Eric, you want my thoughts, advice, etc. on counting?
OK, lend me your ear, but you might not like what you are
about to hear.
The Player: All card counters I have met think
they are the sharpest knife in the drawer. Forget dialog
with them to the contrary, they all believe they can beat
the house at will, any time, any place. In reality, I've
found more mediocre counters than good ones, and egos larger
than the casino operators'. I figure the subliminal self
of counters is based on abnormally high testosterone levels.
Them Guys: Working the pits for years, taking numerous
seminars on counting, plus being a proficient counter myself-me
make it a career move? NOT-I can smell a counter a mile
away. Even your average pitboss will take simple measures
to combat these casino pests. Pit bosses will hassle counters
by putting more decks on the game, burying more cards on
the shuffle, stopping mid-entry shoe betting, having the
dealer shuffle half way through the deck, and when all else
fails, back you off the game.
The Money Makers: So is anyone truly making money
on card counting? Sure. A very small, select group of counters
who have created a cottage industry of seminars, tapes,
books and newsletters on counting. For most experts, writing
about playing is more lucrative than playing itself.
Hitting the Casino: Card counters, theoretically,
have an inherent advantage of between .5 and 1.5 percent
against the casino. Counting theory is quite simple. Big
cards (10s, aces) favor the player, small cards (2-6) favor
the dealer.
All card counting systems keep track of the relationship
of small cards to big cards remaining in the deck. When
the cards remaining favor the player, you bet more money.
When they favor the dealer, you bet less.
The simplest count to learn is a one level count, a.k.a
the Hi-Lo counting system. It assigns the following count
values to each card.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (small cards).......................+1
7, 8, 9 (neutral cards)............................ 0
10, J, Q, K, Ace (big cards)....................-1
To use the Hi-Lo method, you need to add and subtract
the above counting values for every card exposed on the
blackjack table. By mentally keeping an updated running
count from one hand to the next, you vary your bets according
to the positive/negative value of the upcoming hand.
But it all comes back to our jumpy pit boss who wants
to run you out the door. He's just not going to be happy
with blackjack players who know how to beat the house. He
would much prefer players who think they know how to win
but are experts at losing-players on the bottom rung of
the casino food chain.
Geez, Eric, I'm just warming up, but because of limited
space I'm forced to come full circle. If you're still going
to make card counting a career move, may I make a final
suggestion? Don't quit your day job.
