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The GameMaster Advisor
for July of 1999

Gamemaster,
I've noticed in alot of your articles and columns that each betting sequence starts at the table's minimum. In blackjack for instance the first bet is $5, correct? Then what? $5 again or $10? I then understand a natural progression of raising the bet and pulling back a profit. The first bet at a table whether blackjack or outsides on roulette should be more than the table minimum, $10 at $5 tables, $15 at 10's and so on. This way if you do win the first bet then you drop your bet down to the minimum. If you lose the next bet you're still showing a profit. Not bad for winning one and losing one. What are your thoughts?
JCW

Dear JCW,
The betting at Blackjack is based only on the count of the cards. Since the casino usually has an advantage on the first hand, we typically bet the table minimum. There is no betting method which will overcome casino's edge at most games for very long, so I don't support such 'schemes'. If the casino has an edge, you should bet the minimum at all times, because all a progression will do for you is raise the average size of your bet and you'll lose more quickly. Unfortunately, there's no way to get a permanent advantage over any casino game other than Blackjack, some slot machines (with a 'banking' feature) and some video poker games. But, hey....three games which can be beaten isn't so bad.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/30/99


Hi,
When one goes to up to a table, can you ask the dealer to shuffle the deck at a single or multi-deck game?
Thanks,
Perry

Dear Perry,
I assume you mean when walking up to a table where no one else is sitting and the dealer still has cards in the shoe. This won't happen at single-deck, because the dealer will fan out the cards when the last patron leaves. They won't always 'break' the shoe, though. The answer is: sure, you can ask and the dealer may or may not be able to honor your request. Personally, I don't ask them to do it; I just flat-bet until the shuffle card comes out and in that way I look more like a typical 'gambler'.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/30/99


GameMaster,
I have read of both Don Paymar's and Frank Scoblette's concern about the possibility of video poker machines being set to return a different frequency of winning hands than theoretically expected.

This is apparantly legal in states which classify these machines as slot machines and thus allow any frequency of winning hands, as long as some occurrence of winning hands will be produced. I understand that this is so in New Jersey, Colorado, and Mississippi. Nevada, however, requires video poker machines to produce results consistent with hand dealt probability.

Mr. Scoblette (Victory at Video Poker) quotes Don Paymar in a 1994 Arnold Snyder Blackjack Forum article, as having talked to a casino employee from Atlantic City whose job was to adjust payout returns on video blackjack machines in the same manner he adjusted reel slot machines.

Should I be concerned about playing video poker outside of Neveda?

Dear John,
You need to be worried primarily about the VP machines in the Native American casinos, because they are not regulated by state authorities. But, Nevada requires any machine manufacturer who does business there to offer the same machines elsewhere. So, if the machine you're at is made by one of the 'big' companies (IGT, Williams, Bally, etc.) AND it's not located on a reservation, you're probably okay. I have never seen any feedback from players in the 'normal' areas (A.C., Mississippi, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, etc.) where they thought the game was non-random.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/30/99


Yours for winning, The GameMaster at www.gamemasteronline.com

Hi GameMaster,
I found you article at http://gamemasteronline.com/Archive/Blackjack/StrategyContent9.shtml very informative. Perhaps you can help me. I am a beginning counter and am looking for a basic strategy variation chart for my particular game. I like to play in Atlantic City at Trump Plaza where you get the benefits of 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, Double after split, Split 3 times, double any 2 cards, aces get one card only.

I know basic strategy depends on rules like these and varies with them. I would only then believe that the variation change with these rules also. I have the proper basic strategy chart for my game, but cannot seem to find the proper play variations.

Perhaps you could be of help.
David

Dear David,
Thanks for the compliments.

I covered the most important basic strategy variations (changing the play of a hand according to the true count) in my Blackjack lessons, which you can find in the 'Story Archive' section of my site. Just click on the tab at the top of the front page.

The complete indexes for the Hi/Lo count, which is what I teach, can be found in Stanford Wong's book "Professional Blackjack." It can be purchased at his site, www.bj21.com/ and at other on-line book sellers.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/27/99


Hello,
What happened to the blackjack site? Are they changing it?
How do you get to the old site?

I assume you're referring to Blackjack.com. That site was recently sold (for an impressive $460,000!!) and I gather it's going to change. We had been offering my lessons on the site, but fear not; they're all available at my site at www.gamemasteronline.com/ Just click on the 'Story Archive' at the top and you'll find those lessons, plus a whole lot more.

Also, is it best to play one on one, and at a single deck or multi-deck?

Single-deck games are generally better to play and it's usually better to play one-on-one, simply because you get more hands per hour. But this only applies if you are a counter and have an edge over the casino. If you're a basic strategy player, the casino still has an edge and faster play only means you'll lose more quickly.

Oh, and does the dealer have to show his hole card on single deck or multi-decks?

At some casinos, if the player 'busts', the dealer will not expose the hole card, simply because s/he doesn't have to play the hand. That's done to foil card-counters.

Thanks,
Perry

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/27/99


GameMaster,
I noticed that you are evaluating on-line casinos. Can you tell me of any that offer surrrender? I have searched your advertiser's pages and cannot fine one that does.
Thanks

I haven't run across any yet, but we'll post this on the 'Advisor' page and maybe a reader can help. As I do the reviews, I'll obviously include surrender in the information I report.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/26/99


GameMaster,
I just finished reading your article...very well done, and offers a very balanced view of online gambling. I must say that I've only tried one online casino for real money, and that was Acropolis Casino. I had a few wins, more losses (but that was before I started learning the right way to play video poker), and never had a problem getting my winnings paid.

In your article you say something to the effect that very few casinos offer video poker with 100%+ payback. From the ones I've looked at (and I have looked at several), that's very true. But there are two I know of (Island Casino and Gambler's Palace ) that do, incredibly, have full pay deuces wild, in both 25 cent and 1 dollar. (Their jacks or better, also in 25-cent and dollar, is only an 8/5 game, which seems to be the Internet standard.) The one potential drawback for some people might be that both casinos are played in your web browser, making use of Java apps. Another potential problem is that even to play for free, you still need to register and have a user id issued (you can pick your own password). But few casinos seem to allow you to play without some kind of registration process anyway. (One exception is Acropolis; you can play in practice mode without ever logging onto the Internet if you wish. But then you're not playing on "their" computer, so might not get a balanced view of how well the software works.)

One other thing I would suggest that you might want to include in your reviews is what platforms are supported. At the moment, to the best of my knowledge, no online casinos that use stand-alone applications offer versions for Macintosh computers, although several indicate that such is being worked on. I'd imagine that I'm not the only Mac user who's looking for a casino that can be played on their machine, and they'd appreciate knowing if any do become available. (So far I've had to use VirtualPC, a PC emulator for the Mac, which is not an ideal experience.)
Thank you,
George

Dear George,
Thanks for the compliments, information and tips. I'll definitely keep them in mind as I'm doing my reviews. Yes, I've gotten used to 'registering' for fun-type play, but I guess there's no way around that. I have found quite a few 9/6 Jacks games thus far; try the River Belle and/or Atlantis Star; they have 50-cent, dollar and 5 dollar games.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/25/99


Hello, I was reading your excellent articles on blackjack and I was just wondering what was your view on strategies advertised on the internet that say their method works better and without card counting. Also, what do you think of unbalanced counting strategies, such as Knock-Out, which can be found at http://www.bjrnet.com/catalog/kobj_ex.htm. They claim that a true count is not necessary. Thanks for any help or advice.
David

Dear David,
There are some non-counting approaches which are effective at Blackjack and I have written about some of them, primarily in my "GameMaster's Secrets" column, but the vast majority of what is offered for sale on the 'Net are betting 'schemes' and they do not work. As for the "KO" system, it's what we call an 'unbalanced' count and while it does work and a conversion to true count isn't necessary, it's not as accurate as the Hi/Lo system that I teach, but it has its merits. The only advice I have is to try what I teach first, simply because it's free and these others cost $$$.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/19/99


Hi,
As Dealer I really appreciate the insight and courage to speak up in behalf of all of us casino employees. It is refreshing to hear a honest opinion regarding the gaming industry. Yes players seem to be oblivious of the fact that we are here to make their gaming experience more enjoyable. I can only hope more players find your web site and learn a little etiquette and maybe understand that tips are not for dealing, but for assisting them in winning. I also enjoyed the sucker bets article and how if someone offers a proposition bet, chances are there just setting you up to lose. Keep up the great work and I'm looking forward to many more articles in the future.
Sincerly,
15 years of Dealing
Kat

Thanks for the great comments.
Brenda, The Awesome 1
7/17/99


GameMaster,
This is not an endorsement, but I tried Casino On Net ...opened an account with Amex for $500, got a 20% bonus for joining, and cashed out for $500 in three separate payouts. No hassles, no worries. Everything was credited back to my AmEx. I don't know if it would have been different if I had actually won more than I deposited. They will only credit back up to the amount you charge, otherwise you get paid by check.

Thanks for the tip about WinPoker. I'm on about my 40,000th game!
DF

Dear DF,
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad to hear that your experience has been a good one.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/16/99


Hello,
Just found your website today as I am last-minute preparing myself for my trip to Vegas this weekend. It is great! Keep up the good work. I am reading over your Basic Strategy lesson and the matrix says on a pair of 3s or 2s, you should split against a 7. I have been thinking about this one for awhile and can't seem to understand why it would be advantageous to do so. It would seem to me that it is much easier to lose 2 hands against a 7 this way. Please explain the strategy behind this bet.
Thanks.
Steve

Dear Steve,
Glad you like the site; keep coming back. As for the splitting of 2s and 3s against a 7, remember that your other choice is to hit a 4 or 6 (the hands you'll have if you don't split). Plus, this rule applies particularly where double after split is allowed. Hitting a 4, consisting of two 2s, has an expected value (E.V.) of -.089, whereas splitting the pair has an E.V. of -.054 (as a percentage of the initial bet) if DAS isn't allowed and -.006 if DAS is allowed. As for the 3s, hitting a 6 against a 7 has an E.V. of -.154, whereas splitting is -.115 without DAS and -.056 with. You can see that both hands are losers, regardless how you play them, but you lose less by splitting. Don't spend a lot of time worrying about this, though. In 100,000 hands of play, you'll get 2s or 3s against a 7 only 86 times!

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/14/99


Dear GameMaster,
Have you heard any complaints about them? Do they pay out as they say? Also, does the ramdoness of their software change once you hook up on-line to play? Is there anyway they can minipulate the pay-out odds while you're betting?

No complaints. I've never had a reader tell me that they didn't get their $$$. I don't know if the randomness changes once you hook up, but there's little reason for them to do that, since they have a built-in edge on every game. I think this also answers your last question; why would they want to do it that way?

I'm currently doing a big report on the on-line casinos and while I can't say I'm 100% sure they aren't 'rigging' the games, I can say that I've not seen anything at an on-line casino that I haven't seen at a 'real' casino.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/14/99


GameMaster,
Can you adjust the true count by number of rounds played? Is it worth it to learn a multi-level count or a halves-count?

Adjusting the true count by the number of rounds played works only when the number of players at the table remains the same. With other players moving in and out, it can get very confusing. I think using the number of decks in the discard tray and subtracting that from the number of decks in the game is, after you practice a while, much easier. A multi-level count (where different cards are counted as +1, +2, etc.) is valuable in a single-deck game, but for most multi-deck games, the Hi/Lo is better, primarily because it's easier to use for long periods of time and it's very accurate for identifying the proper bet to make.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/14/99

Gamemaster,
As my boyfriend was turning $10 into a couple hundred, the roulette dealer paid him on his 32 when the wheel actually hit 23. He left the money on the table but didn't say anything. He finally picked it up after she paid everyone else, and after she removed the marker from the table. At that time the Pit Boss came up and got a new ball. She felt it real good and spun it herself! It hit double zero and my boyfriend lost about $30. Then some guy came out of nowhere and started talking to him and giving him nonsense advice. We got out of there right away. Was this a set up? And exactly under what circumstances does the Pit Boss do this? Please reply, we're due back in Vegas this weekend. Thank you for your time!
-Stefanie
Chino, CA

Dear Stefanie, No, I don't think it was a setup or anything like that. The casino's edge in roulette is sooo big (5.26%) that they don't have to manipulate anything. It is unusual for them to change the ball, but I think the 'pit critter' showed up because she felt that there was something wrong. If you're in a casino long enough, you can see by peoples' reactions that something isn't normal, and indeed, it wasn't; the dealer had improperly paid a hand. However, the double-zero was, no doubt, a coincidence. As for the 'visitor', there are a ton of people running around out there who think roulette can be beaten. They are wrong.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/13/99


Dear GameMaster,
From what I have read, Deuces Wild is the best video poker strategy to learn, from a high payout prospective. What concerns me is the availability of this machine in casinos. From the schedule of Full pay video poker in the U.S. at www.vid-poker.com/newmachloc.shtml, no casinos in Biloxi or Tunica have these machines, and many casinos in Las Vegas don't either.

Is this report wrong, or will I have a hard time finding the machine?

The report is correct. For example, here in the St. Louis area, there are no full-pay Deuces games. It's hard to find because casinos don't want to offer a game with a 100+% return.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/13/99


GameMaster,
My name is Gabriel. First of all I would like to thank you for putting together a website worth viewing. It is very informative. I want to be the best blackjack player possible. I have been to Vegas once and Biloxi twice. I did fairly well in Vegas using the basic strategy. I used the basic strategy in Biloxi and got swept off as if the cards were rigged or something. In Biloxi I went from casino to casino trying to find a winning roll but got the shaft every time. The casino rules of the game seemed to be parallel to Vegas but I just couldn't win using basic strategy. I'm going to Vegas in Sept and I have a few questions if you would be gracious enough to answer.

Remember that Basic Strategy alone will not give you an edge over the casinos; you have to combine that with counting.

1) Using the HI/LO strategy, do you place a count on the face cards? If so, then what?

Face cards count as -1. I'm not sure I understand the second question. Have you read my lessons on the Blackjack Page of my site?

2) What is the single best way to prepare myself for the trip? Video's, books?

Neither. Practice as I've described in my lessons.

Is there one video that will tremendously help my game?

No. There is no easy way to do this; it takes a lot of repetition at home.

3) Is there a difference (besides house rules) in playing in Vegas, Atlantic City, Biloxi or on some cruise ship?

Sure, there are differences, but the card counting principles all apply.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/13/99


Dear GameMaster:
You gave me some good advice before on learning Deuces Wild, and I have another question. If I wanted to learn how to play blackjack, how should I go about it? Should I get a book, such as Knock-Out Blackjack (which I have seen hyped quite a bit), or should I proceed simply by learning the strategies as outlined in your articles? I want to make the best use of my time, and I know you are the man! I'd appreciate any input you could provide.

Thanks!
Jeff in Battle Creek
jeff@mattmart.com

Hi, Jeff.
I recommend you do my lessons first, because they're free. The method I teach is more difficult to learn than the "KO" system, but it's also more powerful. Give it a try before you spend any $$$.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/12/99


GameMaster,
I'm wondering if it is possible to do card counting when the casino uses an automatic card shuffling machine. As I know it, this machine randomly shuffles the card and with six decks, I guess it's quite impossible to count the cards. Then all the card counting techique does not apply then. Where do we get our advantage?

A shuffling machine does not diminish the value of card counting, unless it's a 'continuous' shuffler where the cards which have been played are added back into the pack of remaining cards. If the shuffler is used just to mix the 6 decks together and then they are placed in a shoe and dealt in the usual style, counting cards still works. Since the Hi/Lo counting method requires only some simple addition and subtraction, it's possible to count six HUNDRED decks of cards, let alone just six. The counter's advantage in a multi-deck game comes primarily from betting different amounts as the composition of the remaining cards changes; less when the casino has an edge and more when the player has an edge. For more information, go to the "Story Archive" page of my site.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/12/99


GameMaster,
I've used the high low method for a while but haven't seen much success. Is there a better method for 6 deck shoes?? Count divided by decks remaining, right?? Just double checking. i hope that's the way you do it.
Thanks.
Calvin

Dear Calvin,
I'm sorry to hear that the high/low count hasn't worked for you up to this point, but it is the best method, in my opinion, to use at a 6-deck game. Yes, to figure the true count, divide the running count by the number of decks remaining. You might want to refer to my lesson "Evaluating Games" which can be found on the "Story Archive" page of my site to see if the game you're playing is beatable.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/12/99


GameMaster,
Do you know of any on-line casinos that offer Video Poker and support the new Macintosh OS
Thanks
Alan

Dear Alan,
I'm sorry, but I don't know of any off the top of my head, but I am in the midst of a series of reviews of on-line casinos and if I run across one, I'll let you know. We'll also post this and perhaps another reader can help.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/12/99


GameMaster,
I have just found your site for the first time, and was so impressed: I happened to read the comments of Dave re: the River Belle. I must say that this lady school teacher was playing online with the River Belle on the Cash Splash Progressive when she had a computer glitch, which we have all had, and she clicked off of the machine before she could see that she had won the Jackpot! I think it was 82 thousand and something, but she didn't know!!!!!!!! The River Belle employees hunted her phone number and called her to tell her she had won!
Honesty? I need say no more..........
Vicki

Dear Vicki,
Thanks for the feedback. I'm impressed with Riverbelle's handling of the situation, but not surprised; they run a good ship.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/9/99


GameMaster,
How does the statistical payout look for splitting 8's v. a 10 or Ace versus surrendering the hand?
Thanks,
Ivan

Dear Ivan,
If the game allows surrender only after the dealer checks to see if s/he has a 'blackjack' ( and the player consequently loses the entire bet; what we call 'late' surrender), then splitting 8s against a 10 has an expected value (E.V.) of -.493 (no double after split) or -.483 (DAS allowed) in a 6-deck game where the dealer either hits or stands on A-6. The E.V. on a surrender, is of course, -.50. Against an Ace, splitting 8s has an E.V. of -.386 if the dealer stands on A-6 and -.520 if the dealer hits A-6.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/8/99


GameMaster,
What is the real purpose of card counting? I can understand on the betting procedure of when to double,split, stay, etc,,but I am new at this and am willing to learn more and to bring my play of BJ to a better level; what am I looking for when, say, the card count is M2 or say +3 when counting cards?? This is new to me so please understand that you have a beginner here :) I live in Missouri and the boats in K.C. have multiple decks.
Steve

Dear Steve, The object of card counting is twofold: 1) to tell you when to bet more and 2) to tell you when to modify Basic Strategy.

A count of M2 tells you that the deck is in the casino's favor, so you should bet the minimum; as the count goes up, you'll bet more. All you need to know can be found on the "Best of GMO" which you can get to from our front page (side buttons). Just follow the Blackjack lessons in there and all this will become clear to you.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/6/99


Hello sir

I have recently been studying your lessons and feel my confidence raising as I am anxious to take the casino back on. I just moved two miles away from Mystic Lake casino here in Minnesota and got burned after a very novice game of blackjack. Pissed me off to say the least. Not to mention that I am second year college student with money I can't burn. So I made a commitment to beat this table to see if I could do it. I suppose I can be very strongwilled at times. Neverthless, I am not going to step back in there until I know 100% all of what you've showed me. My question to you is: Is my time worth it? Am I shooting after false hopes?? Can this really pay off? To be honest all I really am hoping to do is make 500 bucks a week to cover school and living expenses, vice bust my back every night at UPS lifting boxes. While I realize there really is no easy way to get by in this life, If I can honestly learn these methods, will they work for me? I should have no trouble taking the casino for a few bucks at all.. Let me know, a bit of guidance would be great.. PS if you need an apprentice or a fresh face I should be happy to split earnings with you in exchange for the key!! Hey MN, is a nice state, fly out here and try this casino out, I would be happy to accomodate you..

Sincerely,
Bill

Okay, "Grasshopper", here's the scoop:

It's unrealistic for you to hope that you can make $500 a week at Blackjack, unless you have a bankroll of $30,000 or so which you're willing to risk. So that's the first thing you need to address: a separate bankroll for Blackjack only. Don't borrow it, don't use your Visa to get it; just save it. Believe me when I tell you that the swings in Blackjack can be vicious and if you're playing with the 'rent' money, the emotions will eat you alive. But, if you can come up with at least $3000, you have a pretty good game there at the Mystic Lake casino that can make you some $$$ (maybe a hundred bucks a week or so.). It's called "over/under" and I'm surprised to see casinos still offering it. This is a 'side bet' to your regular hand of Blackjack where you are betting that your first two cards will total over 13 or under 13; Aces count as "1" and if the hand is 13, exactly, you lose. This can only be beaten if you count cards, which you indicate you're willing to learn. But, you need to learn a different counting system than the Hi/Lo that my lessons teach. For O/U, count Ace & 2 as +2, 3 as +1, 4,5,6,7& 8 as 0 and 9, 10 and all faces as -1. Play your 'regular' hand using Basic Strategy and make a bet on "Over" at a true count of 3 and on "Under" at -5. When the count justifies an over bet, get as much money on the O/U bet as possible. Don't worry; it won't be that much because the top bet is $25. But you might want to see if you can bet $5 on the 'regular' hand and up to $25 on the O/U bet. (Most places won't let you bet more on O/U than you have on the BJ hand, but the O/U is where you'll make most of your $$$). This can be a VERY advantageous situation for you, if you do it my way.

When you can snatch the $5 chip from my hand, grasshopper, you will be ready.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
7/3/99