-Under Report and others.
case the deck. 1) {CS} To count down a deck. 2) To observe closely the composition of the cards played (without counting) and then make decisions based on this limited information. See card counter.
Casey. A concealable computer developed by Steven Goldberg (aka George Stevens) in the early 1980’s, which originally sold for about $4000. Believed to have been copied from Keith Taft‘sDavid computer. See George. MORE INFO
[ nowscape.com ] [12/83 Snyder Blackjack Forum 45 ] [ 84 Snyder The David Computer BJF ] [ 5/84 Wong Nevada Blackjack 78 ] [ 90 Zender Card Counting for the Casino Executive 97 ] [ 9/90 Casey Advertisement BYTE Magazine 493 ] [ ARCHIVE: casey-computer.com ]
cashier. See cage.
cash plays. A dealer announcement that the player is betting cash money instead of chips. This announcement is necessary to avoid the possibility that the player really only wanted change and/or the player is trying to cheat the house. (e.g., Just as the dealer is ready to deal, the player throws five $100 bills on a betting spot. The dealer deals the player a bad hand such as a 16. The player then argues that he was only buying in for chips.)
Cash Queens. A blackjack side bet offered in Pala Interactive online casinos. Side bet wins if the player’s initial two cards total 20 points. Similar to Lucky Ladies.
[ wizardofodds.com ]
casino. An establishment that offers gambling. Also called house, joint, shop, store, toilet, or trap. See Casino Information and Listings.
casino host. The casino employee who a rated player deals with to make hotel reservations and discuss comp privileges.
Casino Information Network. (CIN) Biometrica Systems. The Casino Information Network was a secure network that connected casinos around the world so that information can be shared quickly and easily. The network was divided into six regions Las Vegas, Atlantic City / East Coast, Mid-West (Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, the Dakotas), Southern States (Mississippi, Louisiana), Australia / Asia, and Europe / Africa. Biometrica Systems was located in Mont Vernon, NH, with offices in Las Vegas. See Griffin Investigations. See OSN. See CVI.
[ biometrica.com ]
Andy Anderson Interview Courtesy: The Hot ShoeCasino Intelligence Database. (CID) A comprehensive database that allows for the building of a detailed digital CaseFile on any event, individual or group. From physical books of cheaters that were the first casino information databases; through CDs updated once a quarter, the CID has evolved into a wholly digital interactive and searchable product, updated every single day, and comprising comprehensive digital CaseFiles on suspicious individuals or groups.
[ biometrica.com ] [ ARCHIVE: biometrica.com ]
casino manager. The individual who oversees the entire casino operation.
Casino Surrender. (CS) If offered by the casino, a two-card twenty can be surrendered for a half-win against a dealer 10, as long as the dealer does not have a natural. This option should not be confused with the normal surrender option.
[ tamburin.casinocitytimes.com ]
casino tokens. See checks.
Casino Visual Identification. (CVI) (c2002) A reference to Andy Anderson’s company which provided a databank of digital facial images to casinos. See CIN.
[ ARCHIVE: gamingtoday.com ]
casino win rate. The norm for casino blackjack win rates, averaging all types of players, is approximately 15-16%. Generally, according to Blackjack Confidential Magazine, low blackjack win rates of 11-14% may indicate games favorable to the player. High win rates of 17-22% may indicate house games. These win rate figures are otherwise known as the hold percentage. See win rate.
[ 89 BJC ]
Cassie. See Maria “The Greek”.
Catch 21. A reference to the Game Show Network’s (GSN) game show that premiered on July 21, 2008. The show ran for four seasons through 2010. Three contestants are each given a card to start a blackjack hand from a standard 52-card deck shuffled before the show. Questions are then read and points are awarded. A contestant whose score reaches 21 exactly instantly wins the round. A contestant is eliminated from the round if their hand exceeds 21.
[ WIKIPEDIA ]
Catch 22. Also called Push 22. A blackjack advertising giveaway occasionally offered by casinos. This coupon would give you a push on 22. If you were to double with 12 and bust this coupon would save your entire bet. The recommended playing strategy for these types of coupons would be to double with 12 (including 6-6) against 2,3,4,5,6 or 7. Hit all 12s of 3 or more cards. With other hands, play normal basic strategy. PA = 5.8%/hand
[ 2/80 Wong Wong’s BJN 23 ]
catwalk. The narrow walkway above the ceiling and over the gaming tables used for security and monitoring of players actions. Most modern casinos no longer have catwalks since security monitoring can now be performed by a network of television cameras controlled from a central location. See eye-in-the-sky.
CBN. Acronym for Stanford Wong’s Current Blackjack News newletter. See BJ21.
CBJN. See CBN.
CC. See card-counting.
CCA. Acronym for Casino Control Act. See NJCCC.
CCB. See Clump Card Blackjack.
CCC. 1) Abbreviation for Casino Control Commission. See NJCCC. 2) Abbreviation for Card Counter’s Cafe’.
CDCA. Acronym for Composition Dependent Combinatorial Analyzer: A program that computes blackjack expected values for various rules.
[ BJStrat.net ]
CE. Acronym for Certainty Equivalence.
Celebrity Blackjack. (CB) (July 5, 2004 – Jan 11, 2005) A short-lived television show on the Game Show Network (GSN) where celebrities played tournament style blackjack for charity. Matt Vasgersian was the host.
[ WIKIPEDIA ] [ gameshows.wikia.com ]
Cellini, D. V. (TBD) Author of the book The Card Counter’s Guide to Casino Surveillance.
centerfield. See second base.
certainty equivalent. (CE) A guaranteed return that someone would accept rather than taking a chance on a higher, but uncertain, return. Also known as the risk-adjusted return. See Kelly Criterion. MORE INFO
[ blackjackapprenticeship.com ] [ bj21.com ] [ investopedia.com ]
CF. Acronym for conversion factor.
Chambliss, Carlson R. (Born 1941) Co-author of the book Fundamentals of Blackjack. Chambliss holds an A. B. from Harvard Univ. (1962) and a Ph. D. in astronomy from the Univ. of Pennsylvania (1968). He was a professor of astronomy at Kutztown Univ. in Pennsylvania for many years. See C-R Point Count. See Thomas Roginski.
[ YOUTUBE: Carlson Chambliss President’s Medal Ceremony ]
Chan, Joshua. In February of 2016, Joshua Chan and the LCB Network purchased Stanford Wong’s site BJ21.com. He also purchased the Wizard of Odds sites in 2014. From his introduction on BJ21.com, “In 2006 I was an advantage player, focusing on exploiting Internet casino bonuses. With my knowledge of the Internet gambling scene, in 2006 I established LatestCasinoBonuses.com (LCB). LCB is a casino-information site that features casino news and editorials, no-deposit bonuses, casino reviews, software reviews, slot reviews, and free casino games. There is a members’ forum where players share promotions, bonuses, tips and winning stories. The library of gambling information is one of the most extensive in the industry. LCB has monthly contests that award prizes. The number of registered LCB memberships should surpass 100,000 in 2016. After that, I acquired sites devoted to blackjack, sports, bingo and poker. In 2014 I bought the Wizard of Odds and Wizard of Vegas from Michael Shackleford. As a former advantage player, I’m proud to own BJ21.com. I think it will fit well into my portfolio of web sites devoted to player advocacy.“
[ wizardofvegas.com ]
Chang, John. (aka Johnny C.) Former manager of the MIT Blackjack Team for about 10 years. Married to Laurie Chang, who was also a member of the team. A 2007 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
[ BlackjackHallOfFame.com ] [ ARCHIVE: blackjackforumonline.com ] [ WIKIPEDIA: Blackjack Hall of Fame ] [ WIKIPEDIA: MIT Blackjack Team ] [ blackjackpersonalities.com ] [ richardmunchkin.com ] [ History VS Hollywood ] [ gamblingsites.org ] [ PODCAST: Dec 21, 2012, Dec 13, 2013 ]
Chang, Laurie. Wife of John Chang and a long-time member and team leader of the MIT Blackjack Team.
[ PODCAST: Jan 27, 2012 ]
Change It 21. (c2014) A blackjack variant that allows players to swap one of their initial two cards for the price of half the bet. (HA ~ 2.14% before switching) (HA ~ 1.73 after switching)
[ wizardofodds.com ]
change space. On a blackjack table, the area of the layout in front of the dealer where money is exchanged for chips.
Channels, Bill. (aka William R. Channels) Wrote as the GameMaster for GameMasterOnline.com. Author of the excellent GameMaster Blackjack School and author of the book The (Darn Near) Complete Book of Winning at Blackjack. You will find Channel’s blackjack school on the Blackjack Review Network site and possibly on the BJ21 and BlackjackInfo sites. The GameMasterOnline site went dark in 2014. According to Ken Smith, Channels had moved into a rest home due to physical problems.
[ ARCHIVE: gamemasteronline.com ] [ blackjackinfo.com/gamemaster/ ]
The GameMaster’s Blackjack School Video – Lesson 1a
Accompanies Lessons on the Blackjack Review Network
All videos for this course are on YouTube here.
Charles Jay’s Blackjack Gold Card. {BS} (Charles Jay) (1992) A two-piece business card with the accurate basic strategy for multiple deck games and DAS allowed. Also includes variations for single deck, when DAS is not allowed and surrender. Tips for evaluating a game, bankroll guidelines and 11 cardinal rules.
[ Summer 92 Dalton BJR 24 ]
Charlie. A bonus popular in caddy and other social blackjack games where a five (or more) card total that is equal to or less than 21 automatically win. See Five Card 21. See Six Card 21.
- 5 Card Charlie PA = +1.46%
- 6 Card Charlie PA = +0.16%
- 7 Card Charlie PA = +0.01%
[ wizardofodds.com ] [ 95 Wong Basic Blackjack 95 ]
Cheating? … in the “good” old days! As depicted in the movie Casino.
cheating. The Nevada Legislature defines cheating as “to alter the selection of criteria which determine (a) The result of the game; or (b) The amount or frequency of payment in a game.” [NRS §465.015(1)] The Nevada courts have also commented that card counting can NOT be considered cheating. In one court case the following statement was issued:
“By way of contrast, a card counter — one who uses a point system to keep track of the cards that have been played — does not alter any of the basic features of the game. He merely uses his mental skills to take advantage of the same information that is available to all players.“
[ Sheriff of Washoe County vs Martin, 662 P.2d 634, 638 NV 1983) ]
In New Jersey, the Administrative Code [NJSAC §5:12-113(a)] states “any person who by any trick or sleight of hand performance, or by a fraud or fraudulent scheme, cards, dice or device, for himself or another wins or attempts to win money or property or a representative of either … is guilty of crime.” See Uston vs Resorts. See bar.
In regards to casino cheating of players, Peter Griffin has commented that if you are cheated more than 1 hand out of 50, you will end up a loser.
[ Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) ] [ §5.011(9) of the Nevada Gaming Commission & the State Gaming Control Board ] [ edwardothorp.com ] [ 63 Las Vegas Review-Journal ] [ 66 Thorp Beat the Dealer 141 ] [ 80 Dunes Dealers Nix Cheat Charges C&S Vol.11,6 ] [ 82 Case Cheating Dealers BJF ] [ 83 How Casinos Detect Cheaters C&S Vol.23,71 ]
[ 83 How Cheats Stack a Deck BJF ] [ 3/84 Wong Nevada Blackjack 42 ] [ 9/85 Rose Counting is Not Cheating GT 24 ] [ 86 Rose Gambling and the Law 196 ] [ 86 Wong Nevada’s Trespassing Statute BJF ] [ 87 Cheating in Puerto Rico BJF ] [ 1/90 Rose Card Counting..and the Back Room BJC 18 ] [ 4/90 Rose Is Counting Cards Cheating? BJC 10 ]
Frequently Asked Question
Isn’t card counting illegal?
check rack. See chip tray.
checks. More commonly called chips or casino tokens. Non-metallic gaming tokens, the size of a silver dollar, of various colors and denominations used in casinos in place of currency. A typical color scheme and denomination size used at many blackjack tables are as follows:
- Whites (Aces or singles) = $1
- Pinks (Twofers) = $2.50
- Reds (Nickels, Fives) = $5
- Greens (Quarters) = $25
- Blacks = $100
Check colors above $100 are not as common with the following being an example:
- Purples = $500
- Oranges = $1000
- Grays = $5000
Some casinos also use gaming plaques for high-stakes table games ($25,000 and up).
Chips can also be used by players to:
- Keep track of the count.
- Keep track of the shuffle.
- Manage their money.
- Signal teammates.
Three types of chips are typically used within a casino:
- Negotiable chips (e.g., used in real money games)
- Non-negotiable chips (e.g., used in tournaments and promotions)
- Match play chips (e.g., used in promotions)
checks play. A term often used by dealers to notify pit personnel that a player has increased his bet significantly. See black action. See green action.
cheque. See checks.
Chinese blackjack. A dealer hand with a ten up-card and a 4 in the hole. A 4 looks like an ace. Many Orientals have the custom of “squeezing” their cards, opening up their 2-card hand a small fraction at a time until the second card comes into view.
[ 90 Patterson Blackjack: A Winner’s Handbook 74 ]
Chinese Blackjack. This is a blackjack variation also known as 21-point, ban-luck (Hokkien), ban-nag (Cantonese) and xi dach (Vietnamese). The game is played in South East Asia and resembles conventional blackjack. In Malaysia, this variant is known as Kampung (Village) Blackjack to differentiate it from the standard casino blackjack. See links below for more details.
[ WIKIPEDIA ] [ How to play Chinese Blackjack ]
chip. See checks.
Chipless Blackjack. (c2010) An electronic blackjack table with a live dealer and physical cards are still dealt. Only difference is that no chips (checks) are used. First introduced at the Barona Resort and Casino near San Diego, California.
[ marketwired.com ]
chipping up. To add a chip to you bet.
CHIPS. Acronym for Committee to Have the Industry Preserve Surrender, a group that Ken Uston attempted to organize circa 1981, in New Jersey.
[ ARCHIVE: rge21.com ]
chip tray. Also call the rack. The rectangular metal or plastic tray which contains the casino’s chips and silver for a particular table. This tray lies flat in the middle of the table in front of the dealer. Chips are typically organized by denomination: silver and lower valued chips on the outside and higher valued chips in the middle. See checks.
chop. A team term that refers to when monies are split up after a session win or loss.
CHS. Acronym used in this book to refer to a cheating strategy method.
chunk. To over-bet or to bet in large amounts.
Church Team. (2006-2009) Name given for the blackjack team started by Ben Crawford and Colin Jones and documented in the documentary Holy Rollers. According to the movie, the Church Team took $3.2 million from casinos during their 3 year operation.
[ cc.com ] [ WIKIPEDIA ]
Churilla, Ken R. (aka Kenneth Raymond Churilla) (Apr 20, 1941 – Jan 2, 2012) During the 1990s, Ken provided a comprehensive internet based directory of blackjack and poker for the serious player. Churilla was a graduate of University of Connecticut with a BA in English Literature.
[ ARCHIVE: gocee.com ] [ beddingfieldfuneralservice.com ]
CID. Acronym for Casino Intelligence Database.
Cierzan, Don. See TIMES.
CIN. See Casino Information Network.
civilian. What James Grosjean calls any player who is not skilled.
C-K Count. See Precision Count.
clap. As in clap hands. What many dealers do as part of casino policy when they are relieved by another dealer. This is done to show the watchful eyes of security that the dealer has not palmed any checks.
closing a bankroll. A blackjack team term that refers to the time when money is split up. For example, if $100,000 profit is the goal, then monies are shared “only” when that amount of profit is generated. See the video Holy Rollers.
club. The black figure 
marking one of the four suits of playing cards.
[ Wiki: Suit_(cards) ]
Clump Card Blackjack. (CCB) {RWC} (1991) (Steven Heller). According to Heller, “CCB is a systematic approach to exploiting excessive clumping often found in shoe games. The method includes specific table selection and departure criteria as well as five specific betting strategies designed to take advantage of various game type personalities.” It is a ‘play by the seat of your pants’ type system. Heller recommends you abandon basic strategy for common sense. This system is NOT recommended. This system will lose you money in the long run!
[ Fall 1994 BJR 3.4 ]
clump / clumping. As in the clumping of cards. When specific card denominations stay together during the shuffle process. See like-card clumping. See clump-trackers.
[ 3/87 Olsen BJC ] [ 90 Patterson Blackjack: A Winner’s Handbook ]
clump-trackers. A reference to the many variations on card-clump blackjack strategies as presented by E. Clifton Davis, Jerry Patterson, Ron DiBenedetto, Steven Heller, Leonard Benson, Ron Fitch and others. The methods presented are often non-scientific and should not be confused with valid shuffle-tracking techniques. These systems are not recommended.
CM. Acronym for the “Chinese mafia”, an expression used by Atlantic City locals.
[ bj21.com Blackjack Glossary ]
Col. Acronym for casino collects a fee per hand, generally at least 1%.
[ Wong CBN ]
cold. As in the deck is cold. 1) To signify that the deck or shoe has recently been very unfavorable. 2) To signify a deck or shoe that is unfavorable to the player, that is, with a high minus count. See hot. See cooler.
cold turkey. Slang for a hand consisting of two face cards.
Collver Advanced Casing. {PCS/U}. (Donald I. Collver) (c1966). A card counting system in which the player keeps track of the excess of tens over other non-ace cards and low cards (2-5) over other non-ace cards plus a count of aces.
[ 66 Collver Scientific Blackjack … ] [ 78 C&S Vol 4, 46 ]
Collver Scientific Blackjack. {PCS/L1}. (Donald I. Collver) (c1966).
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 -2/3
[ 66 Collver Scientific Blackjack and… ]
Colon, Nicholas G. Former advantage player/manager with the MIT Blackjack Team. A consultant to the gaming industry in the capacity of gaming mathematician and data scientist. Managing director of the Alea Consulting Group.
[ Archive: aleaconsultinggroup.com ]
color. 1) A designation of the denomination of table chips by color. 2) A reference to a jack, queen, or king.
color for color. An instruction to a dealer to pay the player’s bet in the same denomination as those making up the original bet. See barber pole.
[ 87 Clark Dictionary of Gambling & Gambling 47 ]
color up. To exchange one denomination of chips for higher ones. Dealers will often ask players to color up before they leave the table. This is usually done for one of two reasons: (a) The dealer’s chip tray is in need of lower denomination chips, and/or (b) The dealer wishes to make known the amount of your win or loss.
Colorado. In 2016, Colorado had 21 casinos with over 100 blackjack tables.
[ qfit.com ] [ Bryan The Gambling Prospector ]
combinatorial analysis. (CA) One of two methods of analysis to figure out the house edge of a game. The other method is simulation. According to Eliot Jacobson, the preferred method is always CA and then double check using a simulation. Combinatorial analysis is the ultimate level of playing accuracy one can achieve with a randomly shuffled deck. Every decision is based on the “exact” subset of cards remaining.
[ 888casino.com ] [ 888casino.com ]
comp. Abbreviation for complimentary. The privilege of using casino hotel services free of charge. A comp gives a player, depending on his level of play, the use of a variety of hotel casino services, meals, lodging or entertainment at no cost. RFB (room, food, beverage) comps are the most typical but high rollers are often given free airfare and other special privileges as well. Comps are promotional tools intended to maintain a list of patrons who wager in large amounts. Most professional blackjack players shy away from accepting comps due to fear of being detected and barred from playing in that casino. Some tips from Max Rubin: “1) Always ask 2) Get Rated 3) Play Blackjack 4) Bet more when the boss is watching 5) Bet less when the boss is not watching 6) Take Breaks 7) Look like a loser 8) Give gifts 9) Never turn down a comp and 10) Be Nice.” Example: According to URComped.com, most casinos reinvest 30% back into player comps, so a player betting $25 for 4 hours at blackjack should expect up to $27 in comps per day. This is based on an average daily theoretical (ADT) of $90.
[ maxrubin.com ] [ 5/80 Wong How to Profit From a Comp NBJ 83 ] [ 80 …About Junkets, Comp Guidelines C&S Vol.11,14 ] [ 12/89 The Flower The Comp Report BJF ] [ Casino Comps ]
comportment. As in casino comportment. The ways and manners of proper behavior in a casino. Proper casino comportment typically comes from experience.
[ 76 Andersen Turning the Tables on Las Vegas ]
composition dependent strategy. Usually a reference to basic strategy, but based upon the exact cards dealt to the player rather than just the total of the player’s hand. See basic strategy section.
Compucount. Compu Tek, Canyon Lake, CA. A concealable computer developed by G.G.(?) and once marketed by Jerry Patterson for about $800. This was a true count calculator that did not advise the player how to play his hand.
[ 3/84 Wong NVB 41 ] [ 90 Patterson Blackjack: A Winner’s Handbook 70 ]
computer software. See the blackjack software review section.
computers (concealed). Concealed computers that are used as an aid in counting cards are not permitted in casinos, although at one time they may have been technically legal. Blackjack computers have been designed to determine the true count or to make perfect playing decisions based on a given count. Specific statutes exist in Nevada that make it a felony to use these devices. See calculators. See George. See David. See Compucount. See Casey. See Uston 21Counter. See Fred. See Keith Taft. MORE INFO
[ 3/78 The Perfect Blackjack System ReN Vol.10,#3 ] [ 12/83 Wong Hidden Blackjack Computers BJW 199 ] [ 3/84 Snyder Wired to Win: Concealable Computers BJF 4 ] [ 9/84 Gwynn How Good Can a Pocket Blackjack… BJF ] [ 9/85 Snyder “Devices” Outlawed in Nevada BJF 14 ] [ 3/86 …Judge Rules Device Law Unconstitutional BJF 19 ] [ 87 The 1964 Blackjack Computer BJF ] [ 88 Man VS Computer BJF ] [ 4/89 Morningstar Blackjack Confidential 32 ] [ Sept 90 Byte Magazine ] [ 12/90 Rose Nevada Casinos Panicked Over… BJC ] [ Feb/Mar 92 Berendom A Blackjack Computer WIN ] [ qfit.com ] [ ARCHIVE: blackjackforumonline.com ]Connecticut. Two of the largest Indian casinos in the United States are the Foxwoods Casino, located in Ledyard and the Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville. See Indian blackjack. In 2016, Connecticut had 2 casinos with over 240 blackjack tables.
[ qfit.com ]
continuous shuffling machine. (CSM) A machine that continuously shuffles and mixes used cards. A CSM is designed to prevent opportunities for card counters. Essentially, a CSM forces every round as if it were “off the top of the deck”.* In addition, the machine provides an increase in the speed in the game by about 20%. See ASM. See shuffle machine. * Well, that it not entirely true. The cards just played won’t be in the next round of cards played. Of course, all CSMs are not created equal.
[ bj21.com ] [discountgambling.net ]
contra-D’Alembert. See D’Alembert.
controller. Someone who is controlling the game, as in someone who knows how to count and is able to signal to another person (e.g., the big player) at the table how to bet and play their hand. Generally, a controller will be betting minimum or lower bets to avoid any suspicion.
conventional surrender. Also called late surrender. See surrender.
conversion factor. (CF). The number by which the running count is multiplied or divided to derive the true count. This number is based on the percentage of cards that have not been put into play. For simplicity, it usually reflects the number of decks (in a shoe) or 1/4 or 1/2 decks remaining in a single-deck game.
cooler. {CHS}. A deck or a number of decks in prearranged sequence inserted into play by cheating players. See stacked deck.
[ 81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 251 ] [ 81 Ortiz Coolers C&S Vol. 15, 64 ]
Cooper, Carl. (aka Kenneth Cooper) Co-author of the book Worlds Greatest Blackjack Book (WGBJB). According to Lance Humble, Ken Cooper wrote about 10% of the WGBJB and was a professional author. At the time, Ken Cooper was a private consultant, a coach to businesses and an amateur blackjack player. According to Amazon’s biography, “See Lance Humble.
[ Ken Cooper – Official Site ] [ Bio – Amazon ] [ BlackjackTheForum.com ]
Copy Cat. A blackjack side bet that wins if the player matches at least one of his initial cards. HA = 6.78% to 7.43%
[ wizardofodds.com ]
copyrights. Interested in copyrights that are related to blackjack? Check out the entries and links under patents.
Core System. (Scott Frank) (1993) {RWC} A card counting system intended to beat non-random games. Only the 5s, 6s, 7s and 8s are counted.
[ 93 Frank Blackjack For Winners ] [ 9/93 Snyder Blackjack Forum 98 ]
CORE. A player-banking operation founded by Rob Reitzen.
[ bjinsider.com ]
CORE Team. TBD
[ Archive: detroitblackjackteam.com ]
correlation. Correlation is the relationship between two variables. The correlation coefficient is a measure of the degree to which these two variables are linearly related. See efficiency.
count. 1) Usually a reference to the running count which is the cumulative value of all cards played at any given time. There are a variety of different counting systems that assign point values to cards as they are dealt in a game. For example, the Hi-Lo card counting system would assign the following values to cards in a deck.
- 2,3,4,5,6 = +1
- 7,8,9 = 0
- 10,J,Q,K = -1
- Ace = -1
Most good Hi-Lo card counters can count down a deck in 20 seconds or less. The author has been told that the best record for counting down a deck is on the order of 10 or 11 seconds. See true count.
[ Sum,Fall 93 Dalton Playing by the Count BJR ]
countdown. 1) As in to “countdown a deck” using a card counting system. 2) See Blackjack Countdown.
counter. Someone who counts cards. See card counter.
counter-measures. As in casino counter-measures. See game control.
Counter’s Convention (CC). (January 1979) A reference to the time Resorts International in Atlantic City offered early surrender at their tables AND did not bar card counters. Also called the Atlantic City early surrender experiment.
counting system (or strategy). {CS} Any system that assigns a number (e.g. +2, -2, +1.5, -1.5, +1, -1, 0, etc) to cards as they are dealt.
coupons. See couponomy below.
couponomy. The profiting from opportunities created by casino competition by the use of positive expectation gaming coupons. A very desirable coupon is the “Free Ace” or “Your first card is an Ace” coupon which gives you an Ace as your first card on a hand. In this case your advantage on the hand is about 50%, or put another way: If you bet $100, the value of the coupon would be $100 x 50% = $50. See funbook. See matchplay. See lucky bucks.
[ 82 Griffin The Small Player Vol.21,65 ] [ 9/88 Curtis Las Vegas Advisor… ] [ Curtis Bargain City ] [ wizardofodds.com ] [ ARCHIVE: blackjackforumonline.com ] [ American Casino Guide Coupons ]
cover. {CS} Measures used by card counters to disguise the fact that they are counting. Cover is quite often necessary due to casino awareness of valid blackjack winning strategies. See camouflage. See act.
cover bet. {CS}. A bet made by a card counter to disguise from casino personnel the fact that he is counting. These include making:
- a large bet off-the-top.
- a small bet with a favorable count.
- a large bet with an unfavorable count.
See cover play below.
cover play. {CS}. A play of the hand made by a card counter to disguise from casino personnel the fact that he is counting. These plays are usually but not always a minor strategy error. See cover bet.
Cowboys & Cowgirls. (c2012) A blackjack side bet. This bet pays off based on the color of the dealer’s up card.
[ wizardofodds.com ]
CRAPS. 1) A reference to the blackjack team that Arnold Snyder once formed with Al Francesco. 2) What blackjack players occasionally play to camouflage their card counting activities. * Or, at least, that is what I tell my Wife.
Crawford, Ben. aka Benjamin Crawford. Co-founder of the Blackjack Apprenticeship web site and a team leader for the Church Team. From their web site, “Ben co-founded Blackjack Apprenticeship with Colin (and a 3rd friend) in 2008. Ben also co-managed “The Church Team,” with Colin, and was instrumental in the vision behind both the blackjack team and Blackjack Apprenticeship. Though Ben has moved on to other projects, he is still a part of much of the DNA (and videos) on Blackjack Apprenticeship.” See Colin Jones. See Blackjack Apprenticeship.
[ blackjackapprenticeship.com/ ] [ Books by Ben Crawford ] [ PODCAST: Oct 12, 2012 ]
Crayne System. {PBS}. (Charles Crayne). Not recommended.
[ 80 Revere Playing Blackjack as a Business 161 ]
Crazy Blackjack. (c2018?) A blackjack variant available at a few online casinos. From Dragonfish Software, it includes a progressive jackpot wager and two side-bets.
[ WizardOfOdds.com ] [ Dragonfish Software ]
Crazy Sevens. A side bet similar to Super Sevens but with a different pay table. (HA = 4.71% to 11.01% depending on pay table used) See Super Sevens.
[ wizardofodds.com ]
credit line. The amount of credit established for a player in a given casino. See credit player..
credit player. A player who has money deposited in the cage or has been approved for credit for the purposes of gambling. See front money. See marker.
credit slip. See fill slip.
crimp / crimping. {CHS}. A cheating method of bending a card to identify it for future play.
[ 6/82 Case Crimps – Invisible Devils BJF 18 ]
critter. See pit critter.
crossroader. A cheat, hustler, con man or scam artist.
C-R Point Count. {PCS/L2}. (Carlson Chambliss and Thomas Roginski).
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-1 1/2 1 1 1 1 1/2 0 0 -1
[ 90 Chambliss Fundamentals of Blackjack ]
cruise ships. Cruise ship gambling is an interesting alternative to gambling in a land based casino. Although Florida voters rejected casino gambling on the state’s territory, it can’t stop ships from offering gambling once they get 3 miles (East) or 12 miles (West) off the coast. It is interesting to note that most of the cruise ship companies in this country are foreign owned and most are registered in other countries. You will often also see small and large blackjack tournaments offered on the larger ships. Of course, most large cruise ships (except Disney) offer casino gambling. See Florida.
[ ARCHIVE: bj21: Cruise ship procedure when leaving from the United States ] [ 83 Lynch Miami Cruise Ships… C&S Vol.23,20 ] [ 2/83 Miller Gaming on the High Seas GT 16 ]
[ 84 Florida Gambling Cruise Ship… C&S Vol.27,28 ] [ 11/89 Saito Cruiseship & Foreign Blackjack… BJC ] [ 90 Dalton The Florida Cruise Ship Report ] [ 10/90 Clark California Cruisin’ – A Maritime… WIN ] [ 10/90 WIN Guide to Cruise Lines WIN 37 ] [ 1/91 Saito Floating Casinos – Blackjack… BJC 4 ] [ 4/91 Clarke Gambler’s Guide to Cruise Ships WIN 43 ] [ 10/91 Roberts Reg. Gaming on the High Seas WIN 8 ] [ 12/91 WIN Guide to Cruise Ship Casinos WIN 47 ] [ Sum 93 Dalton The Sea Escape – Florida 29 ]
cruise ship rules. Blackjack rules vary somewhat even on the cruise ships, however, the following is a typical example:
- 6 or 8-deck shoe games
- Double on any two cards
- Double after splits allowed
- Single deck blackjack with 6:5 blackjack rules
- Lower stakes blackjack (under $25 minimum) with 6:5 blackjack rules on shoe games
- Higher stakes blackjack ($25 minimum and higher) with 3:2 blackjack rules on shoe games
See Bahamas.
Crush Count. {CS} Jake Smallwood. A card counting system to beat the Over/Under 13 game. First introduced in the March 1990 issue of Blackjack Monthly.
[ 888casino.com ]
CRUSH COUNT
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1
Cryptologic software. For more information visit link below.
[ wizardofodds.com ]
CS. See Casino Surrender.
CSM. See Continuous Shuffling Machine.
CSR. Acronym for Continuously Shuffled Cards. Generally a reference to a machine device that continuously shuffles the cards after each round.
CTR. See Currency Transaction Report.
CTS. Acronym for Stanford Wong’s book Casino Tournament Strategy. See entry under Books.
Currency Transaction Report. (CTR) In casinos in the USA, a mandatory report to the government (FinCEN) for any cash transactions totaling $10,000 or more in a 24 hour period.
[ WIKIPEDIA ]
Anthony Curtis InterviewCourtesy: The Hot Shoe
Curtis, Anthony. Blackjack player, gambler, author and editor/publisher of Huntington Press’ Las Vegas Advisor which was founded in 1983. On June 22, 1986, Anthony Curtis took the first place prize of $76,000 at the Las Vegas Hilton’s Matchplay Blackjack Tournament. Won the Grosjean Cup trophy for World’s Greatest Blackjack Player at Max Rubin’s 21st Blackjack Ball in 2017. Elected to the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2020. Curtis is publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter.
[ lasvegasadvisor.com ] [ WIKIPEDIA ] [ ARCHIVE: aleaconsultinggroup.com ] [ ThePOGG Interview ] [ GGB News ] [ 21 Snyder Radical Blackjack 312 ] [ PODCASTS: Dec 2, 2011, Jan 24, 2014, Jun 17, 2015, Dec 1, 2016, Aug 24, 2017, Jan 2, 2020 ] A few of many interviews!
cut. 1) Offered by the dealer to the player just after the shuffle and before the first hand. The cut tends to split the deck or shoe into a different order. Most casinos require that players cut a minimum number of cards from the top or bottom (e.g., 10 cards). Players who are able to track shuffles can influence the game by placing the cut card in a more favorable position. Other sophisticated card location techniques also exist. See shuffle tracking. 2) As in cutting the checks. When the dealer runs his finger across two stacks of checks to verify they are the same.
[ ?? Gordon The ‘Two-Card Drop’… C&S Vol.21,23 ] [ 9/84 Master Take a Good CUT BJF 7 ]
cut card. Also called shuffle card. A solid piece of plastic (typical), the size of a regular playing card, that is inserted into the deck or shoe to determine the point at which the cards will be shuffled. Use of a cut card in a game is known as a fixed shuffle point. In home games the cut card is often the joker. See cut.
cut card effect. {CS} The cut card adds hands when the deck is lean in tens. In other words, when a cut card is used, the number of hands dealt when the true count is high is reduced. Similarly, the number of hands dealt is increased when the true count is negative. This effect is minor if you are card counting but most pronounced in single-deck if you are only using basic strategy. Bottom line: in hand-held games, basic strategy players should avoid games that use a cut card.
[ blackjackincolor.com ] [ blackjackinfo.com ] [ qfit.com/card-counting-cce.htm ]
cutoffs. As in tracking the cutoffs. The unplayed cards at the shuffle point and behind the cut card.
CV. Acronym for Norm Wattenberger’s blackjack software program Casino Verite. Software products include:
- CVBASIC. Free practice software for blackjack basic strategy.
- CVBJ. Practice play and drills.
- CVBlueprint. Practice play and drills and companion software to Blackjack Blueprint by Rick Blaine. Half the features of CVBJ.
- CVDATA. Advanced simulations and strategy construction.
- CVCX. High speed simulations and calculators.
- CVSH. Shuffle tracking and ace prediction
[ qfit.com/ ]
CW. Acronym for cocktail waitress.
[ BJ21.com Blackjack Glossary ]
Czech Team. (c1970s) From the Legends of Blackjack book: …if you mention the Czech blackjack team, many old-time pit bosses still break out in a cold sweat. The remarkable exploits of the Czechs truly place them among the legends of blackjack. Paul Rylance organized and managed the Czech Team. See George Hascik. See Cathy Hulbert.
[ ARCHIVE: kasino.cz/cesky-blackjack-tym/ ] [ Uston One Third of a Shoe ]