Bet Sizes, Splitting Pairs and Card-shuffling
Machines
GameMaster,
I've noticed in a lot of your articles and columns that each
betting sequence starts at the table's minimum. In blackjack
for instance the first bet is $5, correct? Then what? $5 again
or $10? I then understand a natural progression of raising
the bet and pulling back a profit. The first bet at a table
whether blackjack or outsides on roulette should be more than
the table minimum, $10 at $5 tables, $15 at 10's and so on.
This way if you do win the first bet then you drop your bet
down to the minimum. If you lose the next bet you're still
showing a profit. Not bad for winning one and losing one.
What are your thoughts?
The betting at Blackjack is based only on the count of
the cards. Since the casino usually has an advantage on the
first hand, we typically bet the table minimum. There is no
betting method that will overcome casino's edge at most games
for very long, so I don't support such 'schemes'. If the casino
has an edge, you should bet the minimum at all times, because
all a progression will do for you is raise the average size
of your bet and you'll lose more quickly. Unfortunately, there's
no way to get a permanent advantage over any casino game other
than Blackjack, some slot machines (with a 'banking' feature)
and some video poker games. But, hey.... three games that
can be beaten aren't so bad.
GameMaster,
I just found your website today as I am last-minute preparing
myself for my trip to Vegas this weekend. It is great! Keep
up the good work. I am reading over your Basic Strategy lesson
and the matrix says on a pair of 3s or 2s, you should split
against a 7. I have been thinking about this one for a while
and can't seem to understand why it would be advantageous
to do so. It would seem to me that it is much easier to lose
2 hands against a 7 this way. Please explain the strategy
behind this bet.
Glad you like the site; keep coming back. As for the
splitting of 2s and 3s against a 7, remember that your other
choice is to hit a 4 or 6 (the hands you'll have if you don't
split). Plus, this rule applies particularly where double
after split is allowed. Hitting a 4, consisting of two 2s,
has an expected value (E.V.) of -.089, whereas splitting the
pair has an E.V. of -.054 (as a percentage of the initial
bet) if DAS isn't allowed and -.006 if DAS is allowed. As
for the 3s, hitting a 6 against a 7 has an E.V. of -.154,
whereas splitting is -.115 without DAS and -.056 with. You
can see that both hands are losers, regardless how you play
them, but you lose less by splitting. Don't spend a lot of
time worrying about this, though. In 100,000 hands of play,
you'll get 2s or 3s against a 7 only 86 times!
GameMaster,
As my boyfriend was turning $10 into a couple hundred, the
roulette dealer paid him on his 32 when the wheel actually
hit 23. He left the money on the table but didn't say anything.
He finally picked it up after she paid everyone else, and
after she removed the marker from the table. At that time
the Pit Boss came up and got a new ball. She felt it real
good and spun it herself! It hit double zero and my boyfriend
lost about $30. Then some guy came out of nowhere and started
talking to him and giving him nonsense advice. We got out
of there right away. Was this a set up? And exactly under
what circumstances does the Pit Boss do this? Please reply;
we're due back in Vegas this weekend. Thank you for your time!
No, I don't think it was a setup or anything like that.
The casino's edge in roulette is sooo big (5.26%) that they
don't have to manipulate anything. It is unusual for them
to change the ball, but I think the 'pit critter' showed up
because she felt that there was something wrong. If you're
in a casino long enough, you can see by peoples' reactions
that something isn't normal, and indeed, it wasn't; the dealer
had improperly paid a hand. However, the double zero was,
no doubt, a coincidence. As for the 'visitor', there are tons
of people running around out there who think roulette can
be beaten. They are wrong.
GameMaster,
First of all I would like to thank you for putting together
a website worth viewing. It is very informative. I want to
be the best blackjack player possible. I have been to Vegas
once and Biloxi twice. I did fairly well in Vegas using the
basic strategy. I used the basic strategy in Biloxi and got
swept off as if the cards were rigged or something. In Biloxi
I went from casino to casino trying to find a winning roll
but got the shaft every time. The casino rules of the game
seemed to be parallel to Vegas but I just couldn't win using
basic strategy. I'm going to Vegas in Sept and I have a few
questions if you would be gracious enough to answer.
Remember that Basic Strategy alone will not give you
an edge over the casinos; you have to combine that with counting.
1) Using the Hi/Lo strategy, do you place a count on the
face cards? If so, then what?
Face cards count as -1. I'm not sure I understand the
second question. Have you read my lessons on the Blackjack
Page of my site?
2) What is the single best way to prepare myself for the
trip? Videos, books?
Neither. Practice as I've described in my lessons.
Is there one video that will tremendously help my game?
No. There is no easy way to do this; it takes a lot of
repetition at home.
3) Is there a difference (besides house rules) in playing
in Vegas, Atlantic City, and Biloxi or on some cruise ship?
Sure, there are differences, but the card counting principles
all apply.
GameMaster,
You gave me some good advice before on learning Deuces Wild,
and I have another question. If I wanted to learn how to play
blackjack, how should I go about it? Should I get a book,
such as Knock-Out Blackjack (which I have seen hyped quite
a bit), or should I proceed simply by learning the strategies
as outlined in your articles? I want to make the best use
of my time, and I know you are the man! I'd appreciate any
input you could provide.
I recommend you do my lessons first, because they're free.
The method I teach is more difficult to learn than the "KO"
system, but it's also more powerful. Give it a try before
you spend any $$$.
GameMaster,
I'm wondering if it is possible to do card counting when the
casino uses an automatic card-shuffling machine? As I know
it, this machine randomly shuffles the card and, with six
decks I guess it's quite impossible to count the cards. Then
the entire card counting technique does not apply then. Where
do we get our advantage?
A shuffling machine does not diminish the value of card
counting, unless it's a 'continuous' shuffler where the cards
that have been played are added back into the pack of remaining
cards. If the shuffler is used just to mix the 6 decks together
and then they are placed in a shoe and dealt in the usual
style, counting cards still works. Since the Hi/Lo counting
method requires only some simple addition and subtraction,
it's possible to count six HUNDRED decks of cards, let alone
just six. The counter's advantage in a multi-deck game comes
primarily from betting different amounts as the composition
of the remaining cards changes, less when the casino has an
edge and more when the player has an edge. For more information,
go to the "The Blackjack Page: Story Archive" of my site.
GameMaster,
What is the real purpose of card counting? I can understand
on the betting procedure of when to double, split, stay, etc.,
but I am new at this and am willing to learn more and to bring
my play of BJ to a better level; what am I looking for when,
say, the card count is M2 or say +3 when counting cards??
This is new to me so please understand that you have a beginner
here :) I live in Missouri and the boats in K.C. have multiple
decks.
The object of card counting is twofold: 1) to tell you
when to bet more and 2) to tell you when to modify Basic Strategy.
A count of M2 tells you that the deck is in the casino's
favor, so you should bet the minimum, but as the count goes
up, you'll bet more. All you need to know can be found on
the Blackjack Page of my site. Just follow the Blackjack lessons
in there and all this will become clear to you.
Hot Tip of the Month:
Ever play the "Super Sevens" option at Blackjack? The house's
edge varies with the payout, but in most cases it's over 10%
of your $1 side bet. Think the house needs an extra dime from
you on each round? They expect to make less than that from
your $5 bet on the hand!
-the GameMaster
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