Tricks and Tips for those Games of Chance and Rare Skill – Poker, Blackjack, etc.

Black jack counting has allowed players to factually make millions from the casinos over several years. There are blackjack-counting teams like the Ken Sutton, Al Francesco and the Tommy Hyland, which get scores of dollars quite certainly by simply following a unique set of rules. These males aren’t geniuses, they’re regular males. There was a [...]

Ideally when you go into a casino you want 100% depth in the shoe.  Obviously that maximizes your advantage over the house when you count; this is especially true when you are using sidecounts.
But that’s not reality.  At best – at absolute best your depth will be 85% into the shoe.  Most likely you’ll end [...]

Did you know that you can be kicked out of casinos in Las Vegas for card counting although it’s not necessarily a crime? You are using your own mind and your own skills but the casino’s bottom line is money and with you winning a lot they will happily toss you out.
On the flip side [...]

The Red Seven count is probably the easiest counting system and the most efficient of the low-level counting systems. It works simply:
Ace and 10 are valued at -1
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are valued at +1
the red 7s are valued at +1
This counting method results in what’s called an unbalanced count – in [...]

We know that Las Vegas aggressively bars card counters. Atlantic City lost a lawsuit to the legendary Ken Uston and is required to not bar someone from counting.
But let’s take a comparison of the two games:
In Las Vegas, you can find pretty much any kind of game you want. Some single deck, 2 [...]

Some time ago I posted a small chart outlining the odds of a dealer making certain hands in a single-deck game.
But it’s for a single-deck game. Where I usually play, most games are either 6 or 8 decks, so I should post the odds for those games:
For the 6 deck game:

Final:17
18
19
20
21
“Natural”Blackjack
Bust

Up card:2
14.0%
13.4%
13.0%
12.4%
11.8%
n/a
35.4%

3
13.4%
13.1%
12.5%
12.1%
11.5%
n/a
37.4%

4
13.1%
12.4%
12.1%
11.6%
11.2%
n/a
39.6%

5
12.2%
12.2%
11.8%
11.2%
10.8%
n/a
41.8%

6
16.6%
10.6%
10.6%
10.2%
9.7%
n/a
42.3%

7
36.9%
13.8%
7.8%
7.9%
7.4%
n/a
26.2%

8
12.9%
36.0%
12.9%
6.9%
7.0%
n/a
24.4%

9
12.0%
11.7%
35.2%
12.0%
6.1%
n/a
22.9%

10
12.1%
12.1%
12.1%
36.8%
3.8%
7.7%
23.0%

Ace
18.8%
18.9%
18.9%
18.9%
7.7%
30.9%
16.7%

And for [...]

There’s been a lot of talk recently since the Mohegan Sun has decided to start using the new blackjack tables from a company called MindPlay in Bellevue, WA, just outside Seattle. MindPlay has been purchased by Bally’s, so you know where they stand.
The tables from MindPlay/Bally’s track everything. EVERYTHING. ALL cards played, [...]

A lot of counters think the continuous shuffling machines are the bane of life’s existence. To hear some tell it they’re worse than pit bosses.
But a smart counter would investigate the math of the machines before they make a decision. And oddly enough, the reason you don’t want to play at a [...]

I recently wrote that card counters can be barred from playing in Vegas. Anywhere in Nevada, actually. And if you don’t move you’ll be arrested for trespassing.
Ken Uston was involved in a court case with an Atlantic City casino that required New Jersey not bar anyone for their skill. (In Nevada, you [...]

I was poking around some sites and I was practicing a little card counting (always work on those card counting skills!!!!!!!!) and I came across the blurb about how Nevada casinos can toss anyone for any reason, blah blah blah.
But then it hit me. That’s a state law. I’m not in Nevada. [...]