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How Blackjack Works (2007)

blackjackincolor.com

51–60 of 66 posts

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#51
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's my story about counting blackjack successfully. It takes place in 2014, at the now-demolished Riviera. At the time, the Riviera was pretty run-down, definitely one of the cheapest places on the Strip. I was in Vegas for the first and only time. They had single-deck blackjack that had a unique side bet. Basically you could make additional bets that you would get dealt a natural blackjack, with a couple variatio…

Interesting. Why would a dealer care if someone is winning? Usually big winners tip the dealer handsomely.

The dealers don't care, the pit boss cares. The dealers will be rotated and cards shuffled more often when a table is hot, and they're probably watching at that point.

Dealer change outs aren't the worst reason to tip them and walk and away a few hands later.

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#52
post #2

Is card counting still possible, or have casinos implemented enough countermeasures to defeat its advantage?

Possible enough so to encourage new people to think they can try, not possible enough to become a millionaire. Possible enough that to be elite your life turns into a sort of arbitrage trying to scam casinos in exchange for a mediocre salary.

Possible enough to entertain yourself for hours if your family likes slots. Less profitable than actual investments.

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#53
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having never been to a casino, I've always wondered, on what grounds will a casino ask you to leave? Just that it's private property and they no longer want to serve you? It makes it pretty transparent that the house always wins, and even when they don't they can ask you to leave, ensuring they always win. I love the implication when someone is asked to leave but, "the rest of you, you losers can stay."

Typically they won’t actually ban you? Just flat net you (ie if playing must bet the same each hand)

shrug, my first ever back off was a "cash out you are no longer welcome to blackjack here" at ameristar

pit boss was eyeing me a while and i was waiting for them to approach and cap my bets first if anything

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#56
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just watched one of his videos this morning. Yeah you tend to hit like into the thousands and they tend to see you as a problem, especially on single deck tables. It's not hard for them to spot someone using well known strategies. You can still turn out a modest profit and I think one thing to keep in mind is in places like vegas you might want to find the casinos that aren't owned by the two big companies that own…

In my 20s I played a lot of poker and did well, but even that is becoming more challenging. And let’s be honest, playing blackjack or poker with optimal winning strategies is a work like grind. Nowadays when I go to the casino it’s craps all the way. Played correctly the odds are nearly even and it’s fun and social. Casino Royale on the strip used to have $2 min 100x odds during the day - those were some fun times!

Poker is easier to win if you know where you can find players that aren't very good at it, but as you pointed out that's getting harder. I've never heard anyone say that about craps, I just read some math that says don't come bar is a more likely win and have come up on that while making the regulars at the table groan at me, but I used to play a lot of street dice when I was a kid haha always fun to bust out at parties to play with quarters

https://www.wikihow.com/Shoot-Dice

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#57
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dealers care because the casino cares, and pays them to care.

Having never been to a casino, I've always wondered, on what grounds will a casino ask you to leave? Just that it's private property and they no longer want to serve you? It makes it pretty transparent that the house always wins, and even when they don't they can ask you to leave, ensuring they always win. I love the implication when someone is asked to leave but, "the rest of you, you losers can stay."

Yes, its private property. They'll ask you to stop playing blackjack, limit the bets they will accept, or tell you to leave.

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#58
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Casinos are a scam, if a legal one.

They're not a scam they're quite honest about the odds and highly regulated.

They're not honest, the slot machines are designed very deliberately to look like you got a "near miss" far more often than honest chance (so the odds look much better than they are - just not in a way that violates the law) and the rest of the casino is designed very deliberately to suggest that it's not actually just a pile of slot machines.

Re: How Blackjack Works (2007)

#59
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my 20s I played a lot of poker and did well, but even that is becoming more challenging. And let’s be honest, playing blackjack or poker with optimal winning strategies is a work like grind. Nowadays when I go to the casino it’s craps all the way. Played correctly the odds are nearly even and it’s fun and social. Casino Royale on the strip used to have $2 min 100x odds during the day - those were some fun times!

Poker is easier to win if you know where you can find players that aren't very good at it, but as you pointed out that's getting harder. I've never heard anyone say that about craps, I just read some math that says don't come bar is a more likely win and have come up on that while making the regulars at the table groan at me, but I used to play a lot of street dice when I was a kid haha always fun to bust out at part…

The house edge in craps is nearly even (0-2%) [1] for what I consider non-sucker bets. Don't pass is slightly better than pass, but again, gambling for me is consumption now. If I win great, but I already have a job. The point is to have fun and for me, no other gambling matches the dopa hit when someone is on a hot roll with a whole table cheering and making money.

You also reminded me of a work trip I had in Scottsdale around when poker had first taken off. Within one round of blinds I and a woman across from me had figured out we were the only ones who had a clue and we just stayed out of each others way. I showed up to a work meeting the next day on ~2 hours sleep after taking old business guys money all night (it would be fun to be in my early 20s again lol).

[1] https://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/appendix/2/

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