Blackjack for Blood: The Card-Counters' Bible and Complete Winning Guide by Bryce Carlson & Bryce Carlson

Author:Bryce Carlson & Bryce Carlson [Carlson, Bryce]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Fiction/Gambling
Publisher: Huntington Press
Published: 2017-03-22T04:00:00+00:00

How to Play Your Cards

After years of coping with the counter revolution, the great majority of casino bosses have developed at least a working knowledge of what card counting is and how it works. Fortunately, however, very few bosses can spot a counter by the way he plays his cards. This means that you do not have to make many compromises in your play just to prevent detection. There are, however, a few plays you should avoid because they’re only made by fools or experts, and it won’t take the bosses very long to figure out which category you belong to.

The plays to avoid are as follows: never double down on any soft hand greater than (A,7), never double down on any hard hand less than 9, and split 10s against a small card only if you are sure you are not being watched. That’s it. Play the rest of your hands according to the charts.

Let me give you an example of what can happen if you get greedy and go ahead and make one of these plays. Several years ago the Castaways hotel/casino on the Las Vegas Strip,5 was a hot place to play blackjack. At the time, they had lots of single-deck games, with good penetration, and you could sit and play for hours without getting any heat. Even if they thought you might be counting cards, they would wait until they were sure you could beat the game before taking any action against you.

Anyway, one night at the Castaways I had been playing for several hours when a strange thing happened. Deep into the deck, the count went very plus, a true count so high, it indicated that virtually all the remaining cards were 10s and aces. Since I had been betting in the range of $100 to $300, to avoid alerting the dealer to this amazing count I placed a “modest” bet of $200. When I picked up my hand I was both pleased and a little surprised to see that I had drawn (A,9). Even more surprisingly, the dealer was showing a 3. As I waited for the dealer to get to me (I was on third base) I kept debating whether or not to double on the (A,9). Mathematically, there was no question; it was the right play. But I knew a move like that, especially with such an obvious plus count, might blow my cover for good. Finally, I just couldn’t resist, I shoved out another $200 and doubled down. Peeking at the down card, I wasn’t at all surprised to see I had hooked a 10. The dealer flipped over his hole card. Another 10. Still no surprise. Then he took a hit. Eight of clubs. Surprise! I was in shock. I could not believe it. My 20, and my $400, destroyed by his miracle 21. The whole table let out a howl; a pit boss, hearing all the commotion, drifted over to see what the fuss was all about. Seeing my

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