The Hot Tips Collection: Page 1

Team Play at Blackjack

A while back I told you about a method of team play at Blackjack that two friends and I used in Atlantic City but I didn't cover the money management aspect of such an arrangement. Team play is a much better way to approach the game -- from a monetary point of view --than just a single counter operating alone. Let me give you an example.

Suppose I have two friends who are card counters and we all feel comfortable with each other's level of skill. Convinced that we each play a winning game of blackjack, we decide to join forces and treat our play as a team effort. Let's say that each of us was playing on our own with a $3000 bankroll, so we will combine all that into a bankroll of $9000 total. The dynamics of team play allow us to treat that bankroll as though each of us had a bankroll of $9000. Where our top bet might have been $60 for our individual play, now as a team each of us can bet a maximum of $180 per hand. Prudence might cause us to trim that to a top bet of $150, but you can still see the leverage we've gained by combining bankrolls. The bonus is that we're actually lowering our overall risk by doing so! This is possible because having more players cause a "smoothing" effect in the bankroll fluctuations. I can remember sessions where I lost hundreds of dollars on hand after hand but after reporting in discovered that others on the team had won a lot more and we were actually up for the session. That's a nice intangible to team play: the moral support which comes from teammates who have all been through tough, losing sessions.

Some controls must be set up within your team agreement in order to prevent catastrophic losses; we always had a rule regarding the maximum any player could carry as a "session" bankroll. With an initial bank of $9000 and a top bet of $150, a session bankroll ought to be about $1500. By setting such a limit, a player cannot go on "tilt" and lose a good portion of the bankroll in one wild afternoon; $1500 is all he/she can drop. Our team always agreed that if any player went beyond the stop-loss point, he would make up the difference out of his own pocket. Consequently, we never had a player lose more than a session bankroll.

As the bankroll increases, the team must make a decision to either increase the top bet or just keep it the same, thereby reducing the overall risk of losing the entire bankroll. Each has its advantages, but it's more the prevailing conditions at the casinos that will decide the issue. Back in Atlantic City during the late '70s and early '80s, it was no big deal to bet $200 or more per hand. In many riverboat casinos, $200 is the maximum allowable bet. So, it really boils down to how high the team can bet without attracting undue attention. And believe me, bets above $100 a hand are going to be noticed everywhere. The question is, will they be tolerated?

But that's not the way to start with team play at blackjack. My advice is to get 2 or 3 friends and have each put up $1000 and operate with a $60 top bet. If you can all get away with a betting spread of $5-60, you sure won't get rich, but it should be big enough to give your team a good shot at doubling the bank.

We always used to keep the bankroll intact until we doubled it. We would then "break the bank" and pay off everyone involved. Payouts were based on the amount each person put in (the "investment"), how many hours each member played and how much each member won. A good formula is to pay 50% on the investment, divide 25% proportionately for the hours played and 25% based upon how much each member won. Since the simplest form of team play does not require everyone to play together, it allows those who can put in more "table time" to do so and they are rewarded for the effort whether they win or not. But winning $$$ is the name of the game, so those who bring in the bucks are paid a bonus. Here's an example of how a bank might be handled:

Since the bank was doubled, a profit of $3000 will be distributed. Each player will first receive $500 as a return on their investment. Since a total of 75 hours of play was required to double the bank and $750 (25% of $3000) is allocated to hours, each player will receive $10 for each hour played. Another $750 is available for the amounts won. Since all three won money during this bank, each will receive a proportionate share. Bob won $850 or 28%, so he would get $750 X .28 = $210 and the others' portions would be figured in the same way. Here's a recap of the payout:

Few things feel better than breaking a bank and setting plans for a new venture; it's a real feeling of accomplishment.

A note on expenses. We used to subtract any expenses "off the top", but you better all agree on what will be reimbursed and what will not, because nothing -- besides theft -- can chew up a bankroll quicker.

Playing A-7 Properly

I don't think there's any hand in blackjack with so much potential that is played incorrectly more often than A-7. Almost everyone I see in the casinos think they have a winner with this hand -- dealers included -- but did you know that the average standing hand of a dealer is 18.23? That's right, take away the "bust" hands of a dealer and s/he will end up with a hand totaling almost 18 1/4, on average. Does that tell you something about the value of standing with an A-7? Yet, if you hit or double with A-7, everyone thinks you've gone crazy. As usual, the crowd (and in this case, most dealers) are wrong.

Proper basic strategy for a six-deck game where the dealer stands on A-6 says to double A-7 against 3 through 6, stand vs. 2, 7 and 8 and hit against 9, 10 or Ace. That doesn't seem logical, but an examination of the math involved here will explain it to you.

If you play Blackjack 3 to 4 hours a week, over the course of a year you'll play about 10,000 hands. Of those, about 113 will find you with a starting hand of A-7. If your average bet is $10, your yearly "investment" in A-7 will total $1130. If you can improve your return on this hand by just 15%, that will mean an extra $170 or so -- in your pocket. I'll bet (and I'm NOT a gambler) that you can use an extra $170 more than your favorite casino can. Here's how to get it.

Tracking Aces

(This is of practical value only if you play single-deck Blackjack, but it's worth is indisputable).

Question: How much would you bet on a hand if you knew it was impossible to get a "Blackjack"?

But that's what happens when all four Aces have been played from a single deck and the dealer is going to give you cards for another round. If all the other cards of the deck remain at roughly their original proportion, a deck with no Aces in it gives the house an edge of about 2%. Not a good bet. So, do something about it -- learn to keep track of the Aces on your feet. Yes, I said "on your feet". Or, more correctly, on your FOOT since you only have four Aces to count and one foot will work fine.

As each Ace is played, move your foot to "count" it. For the first Ace, lift your heel from the floor and keep the toe down. For the second Ace, lift the toe and put the heel back down and when the third Ace is played, roll your foot over on the outside edge (What's that part called, the "pad"?) Anyway, when the fourth Aces is played, roll your foot so the "arch" side is down. Also, at this point, cut your bet to the minimum!

You can practice this at home and get real good at it in a very short time. Just fan through a deck of cards and as each Ace comes up, make the appropriate move with your foot. When I was playing in good ol' Atlantic City in the late 70's, I used a count which required me to keep track of 24 Aces, so handling 4 should be no big deal. If you get good at it, you can use it to keep track of all the 7's in the "Super Sevens" game. Or, the number of cocktails your spouse has had...or the number of great-looking cocktail waitresses you've seen.

Two Machines, One Card

Many casinos are happy to give you two slot club cards so that you can play two machines and get credit for it. Other clubs won't because they are unwilling-- for some unknown reason -- to combine points on two cards. If that's the case at your favorite casino, or if you've left your duplicate card at home, you can get around it by using a piece of paper which is just as wide as your slot card and about an inch longer. Slide your card into the slot and after the machine has acknowledged it, slide the piece of paper in on top of the card. This will block the little light in there which tells the machine you've removed your card. Then gently remove your card and put it in the other machine. Both machines will now credit your account for the play.

Now, I know what you're thinking: you could leave the paper in there after you leave and anyone who comes along without a club card will credit your account for the play. The problem is that someone with a card will come along, insert it and then jam the machine.

Of course, if Cousin Henry is in town and wants to go play a bit, having a piece of paper might be handy......

Streaks in Baccarat

Streaks in Baccarat are somewhat predictable in regard to their frequency and the alert player can take advantage of that with some aggressive (risky) betting. If you are keeping- a score card in a game where, for example, Banker wins in streaks and Player wins one hand and the streak goes back to Banker, count how many times Player has won two times in a row. Expectation says that a streak of two should occur about half as often as a one-time win, but if that hasn't happened, a situation which you can take advantage of may be unfolding. If player has had ten "single" wins and only one "double" win, wait until Player wins a hand and then bet big on a second Player win to occur. Player should catch up by winning two in a row three or four times before the shoe runs out.

"Deuces Wild" -Understanding Potential Return

The key to evaluating the potential return on a "Deuces Wild" video poker machine is the payoff on Four-of - a -Kind. On casinos which have little competition, that hand is paid 20 for 5, rather than 25 for 5. Since Four-of -a-Kind occurs frequently, this lower payout drops the percentage return by almost 6 1/2%; though some formats give a bit of that back by paying more on a Full House. But, you can be almost certain that a machine which pays only 20 for Four-of-a-Kind is paying less than the full-pay version.

At "Deuces Wild" video poker, hold 3 bare deuces except when they are part of 5-of-a-Kind or a Wild Royal Flush. The bonus for 4 deuces makes it worthwhile to discard any other hand.

The 17-Card Cut

If your favorite casino does not require the player to cut at least one deck deep when cutting the deck after shuffling. you should learn the 17-card cut. Buy one of those plastic cut cards and practice, practice, practice; you'll be amazed at how accurate you can become at cutting the deck just 17 cards from the bottom. But why? Think about it. You are at a full table (7 players), the dealer offers you the decks for a cut and you see that the bottom card is a 6. Cut that at the 17-card point and here's what will happen to those cards which are moved to the top of the deck:

• Card #1: Burn card
• Cards #2-8: Players' first cards
• Cards #9: The dealer's upcard
• Cards #10-16: Players' second cards
• Card #17: THE DEALER'S HOLE CARD!

For our example here, you will now know that the dealer has a 6 in the hole, and can play your hand accordingly.

Of course, this is why most casinos make such a fuss about hiding the bottom card and requiring the player to cut at least one deck deep. But not every casino has these restrictions, so it's a good skill to add to your bag of tricks. And it's a real thrill every time it works.

The "Hedge" System In Craps

A somewhat conservative way to play craps is the "hedge" system. It starts by making a $30 bet on the Don't Pass line; if the shooter throws a 7 or 11 on the comeout roll, you lose. If s/he throws a 2 or 3, you win and if a 12 is thrown, no money changes hands. If a point number is thrown (4,5,6,8,8 or 10), make a Place bet of $30 on that number. If the shooter makes the point, you'll lose $30 on Don't Pass, but win on the Place bet as follows:

• 4 or 10 (pays 9 to 5 ): $54
• 5 or 9 (pays 7 to 5): $42
• 6 or 8 (pays 7 to 6 ): $35

At that point, tell the dealer to remove the original Place bet and begin again with a $30 Don't Pass bet.

If the shooter sevens out, you'll lose the $30 Place bet, but win $30 for the Don't Pass bet, resulting in a standoff. Let the original $30 Don't Pass bet stand for the next shooter.

This is a "grind" system which can make you some money of you're patient and willing to walk when you're up $75 or $100. The biggest risk is a series of 7s or 11s on the comeout roll; a bankroll of $300 should be sufficient.

Basic Strategy Changes When Dealer Hits A-6

Many players from the East Coast have never played Blackjack where the dealer hits "soft" seventeen, consequently they are unaware of the changes which should be made in the basic strategy for such a game. While it's not a critical mistake to use the same strategy for this game as is used when the dealer stands on A-6, an extra edge can be gained by making the changes listed below.

Let It Ride Playing Strategy

The casino edge at the game of Let It Rideª is 2.82%, if you utilize the optimum playing strategy. About two-thirds of all the hands you play will result in no payoff, so the "dry" spells can be quite long. The proper strategy for play is available in a booklet entitled "Expert Strategy For Let It Ride" by Lenny Frome and available from Compu-Flyers, 5025 S Eastern Ave. 916), Las Vegas, NV 89119 for $4.95 which includes postage.

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