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Feature George Pappadopoulos
Myths Versus Realities (continued)
Exposing the Truth about Blackjack

Nevertheless, you’d be surprised how many players take insurance, believing it is the correct play without ever taking the time to consider the math. If you never take insurance when you have blackjack and the dealer has an Ace, you theoretically end up with 4 percent more money in your pocket. Never taking insurance at all yields 8 percent profit overall. The only exception to this rule would be for a seasoned professional card counter, with deep penetration and a rich true count, but if you are a non-card counter like myself heed what I say. In the long run you’ll have more money to play another day.

Now for a statement that is 99 percent myth and 1 percent reality: tipping the dealer as you play will enhance your chances of winning. I’ve had players tell me that they know the dealer can’t give them certain cards, but feel if they tip during play the dealer will look out for them since they also have money riding on the outcome.

Allow me to explain. For the 99 percent of us that are non-card counters, myself being one, this is an absolute myth. The dealer has no control over the cards, whether you tip him a dollar or a hundred dollars. The cards are dealt the same either way, and the results of your hand depends mostly on you and your knowledge of basic strategy.

A dealer who appreciates your tipping might offer you advice on certain hands, but even then, who’s to say that they know their basic strategy perfectly and won’t steer you in the wrong direction? I’m sure it wouldn’t be on purpose, but I prefer to depend on myself when it’s my money that’s at risk.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying don’t tip the dealer, but tipping should be done after you’ve reached your win goal and are finished playing for that session. Tipping prior to that only decreases your bankroll, which could be detrimental to you.

Now for that 1 percent I mentioned. This 1 percent applies to card counters. Here, tipping the dealer for your play could increase your chances of winning (keep in mind this is only a possibility, not a guarantee). It works best with a card counter playing a single or double deck game. If you tip as you play, especially by having the dealer play with you (putting their tip in front of your bet), they may take special interest in your play since they have a vested interest in the outcome. Remember, the dealer still has no control of the cards being dealt, but they do control the cut card and where it is placed in the deck. And if he has a vested interest in the outcome of the hand, it is more probable that he may place the cut card nearer to the end of the deck, giving the card counter a deeper penetration. This enables him to predict the true count with only a few cards remaining. This would give the counter a high advantage, so the arrangement works for both dealer and player.

Dealers are not stupid. They know on which side their bread is buttered, and are respectful of the fact that if you win they win. Also understand it is perfectly legal for the dealer to do this without retribution from the casino.

If you’re planning to use this tactic, I suggest you take the first seat on the dealer’s left—“first base”—so you are the first person dealt to. Sitting here will enable you to judge your bet on the true count with the fewest amount of cards remaining. Bear in mind that only card counters should tip during their play and then only while playing a single or double deck game.

If I were to ask you what you thought about drinking while gambling, what would you say? I’ve received answers that run the gamut of responses. Some say alcohol doesn’t affect their play, others say it gives them an edge, and still others don’t think about it one way or another; they just do it because it’s free. I’m here to tell you that it makes a huge difference. Alcohol can bring nothing but ruin to your game; it deadens your response time and weakens your cognitive thinking.

I’ll give you a perfect example. The other day while I was playing, chopping back and forth, a man sat down in the open seat on my left. He immediately flagged a waitress, ordered two Heinekens and said something about you never know when the girl will be back, and a little alcohol gives him the edge. When he started playing I observed his play and realized he was an excellent blackjack player. His basic strategy and money management was fast and flawless. For a moment I thought he might be the exception to the no drinking rule. However, after a short period of time and another double order of Heineken, his response time and ability to determine the correct decision in his money management and basic strategy slipped drastically.

The point I am trying to make is that Mr. Heineken took a great blackjack player with sound judgment and reduced him to a step above novice. It’s not that he was drunk or boisterous, just in a different state of mind. Unfortunately for him, while his myth was that the beer would give him the edge, his reality was that he wound up walking away from the table a loser. And a big one at that.

Here’s a question I get asked at least once a week while doing radio interviews and teaching seminars. What effect does the automatic shuffle machine and continuous shuffle machine have on my play? The myth is that they are both the same and that they affect your play the same way—adversely. There are actually two answers to this question and it depends on whether you are a card counter or a non-card counter.

Let’s begin with the automatic shuffle machine. This machine always has a complete shoe ready for the dealer. As soon as the dealer is finished with one shoe he opens the machine, loads the old shoe and removes the shuffled shoe that is waiting for him. If you are concerned about this machine’s outcome on your hand, don’t be. It has the same effect as if the dealer had shuffled. So if you play shoe games anyway, whether you count cards or not, don’t let this feature shy you away from a table unless you enjoy a break between shoes.

They are, however, a great moneymaker for the casino, since they increase the number of hands you can play per hour without increasing their costs. The math goes like this: the average dealer with seven players at his table deals 60 hands per hour (less players means even more hands dealt.) With the machine doing the work the dealer can deal two more hands per hour, which equals 48 more hands of blackjack per day at each blackjack table in the casino. The average megacasino has 50 blackjack tables, which equals 2,400 more hands of blackjack dealt a day with an automatic shuffle machine. Multiply by 365 and you have 876,000 more hands of blackjack a year played at their tables. This magnifies their profit margin without taking up one inch of extra space or adding one dollar to their payroll. It’s clear why they like this!

The continuous card shufflers are another story entirely. It still works well for the casino, but no card counter in his right mind would go anywhere near one of these. This machine works by taking one shoe of cards that it continuously shuffles. For the card counter this means there is no way to keep a running or true count, or detect whether the deck is rich or poor. It’s impossible because the cards which were just dealt are put back into play right after a hand is finished. The non-card counter, on the other hand, is not affected; basic strategy remains the same, as would any money management system you use. Casinos have employed these types of machines not only to speed up play but also to discourage card counters, and believe me, it works.

I now want to turn your attention to table trends. The myth is they do not exist—the reality is they do in more ways than you can imagine. You may refer to trends as “streaks” or “rhythms,” but they mean the same thing. The easiest example I can give of a trend goes like this—you have 500 pennies and you flip each one. By the time you get to your last penny you will have flipped about 250 heads and about 250 tails. However, if you had marked the results on a graph, you would see that you had flipped six or seven tails in a row and six or seven heads in a row.

This series of heads or tails in a row is a trend. Stockbrokers and financial planners consistently use trends to describe the stock market and other financial situations their clients are involved in.

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