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Gaming Guru
Ask the GameMaster: Bet Sizes, Splitting Pairs and Card-shuffling Machines14 February 2003
GameMaster, The betting at Blackjack is based only on the count of the cards. Since the casino usually has an advantage on the first hand, we typically bet the table minimum. There is no betting method that will overcome casino's edge at most games for very long, so I don't support such 'schemes'. If the casino has an edge, you should bet the minimum at all times, because all a progression will do for you is raise the average size of your bet and you'll lose more quickly. Unfortunately, there's no way to get a permanent advantage over any casino game other than Blackjack, some slot machines (with a 'banking' feature) and some video poker games. But, hey.... three games that can be beaten aren't so bad.
GameMaster, Glad you like the site; keep coming back. As for the splitting of 2s and 3s against a 7, remember that your other choice is to hit a 4 or 6 (the hands you'll have if you don't split). Plus, this rule applies particularly where double after split is allowed. Hitting a 4, consisting of two 2s, has an expected value (E.V.) of -.089, whereas splitting the pair has an E.V. of -.054 (as a percentage of the initial bet) if DAS isn't allowed and -.006 if DAS is allowed. As for the 3s, hitting a 6 against a 7 has an E.V. of -.154, whereas splitting is -.115 without DAS and -.056 with. You can see that both hands are losers, regardless how you play them, but you lose less by splitting. Don't spend a lot of time worrying about this, though. In 100,000 hands of play, you'll get 2s or 3s against a 7 only 86 times!
GameMaster, No, I don't think it was a setup or anything like that. The casino's edge in roulette is sooo big (5.26%) that they don't have to manipulate anything. It is unusual for them to change the ball, but I think the 'pit critter' showed up because she felt that there was something wrong. If you're in a casino long enough, you can see by peoples' reactions that something isn't normal, and indeed, it wasn't; the dealer had improperly paid a hand. However, the double zero was, no doubt, a coincidence. As for the 'visitor', there are tons of people running around out there who think roulette can be beaten. They are wrong.
GameMaster, Remember that Basic Strategy alone will not give you an edge over the casinos; you have to combine that with counting. 1) Using the Hi/Lo strategy, do you place a count on the face cards? If so, then what? Face cards count as -1. I'm not sure I understand the second question. Have you read my lessons on the Blackjack Page of my site? 2) What is the single best way to prepare myself for the trip? Videos, books? Neither. Practice as I've described in my lessons. Is there one video that will tremendously help my game? No. There is no easy way to do this; it takes a lot of repetition at home. 3) Is there a difference (besides house rules) in playing in Vegas, Atlantic City, and Biloxi or on some cruise ship? Sure, there are differences, but the card counting principles all apply.
GameMaster, I recommend you do my lessons first, because they're free. The method I teach is more difficult to learn than the "KO" system, but it's also more powerful. Give it a try before you spend any $$$.
GameMaster, A shuffling machine does not diminish the value of card counting, unless it's a 'continuous' shuffler where the cards that have been played are added back into the pack of remaining cards. If the shuffler is used just to mix the 6 decks together and then they are placed in a shoe and dealt in the usual style, counting cards still works. Since the Hi/Lo counting method requires only some simple addition and subtraction, it's possible to count six HUNDRED decks of cards, let alone just six. The counter's advantage in a multi-deck game comes primarily from betting different amounts as the composition of the remaining cards changes, less when the casino has an edge and more when the player has an edge. For more information, go to the "The Blackjack Page: Story Archive" of my site.
GameMaster, The object of card counting is twofold: 1) to tell you when to bet more and 2) to tell you when to modify Basic Strategy. A count of M2 tells you that the deck is in the casino's favor, so you should bet the minimum, but as the count goes up, you'll bet more. All you need to know can be found on the Blackjack Page of my site. Just follow the Blackjack lessons in there and all this will become clear to you.
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