I noticed he's leaving off the main one. TIPS. Most gamblers tip well when they're winning. Maybe that's one he "left off because casinos can watch the video." But as a former floor supervisor and dealer. Even if I knew someone was an advantage player as long as they tipped well I'd avoid backing them off for as long as possible. One guy managed to avoid a backoff for about 4 years. He'd come 1-3 nights a week. He tipped every dealer $25 minimum. Even if he was losing you got $25 when you left the table. When he was winning thousands dealers made substantially more. I pegged the guy as an advantage player the first time I dealt to him. After a few sessions I overheard him whisper something that confirmed it. But I never said anything to anyone else. Eventually I did talk to the player about it and he confirmed. Still I never said anything. Even when I became a floor I never said anything. Then one day I got a call from surveillance and they said the guy was a counter and asked how I wanted to proceed. I hated to back the guy off but at that point my hands were tied.
I'm curious, if surveillance asked you how you wanted to proceed, did you 'have to' back him off...it sounded like it was up to you? or was it not really?
@bjplayertravels2777 once surveillance made the call it had to be done. I had the option to do it myself, have an MOD do it, or have my supervisor do it. I let my supervisor do it because I liked the guy.
I bring a small basic strategy card and ask shyly if it's okay for me to use it at the table because I'm a beginner. Works every time and the dealer treats me like I'm a child lol
Was playing blackjack casually with some buddies at $5 hands. We got up and played some other games for a while. One of my friends decided to go back and put $300 on one hand. He got a 11 double down and won $600. Casino security came up and double checked his id and stuff later when we were chillin watching another friend play a different game. He for sure wasn’t counting and didn’t even win that big and the casino wasn’t happy
And you can go back after things cool off. Got backed off once, went to another casino on and off for 5 or 6 months, then went back and got another couple grand out of the first casino before getting backed off again 7 or 8 sessions in there again.
A lot depends on how big you are betting. If you are betting under $100 a hand, you could probably go back several months later. If you are betting hundreds and higher, it might make sense to wait years before you go back, depending on other circumstances. JMHO ✌️ ✌️ ✌️
Great video as always colin! I love the fact that you are realistic with your videos. You don’t just tell everyone that they will win huge money if they count cards. So many gambling videos show the wins but never show the losses. Your videos are realistic. By the way, you’re welcome for the slot ticket idea! 🤪
They have so many blackjack tables because there are many people who read one card counting book on the plane heading to Vegas and then they think that they can beat the game. It takes literally months of intense training to be good enough to beat the game. And even after all of that training, you need a substantial bankroll to handle the swings. Most people are losing players and the casinos know this.
"As a former professional counter..." Translation - I'm barred or trespassed from every casino in the US. Now my only way to make money is to sell instruction to new players who haven't been 86'd...yet.
I am an old school player from the 70s-80s…we HAD TO cover. These days it’s all steam when the count goes up. They wont last long….but they don’t care…just get the money. I think they probably help us grinders
I am definitely on the side of the "optimizing" school of thought (instead of the "maximizing" school of thought) when it comes to advantage play, as Ian Andersen puts it. Acting like a degenerate gambler, not looking like a algorthmic robot playing 1-6 bet spreads with 100% staring at the cards in full focus, being a positive and energetic person at the tables and creating positive relationships with casino staff will increase your longevity for a LONG time. Ian changed my way of playing pretty much overnight. Man was a genius. I'm also 100% on board with his ....particular playing strategy in Burning the Tables... 🤫 I won't disclose anymore details for the sake of secrecy, but I highly recommend reading that book for the sake of extending your life span as a player.
While I appreciate what you're trying to do, I don't think anything written in Burning the Tables, a book published so long ago it's now legally old enough to gamble in Vegas itself, is a secret at this point ;)
Very well said and I totally agree with this. You need to be very low keyed and sense when "The Casino Crew" are starting to notice. Walk away, even if the count is plus ten or more. Patterns are what will give you away, every time. I have yet to get "backed off", in all my years. I simply look at it this way. "I don't want the whole pot of gold, just a few coins that fall from the cookie jar. Better yet, shaken from the tree. Just don't shake it so hard, that you get noticed. Be smart, play smart and always be patient". Remember to tip your dealer by a side bet. Because they are the first ones to notice what is going on. Always remember simple common manners, goes a long way, especially in today's mad, hostel and rude world. .
I enjoy your videos not because I want to be a card counter but if I ever have the desire to play blackjack again I will say, they will only let me play because I don't know what I'm doing.
It's fun when the cards go ridiculously your way. On the $25000 win the casino tried Change dealers 3 times. They also shuffled the deck by hand. But they never changed the 2 decks that were going through the automatic shuffler. Both decks being used in the automatic shufflor would deliver the same ridiculous payout. I simply played 3 spots at 7:50 a pop. With 2 other players at the table We had played for an hour and a 1/2 but the payout Only took 10 minutes. To be honest once I started pushing out It was just a lucky streak. Leave before you lose it all back. I've been banned from one tribal casino. I think they just figured I was Not going to lose so would not play with me.
In my experience, How they catch me is they watch how we bet and a lot of the camera guys can count well themselves, so if they see you changing your bet when the count is high, it puts you on their radar fast. You’ll last a day or so. Sometimes hours tbh.
Tip the dealer. There's no better way to make yourself disliked than to be winnng a bunch of money and not tipping. Dealers are also more likely to do anything in their power to get rid of you if you're a stiff (i.e. cut the shoe less deep, encourage other players to come in the middle of the shoe, report their suspicions to the pit boss, change the game pace, do anything to distract you).
I work in surveilance i can add that casinos Review the tape when the tables overall result is negative, like for example if it looses more than a set amount like $2.000
I would think the easiest way to avoid heat is just going during a busy time, especially if there's a lot of noise and drunk people, but maybe that would make it harder to count. Also probably harder to find a table with good rules and harder to get more hands per hour.
You’re 100% right on all of this. Playing in an empty casino means way more rounds per hour but you’re probably being watched the whole time because surveillance doesn’t have shit to do. As it gets busier they won’t be able to watch you as much but there’s more of a chance tables will fill up and you won’t be able to get as many rounds in
@@redflamelcd Dunno. There's so much they're trying to do. I've seen people do that kind of bet spread all the time. They'll definitely notice, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're counting. I've seen several people that were most certainly counting, because I just counted with them and saw how they changed their bets, but if I told my supervisor, most of them wouldn't even believe me. I think people are paranoid.
I also think that if you let the hand play out and you're in the 3rd base it's much easier to go through count the low cards and then subtract the high cards. I've never seen you mention this method. Combine this with betting 2 spots with the count positive And you get a much better return. I walk away with less than a 1000 with 4 hours of play. I can average a $150 an hour that way.
It’s a bummer when your local starts to back you off. I used to have my favorite casino in my hometown, would go there often and just take them for like $1000 and then leave. One night I got greedy and hit them for 10K and things were never the same. I would get backed off almost every time I sat down. Once they said they over paid me on a hand and I had to pay them $100 or I had to leave and the others they have told me I’m intoxicated, which I clearly wasn’t. I’ve been through it all. Quick dealer changes, hand shuffles, closing the table down, and stopping the game altogether! I was seriously there one night and they just said, no more blackjack at all tonight and closed all the tables.
@@zippymufo9765 but it is true. Once he walked in, they got scared and shut down all the blackjack tables in the casino for the night. I was there and saw it with my own eyes.
@@jessewright8556 I'd say it depends ...are you going to be counting cards and varying your bet with the count? or will you be betting flat bets throughout and make decisions with your 'gut' ?
I’m not a blackjack card counter, but I’m a slot machine player, I can find any game & sit down hit up to their max out, I don’t know casino will ban me from doing that, since I’m just finishing to achieve how all slot machines pay. Do u know casino mind people win from slot???
Is there a higher risk of being backed off in the high stakes tables vs, the regular tables? What's a normal bet spread for a +3 true count if I'm at the $20 min table?
Sometimes you will get to play longer in the high limit rooms, every casino is different. A "normal" bet for that true count at a $20 minimum table will also vary greatly based on your bankroll and risk tolerances.
I know the exact casinos @6:39... Pala Casino, Harrah's Rincon, Valley Center Casino, Pechanga Casino. I was friends with a floor manager at Harrah's Rincon. She told me there was a daily BJ player who would leave after winning $6K every time. She was convinced he was a card counter but they never caught him bc he would only play for 1 - 1.5 hrs.
I wasn’t even counting and bought in for 200… about an hour I was up to 2200… They backed me off for no reason… Just a good streak… I play perfectly I believe…
Exactly… I know the basics when it comes to counting but I like to have a good time at the casino when I go. I also play slots… They just don’t understand… Long story short, I haven’t been back to that casino lol
I was at a casino last month; I had one good shoe and was up $425. I was also ratholing chips, but after only 90 minutes, they kicked me out and trespassed me. I wasn’t being a robot, I was talking with the dealer and other players, but they still got me. On the same trip, I was playing at a table for only 20 minutes, without even increasing my bet, and I got backed off! I was completely baffled.
@@Chieffg It was the same trip, but the casino where I was backed off after 20 minutes was the one I visited first. Besides, I’m a small-time AP playing only $15 betting units. How much damage could I do to a casino?
I got backed off at new york new york casino in 2016. I lost 1k the 2 nights before I left. The last day I was there I played a good table. I bought in for 160 dollars on 25 dollar min. And play 6 hours I was up 4k . I am not a card counter. I just like the game and was lucky the dealer bust more then me. Never saw the same dealer twice. Players came in and out (all lost but me ) so then the casino offered me a room. After I told them no I was waiting for a flight. They told me I couldn't play anymore and to find another game. F@$k Vegas. I've been up way more at other casinos and never been treated like that. I spent a lot of money there. But if you Win they hate it. I will never go back. To many good casinos our side of Vegas
Absolutely love that I found your channel, probably gonna sign up for a membership soon. Wondering if you have any metric as to when I should consider myself to have basic strategy down? Right now I'm setting a metronome for 40 bpm and answering on the beat. If I mess up I start over and keep going til I've done 100 in a row without fail
Back when the Nooksack River Casino was in business, their threshold was $2,500. I learned that from American Greed: The Tran Organization. At Rising Star Casino in Indiana, their threshold was once $8,000 for calling surveillance, which is moot because they're a major sweat joint with database reporting anyway. As far as camo goes, I don't trust myself to use good camo. I'm a more introverted autistic guy, and casinos are so far away from where I live, that I might as well burn them down at this point. However, I do find that betting camo comes in handy sometimes. When the floor is watching your game, you could choose not to raise your bets right away, and wait for the count to drop or stagnate a little, before using a larger bet spread to make up for it. You could bet big in the beginning of the shoe, and lower it when the count goes up but not positive (keep it there if it becomes profitable), or raise it a little when the count goes negative, so you can justify dropping your bet big time after the next hand. Of course, all this comes at a cost.
I was in Florida and they had these gambling boat that would sail out into international waters.....they would go out and open the tables 4 or 5 hours then come back in. I don't count but I'm good on basic strategy and one day I started playing and within a couple of hours I was up over a thousand...No one said anything but I noticed they seem to be keeping an eye on me. I finished the day up about 12 hundred. The last few hours there I felt I was being watched
@@briandraper7630 I look at the rhythm of the game. Even at 49.5% the game will roller coaster. My strategy is to set a limited time of play. Once I get close to that time limit, I try to quite at a positive apex. I mean that does not always work. Just like the times you win every hand, there are days that you lose every hand. More than likely though you will go up and down
Caesar’s Palace has a very, very small $5,000 threshold. Just by playing in the high limit area, you’re already on their radar. Used to throw out 10k a night there.
I would pay anyone who works at Mohegan serious money to give me a copy of my analysis profile like the one shown at 2:55. Lol I ran a train on that casino for months and only finally got the boot after I played a full table at 150 per hand at the end of a high count shoe and won every hand lmao Card counting is fun but for a living is nightmareish.
@@bjplayertravels2777 I'm not sure I get your meaning. I played every spot on the table (6 in total), at 150 each. I believe the true count stood at a True 3.5 going into the round, hit a True 4.5 once all cards had been dealt. Cut card was coming out so to maximize EV I played every spot on the last hand of the shoe to make up for bad variance. Hope this clarified what I did for you.
Hey colin is a lower bet spread ex 1-6 or 1-5 still a profitable bet spread because I heard that thats more of a break even game can ya shine some light on this
Depends on number of decks used and penetration. There has to be favorable EV a higher percentage of the time for a lower bet spread to work. Fo a 2 deck game with better than average pen, 1:6 would work. For an 8 deck game with worse than average pen, forget about it - it'd basically be a waste of time..
@@TheHunter0224 Yeah - thats good pen and good rules. Should be able to do a small advantage there. I use a conservative bet spread at a certain casino. I think it helps to sit out a couple rounds here and there or take opportune bathroom or phone call breaks. That would clandestinely increase your bet spread that would be apparent
@@stevenhelgason8190 All right thanks for the tips I didn’t really wanna put $300 upfront just for a calculator so I’ve been Using some of the free ones that I could find but I just can’t figure out a good bedspread to minimize ror
@@TheHunter0224 Yeah it's complicated. Ror depends on the unit size of bankroll too. Lesser bet spread is less volitile, but not as much EV either. 10 or 12 :1 would be better longer term for you, but best to have 1000 units available. Depends too how much you want to risk getting booted ftim the tables. But a 1% advantage is significantly better than say a 0.5% advantage(twice as good.) Schlesingers book, Blackjack Attack 3rd edition is a good source for information and tables regarding this. Can't speak for BJA here - not a member..
As someone who's never card counted before and is actually pretty bad at blackjack (I tend to only play when I'm drunk - not a great idea lmao) I have actually experienced being told to leave a casino in the UK just because I got extremely lucky and won around £700 off a £50 buy-in. It's hard to accept but the fact of the matter is it doesn't matter what you do or what happens, winning means they don't want you there no matter what.
@@suryaj_ He also mentioned, he only plays drunk. I wonder if that could have influenced the decision to kick him out and "bcuz of the wins" is just the more comfortable reasoning for himself.
@@anthonyder3685 Casinos also love to win back their money and even more. So, why should they kick a lucky winner but _pretty bad player_ off the casino (and not only the BJ table) instead of serving him more drinks to bet on winning back all and even more, with a very good quote? I don't take my feelings as facts though the reasoning, it was _just_ because of the wins also brings up some unspecific doubts in me. A casino would probably not communicate this reason with the player, which leaves a high probability of it being an assumption itself and there being more to the story than this side of it. A bar's business is selling alcoholic drinks and still you instantaneously can imagine a situation, where a bartender says 'You had enough now' to a customer and rejects serving.
When I first started I got labeled on the computers and had a pit boss talking my ear off everytime I played. Couldn’t figure out why they liked me so much! Lol! I was playing like a robot. Watching and counting every single card, not doing a quick sweep of the table, not talking to anyone, and upping my bets as the count went up, taking and not taking insurance based on the count, playing different based on count etc. ANYONE could’ve spotted me. I wasn’t playing enough ($3000 bankroll each session) so they never backed me off and I stupidly had the strategy of leaving everytime I was up $500 to start and $1000 after a bit. Don’t do this!! 😂😂 and yes, I went 5-6 nights a week to the same casino, same times etc
Been to some casinos where they did not allow me to take chips off the table. They told me I had to put the chips back on or cash out. I also had at least 800 in green chips that I wanted to get as black chips, they said If you’re gonna color some you have to color all
That's odd. I've never had that. But casinos sometimes have weird procedures. The point of the video are things that may help extend your longevity. Nothing is guaranteed to work as some casinos back off anyone who moves their bets, or just because someone's winning. But these are all ideas to consider implementing.
That's pretty typical for a roulette table, but I guess someone might want to do that for a blackjack table. They either don't want you checking them back in constantly or they were worried they wouldn't be able to get a fill if a bunch of players kept taking black off the table. Were you playing in the middle of the night?
Had something close to this happen to me last Monday. Went up enough to cash into a $500 chip, it was fine the first go, then I did it again, and they told me I couldn’t cash in another time, unless I leave the table. I sat there for maybe 3-4 hands after cashing it in, I asked to join back in due to the count being decent, the pit boss came over and told me “no” personally. Cards ended up being a Ace & a King, as I was going to go back to playing 2 hands. It sure if just procedure, or a subtle way of telling me to leave.
Hopefully Colin sees this comment and responds......Just last week my friend and I were doing pretty well at the black jack table, nothing special but consistently winning and then all of a sudden this obnoxious guy arrives and sits next to me....claims he was once a dealer there but now just played and encouraged me to bet big on the side bets, then another stooge sat down three chairs down and wouldn't shut up and he and the first guy acted like BFFs....they would address us personally while play was going with "you remind me of someone" comments and the such. Quick question - do casinos employ guys like to this to feel you out or distract you or try to get you to gamble foolishly? It certainly felt that way in this instance.
55k is nice but 1000 hours that doesn’t seem like a good return. Even the dealers need a break pretty often just from counting each hand not the deck. 5:23 Edit for time stamp.
But did you understand the context? He was intentionally not maximizing his EV, and still, at an average of 20hrs a week, made a 55k profit over the course of a year. With zero travel, in the same local casino, with zero backoffs.
@@Blackjackapprenticeship I understood that aspect of the story. I was more commenting on the mental drain to count cards for that long. I get that he was doing it under the radar and the casino was 100k off on his net “loss”
They also listen for key words like that oh there goes rent or I need more money to gamble oh I just lost everything I had and they are mandatory to report it to there supervisor
I’m definitely a robot at the table without counting because that’s just my personality. Been learning counting for the last 4-6 months. I’m wondering if that will affect me in my upcoming Vegas trip in a couple months from now
@@bjplayertravels2777 went good. Wasn’t able to keep the count that long tbh but I got lucky & won close to close to 2 grand playing basic strategy. El Cortez didn’t back me off but I got the vibe they were suspicious when they tried to color me up while me & my fam told them At least 10 times I was still playing lol
Me and a couple buddies went to this average Casino just outside of Biloxi and we played dice one night just three of us and my two buddies are power pressers like bigger than me and they got a hot roll like 8 or 9 points but they both won like 8 to $10,000 combined in about 30 minutes and the damn managers there were sweating LOL but if you go to one of the other bigger casinos like the Beau Rivage or something or the IP they don't sweat over 5 or 10K because people buy in for that kind of money like it's nothing
Anyone ever been backed off baccarat? I’ve turned $200 to 2-3k so many times at the local native casino and have gotten a little extra attention from the pit boss but never been turned away
I never understand why BJ AP don't go buy-in at big Baccarat table 2500-5000 won't flinch an eye, play for an hr or so, pretty easy in Baccarat to play an hr and break even or win a little or lose very little. Then at that point take your chips to BJ Tables out on the floor now you have no buy-in to draw attention.
Were you and your team at the Disney resort in Hawaii a couple months ago? I could have sworn I saw you. I was with my little daughters so I couldn’t catch up to you.
I can't count cards but, from my experience if you were to win under $500 every time you go, i feel you will be under the radar. I have mostly played in Reservation Casinos and Laughlin. I met a lady at one of the Casinos in town. She was another older lady who would win $100 and leave. I asked her how she would do in a month. She said imagine a little over $2000 a month. She was on Social Security. Whats has been your experience???
Another thing I do is hide my larger denomination chips under less denom when I increase my bets rather than have a large stack of one. Even though I don't play a high enough bankroll to draw attention, I don't take risks. If I play a $10 table using a 1-6 bet spread, rather than sticking out a large stack of 12 red chips, I put two green chips with one or two reds on top. Just makes me look like a 'random bet increaser' rather than an AP.
Depending on the casino, I would say doing it the other way around might be better. Dealers often have to call out to the floor if you start betting a certain denomination chip like you might hear them say “black action” or “checks play 1” when you get over 100. They do this for multiple reasons but one of them is to help the floor catch card counters. If he hears the dealer call that out regularly he knows the player is drastically raising and lowering his bets and sometimes has to call surveillance. Some ways around that would be to bet a larger quantity of lower denomination chips, like betting 4 greens instead of a black. Another way would be to bet slightly less than certain landmark numbers that might require the dealer to call to the floor or the casino to change their procedures to account for larger money at the table. If you notice the floor calling surveillance telling them “checks play one on 3rd base on BJ 12” or whatever every time you bet $100, then bet $95 instead
@@bjplayertravels2777 mmmm no, I believe that. I don’t really think hes being deceptive either you can just tell when someone is being super selective with their wording. On a “cosmic scale of justice”, I think he’s done more good than harm
@@DaveFromVh1 I'm sure you'd find that data in other audios he's created... i'm pretty sure it's over a handful of years...I think was early 2000's? might even be in his book...
I had that same thing happened I was a regular at 1 casino and they figured I would always lose a couple 100 bucks. Then one night in 10 minutes time 25000 came across the table as I started betting with their money at the 3 hand , I had lost my account and honestly I was so tired that I just started pushing it out there. The next time I came in the casino everything had changed just like you said. It wasn't so much they backed me off that they were just unfriendly and pretty much everywhere, Now if this ever happens to you be sure you can get a cashier's check because I took it in $500 chips 1/2 of it I lost in the street To someone chasing me. I reached in my pocket and took half the chips and threw them up in the air and took off running as they started to reach in their pocket for either a gun or a knife. I didn't wait around to find out what it was
I could see myself doing this once I'm retired and have a bunch of time on my hands. I enjoy blackjack, generally enjoy casinos, and wouldn't be doing it to make a living(so my bets will be smaller that someone trying to make a living at it), just as a challenge.
We have had plenty of members come through our course for the same reason. Everyone isn't always trying to get rich, some just want to become better at a game they enjoy or they want to tackle the challenge.
Who does everyone go to the casino with? Do you go by yourself? If you have a partner wouldn’t he or she become bored by you spending hours at the Blackjack tables, and especially so if you are the only AP?
Yeah he has. He mentioned it in another video. Someone literally told the pit boss running the tables his exact name and that he was from blackjack apprentice smh
Wait youre telling me that walking into casino with a T-shirt with a big red "Card Counter please do not back me" is a bad idea? :( Oh that explains a lot. Jokes aside I like your videos, but I live in Europe :( even If I could get past all security here (last casino i visited required even fingerprints and registration and I gaved it lol seems to be standard here) I dont think counting here is possible.
So the best ways to be a card counter without facing the dreaded "heat" as a counter is this...... 1. Don't widen out your bet spreads. Don't go way too high and then too low even once in your bets (that is, you bet $5 a round, and then you shoot up to $1,000 a round, and back to $200, etc.) They will not book your action if you do this. You will be thrown out! 2. Don't leer especially at the shuffler, or the dealer that is holding the cards, especially for too long. Casinos will see this and you will be flagged as a card counter. You can leer at the already given cards to make sure you get your strategy perfect. But no more than that. 3. A few times, give some bad hands that will likely cause you to lose at blackjack--some bad hands that can still get you good bets. 4. Talk more often during your shoes. If you just shut your mouth, you will be like a robot - and you will be noticed by the pit bosses or security as a card counter and they don't want you. Order some drinks and even tip the bartenders even doing shoe play. 5. Move around the blackjack tables. Sit at one table, play a few shoes, then leave with your chips and then move to a blackjack table that is a bit far from the table, play a few shoes, and then finish out and cash out. If you stay at a table for, say 8 hours, without leaving, you could risk facing some back-off heat. 6. Finish your time at the casinos after doing blackjack by playing other gambling games such as slots or roulette or craps. Don't just "blackjack only" every night because even if you try to avoid detection, you could also end up facing "heat." 7. Finally, Google yourself on the Internet to see if you are already on the dreaded "Griffin Book." If you are on that book, forget about card counting anywhere in the casinos or blackjacking, and find another way to gamble in the casinos, because they will trespass you out if you even do one shoe of blackjack if you are in this blacklisting book, no matter which casino you go to!
@@bjplayertravels2777 Sure…but I am only betting $10-60 (spread to two…but even that is rarely)….usually 10-40 one hand. At the 25 double deck table I go 25-100 (but I don’t play that all the time and I can’t spread on that table
When I saw $55000/ 1000hr, that’s $55/hour which doesn’t seem too attractive compared with a day job considering it could be more brain intensive to count cards… does an average card counter make more in reality?
I'm still just getting started with all of this and have yet to have a winning night. I tend to lose the count toward the end of the shoe. But to be perfectly honest, it's probably because it's my local, I know many of the dealers, other players, and they know me as well. So, we all get to chatting and going on and on, and I will happily oblige the other players when they're talking the nonsense you mentioned at the end of the video. Agreeing with this stuff and then actually saying it at the table, coupled with not doing so well just yet and playing side bets occasionally, I'd say it's gonna be a while before I ever get backed off, lol. However, when I do get good at this, i'll still maintain my friendly demeanor which will likely buy me some relief from any heat.
Make sure you practice counting so you don’t lose the count anymore, and walk away when the true count goes negative. ( I will still play at a negative 1 true count, but nothing below that) It’s the long run so expect at least 1000 hours before you start becoming profitable.
1,000 hours = $55,000 = $55 an hour - too much work and stress for that kind of money. NPR followed up a group that were professional card counters, 2 years later, the group disbanded. They said the stress on making an average $25 an hour wasn't worth it.
If another counter sits down at my table and he is obviously counting I will find another table. Because if he's that obvious then surveillance will be watching. And if surveillance is watching, they're not just watching him, they're watching the entire table. And that means there will be less attention at the table I move to.
I noticed he's leaving off the main one. TIPS. Most gamblers tip well when they're winning. Maybe that's one he "left off because casinos can watch the video." But as a former floor supervisor and dealer. Even if I knew someone was an advantage player as long as they tipped well I'd avoid backing them off for as long as possible. One guy managed to avoid a backoff for about 4 years. He'd come 1-3 nights a week. He tipped every dealer $25 minimum. Even if he was losing you got $25 when you left the table. When he was winning thousands dealers made substantially more. I pegged the guy as an advantage player the first time I dealt to him. After a few sessions I overheard him whisper something that confirmed it. But I never said anything to anyone else. Eventually I did talk to the player about it and he confirmed. Still I never said anything. Even when I became a floor I never said anything. Then one day I got a call from surveillance and they said the guy was a counter and asked how I wanted to proceed. I hated to back the guy off but at that point my hands were tied.
I'm curious, if surveillance asked you how you wanted to proceed, did you 'have to' back him off...it sounded like it was up to you? or was it not really?
He has a whole video about whether you should tip the dealer or not.
@@bjplayertravels2777once surveillance calls he has to. They have observed the play on video and know he’s a counter
im curious to know how much EV he was spending in tips
@bjplayertravels2777 once surveillance made the call it had to be done. I had the option to do it myself, have an MOD do it, or have my supervisor do it. I let my supervisor do it because I liked the guy.
I bring a small basic strategy card and ask shyly if it's okay for me to use it at the table because I'm a beginner. Works every time and the dealer treats me like I'm a child lol
you use the strategy card as a decoy?
Shhhhh
@@Beastieboy2263 ohhhhhh lol
This is literally what iv been thinking lol
Lol hiding in plain sight
I had to back off Stanford Wong in the late 90's. He was so nice. He said "You know hon, if I was you, I'd back me off too". We had a good laugh.
Did you know that he was the now legendary Stanford Wong at the time?
@@sunchips5 Yes. I was in shock that he even played. He was so nice. I didn't want to back him off.
Was playing blackjack casually with some buddies at $5 hands. We got up and played some other games for a while. One of my friends decided to go back and put $300 on one hand. He got a 11 double down and won $600. Casino security came up and double checked his id and stuff later when we were chillin watching another friend play a different game. He for sure wasn’t counting and didn’t even win that big and the casino wasn’t happy
wow, very touchy casino staff!
@bjplayertravels2777 fr, as a casino you shouldn't care until someone takes 100K
And you can go back after things cool off. Got backed off once, went to another casino on and off for 5 or 6 months, then went back and got another couple grand out of the first casino before getting backed off again 7 or 8 sessions in there again.
A lot depends on how big you are betting. If you are betting under $100 a hand, you could probably go back several months later. If you are betting hundreds and higher, it might make sense to wait years before you go back, depending on other circumstances. JMHO ✌️ ✌️ ✌️
Great video as always colin!
I love the fact that you are realistic with your videos. You don’t just tell everyone that they will win huge money if they count cards.
So many gambling videos show the wins but never show the losses. Your videos are realistic.
By the way, you’re welcome for the slot ticket idea! 🤪
what anyone can beat black jack I wonder why the casinos have so many black jack tables they must be stupid
They have so many blackjack tables because there are many people who read one card counting book on the plane heading to Vegas and then they think that they can beat the game.
It takes literally months of intense training to be good enough to beat the game. And even after all of that training, you need a substantial bankroll to handle the swings.
Most people are losing players and the casinos know this.
"As a former professional counter..." Translation - I'm barred or trespassed from every casino in the US. Now my only way to make money is to sell instruction to new players who haven't been 86'd...yet.
86’d?
@@jacobcampos2407 with inflation it's called being 98'd these days
@@jacobcampos2407 Banned
How did being banned got coined as 86’d?
Im getting so much jealousy from this comment
I am an old school player from the 70s-80s…we HAD TO cover. These days it’s all steam when the count goes up. They wont last long….but they don’t care…just get the money. I think they probably help us grinders
Perfect thumbnail!
yoo it’s you 🫵
Love your content!
I am definitely on the side of the "optimizing" school of thought (instead of the "maximizing" school of thought) when it comes to advantage play, as Ian Andersen puts it. Acting like a degenerate gambler, not looking like a algorthmic robot playing 1-6 bet spreads with 100% staring at the cards in full focus, being a positive and energetic person at the tables and creating positive relationships with casino staff will increase your longevity for a LONG time. Ian changed my way of playing pretty much overnight. Man was a genius. I'm also 100% on board with his ....particular playing strategy in Burning the Tables... 🤫 I won't disclose anymore details for the sake of secrecy, but I highly recommend reading that book for the sake of extending your life span as a player.
Well, you can act like a degenerate, etc even with a big bet spread. ;-)
@@Blackjackapprenticeship SHOW ME THE MONEYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! **Slamming the table furiously on an ACE**
While I appreciate what you're trying to do, I don't think anything written in Burning the Tables, a book published so long ago it's now legally old enough to gamble in Vegas itself, is a secret at this point ;)
@@fuzzzone most people dont read books. And the overwhelming majority of pitt bosses and casino staff also do not read books.
@@jerrythebaum4388fair point. And true. Only a person willing to hit and run and be smart with jow they do it WOULD read a gambling book
Very well said and I totally agree with this.
You need to be very low keyed and sense when "The Casino Crew" are starting to notice.
Walk away, even if the count is plus ten or more. Patterns are what will give you away, every time.
I have yet to get "backed off", in all my years.
I simply look at it this way.
"I don't want the whole pot of gold, just a few coins that fall from the cookie jar. Better yet, shaken from the tree. Just don't shake it so hard, that you get noticed. Be smart, play smart and always be patient".
Remember to tip your dealer by a side bet. Because they are the first ones to notice what is going on. Always remember simple common manners, goes a long way, especially in today's mad, hostel and rude world.
.
well said....I've had a few back offs recently....I think is the 1 hand to 2 hands and back to 1 with the count varying....
I never get caught.. I can't count.
Hell I barely understand it
I enjoy your videos not because I want to be a card counter but if I ever have the desire to play blackjack again I will say, they will only let me play because I don't know what I'm doing.
6:36 I remember hitting up this arch way back when. Beautiful drive during the day, unsettling at night (especially with rain/fog)
It's fun when the cards go ridiculously your way. On the $25000 win the casino tried Change dealers 3 times. They also shuffled the deck by hand. But they never changed the 2 decks that were going through the automatic shuffler. Both decks being used in the automatic shufflor would deliver the same ridiculous payout. I simply played 3 spots at 7:50 a pop. With 2 other players at the table We had played for an hour and a 1/2 but the payout Only took 10 minutes. To be honest once I started pushing out It was just a lucky streak. Leave before you lose it all back. I've been banned from one tribal casino. I think they just figured I was Not going to lose so would not play with me.
Ha. I live in the area of the map you showed. Usually go to Pechanga but maybe I should check out the other casinos. Thx for the vid.
you play other San Diego area places?
In my experience, How they catch me is they watch how we bet and a lot of the camera guys can count well themselves, so if they see you changing your bet when the count is high, it puts you on their radar fast. You’ll last a day or so. Sometimes hours tbh.
do you think it matters much if you go from 1 to 2 hands and back to one hand?
@bjplayertravels2777 yes, definitely drew heat that lead to my first back off
Tip the dealer. There's no better way to make yourself disliked than to be winnng a bunch of money and not tipping. Dealers are also more likely to do anything in their power to get rid of you if you're a stiff (i.e. cut the shoe less deep, encourage other players to come in the middle of the shoe, report their suspicions to the pit boss, change the game pace, do anything to distract you).
The only thing you mentioned tuft would negatively impact a card counter is reporting to the pit boss. Changing the pace etc won’t make a difference.
@@LeonardStauffer changing the shoe depth absolutely will.
I work in surveilance i can add that casinos Review the tape when the tables overall result is negative, like for example if it looses more than a set amount like $2.000
I would think the easiest way to avoid heat is just going during a busy time, especially if there's a lot of noise and drunk people, but maybe that would make it harder to count. Also probably harder to find a table with good rules and harder to get more hands per hour.
You’re 100% right on all of this. Playing in an empty casino means way more rounds per hour but you’re probably being watched the whole time because surveillance doesn’t have shit to do. As it gets busier they won’t be able to watch you as much but there’s more of a chance tables will fill up and you won’t be able to get as many rounds in
It doesn’t matter. If your bet spread is large they’ll be onto you quite fast.
@@redflamelcd I'm a dealer, and I just find that hard to believe unless you're betting $500 chips or higher.
@@brandonkellner4053 it just depends what the spread if. If min bet is 50 and max is 400 or 500 it'll be very obvious
@@redflamelcd Dunno. There's so much they're trying to do. I've seen people do that kind of bet spread all the time. They'll definitely notice, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're counting. I've seen several people that were most certainly counting, because I just counted with them and saw how they changed their bets, but if I told my supervisor, most of them wouldn't even believe me. I think people are paranoid.
I would wear a very good and convincing disguise on the second trip to the casino to card count blackjack.
what kind of disguise?
If you rat-hole your chips, do you go to the cage and change them for money without using your players card or is they another way to get the cash?
I also think that if you let the hand play out and you're in the 3rd base it's much easier to go through count the low cards and then subtract the high cards. I've never seen you mention this method. Combine this with betting 2 spots with the count positive And you get a much better return. I walk away with less than a 1000 with 4 hours of play. I can average a $150 an hour that way.
Can you explain this more?
How long does it typically take to get up to speed with your system?
Its really funny how you post the most important videos by far only now. Crazy..
"...funny how? You think I'm funny like a clown.?"
I play in ac..
Don't have any backoff problems there. People are pretty regularly betting 100 to1000 per hand
New BJA video. It's a good day. Colin, I have to ask: How did you do at the Blackjack Ball competition this year?
No idea, but I voted for Cat Hulbert and I'm glad she got it.
It’s a bummer when your local starts to back you off. I used to have my favorite casino in my hometown, would go there often and just take them for like $1000 and then leave. One night I got greedy and hit them for 10K and things were never the same. I would get backed off almost every time I sat down. Once they said they over paid me on a hand and I had to pay them $100 or I had to leave and the others they have told me I’m intoxicated, which I clearly wasn’t. I’ve been through it all. Quick dealer changes, hand shuffles, closing the table down, and stopping the game altogether! I was seriously there one night and they just said, no more blackjack at all tonight and closed all the tables.
Yeah sure 😂
@@zippymufo9765 but it is true. Once he walked in, they got scared and shut down all the blackjack tables in the casino for the night. I was there and saw it with my own eyes.
They do that 👍 @@zippymufo9765
Is a bummer 👍
Should you get a rewards card at your local casino if you are wanting to count cards?
you mean getting a rewards card?
@@bjplayertravels2777 yes
@@jessewright8556 I'd say it depends ...are you going to be counting cards and varying your bet with the count? or will you be betting flat bets throughout and make decisions with your 'gut' ?
I’m not a blackjack card counter, but I’m a slot machine player, I can find any game & sit down hit up to their max out, I don’t know casino will ban me from doing that, since I’m just finishing to achieve how all slot machines pay. Do u know casino mind people win from slot???
Is there something online where you can find a casinos threshold?
Is there a higher risk of being backed off in the high stakes tables vs, the regular tables? What's a normal bet spread for a +3 true count if I'm at the $20 min table?
Sometimes you will get to play longer in the high limit rooms, every casino is different. A "normal" bet for that true count at a $20 minimum table will also vary greatly based on your bankroll and risk tolerances.
What about online casinos? I see that they use half shoe cut, very difficult to get a good count on those
To not get caught a car counting I wear a sombrero
damn they went all-out with the editing in this video
I know the exact casinos @6:39... Pala Casino, Harrah's Rincon, Valley Center Casino, Pechanga Casino.
I was friends with a floor manager at Harrah's Rincon.
She told me there was a daily BJ player who would leave after winning $6K every time.
She was convinced he was a card counter but they never caught him bc he would only play for 1 - 1.5 hrs.
I wasn’t even counting and bought in for 200… about an hour I was up to 2200… They backed me off for no reason… Just a good streak… I play perfectly I believe…
This is what I’m talking about! Casinos are so dumb.
Exactly… I know the basics when it comes to counting but I like to have a good time at the casino when I go. I also play slots… They just don’t understand… Long story short, I haven’t been back to that casino lol
@@Blackjackapprenticeship dont play when morons lol
if they let you keep playing and you weren't counting there is a good chance you'd have given the money back...have you played anywhere since then?
I was at a casino last month; I had one good shoe and was up $425. I was also ratholing chips, but after only 90 minutes, they kicked me out and trespassed me. I wasn’t being a robot, I was talking with the dealer and other players, but they still got me. On the same trip, I was playing at a table for only 20 minutes, without even increasing my bet, and I got backed off! I was completely baffled.
same trip ? they deff sending a picture of you around to local casinos
There was probably a picture of you sitting in the middle of the pit if they kicked you out after 20 minutes.
@@Chieffg It was the same trip, but the casino where I was backed off after 20 minutes was the one I visited first. Besides, I’m a small-time AP playing only $15 betting units. How much damage could I do to a casino?
Where was the casino you were playing at?
i had my little experience getting backed off twice last night here in vegas lol... were you changing your bet from 1 to 2 hands and back to 1?
I got backed off at new york new york casino in 2016. I lost 1k the 2 nights before I left. The last day I was there I played a good table. I bought in for 160 dollars on 25 dollar min. And play 6 hours I was up 4k . I am not a card counter. I just like the game and was lucky the dealer bust more then me. Never saw the same dealer twice. Players came in and out (all lost but me ) so then the casino offered me a room. After I told them no I was waiting for a flight. They told me I couldn't play anymore and to find another game. F@$k Vegas. I've been up way more at other casinos and never been treated like that. I spent a lot of money there. But if you Win they hate it. I will never go back. To many good casinos our side of Vegas
Absolutely love that I found your channel, probably gonna sign up for a membership soon. Wondering if you have any metric as to when I should consider myself to have basic strategy down? Right now I'm setting a metronome for 40 bpm and answering on the beat. If I mess up I start over and keep going til I've done 100 in a row without fail
his training was great and I've been applying it more and more these days, have you taken his training yet?
Colin. Have u tried advantage slots?
Any free bankroll calculators? Even simple ones
As well as bet spread and ROR
Blackjack all in one trainer on android is only like 3 or 4 dollars and works well
How do you count the cards when you start in the middle of the card stack? So you don’t know the right count at this moment.
You don’t start in the middle
Back when the Nooksack River Casino was in business, their threshold was $2,500. I learned that from American Greed: The Tran Organization. At Rising Star Casino in Indiana, their threshold was once $8,000 for calling surveillance, which is moot because they're a major sweat joint with database reporting anyway.
As far as camo goes, I don't trust myself to use good camo. I'm a more introverted autistic guy, and casinos are so far away from where I live, that I might as well burn them down at this point.
However, I do find that betting camo comes in handy sometimes. When the floor is watching your game, you could choose not to raise your bets right away, and wait for the count to drop or stagnate a little, before using a larger bet spread to make up for it. You could bet big in the beginning of the shoe, and lower it when the count goes up but not positive (keep it there if it becomes profitable), or raise it a little when the count goes negative, so you can justify dropping your bet big time after the next hand. Of course, all this comes at a cost.
great ;information Colin!
i wanted to ask you would you recommend practice in a VR game.
I was in Florida and they had these gambling boat that would sail out into international waters.....they would go out and open the tables 4 or 5 hours then come back in. I don't count but I'm good on basic strategy and one day I started playing and within a couple of hours I was up over a thousand...No one said anything but I noticed they seem to be keeping an eye on me. I finished the day up about 12 hundred. The last few hours there I felt I was being watched
With just basic strategy you are still at a 0.5% disadvantage. You have to count, vary your bet, and use deviations just to get a slight edge yourself
@@briandraper7630 I look at the rhythm of the game. Even at 49.5% the game will roller coaster. My strategy is to set a limited time of play. Once I get close to that time limit, I try to quite at a positive apex.
I mean that does not always work. Just like the times you win every hand, there are days that you lose every hand. More than likely though you will go up and down
I tried rat-holing one day and was told that I wasn't allowed to do that while playing. I had to get up and go to another table.
wow! thanks for taking the time to make this video, when you could make 10 times the money in half the time.
Caesar’s Palace has a very, very small $5,000 threshold.
Just by playing in the high limit area, you’re already on their radar.
Used to throw out 10k a night there.
I always rat held my chips. I also never cashed out all my chips when leaving whether winning or losing.
I would pay anyone who works at Mohegan serious money to give me a copy of my analysis profile like the one shown at 2:55. Lol
I ran a train on that casino for months and only finally got the boot after I played a full table at 150 per hand at the end of a high count shoe and won every hand lmao
Card counting is fun but for a living is nightmareish.
did you just play one hand with all spots covered for 150 or the entire shoe for 150?
@@bjplayertravels2777 I'm not sure I get your meaning. I played every spot on the table (6 in total), at 150 each. I believe the true count stood at a True 3.5 going into the round, hit a True 4.5 once all cards had been dealt. Cut card was coming out so to maximize EV I played every spot on the last hand of the shoe to make up for bad variance. Hope this clarified what I did for you.
Hey colin is a lower bet spread ex 1-6 or 1-5 still a profitable bet spread because I heard that thats more of a break even game can ya shine some light on this
Depends on number of decks used and penetration. There has to be favorable EV a higher percentage of the time for a lower bet spread to work. Fo a 2 deck game with better than average pen, 1:6 would work. For an 8 deck game with worse than average pen, forget about it - it'd basically be a waste of time..
@@stevenhelgason8190 6 deck stand 17 resplit ace double after split about 1 deck pen is what I woulkd be playing most the time
@@TheHunter0224 Yeah - thats good pen and good rules. Should be able to do a small advantage there. I use a conservative bet spread at a certain casino. I think it helps to sit out a couple rounds here and there or take opportune bathroom or phone call breaks. That would clandestinely increase your bet spread that would be apparent
@@stevenhelgason8190 All right thanks for the tips I didn’t really wanna put $300 upfront just for a calculator so I’ve been Using some of the free ones that I could find but I just can’t figure out a good bedspread to minimize ror
@@TheHunter0224 Yeah it's complicated. Ror depends on the unit size of bankroll too. Lesser bet spread is less volitile, but not as much EV either. 10 or 12 :1 would be better longer term for you, but best to have 1000 units available. Depends too how much you want to risk getting booted ftim the tables. But a 1% advantage is significantly better than say a 0.5% advantage(twice as good.) Schlesingers book, Blackjack Attack 3rd edition is a good source for information and tables regarding this. Can't speak for BJA here - not a member..
Maybe the casino panicking due to the gambler being really lucky was a bluff to put off any card counters in the area. :D
Just think if casinos didn't back off counters they would attract more bad counters
Stupid question, is it just Blackjack that the casino will watch/count/review you if you win or all games including roulette, craps etc ?
In every game including sports betting of course.
Did you take down your last few videos? I can’t seem to find them
I admire card counters it’s a rare skill I guess as good as I am at maths my memory would fail me lol 😂
I think it's more about focus and discipline..
As someone who's never card counted before and is actually pretty bad at blackjack (I tend to only play when I'm drunk - not a great idea lmao) I have actually experienced being told to leave a casino in the UK just because I got extremely lucky and won around £700 off a £50 buy-in. It's hard to accept but the fact of the matter is it doesn't matter what you do or what happens, winning means they don't want you there no matter what.
That's weird they asked you to leave after only winning £700. That's pocket change for them
@@suryaj_ He also mentioned, he only plays drunk. I wonder if that could have influenced the decision to kick him out and "bcuz of the wins" is just the more comfortable reasoning for himself.
@@noxiusobvious4239 yeah I thought so too
@@noxiusobvious4239 lol casinos give free drinks for a reason.... they want you drunk. wtf r u talkinga bout.
@@anthonyder3685 Casinos also love to win back their money and even more. So, why should they kick a lucky winner but _pretty bad player_ off the casino (and not only the BJ table) instead of serving him more drinks to bet on winning back all and even more, with a very good quote?
I don't take my feelings as facts though the reasoning, it was _just_ because of the wins also brings up some unspecific doubts in me. A casino would probably not communicate this reason with the player, which leaves a high probability of it being an assumption itself and there being more to the story than this side of it.
A bar's business is selling alcoholic drinks and still you instantaneously can imagine a situation, where a bartender says 'You had enough now' to a customer and rejects serving.
How do I invest in card counting teams?
Holy cripes what a great show!
How can I learn this trick counting cards?
What’s your thoughts on some casinos making you pay 50¢ to the dealer? Winstar casino in Oklahoma requires it
He did a video on this, avoid at all cost.
avoid
that surprised me when I played there once last year....like a 'toll' per hand....wiped out my meager winnings
Do casinos share info with other casinos on who they've backed off?
I think yeah
When I first started I got labeled on the computers and had a pit boss talking my ear off everytime I played. Couldn’t figure out why they liked me so much! Lol! I was playing like a robot. Watching and counting every single card, not doing a quick sweep of the table, not talking to anyone, and upping my bets as the count went up, taking and not taking insurance based on the count, playing different based on count etc. ANYONE could’ve spotted me. I wasn’t playing enough ($3000 bankroll each session) so they never backed me off and I stupidly had the strategy of leaving everytime I was up $500 to start and $1000 after a bit. Don’t do this!! 😂😂 and yes, I went 5-6 nights a week to the same casino, same times etc
How much did you make when you played like that(leaving when you up $500) How long did you play like that and what made you finally switch up?
when are you guys going to have another boot camp and how much would it cost
Been to some casinos where they did not allow me to take chips off the table. They told me I had to put the chips back on or cash out. I also had at least 800 in green chips that I wanted to get as black chips, they said If you’re gonna color some you have to color all
That's odd. I've never had that. But casinos sometimes have weird procedures.
The point of the video are things that may help extend your longevity. Nothing is guaranteed to work as some casinos back off anyone who moves their bets, or just because someone's winning. But these are all ideas to consider implementing.
Wear cargo pants, plenty of green chips will fit in those!
That's pretty typical for a roulette table, but I guess someone might want to do that for a blackjack table. They either don't want you checking them back in constantly or they were worried they wouldn't be able to get a fill if a bunch of players kept taking black off the table. Were you playing in the middle of the night?
Had something close to this happen to me last Monday. Went up enough to cash into a $500 chip, it was fine the first go, then I did it again, and they told me I couldn’t cash in another time, unless I leave the table. I sat there for maybe 3-4 hands after cashing it in, I asked to join back in due to the count being decent, the pit boss came over and told me “no” personally. Cards ended up being a Ace & a King, as I was going to go back to playing 2 hands. It sure if just procedure, or a subtle way of telling me to leave.
@@bf2fool definitely...or a hoodie with deep pockets...too shallow, chips may fall out lol
Hopefully Colin sees this comment and responds......Just last week my friend and I were doing pretty well at the black jack table, nothing special but consistently winning and then all of a sudden this obnoxious guy arrives and sits next to me....claims he was once a dealer there but now just played and encouraged me to bet big on the side bets, then another stooge sat down three chairs down and wouldn't shut up and he and the first guy acted like BFFs....they would address us personally while play was going with "you remind me of someone" comments and the such.
Quick question - do casinos employ guys like to this to feel you out or distract you or try to get you to gamble foolishly? It certainly felt that way in this instance.
55k is nice but 1000 hours that doesn’t seem like a good return. Even the dealers need a break pretty often just from counting each hand not the deck. 5:23
Edit for time stamp.
But did you understand the context? He was intentionally not maximizing his EV, and still, at an average of 20hrs a week, made a 55k profit over the course of a year. With zero travel, in the same local casino, with zero backoffs.
@@Blackjackapprenticeship I understood that aspect of the story. I was more commenting on the mental drain to count cards for that long. I get that he was doing it under the radar and the casino was 100k off on his net “loss”
Great videos. I’ve learned so much from them. 😉
They also listen for key words like that oh there goes rent or I need more money to gamble oh I just lost everything I had and they are mandatory to report it to there supervisor
What is "comps" winning? Please explain to non-English speaker
I’m definitely a robot at the table without counting because that’s just my personality. Been learning counting for the last 4-6 months. I’m wondering if that will affect me in my upcoming Vegas trip in a couple months from now
Vegas local, unless you’re black chipping most places aren’t going to really give to much of a shit
Yes might as well go to Reno
how did your vegas trip go?
@@bjplayertravels2777 went good. Wasn’t able to keep the count that long tbh but I got lucky & won close to close to 2 grand playing basic strategy. El Cortez didn’t back me off but I got the vibe they were suspicious when they tried to color me up while me & my fam told them At least 10 times I was still playing lol
Me and a couple buddies went to this average Casino just outside of Biloxi and we played dice one night just three of us and my two buddies are power pressers like bigger than me and they got a hot roll like 8 or 9 points but they both won like 8 to $10,000 combined in about 30 minutes and the damn managers there were sweating LOL but if you go to one of the other bigger casinos like the Beau Rivage or something or the IP they don't sweat over 5 or 10K because people buy in for that kind of money like it's nothing
I have to agree with the relevance of this 20th century advice, even though we are well into the 21st now..
Pick your poison... high EV, high backoff or low EV, lower backoff.
@@Blackjackapprenticeship Yep...yo concur. And BTW I wasn't taking a shot at your book either haha
Anyone ever been backed off baccarat? I’ve turned $200 to 2-3k so many times at the local native casino and have gotten a little extra attention from the pit boss but never been turned away
I never understand why BJ AP don't go buy-in at big Baccarat table 2500-5000 won't flinch an eye, play for an hr or so, pretty easy in Baccarat to play an hr and break even or win a little or lose very little. Then at that point take your chips to BJ Tables out on the floor now you have no buy-in to draw attention.
Were you and your team at the Disney resort in Hawaii a couple months ago? I could have sworn I saw you. I was with my little daughters so I couldn’t catch up to you.
Nope! Must have been a doppelgänger.
@@Blackjackapprenticeship 😅 Had me doing the double-take. Thanks for the vids brother. 👍🏽
I can't count cards but, from my experience if you were to win under $500 every time you go, i feel you will be under the radar. I have mostly played in Reservation Casinos and Laughlin. I met a lady at one of the Casinos in town. She was another older lady who would win $100 and leave. I asked her how she would do in a month. She said imagine a little over $2000 a month. She was on Social Security. Whats has been your experience???
anyone can learn card counting but imagine no casinos nearby to do it at
Another thing I do is hide my larger denomination chips under less denom when I increase my bets rather than have a large stack of one. Even though I don't play a high enough bankroll to draw attention, I don't take risks. If I play a $10 table using a 1-6 bet spread, rather than sticking out a large stack of 12 red chips, I put two green chips with one or two reds on top. Just makes me look like a 'random bet increaser' rather than an AP.
You literally have to do it that way, casinos won’t let you out larger denoms on top
Depending on the casino, I would say doing it the other way around might be better. Dealers often have to call out to the floor if you start betting a certain denomination chip like you might hear them say “black action” or “checks play 1” when you get over 100. They do this for multiple reasons but one of them is to help the floor catch card counters. If he hears the dealer call that out regularly he knows the player is drastically raising and lowering his bets and sometimes has to call surveillance. Some ways around that would be to bet a larger quantity of lower denomination chips, like betting 4 greens instead of a black. Another way would be to bet slightly less than certain landmark numbers that might require the dealer to call to the floor or the casino to change their procedures to account for larger money at the table. If you notice the floor calling surveillance telling them “checks play one on 3rd base on BJ 12” or whatever every time you bet $100, then bet $95 instead
Notice how he never says the duration of time (weeks/months/years) that it took him to accumulate six figures with his team? We’re onto you Jones!!!
do you doubt he created great results regardless?
@@bjplayertravels2777 mmmm no, I believe that. I don’t really think hes being deceptive either you can just tell when someone is being super selective with their wording. On a “cosmic scale of justice”, I think he’s done more good than harm
@@DaveFromVh1 I'm sure you'd find that data in other audios he's created... i'm pretty sure it's over a handful of years...I think was early 2000's? might even be in his book...
I had that same thing happened I was a regular at 1 casino and they figured I would always lose a couple 100 bucks. Then one night in 10 minutes time 25000 came across the table as I started betting with their money at the 3 hand , I had lost my account and honestly I was so tired that I just started pushing it out there. The next time I came in the casino everything had changed just like you said. It wasn't so much they backed me off that they were just unfriendly and pretty much everywhere, Now if this ever happens to you be sure you can get a cashier's check because I took it in $500 chips 1/2 of it I lost in the street To someone chasing me. I reached in my pocket and took half the chips and threw them up in the air and took off running as they started to reach in their pocket for either a gun or a knife. I didn't wait around to find out what it was
I could see myself doing this once I'm retired and have a bunch of time on my hands. I enjoy blackjack, generally enjoy casinos, and wouldn't be doing it to make a living(so my bets will be smaller that someone trying to make a living at it), just as a challenge.
We have had plenty of members come through our course for the same reason. Everyone isn't always trying to get rich, some just want to become better at a game they enjoy or they want to tackle the challenge.
True 👍
Who does everyone go to the casino with? Do you go by yourself? If you have a partner wouldn’t he or she become bored by you spending hours at the Blackjack tables, and especially so if you are the only AP?
Has anyone ever recognized you at the table and blew your cover? 😂 that’d be an unavoidable way to get backed off
Yeah he has. He mentioned it in another video. Someone literally told the pit boss running the tables his exact name and that he was from blackjack apprentice smh
Wait youre telling me that walking into casino with a T-shirt with a big red "Card Counter please do not back me" is a bad idea? :( Oh that explains a lot. Jokes aside I like your videos, but I live in Europe :( even If I could get past all security here (last casino i visited required even fingerprints and registration and I gaved it lol seems to be standard here) I dont think counting here is possible.
LOL
So the best ways to be a card counter without facing the dreaded "heat" as a counter is this......
1. Don't widen out your bet spreads. Don't go way too high and then too low even once in your bets (that is, you bet $5 a round, and then you shoot up to $1,000 a round, and back to $200, etc.) They will not book your action if you do this. You will be thrown out!
2. Don't leer especially at the shuffler, or the dealer that is holding the cards, especially for too long. Casinos will see this and you will be flagged as a card counter. You can leer at the already given cards to make sure you get your strategy perfect. But no more than that.
3. A few times, give some bad hands that will likely cause you to lose at blackjack--some bad hands that can still get you good bets.
4. Talk more often during your shoes. If you just shut your mouth, you will be like a robot - and you will be noticed by the pit bosses or security as a card counter and they don't want you. Order some drinks and even tip the bartenders even doing shoe play.
5. Move around the blackjack tables. Sit at one table, play a few shoes, then leave with your chips and then move to a blackjack table that is a bit far from the table, play a few shoes, and then finish out and cash out. If you stay at a table for, say 8 hours, without leaving, you could risk facing some back-off heat.
6. Finish your time at the casinos after doing blackjack by playing other gambling games such as slots or roulette or craps. Don't just "blackjack only" every night because even if you try to avoid detection, you could also end up facing "heat."
7. Finally, Google yourself on the Internet to see if you are already on the dreaded "Griffin Book." If you are on that book, forget about card counting anywhere in the casinos or blackjacking, and find another way to gamble in the casinos, because they will trespass you out if you even do one shoe of blackjack if you are in this blacklisting book, no matter which casino you go to!
As a musician I love the intro jingle
@6:35 WTF this is like where I live lol
That JCrox sounds like that Mikki guy with the tattoos
These days I play 5 days….same casino….they know what I’m doing…but I’ve made friends so they let me take out a little every day (if I win)
are you raising your bet with the count? are you counting? if you are, are you ever going 1 to 2 hands and back to one?
@@bjplayertravels2777 Sure…but I am only betting $10-60 (spread to two…but even that is rarely)….usually 10-40 one hand. At the 25 double deck table I go 25-100 (but I don’t play that all the time and I can’t spread on that table
If i could walk out of a casino with 32k my life would literally change dramatically
When I saw $55000/ 1000hr, that’s $55/hour which doesn’t seem too attractive compared with a day job considering it could be more brain intensive to count cards… does an average card counter make more in reality?
well, depending on what they do...that also may be non taxed income and likely not 40 hours/week...so depends what one values...
Now a days counting cards is close to impossible especially in the online live casino.
impossible how so?
I'm still just getting started with all of this and have yet to have a winning night. I tend to lose the count toward the end of the shoe. But to be perfectly honest, it's probably because it's my local, I know many of the dealers, other players, and they know me as well. So, we all get to chatting and going on and on, and I will happily oblige the other players when they're talking the nonsense you mentioned at the end of the video. Agreeing with this stuff and then actually saying it at the table, coupled with not doing so well just yet and playing side bets occasionally, I'd say it's gonna be a while before I ever get backed off, lol. However, when I do get good at this, i'll still maintain my friendly demeanor which will likely buy me some relief from any heat.
Make sure you practice counting so you don’t lose the count anymore, and walk away when the true count goes negative. ( I will still play at a negative 1 true count, but nothing below that)
It’s the long run so expect at least 1000 hours before you start becoming profitable.
1,000 hours = $55,000 = $55 an hour - too much work and stress for that kind of money. NPR followed up a group that were professional card counters, 2 years later, the group disbanded. They said the stress on making an average $25 an hour wasn't worth it.
do you know if they were mainly playing double deck or a 6-8 deck shoe?
@@bjplayertravels2777 I believe multi-decks, 6-8 is common, let it be Vegas or a cardroom.
as if casinos arent willing to pay a few bucks for your paid formus lol 7:53
If another counter sits down at my table and he is obviously counting I will find another table. Because if he's that obvious then surveillance will be watching. And if surveillance is watching, they're not just watching him, they're watching the entire table. And that means there will be less attention at the table I move to.