Jump to content

? Re counting cards in blackjack


Not a cat

Recommended Posts

I've been working on learning the standard Hi-Lo system and have gotten decent, though a very fast dealer can still make my head spin at times.

Assuming I get that part down, what's the optimal betting strategy?  If you're at a 2 deck table, betting the minimum and switching to max once the count gets to +10 is probably good from a pure mathematics standpoint, but I imagine some pit bosses are going to get very interested.

Any advice on a safe range of wager variance that's not going to draw attention?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General rule is if count/(number of decks left) >+1 you should raise your bet.

So if the count goes to +4 after the first hand, or is +3 when you are half way through or +1 near the end raise your bet.

Really depends where you are at and what stakes you're playing for the amount of the raise. No one will really care if you go 4x your low bet, start getting closer to 10x your low bet and people may start watching. Also depends on stakes. $5-$50 probably won't matter, $25-$250 will.

I went to Shreveport one time and ranging from $5 to $25 and the pit boss was staring me down. I brought my girlfriend the following week and would kick her under the table to raise her bet and she was going from $5 to $100 and they never even looked at her.

 Louisiana can no longer boot you for counting, you're free to range as big as you want.

Never got any heat in Vegas last year going from $5 to $50.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, blacklab said:

General rule is if count/(number of decks left) >+1 you should raise your bet.

So if the count goes to +4 after the first hand, or is +3 when you are half way through or +1 near the end raise your bet.

Really depends where you are at and what stakes you're playing for the amount of the raise. No one will really care if you go 4x your low bet, start getting closer to 10x your low bet and people may start watching. Also depends on stakes. $5-$50 probably won't matter, $25-$250 will.

I went to Shreveport one time and ranging from $5 to $25 and the pit boss was staring me down. I brought my girlfriend the following week and would kick her under the table to raise her bet and she was going from $5 to $100 and they never even looked at her.

 Louisiana can no longer boot you for counting, you're free to range as big as you want.

Never got any heat in Vegas last year going from $5 to $50.

You think this is because they don't really care if someone isn't in there all the time doing this for income and maybe just popping in and showing off a little bit getting up a few grand and everyone else donking away. It's basically within the variance that's tolerable for them vs someone making big bets and taken them for 100k+? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, from pit bosses I've talked to as long as others at the table are losing more than the counter is winning they don't really care too much. When they are winning more than the table is losing and it's into the thousands then they really start to care.

If you haven't already you should watch this

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Edge-Professional-Blackjack-Adventure/dp/B07QMS68TC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, blacklab said:

 

 Louisiana can no longer boot you for counting, you're free to range as big as you want.

Never got any heat in Vegas last year going from $5 to $50.

I did not know that about Louisiana.  I recall reading that Atlantic city passed something similar decades ago and counters ate them alive until the NJ commission changed it.

Have Louisiana casinos reacted by going 6-5 payout or otherwise stacking odds further against the players?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, blacklab said:

Yes, from pit bosses I've talked to as long as others at the table are losing more than the counter is winning they don't really care too much. When they are winning more than the table is losing and it's into the thousands then they really start to care.

If you haven't already you should watch this

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Edge-Professional-Blackjack-Adventure/dp/B07QMS68TC

Watched that the other night.

Pretty well done and insightful. While he came out ahead at the end of the year, what a grind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, blacklab said:

I don't go to casinos much anymore but was joining some friends in Lake Charles last month for a golf & gambling weekend at the Horseshoe so ahead of that I ended up watching that Blackjack Adventure documentary.

It was a fun and educational watch- I'd kinda always wondered about how casinos handled card counters and learning that there's a whole cottage industry for identifying and tracking them was new to me.

Edited by KaiserSoze
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2018

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/new-law-aimed-to-protect-skilled-card-players-but-whos-enforcing-it/article_210ec118-ece8-11e8-b728-934b308424f5.html

I do have one person I know who moved to shreveport and makes a decent living, but from the article it doesn't look like the law is really enforced.

In the late 90's I went up there about once a month. Probably only been back about 5 times in the last 25 years

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, CoTex said:

How good can the odds get if you're an excellent counter?  Can you tilt the table in favor of the player or just get to even?

You can get a 5-10% edge when counting and changing your bets. 

Watch the video above, even with a 10% edge the variance can be a bitch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Beer Drinker said:

The tables I have sat at in Louisiana (Nugget and L'Auberge) had 6 deck shoes with an auto shuffle machine. Where are 2 deck tables?

 

I was in Lake Charles last month and the GN had 2-deck tables paying 3:2. You just have to look/ask for them. They were $25/hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...