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The GameMaster's Blackjack
School
Lesson 12: Casino Playing Tactics
What Are Casino Playing Tactics?
It's a sad fact of life
that casino personnel, especially floor supervisors and pit bosses do not like
card counters playing at their Blackjack games. They
know the game can be beaten by a skilled player, so depending upon how deep
their paranoia runs, their reaction to a player who wins and is suspected of
being a counter may vary from close scrutiny ('heat') to outright barring of
that player. Consequently, a skillful player must hide his or her abilities and
appear as just another 'loser' while winning at the game. Proper casino playing
tactics help to disguise your skills, thus allowing you to continue to play.
A Casino 'Profile' of a Counter
Casino supervisors believe they
have card counters profiled and can spot them by their actions. While the list
is long, here are some of their prejudices:
-
Card counters are usually
young, white males (probably with beards) who dress too casually for the
amount of money they throw around.
-
Card counters 'scout' the tables in a
pit, looking for a good count before sitting down.
-
A counter will change $200-300 into
chips but then only bet $5 or $10 on the first hand.
-
Counters don't talk to anyone; they
stare at the discard tray and rescan the table, checking on the count.
-
Counters don't smoke or drink alcohol.
-
A counter thinks a while before placing
his bet.
-
A counter doesn't hesitate before
playing a 'stiff' hand.
-
A counter never takes insurance with a
minimum bet out, but does take insurance when a big bet is out, regardless of
his hand.
-
A counter varies his bet beyond a
'parlay'.
-
Counters don't tip the dealers.
-
A counter pulls back a big bet and
lowers it on a 'push' or when the shoe ends.
-
A counter always makes a minimum bet on
the first hand of a newly-shuffled shoe.
Card Counter Camouflage
To make money at
Blackjack, you must maintain your welcome at the casinos.
But even though you may feel that there's a big red 'C' on your forehead the
first few times that you play as a counter, it really isn't there and if you
avoid a few of the 'newbie' mistakes, the casino supervisors probably won't pay
any attention to you at all.
If you are playing for
high stakes, you'll be noticed whether you win OR lose; high-stakes players are
always noticed. But, if you are starting with the $5
to $60 spread which I recommend, you probably won't be noticed at all. How often
you play at a particular casino has a lot to do with this. Remember that most
casinos have at least two shifts, so try to spread your play around between
casinos and shifts. AVOID PLAYING FROM ONE SHIFT TO ANOTHER. Keep your
sessions fairly short and it will take them a long time to even begin to figure
out what you're doing.
The real key to fooling the
casino personnel is to appear as though you are just another gambler. Here are
some techniques which I use.
-
Dress appropriately for your
betting level. A 'high-roller' should look like a prosperous person not, as
one author put it, "like an out-of-work substitute school teacher." If you go
to a local casino on the day shift during the week, dress like a business
person who's playing hooky from the office. Do NOT dress like a tourist (a
very effective disguise) if they are going to see you again next week.
-
When you enter a casino, walk
directly to a table where the dealer is shuffling and sit down. Talk to the
dealer, or at least say "hi".
-
If you are playing a $5 minimum
bet, buy in for less than $100, but more than $40. Do not use terms like 'red'
or 'green'; 'nickels' or 'quarters'. Call the chips $5 or $25 chips.
-
Do not order anything from the
cocktail servers; they are too slow and waiting for a drink may cause you to
play at a negative deck while you're waiting. Instead, order non-alcoholic
drinks at the bar (O'Doul's, orange juice, anything with a lime) and carry it
around with you.
-
Try to always have a bet in
your betting circle. Remember, only counters think about how much to bet;
gamblers just put something out there. If you busted your hand or got a
Blackjack, place your next bet as the dealer is playing his hand. With
practice, your bet will be the correct amount, but it won't appear as though
you had to think a lot about how much to put out.
-
Gamblers NEVER leave a table
after a win. If the count has dropped below -1, continue playing at the
minimum bet until you lose a hand.
-
Hesitate before hitting a
'stiff' hand. Talking to the cards helps.
-
Occasionally, insure your
Blackjack against the dealer's Ace when you have the minimum bet out. Do not
ask for 'even money'; go through the motions like you don't know how it all
works. This will also make the dealer slow down on her insurance calls in the
future which will give you extra time to calculate the true count. It's best
to do this 'minimum' insurance bet when a floor supervisor is looking.
-
If you are going to tip the
dealer (something which you should do sparingly), wait until the count is high
and you have a big bet out. Placing a bet for the dealer at that time will
make it look like you want her to help you win.
-
Once or twice in each session,
start off a new shoe with a bet of 2 or 3 times the minimum.
-
Do not vary from proper basic
strategy as a form of camouflage; most casino personnel wouldn't know good
play anyway. In fact, perfect basic strategy players look like idiots --
hitting a 12 against a 2 or 3 or doubling an A-7 against a 4 is nuts! (To
them.)
-
Do not talk to others at the
table about your abilities; do not help others to play their hands properly.
Never admit that you've understood a book about Blackjack. Do not appear
confident, but don't act like a loser when you're obviously winning --
gamblers love to win!
-
I can't bring myself to wear
one, but a 'fanny pack' has got to be one of the most disarming items a
counter can wear. With that and a pair of glasses on, damn few supervisors
will ever think you're this cold-blooded, card counting, steely-eyed destroyer
of casinos. But I guess if my usual act ever starts to wear thin, I'll get one
and put it on. I'd rather be rich than cool.
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