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BlackJack & Casino Games / Tips and Strategy / Systems

For that same level of play at treasure island I get $20 free slot play, 2 free rooms per week, and a free buffet per week.......at potowatomi I get $50 free slot play, free buffet, and a free room per week
I was just at TI in late Feb and "had to" stay overnight due to a snowstorm haha.
 
Black River falls 2 deck table is a "pitch" game where the player holds the cards. You can still count cards at," pitch games" too, if you eventually learn how to.

I hate that shit where I have to hold the cards and scrape em....takes so long to play hands and don't like not seeing everyone's cards.

My simple strategy is make sure to be doubling/splitting when you have the chance and when you are hot, increase bet size and when it gets cold get the hell out of there. If you play long enough you'll go bust. If I lose 3-4 in a row I'm out.
 
Much better house edge for the player. Not as exciting but it’s about winning money.

Personally a fan of Pai Gow poker, but blackjack is just a painful game if you’re out there trying to make a buck. If you’re going to have a few drinks and relax and don’t take it too seriously, it’s a million times better.

But I have undoubtedly seen some of the most miserable human beings in my life at either a blackjack table or a poker table.


When hanging with friends we usually start playing Gow for a bit and then end the night taking a shot at Bacc.

My main strategy for Bacc isn’t math based. I basically look for someone who looks like they are trying to give their money away and bet against them without it being too obvious.
 
When hanging with friends we usually start playing Gow for a bit and then end the night taking a shot at Bacc.

My main strategy for Bacc isn’t math based. I basically look for someone who looks like they are trying to give their money away and bet against them without it being too obvious.

Just find the Asian with the most chips and bet with him. Same concept you’re employing, just with the guy who’s winning.
 
Just find the Asian with the most chips and bet with him. Same concept you’re employing, just with the guy who’s winning.

Bacc is a great game for the casino vig as its very low whether you bet player or banker....just don't bet ties and try to follow streaks. Since its a game of no decisions, it almost makes it easier just to follow streaks and be smart with your betting patterns.
 
If you can count cards then 2 decks is great.

Prefer the shoe (I think 7 decks), but NOT the continuous shuffle - I'd never do that.

You must play basic strategy and do not vary from it on a "hunch" or "feel."

The key to potentially winning is to:

1.Stick to Basic Strategy and do not vary. The splitting and doubling down rules must be followed and that's where you make (or lose) your money. Over the decades I've noticed that when I win it generally can be attributed to the results on the double downs & split hands

2. Play the 3:2 tables only and I only play where I can "Surrender" my 15 & 16.

Surrender on your 15 if Dealer has a 10.
Surrender on your 16 if Dealer has 9,10 or Ace.

This has never done anything but help me over the years. The Dealer will not remind you of this, unless they have ACE showing..

3. Money Management - this is what changed my results. This strategy allows you to increase your wager and also assures you will be betting the minimum unit into a hot Dealer.

Let's use $100 as a UNIT bet per hand, here is what I do:

Bet 1 UNIT ($100) and if I win I have 2 Units ($200)

Bet 2 UNITS ($200) and if I win I have 4 UNITS ($400)

I then take back 1 UNIT ($100) and

Bet 3 UNITS ($300) and if I win I have 6 UNITS ($600)

I then take back 1 UNIT ($100) and

Bet 5 UNITS ($500) and if I win I have 10 UNITS ($1000)

That's 4 hands won in a row and I'm up 11 UNITS unless I had double downs or splits and then up more.

4. Any time after a LOST hand - return to 1 UNIT. That's after any lost hand. I don't let a Dealer win 4 hands in a row and think to myself "She has to lose the next one" and shove 4 Units out there - never ever ever. 1 UNIT only after each lost hand! You assure you're betting your minimum into a hot shoe/dealer

5. In the winning sequence above - what to do after winning the fourth hand?

That's your call. I usually pull back 3 UNITS and bet 7 UNITS or

I pull back 8 UNITS and start my sequence again with a 2 UNIT starting bet.

In either case, once I lose a hand I return to 1 UNIT.


This has worked for me - it takes some discipline but it sure makes the game easy. I make no actual decisions, ever. I just sit and let the cards dictate what I do.
 
It’s done usually per game based on an
Average bet size. How a player gets graded and comped that is. Also the level of table has something to do with it. Meaning if you’re playing quarter min tables they’ll probably eye you closer as they figure you’ll lose more in the long run.

But a game like Blackjack they love having peeps come to lose to 6-card soft 21s.

Also game dependent. Poker players hardly get comps because the casino isn’t making a lot of rake off them. Slot players are treated well because by nature slots are programmed to keep a percentage return. My folks only play slots and they get a shitload of comps. And they play low-level slots (pennies to quarters)...it’s all about how much the casino can make off of you. Number of visits, length of casino time, games played...they all go into the “formula” or computer program for how a player gets graded for comp rewards


If you ask for comps and are a familiar face or just not a douche, they will give rooms or whatever.
 
Much better house edge for the player. Not as exciting but it’s about winning money.

Personally a fan of Pai Gow poker, but blackjack is just a painful game if you’re out there trying to make a buck. If you’re going to have a few drinks and relax and don’t take it too seriously, it’s a million times better.

But I have undoubtedly seen some of the most miserable human beings in my life at either a blackjack table or a poker table.


Pai Gow is a great drink compiler game!!
 
Slot players are treated well because by nature slots are programmed to keep a percentage return.
I , in drunken arrogance, chewed a hosts ass one night and a pit boss.
My wife was racking more points playing penny slots and I was playing $100/hand. All day.
Personally, I could give a shit, but I'm gonna gamble anyway. So, if it gets me around the line at the buffet or invitations to tournaments, then it's not much to ask. I think I just wanted some ass to chew. Check their customer service education, so to speak.
The casinos see me as more of a risk to their margin than slots.
It was so much more fun before the corporations started to strangle the player and count their pennies.
 
When I first started playing Bacc, I could keep the last 20-25 hands in my head(worked well for card counting too).
They then started adding the damn boards showing all the hands. I would stare at the table to avoid those things.
Nothing worse than looking up and seeing the Player win 76% and you could have been there. My % on the player could have been higher , but I didn't track it in my head.
Unfortunately, age has limited my memory, or I'm just lazy now.
Bacc is good if you don't stay too long. My downfall, as I love the game.
A shoe seems to rollover about 3 times in it's life. Say, the player hasn't won more than two in row.
You can wait for that event and pound the banker , or play either after the first player win, if a player win and you bet that repeat, you're a winner. If you bet bank and the player repeats, then you pound the bank on next.
Once the pattern breaks, it's not coming back. Don't use that trend again unless it establishes itself somewhere else in the shoe. The shoe has "turned over", as I like to say.
Say you've just gone 3 players in a row, crushing our previous trend and probably the table as everyone was on the bank after two. You have sort of a Darvas Box situation, where "two" was the players 52wk high and he's now broken that threshold. I will ride that breakthrough.
I once walked up to table that was empty and I knew was full previously. Looking at the board. The player's threshold was 3 in a row. The last thing on the board was 4 players in a row. I pointed to the 4th entry and asked the dealer if that was where they exited the table? yes, she said, they were heavy the other way.
I sat down and put a $100 on the player......he won 6 more in a row. I had gone to $200 by the 3rd hand. When it ended after 6 hands I tipped the dealer and cashed out.
I also track the market of the first two cards out. In my head. I will take note of where the first two will move down/up in a cycle. Maybe the player comes out higher every time vs. the banker. My only losses would be on the draw as I have him beat on the deal and the possiblity of a face on the lower two gives me a winner.
Once again I'll set a low/high for each player and if he breaks then I'll ride it.

That's probably a lot of gibberish for a game of "flipping a coin".
 
Does everyone get pissed at a $5 like I do when people don’t play right. Got an argument with someone about how it doesn’t matter if it’s $5 or not, you gotta play the right way

Wendover?
 
This. The person I was talking too goes with her husband every month. She said they get in fights with people because they hit on 15s vs a 5. I say your damn right
Flip it around. The indian casino in OK has one double deck table , it's a $5 table with ridiculous rules. You can't double anything less than 9. So, with A7 or less, you can't double against a dealers 6.
Anyway, I sit down and start playing black chips.
The guy next to me leans over and says "I play by-the-book strategy"
I looked at him and said, "Congratulations".

You sit at a $5 table and play much larger, everyone thinks you're supposed to tell them how to play every hand.

I have had some of best runs at BJ with the worst hands imaginable, but the person to my right won't hit anything.
I'm taking cards and cleaning up. I looked at this one lady , while holding 16, she wouldn't hit. I said, " You don't want that 5?" I got a 4 but it was good enough.
 
Does everyone get pissed at a $5 like I do when people don’t play right. Got an argument with someone about how it doesn’t matter if it’s $5 or not, you gotta play the right way
I’ve pissed people off at tables plenty of times because it’s my money and not theirs. I pull some riverboat gambler shit and I really don’t give a fuck what the table thinks.

I will also say that when there’s obvious moves to be made and people don’t make them it is frustrating.

Bottom line, stay home and don’t play blackjack if you can’t deal with that. No one has ever given me a cut of their winnings because I played it by the book.
 
Been on a video poker run the last month or so...been playing the Ultimate X machines with the multiple hands and the multiplier for the next hands if you play max coins. Machines ranging in return from 98.5 to 99.5% return based on perfect basic strategy...basically you get one hand, there are 3 or 5 or 10 other hands identical and your base hand you hold cards and you draw to that and the 3/5/10 other hands. If you get a score on any of the hands (two pair for example), it gives you a multiplier for the next hand you play and if you get a winner it gives you 2x or 4x or 12x based on the strength of the hand.

Quality game IMO...places you can go online too that essentially tell you what the perfect basic strategy for each machine is, which is extremely handy.
 
We were in Tahoe over the weekend playing Pai Gow. Dude (playing $200 a hand) gets AAA5577 and asks the dealer how to set up the hand. The dealer tells him AA up top and 5577A down. The rest of the table tells him 77 up and AAA55 down. Dude listens to the dealer... Dealer gets two bigger pair down and the guy pushes.
 
Try the following method---

To win at the Casino, the key is Observation--

1- Fire up a big Green Fatty

2- Get in the Zone

3- Go to Roulette table.

4-Observe the Dealer-

5- Watch where he is releasing the ball from.

6-Time how long from when he releases the ball to when the ball makes contact with the wheel.

7- If a dealer is lazy and in auto mode, he will release the ball at the same speed over and over. The result is the ball starts to land in the same area.

8- I have timed a few dealers in the past, and was able to accurately predict where the ball would end up based on his release point and speed.
 
Been on a video poker run the last month or so...been playing the Ultimate X machines with the multiple hands and the multiplier for the next hands if you play max coins. Machines ranging in return from 98.5 to 99.5% return based on perfect basic strategy...basically you get one hand, there are 3 or 5 or 10 other hands identical and your base hand you hold cards and you draw to that and the 3/5/10 other hands. If you get a score on any of the hands (two pair for example), it gives you a multiplier for the next hand you play and if you get a winner it gives you 2x or 4x or 12x based on the strength of the hand.

Quality game IMO...places you can go online too that essentially tell you what the perfect basic strategy for each machine is, which is extremely handy.

I vulture these (five coin it for each line when others have left multipliers) but they are very difficult strategies to learn. If you stand near them long enough you will see someone come by and check every single one of the denominations and games looking for the multipliers. It isn't as simple as learning the what hands pay strategy of a normal game, as the variance to the multipliers based on the hand you get adds in a lot. I would rate the games as some of the hardest to learn out there.

The game is also has extreme fluctuation so if you are playing straight through on it, make sure you bring cash and hang on for a wild ride. It is occasionally the best game available for promotions at some casinos.

Are you using Wizard of Odds?
 
I vulture these (five coin it for each line when others have left multipliers) but they are very difficult strategies to learn. If you stand near them long enough you will see someone come by and check every single one of the denominations and games looking for the multipliers. It isn't as simple as learning the what hands pay strategy of a normal game, as the variance to the multipliers based on the hand you get adds in a lot. I would rate the games as some of the hardest to learn out there.

The game is also has extreme fluctuation so if you are playing straight through on it, make sure you bring cash and hang on for a wild ride. It is occasionally the best game available for promotions at some casinos.

Are you using Wizard of Odds?

I sure am, VK. I don't care that I have the basic strategy chart in front of me on my phone when playing...I'm playing these machines for the best ROI specifically if you play perfect strategy. But I do use W of O as that site is a must review if you're trying to maximize the mathematically correct play.
 
And genius move to look for the multipliers left....some people don't have the foggiest clue what they're doing and leave multipliers because their wife tells them they're going to miss last call at the buffet or that their bus is leaving in 2 minutes...well worth paying attention to IMO
 
I went to Wendover Nevada this weekend and found nothing but single deck tables. I hated this. I hope this is not a trend... completely changes the game
 
I went to Wendover Nevada this weekend and found nothing but single deck tables. I hated this. I hope this is not a trend... completely changes the game

Single deck blackjack is the most advantageous game you might find in the casino. There are only 4 aces and you can easily keep track of those...there are only 16 ten-value cards and you can also pretty easily keep track of those. That is hugely valuable information when playing blackjack.

It definitely is slower...and trust me...my senior year of college was taking the 2-hour drive through the desert passing the Great Salt Lake to get to Wendover every Friday as I never had any classes.

But as far as the single deck games, those rules are pretty solid TBH. I used to sit at a $2 or $3 BJ table and just drink Heinekens all day...oh those were the days...
 
Single deck blackjack is the most advantageous game you might find in the casino. There are only 4 aces and you can easily keep track of those...there are only 16 ten-value cards and you can also pretty easily keep track of those. That is hugely valuable information when playing blackjack.

It definitely is slower...and trust me...my senior year of college was taking the 2-hour drive through the desert passing the Great Salt Lake to get to Wendover every Friday as I never had any classes.

But as far as the single deck games, those rules are pretty solid TBH. I used to sit at a $2 or $3 BJ table and just drink Heinekens all day...oh those were the days...

I’d like to see the odds on this.

The cards are facedown, so unless you have friendly players you don’t actually know what’s been dealt. If it was fully face up, completely agree.

Also if I get a bunch of low cards and end up with 16 and the dealer is showing a facecard - the right thing to do is hit. With a single deck - now I’m not so sure. Even though the odds are the same, it doesn’t feel the same. Plus as I said before, you don’t know what other cards have come out for others players.

I’ve always held the opinion that you make your money on splitting or doubling down. You can only double down on an 9,10 or 11. If the dealer is showing a 5 and I have an A6 I’m doubling down everyday on that. Can’t do that here. Splitting is essentially eliminated.

I’m sure there are certain advantages too it, but in the grand scheme I feel like the casino is getting a bigger edge.

Also did I mention every dealer I had was pretty angry? This was my first time playing and I had a few questions. They were genuinely pissed. The best kind of table is when you have a fun dealer and everyone is winning. A bad dealer is a total downer (to me: some people probably don’t give a shit as long as they are winning money)
 
Sounds like you were playing at a table with some awful rules for the player, Alex. Obviously that's not your fault, but the casinos are scumbags with all of the rules they put in to make the table games worse and worse.

The dealers being angry is absolutely ridiculous. There is no common sense reason why any dealer should be angry. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY IN A SERVICE INDUSTRY AND WORKING FOR TIPS. BEING ANGRY IS THE DEFINITION OF FUCKING IDIOTIC.
 
But i've been at tables like that so I completely understand your point. Next table you go to that's got an angry prick of a dealer, either leave or call for the pit boss and ask what this douchebag's problem is. I've done it before and I don't care. It's not my fault if someone hates their job. My brother dealt Blackjack for 5 years at Foxwoods and has wild stories. Guys bringing in briefcases full of cash and insisting on certain tables, but mostly about the anger and misery that surrounded most people in a casino environment.

Go there to have fun. If someone is making your experience less enjoyable, GTFO of there. Not worth wasting your time.

And for the record, any dealer who is so much of a jerk not to be willing to answer your questions is a dope. Again, a large part of their wage comes from tokes (tips) from winning players. Why wouldn't you want the players to win and have a good time? it's stupid. So you did nothing wrong at all.
 
I used to card count in the single deck games all of the time. I would keep a side count of aces and ten-value cards. In a situation with an 11, where I know only 1 ace is out of the deck and 13 ten-value cards are out of the deck, I would adjust my play to not double down.

Does that make sense to most? Probably not, but I know my likelihood of getting that 10 is down to 18.75% and it isn't worth doubling my bet knowing there are only 3 cards that make me golden for the 21. That's an extreme example, but its one where counting in a single-deck game is hugely helpful.

You're correct in that you do make your money in doubling and splitting in advantageous situation in blackjack. But there are some things that people believe that are just flat out silly that are "rules of blackjack" everyone swears by.

like always splitting aces and eights...why the fuck would you split 8s if the dealer is showing a jack? You are doubling your risk when the dealer has his second best card showing and you're already behind on both your hands with an 8. That's just dumb to me.

I read a study once that broke down if the dealer every hand had a 9, not a ten or ace, the player would lose something like 65% of the time (or something along those lines). it's a hard ass game...and with bad rules it gets even harder.

The average winning hand in blackjack in 18.5 So when you have a soft 18, and the dealer shows a King, you are supposed to hit. Why? Because the average winning hand in blackjack is 18.5 and you have 18. I'm simplifying the example, but I think you get my point. Playing at places with player-helpful rules and friendly dealers is something you should always try to do. you're there to have a good time, not deal with some guy who hates his life pitching cards at players.

Again, when you count cards a lot changes as your probabilities change and you can adjust your base decisions. but if you go to the lobby of any casino and buy one of those BJ strategy cards and just follow that, I'd say 85-90% of the time they're going to steer you in the right direction. But don't ever settle for service from a person that makes you uncomfortable. That's just ridiculous, but casinos are mostly miserable places, so I'm not totally shocked unfortunately.
 
Sounds like you were playing at a table with some awful rules for the player, Alex. Obviously that's not your fault, but the casinos are scumbags with all of the rules they put in to make the table games worse and worse.

The dealers being angry is absolutely ridiculous. There is no common sense reason why any dealer should be angry. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY IN A SERVICE INDUSTRY AND WORKING FOR TIPS. BEING ANGRY IS THE DEFINITION OF FUCKING IDIOTIC.

Unfortunately it’s not just the shitty table, it’s the shitty city. We went to Rainbow, Nugget and Montego. That’s the rules they had at every single table. One table in each casino had a 6 deck shoe - it also happened to be the handicapped table at every casino so that was weird.

I heard on bill Simmons podcast that Vegas casinos have recently changed to payout 6-5 instead of 3-2 on blackjack. That’s a huge difference and bullshit! That’s not gonna stop most people that come to Vegas from playing either and they know it. 20 years from now they’ll start paying us 9-10 - I wouldn’t be surprised at this point.

I’ve been playing Blackjack for 10 years at casinos and I can say the first dealer I had was the biggest asshole dealer I’ve ever had at a casino. I went with a bunch of 22-23 year olds for a bachelor party (gf cousin) and none of them had ever played. The table happened to be empty ( 6 of us)and I say to him hey this is all of there’s first time can you help? He shakes his head and just laughs. I’m just like so no you can’t help. He just laughs again and shrugs his shoulders. He was our dealer for another 30 minutes and kept being a dick.

We should have left but I was winning lol
 
I went to Wendover Nevada this weekend and found nothing but single deck tables. I hated this. I hope this is not a trend... completely changes the game

Also it’s really a depressing place

The dealers are pissed

The people are pissed

Everyone is pissed

We can get a round trip ticket and a hotel room for under $100 a person (last year it was $49 pp). My guess this does not lead to well tipping high rollers
 
Went to Vegas with my wife for the first time last week. Stayed at Bally’s for 3 nights. Was up 180 first night, lost 670 next night playing the machine Roulette tables and then playing inside numbers on the live roulette table. Actually stayed up whole night. Had fun playing the machine craps table. Was on the craps machine for like 6 hrs. Went up and down. So decided to play the live roulette table and lost it all playing inside.

Then next night, I stayed up whole night playing mini Baccarat. I played a total of over 12 hrs for the whole day, started playing after lunch around 2 and then stopped for dinner at 6. Went back at it around 9 and played till 6 in the morning. Was up $150 in the afternoon. When the night was done, I was up around $140.

Had a great time. Haven’t stayed up back to back nights in a long long time. Also got permission from wifey to played. So relaxing. Wifey forgot to bring my jacket, was freezing my ass off playing baccarat the whole night. Had to wear her undersized Uniqlo light jacket that wasn’t much help. Had to ordered 2 hot tea and 2 hot chocalate to stayed warm.

Me and wifey not much of party person. Didn’t do anything there except walked the strip on the first Day in the hot afternoon sun. Smh. Wifey idea. Walked from Bally’s to Wynn and then the Nordstrom mall. Then ate at treasure island on our way back , had pho, but it’s not the same as what we have here in Nyc. Checked out the Bellagio and Caesar’s casino too. After that, got tired and stopped cause they all the same. Walked the planet Hollywood shopping center.

Ate at Holestein and MoMofuku for dinner. Think buffet is the only way if u don’t know what to eat as the prices are around the same. Didn’t drink 1 liquor there the whole trip. Both of us not into drinking.

Might sound boring to a lot of people, but it’s pretty fun for the 2 of us. First time that kids are not around us.
 
With a single deck - now I’m not so sure.
Why unsure? Your under the dealers up card. It doesn't matter how many decks.
I love pitch. I can count cards backwards with one or two decks. Doesn't change the strategy.
it's easier to ride a streak with six decks. But pitch is better overall.
I've seen the rules you mentioned at Indian casinos, those suck.
Fucking corporations, give the ownerships back to the mob.
 
It sounds like you're having a good time at the local casino in Nekoosa! Blackjack is a fun game, and you have a good handle on the fundamental strategies.
 
If you don't know basic strategy you'll lose faster than knowing basic strategy

Not hard to look up the MIT strategy Vap....if you're counting cards I promise your trip won't be enjoyable.
 
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