What do you think?
Rate this book
Blackjack Card Counting Tricks
You’re watching Dustin Hoffman play blackjack game, you’ve heard of blackjack card counting players winning huge sums of money at the blackjack tables, and you say to yourself, “How amazing is it that these guys can remember every card that comes up? I could never do that.”
Well, guess what? Card counters aren’t autistic savants, and just like everyone else they don’t (or for that matter can’t) remember every card that’s been dealt. That’s Hollywood, or that’s being lucky enough to have been born with a gifted memory. And although being a successful counter at times does lend itself to a little glamour and sophistication, playing blackjack at the professional level is no walk down Hollywood Boulevard. But it can be very rewarding, and at the same time lots of fun.
The pages that follow assume you’re a mere mortal. You have trouble remembering directions. No matter how many times you dial the local Chinese takeout, you still aren’t sure if the first three digits are 254 or 245. And in the long run you’re behind in the casinos, even though your wife’s friend and her husband never seem to have a losing trip to Vegas—and they’ve been doing Sin City West for as long as you can remember. (A little inside information: They’re lying.)
Everyone loses in the end, with the exception of a small group comprising professional card counters and expert poker players, and that rare breed of gambler who wins big on a slot machine and then stops gambling altogether. That’s because it’s impossible to overcome the mathematics of playing at a disadvantage. Make no mistake about it, beating the casinos at their own game isn’t easy, which is why professional card counters and expert poker players, even with an advantage, lose a little more often than you might think.
I’d be lying to you if I said that in all the years I’ve been playing blackjack, I never fantasized about walking up to a table and remembering every card that comes out. But that’s neither what card counting is nor pretends to be. Being a counter means using a point count to keep a running track of what cards have been dealt, and then doing a bunch of “related calculations.” The tricky part is that you have to do these other calculations simultaneously, and you have to do them quickly; things like (i) remembering the correct blackjack basic strategy, (2) converting the running count to what’s called (3) a true count, (4) deviating from blackjack basic strategy, depending on the true count number just calculated, and (5) applying a correct blackjack strategy. Some advanced card-counting methods also involve keeping a side count of aces, because the ace is such a valuable card when it comes to blackjack strategy. And the entire effort should be orchestrated with the same relaxed air you used in ordering a cocktail at poolside the night before.
Sounds tough, doesn’t it? Well, it’s really not that bad. In fact, it’s a lot easier than you might think. But that’s what it takes to eke out an advantage, and that’s precisely what a card counter does. The pages that follow will walk you through each and every step of the process.
If at first glance any task or procedure seems too difficult or complicated, take a short break, a deep breath, and then say, “I can do this.” Say it again to yourself, and remember to remain optimistic as you begin to learn the process. Spend the necessary time in the beginning and what you will come away with is a lucrative talent that can be applied as long as blackjack online games are offered.
Well, guess what? Card counters aren’t autistic savants, and just like everyone else they don’t (or for that matter can’t) remember every card that’s been dealt. That’s Hollywood, or that’s being lucky enough to have been born with a gifted memory. And although being a successful counter at times does lend itself to a little glamour and sophistication, playing blackjack at the professional level is no walk down Hollywood Boulevard. But it can be very rewarding, and at the same time lots of fun.
The pages that follow assume you’re a mere mortal. You have trouble remembering directions. No matter how many times you dial the local Chinese takeout, you still aren’t sure if the first three digits are 254 or 245. And in the long run you’re behind in the casinos, even though your wife’s friend and her husband never seem to have a losing trip to Vegas—and they’ve been doing Sin City West for as long as you can remember. (A little inside information: They’re lying.)
Everyone loses in the end, with the exception of a small group comprising professional card counters and expert poker players, and that rare breed of gambler who wins big on a slot machine and then stops gambling altogether. That’s because it’s impossible to overcome the mathematics of playing at a disadvantage. Make no mistake about it, beating the casinos at their own game isn’t easy, which is why professional card counters and expert poker players, even with an advantage, lose a little more often than you might think.
I’d be lying to you if I said that in all the years I’ve been playing blackjack, I never fantasized about walking up to a table and remembering every card that comes out. But that’s neither what card counting is nor pretends to be. Being a counter means using a point count to keep a running track of what cards have been dealt, and then doing a bunch of “related calculations.” The tricky part is that you have to do these other calculations simultaneously, and you have to do them quickly; things like (i) remembering the correct blackjack basic strategy, (2) converting the running count to what’s called (3) a true count, (4) deviating from blackjack basic strategy, depending on the true count number just calculated, and (5) applying a correct blackjack strategy. Some advanced card-counting methods also involve keeping a side count of aces, because the ace is such a valuable card when it comes to blackjack strategy. And the entire effort should be orchestrated with the same relaxed air you used in ordering a cocktail at poolside the night before.
Sounds tough, doesn’t it? Well, it’s really not that bad. In fact, it’s a lot easier than you might think. But that’s what it takes to eke out an advantage, and that’s precisely what a card counter does. The pages that follow will walk you through each and every step of the process.
If at first glance any task or procedure seems too difficult or complicated, take a short break, a deep breath, and then say, “I can do this.” Say it again to yourself, and remember to remain optimistic as you begin to learn the process. Spend the necessary time in the beginning and what you will come away with is a lucrative talent that can be applied as long as blackjack online games are offered.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2019
1 person is currently reading
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.