Some casinos offer side bets that can be beaten, but not with traditional blackjack card counting strategies. Generally speaking, if you see a new rule or option on a blackjack table, it's probably not going to work in your favor, and almost certainly won't if you are guessing at the value and the proper strategy. Casinos often introduce options in order to seduce players into making bad decisions. All of the options described in this chapter were introduced for that purpose, but some have proven to have some value to smart players.

From my perspective, the primary value of these side bets is camouflage. The casinos generally regard these as sucker bets, because the house edge off the top is much higher than that on the traditional blackjack game, and most of these gimmicks appeal primarily to tourists. For instance, the house edge on the Royal Match side bet is 3.8%.

This means that a $5 bet on the Royal Match option costs you 190. If you place ten RM bets per hour, the total cost is $1.90 on average. In fact, you may lose more than this, or even win, as the expected result varies significantly. But even if you lose all ten of the RM bets you place, the maximum cost to you is $50 with $5 bets. Players who bet on the Royal Match option always look foolish to casino personnel, so, if you're trying to get away with a count game, occasional RM bets may help disguise your intentions.

Likewise, the Super Sevens bet has a house edge of about 11%, which is huge. But the maximum bet allowed on the Super Sevens option is $1, so the total cost per bet is only about 110. You could place 50 of these bets per hour, and the average cost to you won't be much more than $5.50.

If the maximum bet you place on your regular blackjack hand is only $25 or less, then I wouldn't bother making camo side-bets. Why give anything back to the house when your expected dollar return is so low from the traditional game? But if you're betting up to $50 or $ 100 or more, then occasional camouflage bets on the weird options will help to disguise you as a typical gambler at fairly low cost.

• Two-deck Blackjack Games On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank (0)

Multi-deck games also restrict profitable playing opportunities for players with limited bankrolls. For example, suppose you find a 6-deck Vegas Strip game with 4 decks dealt (a 67% shuffle-point). Note in the chart that with a 1 to 12 spread, your expectation is 0.71%, and if you want a full 1% advantage in this game, you'll have to spread 1 to 16.

Since the table minimum bet is $2, you must spread your bets from $2 to $32. Since, in 6-deck games, your best high bet is your bankroll divided by 150, you would have to have at least $4,800 ($32 x 150) in order to make this high bet. So, if you don't have $5,000 to play with, you can't beat this game because you can't afford a $2 betting unit! (And the reality is that it's hard to find 6-deck games these days with less than a $5 minimum bet. To use a 1 to 16 spread ($5-$80) in this $5 minimum game, the fixed bankroll requirement goes up to $10,000.)

The only way to compensate is to play less frequently under unfavorable circumstances; in other words, table-hop, table-hop, table-hop. Of course, the best solution is to find a better game—six decks with only four decks dealt sucks! The difficulty with table-hopping a game like this is that you may not find enough betting situations to justify the time spent looking.

• Two-deck Blackjack Games On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank (0)

If you use a true edge adjustment, remember when adjusting your running count that the new calculation is based on unseen cards. If you enter a 6-deck game in progress after counting only one round, you must keep aware of the fact that you have seen and counted very few cards. There may be half a deck or more already in the discard pile, but do not make your true edge adjustments by estimating that you have seen all the discards unless you have actually seen them.

The rules are very important to card counters in shoe games. Surrender is worth about a quarter of a percent to a counter who is using a large spread, and double after splits is worth just a bit less. With both of these rules in place, your count strategy will be worth almost half a percent more, and that's a huge difference.

A card counter recently asked me if he could beat shoe games without table-hopping if he used a 1 to 12 spread. This may sound like a simple question, but the answer is quite complicated. How many decks? What's the penetration? What are the rules? Let's look at the player advantages (in percentage) from John Auston's "World's Greatest Blackjack Simulation" report for the Red Seven Count, using a 1 to 12 spread in both 6 and 8-deck games, with three different (but common) levels of penetration, and three different rule sets: dealer hits soft 17 (H17); dealer stands on soft 17 (S-17); and dealer stands on soft 17 plus late surrender (S-17-LS).

H17 S-17 S-17-LS
6 Decks, 67% Penetration 0.39 0.71 0.99
6 Decks, 75% Penetration 0.79 1.16 1.53
6 Decks, 83% Penetration 1.31 1.68 2.07
8 Decks, 69% Penetration -0.04 0.27 0.50
8 Decks, 75% Penetration 0.18 0.49 0.76
8 Decks, 81% Penetration 0.44 0.77 1.10

So, despite the fact that in all cases the player is using the same 1 to 12 betting spread in all of these games, with the same counting system, his expectation ranges from -0.04% (8 decks, with 5 1/2 decks dealt) to 2.07% (6 decks, with 5 decks dealt)! Notice how important all three variables— number of decks, penetration, and rules—are to the expectation. This is why many pros use computer simulation software themselves to test games and betting approaches. If you don't have a computer to run your own simulations, there are now books available (such as Auston's) that contain nothing but hundreds of charts of simulation data, comparing different games and table conditions. (In Chapter Fourteen, I will display some of the data from reports I have written.) If you intend to put any serious amount of money into this game, you have to invest a bit in your education.

• Blackjack – Four+ Decks On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Two-deck Blackjack Games On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)

For all shoe games, determine your high bet by dividing your bankroll by 150. When you play against four or more decks, frequent table-hopping is generally a good idea, as you want to leave the table on negative counts. This technique is often called "Wonging" by card counters, after blackjack author Stanford Wong, who popularized this playing style. Wonging means simply refusing to play against negative situations. When your count indicates that the house has any significant edge, you leave the table to find a better game. On the first couple of rounds after a shuffle, you may tolerate a low negative running-count, but after the first half-deck or so is in the discard tray, stay only if the count is neutral or positive. If you are in a large casino and there are many open tables, do not play against any negative running count.

Your best approach to table-hopping is to keep your eyes open as you walk through the blackjack pits. Look for dealers who are shuffling, finishing a shuffle, or just beginning a new deal (with very few cards in the discard tray). When you spot a crowded table with an open betting spot or two, and the felt gets covered with low (plus) cards, get as accurate a count as you can, and get a bet onto any open spaces. If you are using the Red Seven Count, seek tables with running counts at, or close to, your pivot. In 6 and 8-deck games, you will rarely hit your pivot in one round of play, but if the count goes beyond the halfway point, either watch the next round, or get a small waiting bet on the table. The Red Seven Count is particularly powerful for this playing style—its betting efficiency is high, and all of its variations from basic strategy are plus-count variations. If you use a true edge adjustment, you should seek out tables where your true count indicates that you have the advantage. This will depend on the number of decks, rules, and so on.
When table-hopping, you will sometimes walk for long periods without placing a bet, sometimes playing only one hand before the count goes down again. For this reason, it's best to cover two (or more) betting spots when you find the right situation.

Your table-hopping must also appear natural or you will be recognized as a card counter. You cannot stand behind a table and count round after round, jumping in only when the count goes up—it's too obvious. You must appear casual. Table-hopping is probably easiest to pull off when you are with a companion of the opposite sex. While searching for good tables, you can act like you're more interested in each other, wandering around like lovers at a carnival.

In Atlantic City, many casinos prevent table-hopping by prohibiting mid-shoe entry, and others may restrict bets to the table minimum for any player who enters a game after the first round from a shuffle. These rules are specifically designed to foil Wonging. In casinos where such rules are enforced, the only way to table-hop is to enter games right after the shuffle, stay if the count goes up, and leave if it goes down, in search of another newly shuffled shoe. No card counting strategy can significantly beat a six- or eight-deck game if less than 65% of the cards are dealt out, unless you are allowed to hop. Even with table-hopping, less than 65% penetration will provide little profit potential for card counters.

When table-hopping, you may either use a betting spread or flat bet. Flat-betting will work only if you wait until you have a decided edge before entering a game. Otherwise, you must spread your bets, at least 1 to 4 units, and often higher. For camouflage, you may want to only raise your bet after a win, by parlaying. If you attempt to raise after a loss, you must appear to be chasing your losses, as a compulsive gambler might. To pull this off, you may have to make comments about "feeling a winning streak coming up," or "ending a losing streak." Many of the most successful card counters are those who can convince the casinos that they are die-hard gamblers. Some of these players even use phenomenal betting spreads, sometimes 1 to 40 units and more.

• Blackjack – Four+ Decks On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)
• Two-deck Blackjack Games On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)

Two-deck games are common in Nevada. When playing them, calculate your high bet for 2-deck games by dividing your bankroll by 120. With Reno rules, play in one-deck games only, which are commonly available—do not play two-deckers with Reno rules. You can beat these games if there is 75% penetration, and you use a 1 to 8 spread, but much better single-deck games are available in Northern Nevada.

In Las Vegas, play in 2-deck games only if at least 60% of the cards are dealt out between shuffles. You must use at least a 1 to 5 spread to get a 1% edge at these games. With more favorable rules, and a deeper shuffle point, you can get a stronger advantage, or use a smaller spread.

• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Blackjack Side Bets (0)

The betting spread you need to beat a game depends on the rules and what percentage of the cards you are able to see and count. One of the best guides for choosing a single-deck game was created by a Blackjack Forum contributor who called himself "Brother William." He noted that many casinos instructed their dealers to deal a specified number of rounds between shuffles, based on the number of players at the table. In order to get a one percent advantage over the house, using the simple Red Seven, and based on the number of rounds between shuffles and the number of players at the table, the following chart shows the required betting spreads.

In each row, the top spread is for Reno rules, where dealers hit soft 17, and you may double down on 10 and 11 only. The spreads on the following page, in italics, are for downtown Vegas rules, where the dealers hit soft 17, and you may double on any two cards.
Assuming there are only two players at the table, and you are playing Reno rules, if the dealer is dealing only four rounds between shuffles, then you will need a 1-8 spread in order to get a 1% advantage. Note that if there were three players at the table, and four rounds, you could get this 1% advantage with only a 1-4 spread.

Red Seven players should use this chart as a guide to choosing single-deck games. If you cannot get a 1% advantage because the dealer is dealing too few rounds, don't play, but rather find a better game. Note that the five-player game is extremely poor—with Reno rules, you can't beat it (unless you spread bigger than 1 to 8!). Five players with two rounds is very poor, and no dealer will attempt to deal a third round with five players at the table. The best games are three rounds to four players, or four rounds to three players.

Number of Players
Rounds 12 3 4 5 6 7
One ——-
Two….. 1-8 1-6
1-8 1-5 1-4
Three – – 1-6 1-4
1-4 1-3
Four - 1-8 1-6
Five 1-8 1-6 1-4 1-3
Six 1-5 1-4
Seven 1-4 1-3
Eight 1-3 1-2
1-4 1-3

If you use the full set of indices provided for the Hi-Lo Lite, you may spread two units less than the spreads recommended in the chart. Strategy plays have great value in single-deck games.

If you use the Red Seven Count, you raise your bet from the minimum at the pivot (0). If you use the Hi-Lo Lite, raise your bet when the edge has turned in your favor by at least 1/2% (see prior sections). Unless you're a good actor, you should stick with the lowest recommended betting spreads in single-deck games. A wider spread will increase your win rate, but it will also increase your chance of being identified as a card counter.

Players who make bets above $50 might be wise to avoid single-deck games altogether, or at least until you have a better feel for casino play, and how to get away with card counting. At low stakes (all bets below $50), many casinos ignore spreads of 1 to 4 or even 1 to 8, but don't take unnecessary chances. Some casinos will tolerate no counters at all at their tables. If you sense heat, leave and play elsewhere. Return another day, or on another shift.

• Two-deck Blackjack Games On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Blackjack Side Bets (0)

In single-deck games, your high bet with the simple Red Seven should be your total bankroll divided by 100—given a $10,000 bankroll, your high bet should be $100. This assumes that you use the simplified betting chart on page 60 with a 1 to 8 spread. With a smaller bank, you may find it impractical or even impossible to spread 1 to 8 with a 1 % maximum bet, due to high table minimums, so you'll be stuck with a 1 to 4 spread. In this case, you do not want to place your maximum bet until your count justifies the 8-unit bet according to the betting chart. Otherwise, you will place far too many bets max when you do not have the advantage to justify them.

Players who use the True Edge adjustments that more accurately gauge their precise advantage will find more aggressive betting advice in Chapter 14, "Professional Betting Strategies." The conservative betting advice here is geared to keep casual players from getting into trouble.

You must constantly reassess the size of your bankroll as you play, and alter the size of your bets accordingly. This doesn't have to be a complicated procedure: You know the size of your bankroll prior to the beginning of play, so just keep track of how much money you pull out of your pocket as you play.

Always buy chips in small amounts. If you're playing with nickels ($5 chips), don't buy in for more than $100. If you're playing with quarters ($25 chips), you shouldn't buy in for more than $500. If you need more chips, you can always pull more money out of your pocket.

Pit bosses, meanwhile, are sometimes wary of players who buy in for large amounts, then start betting small. Casino floormen like to see players digging into their pockets for more money since that means they're losing. By keeping track of how much money you pull from your pocket, you'll always know your bankroll position—the difference is right in front of your eyes. When there is a significant change in your bankroll, divide your new current bank by 100 to re-determine the size of your high bet. Most of the time, you will have to approximate this figure. For instance, with a $3,150 bankroll, your optimal high bet would be: $3,150 / 100 = $31.50

So, practically, your high bet would be $30. Remember that you will see wild swings, both positive and negative. On occasion, you may have to reassess your bankroll after only 10 minutes of play. If you fail to reassess your bankroll often enough, it could be devastating to you in a few hours. You must cut back when you lose, and you must do it quickly. Try to reassess after winning or losing ten high bets, so with a high bet of $25, you should stop and reassess after winning or losing about $250. Again, if you keep track of how much cash you've pulled out of your pocket, the process is automatic.

• Two-deck Blackjack Games On A Fixed Bank (0)
• Single-deck Blackjack Betting On A Fixed Bank Part2 (0)
• Blackjack Side Bets (0)