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Blackjack

Getting Away With It!

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Blackjack BootcampBy Allan Pell.

Most casinos are very paranoid about card-counters.  They know good counters can beat blackjack.  They are on the alert for any signs of card-counters.  But that does not mean you cannot easily get away with it, if you know what you are doing and if you know what signs to look for.

1)EDITOR NOTE: This article was excerpted from the Blackjack Bootcamp video course workbook by Allan Pell and originally published in Blackjack Review Magazine in 1998.  This product is no longer available.  If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Allan Pell or if he is still alive please contact me. Don’t be worried or intimidated by casino personnel — they won’t hurt you.  They are in fact intimidated by you.  They fear having a lot of money taken on their shift.  They fear being cheated by scam artists.  This is a real fear — there are crooks with countless schemes and illegal tricks for removing the casino’s cash.  But remember, card counting IS NOT cheating and card counting IS NOT illegal.  It is merely a mental strategy of play.  You should never feel guilty about being a good counter.  You are not “stealing”;  you simply have a skill that can help you make a little more money than the next guy.  Which is not much different from what the casinos are doing:  using every trick in the book to take money from the gambling public.  You should be proud of your skill, but always be sure to use it wisely.  The last thing to do in a casino is to announce to the world that you are a skilled card counter.

Blackjack is the one game that can cost the casinos a lot of money, especially if they are hit by the teams.  So they are constantly on guard for counters (and real cheats, for that matter).  They believe that they know how to detect card counters, but if you know what signs they are looking for, you can usually outsmart them.

Do not walk into a casino with a sign over you head blaring “Card Counter Here.”  It sounds ridiculous, but some players are practically doing just that.  Some people like to play “know-it-all” and be the table instructor.  The casinos will use any and all evidence they can pick up from you to determine whether or not they want your business.  They can scrutinize your manner of dressing, body language, eye movement, tone of voice, table behavior, and of course, your playing and betting.

“You can’t expect to keep coming
back to the same casino day
after day while taking their
money and be welcomed with
open arms.”

Different casinos have differing levels of tolerance for counters.  Some are more paranoid than others.  While one casino will play the game with you, letting you win a bit, others believe they must show “Zero Tolerance” to all counters and will attempt to come down hard on you.  In reality, there are so many counters out there who don’t know what they are doing (not playing blackjack basic strategy, for example) that the presence of a counter does not necessarily guarantee a big winner.  So some casinos are actually wasting their time and money to eradicate bad counters who were going to lose money anyway.

When a casino wants to show you that you are unwelcome, it has several methods for making you uncomfortable.  You want to avoid what is sometime called attracting “heat” or attention to yourself.  Don’t worry about anything serious happening to you.  The worst thing they can do is kick you out, though in some states they can kick you out permanently.  This is called “barring” or “banning.”  Atlantic City is one jurisdiction that doesn’t allow barring of players.  That might seem like an advantage to counters, but the Atlantic City casinos counteract the fact that they must deal to counters by offering less favorable rules and conditions.  For that reason, most pros would rather risk being barred in places like Nevada where the rules are generally more favorable.

Creating an Act or Legend

To conceal the fact that you are a card counter, you must fabricate an “act”.  You must pretend to be someone besides yourself, someone who has a perfectly natural reason for being in a casino.  You want to avoid all the telltale signs of card counters, which we’ll cover later.

Blend in.  Be like everyone else who has come to the casino to have a good time.  Do not do anything to call attention to yourself.  Most are tourists on vacation.  Look like a tourist.  Tourists wear tourist clothing — casual clothes, T-shirts and caps with imprinted logos from other vacation spots, Bermuda shorts and so on.  Even if you feel silly wearing this stuff, you will be safer if you blend in.

Have a reason for being on vacation.  You must be able to talk to people as if you were a real tourist, so you must create an identity for yourself that is more or less complete, consistent and believable.  This is all part of the act.

Dream up an occupation for yourself.  Make sure it’s one that you know enough about to discuss reasonably.  Perhaps a job you held in the past or one that a close friend has.  If someone starts chatting with you, you should be able to react naturally.  They might babble on about themselves for a while, but then say, “So where you from?”  You have to come right back with something like, “Flint, Michigan.  We run a plumbing supply company up there.  Yeah, business has been pretty rough lately.”  The more boring your occupation sounds, the less likely they will ask a lot of probing questions.  As you become fluent in card counting and in putting on an act, you’ll feel the intoxicating power of being in control by being able to manipulate your surroundings to your benefit.2)We are not advising you to commit fraud.  There’s no law that says you have to give people real information about yourself in social situations.  You have the right to protect your own privacy.  We’re not suggesting you use fake ID’s or sign into a room under a fake name.

Changing Your Act

You can’t expect to keep coming back to the same casino day after day while taking their money and be welcomed with open arms.  They will get wise to you eventually.  So your act has to be constantly changing.  You need a handful of personae that you rotate.  You also will want to move from casino to casino.  Take a break after you pull in some decent money.  Keep it fresh.

Concealing Your Identity

If you’ve been playing for a while and you’re winning, the house may offer you their player’s club card.  The advantage of a player’s card, they’ll tell you, is that you can get free drinks and meals by showing it, based on how much action you put into play.  The more you play, the more freebies they’ll give you.  What they don’t tell you is that the card is a way for them to keep track of you.  Keeping track of you lets them rate your play, and keep tabs on you.  I don’t recommend getting a card, but if you do get one be sure to NOT give your real name.3)Not giving your real name may no longer be an option in today’s casinos as they will ask for an ID.  Many card counters just refuse to be rated.   The advantage of having a player’s card is that they will mark down how much you’ve played and how much you’ve bet and won or lost (as well as your playing history and skill level.)  “Comps” or complimentary food and drinks are given to players based on how much they play, or how much they have bet.  So you increase your chances of getting comped on food or a room if you have a player’s card that shows you’ve spent quite a bit of money.  Its a form of bribery — if you play long enough, we’ll throw in a couple bucks worth of grub or booze.

Nearly all casinos track your play using computer systems.  Each time you play or use your player’s card to get comp food or drink, casinos will collect data on you and store it in their database.  So, the next time you show up at that casino or hotel, even if it’s a year later, they know what to expect from you.  And if they have rated your playing ability as expert or professional, you will be greeted with more scrutiny than the average player.  The casino will most certainly know that there is an expert player at the tables to keep an eye on.

Copyright © 1998 – 2023 All Rights Reserved
Originally published in the Winter 1998 issue of Blackjack Review Magazine

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1EDITOR NOTE: This article was excerpted from the Blackjack Bootcamp video course workbook by Allan Pell and originally published in Blackjack Review Magazine in 1998.  This product is no longer available.  If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Allan Pell or if he is still alive please contact me.
↑2We are not advising you to commit fraud.  There’s no law that says you have to give people real information about yourself in social situations.  You have the right to protect your own privacy.  We’re not suggesting you use fake ID’s or sign into a room under a fake name.
↑3Not giving your real name may no longer be an option in today’s casinos as they will ask for an ID.  Many card counters just refuse to be rated.
Blackjack

The Art of Twenty-One

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by Michael Dalton

The Art of BlackjackThe key to success for most blackjack card counters is the act.  It is the very essence to the art of twenty-one.  It is what distinguishes the average card counter who has trouble finding a good game and the blackjack expert who manages to make the game good.

A player once told me that he gave up card counting because every time he raised his bet the dealer would shuffle up on him and intimidate him by trying to deal faster.  If this player had used some common sense and not acted so obviously like a card counter he probably would have been left alone.  A good card counter should be able to keep up with the fastest dealer, however, if you are having issues with this, here is a tip:  Just play your hand slower and think about every decision.  Don’t let the dealer dictate the speed of the game!  To be successful at twenty-one you not only have to be able to count cards you must develop a unique style of play that is different from what the casinos are looking for.

CARD COUNTERS DON’T DRINK

All books recommend that players not drink.  All casinos realize that drinking affects judgment and card counting and drinking don’t mix.  Therefore, players who drink are not a threat to the casino and more likely than not they are preferred to your average player.

I also recommend that you don’t drink when you play but no one ever said you couldn’t pretend to drink.  I will often order a Heineken or dark bottle beer only to empty 95% of its contents out and refill it with water.  This completes my full gambler/tourist act.  It doesn’t cost much since you can always refill your beer bottle with water.  Just don’t try carrying your beer bottle from casino to casino.  You might get arrested!

EARLY MORNING PLAY

Many card counters prefer to play early in the morning (3-6AM) because they tend to get better games and there are less crowds.  However, most casinos also realize this.  If your schedule calls for early morning play, try not grooming yourself when you wake up.  In other words, don’t shave or shower.  From the casino’s point of view, you will appear to be a player that has stayed up all night and thus less of a threat.  Some players push this to an extreme!  I once ran into an fellow card counter1)Yes, a card counter can usually identify another card counter in the casino.  I remember the first time this happened to me many years ago.  I was at the Silver City Casino in Las Vegas playing a $1 minimum single deck game.  It only took about 15 minutes.  I didn’t like the fact that this player was practically mirroring my bets.  I later discovered after talking to him that he was using one of Lawrence Revere’s Point Count Systems.  Recently, I found a fellow counter playing much higher stakes on a cruise ship.  He was betting $50 to $500 or so.  I watched him for a few days and after being convinced he was accurately keeping the count, I would occasionally jump into his game betting my maximum bet whenever he had $500 or more on the table. who attempted to block seats while smoking, drinking and essentially acting like an idiot.  

NEVER STARE

One give-away that you may be a counter is that you sit quietly and stare at the cards.  You need to get over this!  A glance is all that should be necessary to accurately pick up the count. You should be counting cards as efficiently as possible – counting cards in groups of 2, 3 or more and canceling cards out.  For minus counts, never think “minus X”.  Always think “my X” or something simpler.  It is shorter and more efficient.  If you get distracted for some reason, have a method to “lock in” the count.  Using chips or a chip location has worked for me. 

ALWAYS BE FRIENDLY

Probably the best advice I can give to increase longevity in the casino is the ability to talk with other players, the dealer and pit personnel while accurately keeping the count and playing perfectly.  For more ideas on putting on the perfect “act” be sure to read The Blackjack Player’s Guide to Idiot Camouflage and Ian Andersen’s book below.

Burning the Tables in Las VegasIan Andersen’s Burning the Tables in Las Vegas (First published 1999)Blackjack Hall of Fame

Why? This was the long awaited sequel to one of the best-selling blackjack books ever written, Turning the Tables on Las Vegas. Included powerful camouflage strategies to avoid detection by casino staff while card counting.

[ BUY ON AMAZON: Burning the Tables in Las Vegas ]

Copyright © 1992 – 2020 All Rights Reserved
Originally published (in part) in the Summer 1992 issue of Blackjack Review Magazine

BLOG MENU 2)The Art of Twenty-One: Blackjack and Smoking Cigars Background image courtesy of Michael Godard, the “Rockstar of the Art World”.

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1Yes, a card counter can usually identify another card counter in the casino.  I remember the first time this happened to me many years ago.  I was at the Silver City Casino in Las Vegas playing a $1 minimum single deck game.  It only took about 15 minutes.  I didn’t like the fact that this player was practically mirroring my bets.  I later discovered after talking to him that he was using one of Lawrence Revere’s Point Count Systems.  Recently, I found a fellow counter playing much higher stakes on a cruise ship.  He was betting $50 to $500 or so.  I watched him for a few days and after being convinced he was accurately keeping the count, I would occasionally jump into his game betting my maximum bet whenever he had $500 or more on the table.
↑2The Art of Twenty-One: Blackjack and Smoking Cigars Background image courtesy of Michael Godard, the “Rockstar of the Art World”.
Blackjack

Blackjack Player’s Guide to Idiot Camouflage

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. by Michael Dalton

This article originally started out (in the 1990s) as an Internet discussion group topic called “What New (Blackjack) Players Do.”  I would like to thank Grimy Fellow for posting the topic and Max Von Count, JW, Curious Amateur, BJ, Grinder, Slick, and Don Schlesinger for contributing items and ideas.

“…the less you ‘look’ like a counter the longer your play will be welcome.”

The point of this topic was to come up with ideas to improve a card counter’s cover at the table.  When you get to a comfortable level of proficiency in card counting you often forget that your play may be monitored.  The last thing you want is for a casino to suspect that you are good enough to beat its game simply because you act and look like a good player.   Although it is almost impossible to count cards indefinitely without being detected the less you “look” like a counter the longer your play will be welcome.

Obviously, not all of the plays below can be incorporated in a player’s camouflage repertoire but many of them can with little or no loss in expectation:

    • Making a few (or a lot) of playing errors. (This can get costly – See update below!)
    • Over-tipping or just tipping in general. (This can get costly – See update below!)
    • Telling the dealer you want to double down when you really want to split a pair. (You don’t want to do this with a pair of 5s.)
    • Having consultations with friends or other players about how to play your hand.
    • Putting an insurance bet out equal to your first bet.
    • Doubling down by betting twice the amount of your first bet.
    • Going WILD over winning a $5 hand! (Or at least getting overly excited when you get a blackjack — even with a small bet.)
    • Referring to a basic strategy card. (usually a bad one)
    • Doubling down for less. (usually because they have run out of money)
    • Placing medium to big bets off the top of the deck or shoe. (This can get costly – See update below!)
    • Pressing your bets when you win.
    • Chasing your losses.
    • Always (or usually) taking even money. (This can get costly – See update below!)
    • Running over to the slots for one lucky pull.
    • Attempting to shake the dealer’s hand.
    • Drinking too much while playing. (You can act can’t you?)
    • Splitting tens. (I’d be careful about this one!)
    • Trying to “hand” the dealer cash when you want chips.
    • Having a cup full of slot tokens on the table.
    • Touching the cards to split them in a face up game. (a definite no-no!).
    • Placing money on “top” of your original bet when doubling down. (You can only get away with this once per casino!)
    • Asking what insurance is “after” the dealer asks “Insurance anyone?”
    • Asking what surrender is. (if sign mentions surrender is available).
    • Asking if there is a bonus for a 5-card 21.
    • Asking if the dealer wins ties.
    • Not paying attention to the game when distracted by the cocktail waitress, friends, or by the noise of someone who just won a slot jackpot.
    • Getting upset when third base takes the dealer’s bust card. (An indication that a player is not really new to the game, however, is superstitious.)
    • Stacking chips in the betting circle in no apparent order (e.g., green on top, red on bottom, etc.)
    • Not using hand signals or incorrectly using hand signals.
    • Not using correct terminology at the table. (Like bust, hit, stand, felt, insurance, tokes)
    • Taking too much time to play a hand.

Here are a few “new player” habits that are applicable only in hand-held games:

    • Picking up the cards with two hands.
    • Leaning too far back with the cards, thereby removing them from above the felt — a definite no-no!
    • Failing to tuck your original cards under your bet, in the circle, when you stand. (The usual move is to simply drop the cards in front of your pile of chips, thus annoying the hell out of the dealer who has to pick them up and give instructions on “tucking”!)
    • Failing to turn over your blackjacks.
    • Turning over your cards when you hit to 21. (thinking that this is the same as a natural)
    • Bending the cards when you look at them.
    • Peeking under the cards as if it were a poker hand.

Once again, be aware that some of the above plays may not be suitable or cost effective as cover.  You obviously don’t want to over-tip the dealer and you obviously don’t want to make costly playing errors.  But not all playing errors are costly!   A good source of information on this topic is Don Schlesinger’s article entitled “How ‘Dumb’ Can You Afford to Appear?” in the September 1993 issue of Blackjack Forum.   One of the conclusions of this article was that appearing very “dumb” at the outset of play may remove any potential heat after just a few hours.  Schlesinger wrote “Pit bosses often formulate ‘first impressions’ that last for the duration of the trip.  So you might not have to continue to make ‘mistakes’ all the way through.”  Schlesinger presents charts of every basic strategy play possible with hand frequencies and conditional and absolute penalties for deviating from basic strategy.   According to Schlesinger study, of the 254 plays on the chart almost 100 of them carry penalties of less than one cent per $100.

In the 1990s, I integrated many of the above ideas, including an occasional playing error from time to time,  into my overall blackjack strategy.   If you want a long playing career, you should give the above ideas serious consideration!  Good luck!

Yield2019 UPDATE:  Playing errors can be costly!  I no longer recommend making playing errors for the sake of camouflage.  Most pit personnel probably won’t even know a “playing error” from an appropriate card counter’s “play deviation” anyway.  Oh…. and be careful with tipping!  If you tip at all, I suggest tipping at the “end” of a session only, which also suggests that you only tip if you won.

Copyright © 1997 – 2022 All Rights Reserved
Originally published (in part) in the Summer 1997 issue of Blackjack Review Magazine

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Blackjack, Michael Dalton

Words to Die By!

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Words and phrases to avoid at the blackjack table

by Michael Dalton

 AAARGH!Words can indeed be our own worst enemy!  What we say and how we react to others can often mirror our intelligence, and reflect on our experience and knowledge.  At the blackjack table, card counters1)Of course, this discussion also applies to any advantage play technique for any game! don’t want to appear too bright or they run the risk of arising suspicion in the dealer and/or floor person’s eye. What’s the result of this intelligent behavior?  As a minimum, you may receive heat and gross intellectual prowess may call for unwanted counter-measures.   The heat you receive may include being closely monitored or even harassed.  Counter-measures can include everything from the dealer giving you a hard time,  moving the cut-card to provide worse penetration,  shuffling up on you when you increase your bet, to backing off your play and asking you to leave.

“…blackjack is a cat
and mouse game…
and you are the mouse!”

Imagine a player asking a dealer, “Is double-after-splitting allowed here?” Although the question is innocent enough it announces to the pit that you are a reasonably intelligent player who is aware of the value of this rule.  Even before this player has sat down, he has given the pit reason to be suspicious.  Casinos don’t like card counters and if you are suspected of being one you will have a tough time gaining any advantage over them.  Just remember, dealers can easily communicate information about you to their superiors.  And once you are tagged it is often a long time before you can show your face without similar results.

Unlike poker where expert players are often revered by the casino and other players alike,  blackjack is a cat and mouse game… and you are the mouse!  To survive,  you have to conceal your true identity and blend in (as much as possible) with the rest of the losers casinos see every day.

The following table lists many commonly known words and phrases that experienced and knowledgeable blackjack players use.  Although some novices may also know these words, it should be your goal to avoid as many of them as possible when you are in a casino.   Rather, use the words listed on the right column… or make up your own!  If a novice term is not listed I highly recommend that you don’t even think about saying it in a casino.

 PROPER TERMINOLOGY NOVICE TERMINOLOGY
Ace-Card  (e.g., Ace-Five)Treat as hard hand (e.g., 6 or 16)
Basic strategyBlackjack strategy
Blackjacks only pay 6 to 5?Damn… this casino sucks!
Blackjack Review or the name of any blackjack publicationThem experts…
BustDamn… I went over 21
Card countingMemorizing them cards
ChecksPoker chips
Counter-measure —
Cut cardJoker
Cutoffs —
Discard trayUsed cards
Double after split —
Double ExposureFace up blackjack
Ed Thorp or the name of any blackjack expert or authorityThem experts…
Face cardTen valued card
First, second or third baseFirst, middle or last seat
Floorman (floor person)Employee (or dealer’s boss)
Hard handHand
Heat —
Hole-cardUnder the dealer’s card
Indices —
InsuranceExcuse me?
Las VegasVegas… Vegas Baby!
Location (i.e., of aces) —
LayoutGreen felt
Natural or Twenty-OneBlackjack
PackDeck
Penetration (e.g., 75% pen) —
PitBlackjack area
Pit bossDealer’s boss (or manager)
Preferential shuffleDamn… this casino sucks!
Re-split aces —
ShoeBox
Shuffle (any type)Shuffle
Shuffle upTime to take a break
Soft handHand with an Ace
SurrenderI give up!
TokeTip
True or running count —
Up-cardDealer’s card
Zone —

Any suggestions?  Leave a comment below.

Copyright © 1996 – 2021 All Rights Reserved
Originally published (in part) in the Summer 1996 issue of Blackjack Review Magazine

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1Of course, this discussion also applies to any advantage play technique for any game!
Blackjack

Ten Fun Ways to Look Like an Idiot

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Or avoiding blackjack protocol at all costs!

by Michael Dalton

  1. Before you sit down at any table be sure to introduce yourself and shake the dealer’s hand. If you need chips, always hand the dealer the money directly.  Never place money directly on the table… someone might steal it!

    Ten Fun Ways to Look Like an Idiot

     

  2. Be sure to have a cup full of slot tokens in your lap and preferably on the table. They are great for tipping and when you pile them up in your betting circle you will feel like a high roller.
     
  3. Always pick up your cards with two hands. You don’t want to drop them do you?
     
  4. Tell the dealer you would like to take insurance when he “doesn’t” have an Ace up. Oh, let’s say, with an 8 up, for example.
     
  5. When playing your hand, always signal your wishes verbally instead of using that silly scratching technique.
     
  6. In a face down game, don’t tell anyone if you get a blackjack. Just keep it a secret until the dealer flips it over… for all to enjoy!
     
  7. When doubling down, just slap your chips on top of your main bet. It’s so much more fun doing it this way and it adds a bit of excitement to the game.  When security comes just tell them you heard about it in Blackjack Review.. they’ll understand!
     
  8. In a face down game when the count is negative… and you have busted your hand, just keep asking for cards until you get 31. Just tell them you thought this was Chinese blackjack.
     
  9. Every now and then bet less than the table minimum. This keeps the dealer and pit on their toes and tells them you are someone to be reckoned with!
     
  10. If another player makes a mistake… any mistake, ask the dealer for your money back!

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Copyright © 1996 – 2023 All Rights Reserved
Originally published (in part) in the Summer 1996 issue of Blackjack Review Magazine

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