Dear Mark,
I've been kicking around
the idea of becoming a blackjack card counter for years. I have decent
math skills and am willing to spend time learning the game. I would like
to hear some of your thoughts, theories, practical application of,
advice and a brief explanation on how counting actually works. Hopefully
you'll give me some inspiration to learn counting, maybe even make it a
career. Eric G.
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.
Dear Mark,
If in all blackjack
scenarios you should hit a soft 17 (A-6), why would you never hit a hard
17? Jim T.
Unfortunately, Jim, a 17 in blackjack is
a damned hand, a dud over the long haul. The alternative strategy of
hitting a hard 17 would only multiply your losses. Nevertheless, with a
soft 17 you at least have the possibility of taking another card, which
could improve your hand. This is why basic strategy charts dictate
either hitting or doubling down, never standing on a soft 17.
