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The GameMaster Advisor
January, 2001

GameMaster,
I recently learned basic strategy (4,6,8 decks) from Henry Tamburin's book, "Take the Money and Run" and will be using it in Las Vegas in a week. I would like your advice on betting and where the best games on the Strip are. My total bankroll for approx. 15-20 hrs. of play will be $3,000.
I'm staying at the Stardust.
Aloha,
Novice

Hello, Novice.
As I'm sure Henry told you, your knowledge of Basic Strategy alone will not give you an edge over the casino, so your best choice is a game with a very low casino advantage. Up on the north Strip area, the Frontier offers a 6-deck game where the dealer stands on A-6, late surrender is available, as is double after split. Those rules are the minimum I personally find acceptable, so don't play at any casino where the dealer hits A-6 and remember that penetration is not important unless you are counting (I'm assuming you do not count). The Frontier's game has an edge of 0.33% and you can find the same rules at Bally's in their 6-deck game, as well as at the new Aladdin where they also allow resplitting of Aces which lowers the house edge to 0.26%.

Since all the casinos will have a long term edge over you, there is no advantage in varying your bets. To get the most out of your $$$, play at a level that makes you feel comfortable while at the same time may get you some comps for meals, shows, etc. For the most part, any bets below $25 place you below the "radar screen" for comps at Strip casinos, but if your average bet is $25, your approximate 20 hours' play will find you betting a total of about $30,000 in that time. (Sixty hands per hour at $25 per hand is $1500 per hour. Multiply that by 20 and you get $30,000.) With a casino edge of 0.33%, your "expected" loss is $100, but you could just as easily win $1500 or lose $1500 during your trip, so keep that in mind. The trick to getting the most out of the bets you make is to be sure that the 'pit critters' track your play and play at full tables where the number of hands you get per hour is low. Handled well, you should not have too hard a time getting $100 in comps and that will offset your expected loss.

You have only a week to prepare, but if you're sure you know the proper Basic Strategy perfectly (and you really do have to be perfect at this), then consider working the Ace-5 count into your bag of tricks. I describe that in my article, "I'm Not a Blackjack Fanatic", which you can find on the Blackjack page of this site. This is a simple method of counting where you will vary your bets and it can get you even with the 'house', if not give you a small edge. Should you decide to learn and employ the Ace-5 count, then use $10 as your betting unit rather than $25. That may still get you some comps, but more importantly, it may give you a net win for the trip.

I hope this helps, but if you have any questions, please get back to me before you leave.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
1/27/2001

GameMaster,
I was just reading all of the articles on your website and I came across this:

"If you'd like to try this, e-mail me with the details of your team, ie., number of players, bankroll, etc. and I'll help you with your money management."

Here's our situation: I'm from San Diego California and there are various Indian Casinos that have been popping up around here. I've gone solo to a couple of these and have found one where I can get a good game. The (name deleted) Casino plays 6 deck shoes with ~80% penetration, split Aces only once, dealers hold 17, late surrender (yes!), double on any 1st two cards and after splits. So this IS a good game for an Indian casino.

I go with around a grand each time and play the $5 tables. Usually I enter the tables with around $1200 dollars on hand (I know this is less than the 3000 reccomended in order to do 50 top bets). I was interested in a team system with my buddy who's also a player using the methods presented in the article. Together we will have around 2000 bucks a night. What kind of money management tips do you recommend for a team that is just starting to work together?

I have learned an incredible ammount from your website and if you could find the time to respond to this message I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Bookie

Hello, Bookie.
Glad to help. What you haven't told me is whether or not that $2000 is the total bankroll (BR) of you and your friend. If it is, then you can beat this game with a 1-8 spread. That means that both you and your friend will bet $5-$40 depending upon the count and you'll have about a 15% chance of losing all $2000.

But, if the $2000 you refer to is just what you each have along for a 5 or 6 hour playing session, the numbers change quite a bit. Basically, what I need to know is the total bankroll you're both willing to risk over a period of time. If it is, indeed, $2000 then bet $5 at all true counts below +1, go to $10 at +2, $20 at +3 and top out at $40 at +4 or more.

If you have more than $2000, you can expand your betting range...just divide the total amount by 50 to get your top bet. Remember that each team member can bet as though his personal BR is $2000, even though you may have only $1000 in your pocket. There will be times when you have to transfer cash to one another, but so long as your skills are good, you should be able to do pretty well at this game.

I hope this helps you, but if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
1/25/2001

Gamemaster,
Thanks very much for your informative web site. My question: I've had faultless play at a couple of casinos. Recently I bought into a sports book and casino. It's a very slow procedure, so having won my initial deposit back plus a few hundred dollars, I asked to be reimbursed. I received a telephone call saying that the amount of the deposit would be credited to my Master Card, but that for a check to be issued I had to send a fax containing my driver's license, the face of the MC, and a recent bill carrying my home address.
Your reaction to this?
Paul

Hello, Paul.
What this casino is asking of you is becoming more and more prevalent due to so much credit card fraud that goes on in this business. They simply want to make sure that you are who you say you are before they send out a check. While this is primarily done to protect the casino, it does assure that you'll get your $$$ and that's not a bad deal. Until we get rid of credit cards in this business, steps like this will be a aprt of the scene.

I'm glad you have found the site helpful.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
1/20/2001

Dear Gamemaster,
Before making your BJ strategy matrix, how do you get the information from the dealer on the rules of the casino, without looking like an idiot, or lead them to think that you might be a counter. Do you just have to go in, ask, and then remember the information. What casino in Detroit area including Windsor has the best environment for counting.
Thank you,

Carl in Detroit

Hello, Carl. I'm a shy person when in the casinos, so if I'm in a new area, I just watch the games for a while and can usually figure out the rules fairly quickly. Like you, I don't want anyone to think I'm a counter so I don't usually ask.

That said, the best way to find out the rules of Blackjack in brick-and-mortar casinos is a publication called "Current Blackjack News" that is published by Stanford Wong. It covers most major gaming centers in the U.S. and Canada and it's published monthly. You can get more information at www.BJ21.com/ While there, check out the "Midwest" message board for additional information about your area.

As far as Detroit is concerned, all the casinos have basically the same rules. The dealer stands on soft 17, double after split is allowed and split Aces may be resplit. The only real difference is in penetration and it seems that the Greektown Casino has the best at this time. That's where I would play.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
1/15/2001