Blackjack a professional reference 3rd

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The Encyclopedia of Casino Twenty-One!

All rights reservedFIRST EDITION MARCH 1991 • SECOND EDITION MARCH 1992

THIRD EDITION NOVEMBER 1993

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Although the author has exhaustively researched all sources to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this book, the author assumes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions or any other inconsistency herein.

Any slights against people or organizations are unintentional The author appreciates and welcomes all comments about this book including the reporting of errors and criticism regarding content.

ISBN 1-879712-02-4

The author~an be reached through:

Spur of the Moment PUblishing

PO BOX 541967 Merritt Island, FL 32954

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4FOREWORD TO THIRD EDITION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 FORE~qORD TO SECOND EDITION ••.••• ••.• • ••• ••••• •.••.•• ••• 6FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION •.•• •.•• •••••.•••• •••• • • • ' 7ACRONY'MS AND ABBREVIATIONS ••••.••••••• ••••••• ••.••.•••• 8

KEY TO STRATEGY TYPES •••••••••.••.• ••••••••••••••••.•••• ••• • 9

CHAPTER 1 - AN INTRODUCTION

AN INTRODUCTION •••••••.•••.••••.••••.•• •• ••• ••• •••• • 12

CHAPTER 2 - THE BLACKJACK DICTIONARY

USING THE BLACKJACK DICTIONARY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20THE NUMBERS OF 21 • • 2 1FROM A TO Z • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 2

CHAPTER 3 - THE BLACKJACK REFERENCE

USING THE REFERENCE •••••.• 108

BLACKJACK BOOKS ••••.••.• 109

BOOKS WITH BJ SECTIONS •••.•••• 124

OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST •• • 129

REPORTS AND STUDIES ••••••• 133

BLACKJACK VIDEOS •••.••••••••• 144

OTHER VIDEOS •••• •• •• •• 14 7COMPUTER SOFTWARE • ••••• ••• 148BLACKJACK PUBLICATIONS •.•.•.• 154OTHER PUBLICATIONS ••• ••• 156OLD & OUT OF PRINT PUBS • 158

CHAPTER 4 - PUBLICATION INDEX

CHAPTER 5 - BASIC STRATEGY CliARTS

CO~ENT AND ORDER FORM • • • • • • • • • • • •

ABOUT THE AUTHOR ••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••.•.•• ••.BLACKJACK TABLE CONDITION REPORT FORM

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- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the following individuals:

John EatonEdward GordonJim HawkinsYancy HowardLance HumbleJohn ImmingBill LittleEddie Olsen

Jerry PattersonHoward SchwartzDonald SchlesingerJake SmallwoodArnold SnyderEdward O ThorpStanford Wong

for valuable contributions and suggestions

I would especially like to thank Yancy Howard, Donald Schlesinger and Stanford Wongfor reviewing a preliminary draft of the book Their critical evaluation, suggestions andcorrections has made this a better book

I would also like to thank the workers at the Gaming Resource Center, University of Nevada at Las Vegas for their invaluable assistance in researching old blackjack relatedinformation If you are having trouble finding some material you might want to check thisresource out

I would also like to thank my co-workers at theKennedy Space Center for bearing with

me over the years as I rambled on about my blackjack adventures Special thanks go to FrankPenovich and Bob Register for being the sounding board during my early learning days Bythe way, Frank, sign me up for that upcoming Reno trip I'm already packed!

And, of course, I could not have written this book if it were not for the love and patience

of my wife, Susan I love you honey!

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FOREWORD TO THIRD EDITION 0

S ince the frrst edition of this book my goal has been to create the ultimate resource for serious

blackjack players This resource would directly answer any question that a player might have or

it would guide you to the answer This resource would also describe and rate every blackjackproduct known to exist and provide advice to new players who want to learn a valid system Thisresource would also have the ultimate dictionary and describe every term, rule, game, side bet, acronymand system ever created

Inthe third edition ofBlackjack: A Professional ReferenceI believe I have achieved my goal I have

to admit, however, that you will undoubtedly find something that you are interested in that is notincluded Indeed, this book will never be complete for there will always be someone who attempts tosell some silly system or offer the player the moon inexchange for their credit card number As youread and use this book please take a moment and jot down things you like and don't like about it andkeep your eyes open for possible errors or misrepresentations I pride myself in attempting to be honestand accurate about this game but I am only human With your help this book will continue to be theleading resource guide for serious players

This edition is subtitled The Encyclopedia of Casino Twenty-One which I believe is a betterdescription of the book than the original title In addition to the obvious cosmetic changes, I haveadded over 40 pages of important new material This material includes over a hundred new dictionaryand reference section entries as well as material that reflects the rapidly changing face of casinogamblinginthis country

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FOREWORD TO SECOND EDITION

T he second edition ofand reference section entries, updates some material and corrects a few errors that readersBlackjack: A Professional Reference includes several new dictionary

brought to my attention With the help of some good reviews Jmanaged to sell my entire stock

of frrst edition copies This reinforces my faith that there is still a market for honest information aboutthis game Ifthis edition does as well I will strive to keep it up to date by publishing a new versionevery few years or so I encourage readers to write me with updates and corrections

Card counters enjoyed a banner yearin 1991, especiallyifthey playedin Las Vegas Some ofthe best conditionsinyears could be found in this desert oasis and I, for one, took advantage of them.The Maxim casino even offered, for a short period of time, single-deck games that were dealt through

the bottom of the deck Now that's fun blackjack! No, I didn't make enough to quit my job andconsider becoming a professional blackjack player I did manage, however, to have one of my bestyears ever, earning enough to coverexp~nses and increasing my bankroll substantially

I'm a tough player I'm always on the lookout for great deals, great conditions and greatcoupons I take advantage of anything the casinos might offer players Ifa dealer makes a mistake in

my favor I encourage him to make more mistakes I'm patient I put on acts when necessary I walkwhen conditions aren't right I don't drink: when I play I talk and laugh and manipulate dealers andother players I'm disciplined I don't cheat I'm ready, however, to take advantage of information Ishouldn't have I keep records of my play and try to learn from my mistakes I study intensely beforeeach trip and use proven techniques to beat this game

Yes, card counting can give a player an advantage insome games, but onlyifthe casinos let youplay Blackjack expertise is an art form that requires knowledge, skill and experience in severaldifferent areas including card counting, probability, finance and casino comportment But even then,the big moneyinthis game is reserved for players with substantial bankrolls and a great act I hope thecasinos continue generating large blackjack profits from all the bad players out there Ifit were not forthem the game wouldn't exist for us to beat

Ifyou want to learn how to gain an advantageinthis fascinating game take the advice this bookhas to offer Be aware, however, that this book is also a reference with good and bad informationsources listed Study the good information and you will have a fighting chance!

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FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION

M for my own learning experience Over a period of a few years it had evolved from somey original goalin writingBlackjack: A Professional Referencewas to create an instrument

cluttered notes into a comprehensive resource that I believe all serious players would fmdvaluable Although not originally intended, I also believe that the gaming industry will find this book awealth of information that every casino executive should be familiar with

What has often confused me about this fascinating game is the lack of organization andconsensus of opinion on methods, strategies, and even terminology and history Asfar as I know, thisbook is the frrst attempt to organize this materialin the manner presented Yes,I do have opinions that

I have freely expressed throughout these pages However, unlike somesystem sellers I have attempted

to present an honest and unbiased view of the wealth of material available to the player To set therecord straight, I have no financial interest in any system, method, school, personality, book,publication, or anything else mentioned within these pages except for the book you are holding and my

Florida Cruise Ship Reportthat was published in 1990

Although some may consider it an almost impossible task, this book attempts to reference all

known blackjack systems and strategies I have done this to make the reader aware of their existenceand to give the reader a broader understanding of the many systems currently or previously available atone time or another I know, you will probably find that I haven't managed to list every system ormethod ever devised If a system or method is, or was, generally known it is probably included,however, research of this type can last a lifetime Ifyou are a system seller and your system is notincluded please don't be offended Just send me a copy for review andI will include a mention of itin

my next edition

In addition to my attempt at describing the many various systems on and off the market are over

a thousand entries covering blackjack rules, terminology, history, books, publications, articles, reports,videos, software and sources of infonnation It is cross-referenced with recommendations and I haveincluded what I feel to be a comprehensive collection of basic strategy charts that cover most games in

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

The following acronyms and abbreviations are used throughout this book

Check the dictionary for further details

= equals HA house advantage

> is greater than H-17 dealer hits on

soft 17 rule

~ is greater than or

equal to i.e that is

< is less than J jack

~ is less than or equal to K king

??? uncertain LS late surrender

A ace LVS Las Vegas Strip

a.k.a also known as OU over/under side bet

BC betting correlation P split

BJ blackjack PA player advantage

BS basic strategy Unless otherwise stated, the player

advantage figures given throughout this book assume a single-deck

C circa reference point with perfect basic

strategy play (i.e., Single-deck with typical LVS rules with no CAS.)

e.g for example soft 17 rule

ES early surrender Vs versus

etal and others X ten valued card

PUBLICATIONS & SOURCES

C&S Casino and Sports

CPM Casino Player Magazine

Glenn FineIRoger Gros

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KEY TO STRATEGY TYPf;:S

A countless number of blackjack systems and methods have appeared over the years Many have

been proven worthwhile for exploiting the profit potential of this game Others, however, areprobably not worth even mentioning For example, all the progressive betting system {PBS} typestrategies mentioned are for historical purposes only and to infonn the reader of their existence It hasbeen proven time and time again that no betting system alone can overcome the house's advantage in

blackjack or in any casino game, for that matter

The following keys are enclosed within { } when used elsewhere in this book:

Real World Conditions StrategyRWC

- For your own protection, you should

be aware of these techniques, however,

I do not wish to encourage any player

to cheat.

- Techniques and methods used to optimize a traditional card counting system.

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L~GAl BlACKJACK GAM~~ IN TH~ U.S.A.

* Land based casino

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y

AN INTRODUCTION*

* This text was revised and updated since the first and second editions

C H

A

P

T E

R

1

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A n introduction to blackjack you say? Well, not exactly! If you are an experienced or

knowledgeable player the last thing you probably want is an introduction to the game

of twenty-one I agree There are dozens of fine books on the market that will explain and lead the beginner through the rules of this game I will mention some of these books in a moment.

Blackjack is a love of mine This fascinating game of money and chance challenges my mind and allows me to act the role of a secret agent infiltrating foreign territory Yes, I am a winning player Yes, I use a number of valid winning methods to exploit this game No, I haven't made my fortune yet playing blackjack I play for the long run I respect the risks that

I am faced with and understanding the concepts of win rates and standard deviation has helped

me develop a successful money management strategy I am able to afford sufficiently large wagers to pay for most of my trips to Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, the Caribbean, and other casino locations I occasionally have some big wins and I occasionally have some long losing streaks But, since I keep records of each table and/or casino I play, I also know that I am playing correctly and am earning approximately 1 - 1.5% of all the money that I wager.

As far as the recommendations that I make are concerned, I have tried to remain unbiased in my treatment of controversial! strategies and subject matter Let me begin by first recommending a book that is probably not considered controversial in any ordinary sense of the word Written in 1990 by two highly qualified scientists, Chambliss and Roginski's

Fundamentals of Blackjack contains one of the finest general treatments of the game of

twenty-one that I have seen anywhere There are a few other books on the market that are

1 I don't use the term controversial in a negative sense here. Controversy has followed the development of blackjack winning strategies for as long as most players and blackjack authorities probably care to remember Many ideas, techniques and methods that were once considered controversial are now regularly employed by expert players as valid tools of the trade.

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absolute must reading for serious players who wantvalid 2and accurate information about how

to exploit the profit potentials in this game

following:

Basic Blackjack

by Stanford WongBasic strategy, tells and warp play

Beat the Dealer

by Edward O ThorpHistory of card counting

Blackbelt in Blackjack

by Arnold SnyderCard counting and the Zen count

Blackjack.- A Professional Reference

by Michael DaltonResources available

Blackjack for Blood

by Bryce CarlsonTheartof twenty-one!

The Blackjack Formula

by Arnold SnyderWin rates, standard deviation

and bankroll requirements

Blackjack Secrets

by Stanford WongTricks, tips and tactics

These include (in alphabetical order) the

Million Dollar Blackjack

by Kenneth UstonCard counting and team play

Playing Blackjack as a Business

by Lawrence RevereBasic strategy and card counting drills

Professional Blackjack

by Stanford WongCard counting and the Hi-Lo system

The Theory of Blackjack

by Peter A GriffinSingle-deck basic strategy and themathematics of the game

The World's Greatest Blackjack Book

by Lance Humble and Carl CooperThe Hi-Opt strategies

and several others as recommended elsewhere in this book

~ I use the term valid here to refer to systems and methods that have been proven to work by mathematical, statistical, or computer

;imulation means However, it should be noted that so-called statistical proof given by some system sellers can not be considered

ralid unless their methods can be repeated by an independent and unbiased group Those system sellers who refuse to provide a epeatable means of proof for their system can only be considered at best controversial and at worst scam artists.

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Some of the above books may be difficult to obtain such as Julian Braun's book that is now out of print The gambler's book stores in Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City and elsewhere should have all the rest Before aspiring players attempt to explore the controversial ideas

of the effects of non-random shuffles3 I believe they should have a firm understanding of the traditional aspects of the game These include the basic strategies of play, the effects of rule variations and the theory behind card counting Players should be able to recognize when a game is ~ood or not from a traditional point of view In addition, players should have developed a proper money management plan and understand the concepts behind win rates, expectation, and standard deviation Players should have also implemented self discipline techniques in their play, including the keeping of documentation for each table or casino played And last but not least, players should understand that to be ultimately successful at the tables they need to be able to manipulate casino personnel into making a game favorable or at least into continuing a favorable situation.

As of this writing, computer simulations have still been unable to validate non-random shuffle strategies such as TARGET3 The inability to prove a particular strategy or system by mathematical means or by computer simulation is valid grounds to label these types of methods controversial As a space system avionics engineer I am in the daily business of developing and using simulation results However, I also know that computer simulations are only an approximation to real world events and they can be misleading due to erred assumptions and faulty algorithms Like many others, I have attempted to validate these methods mathematically and by running non-random computer simulations However, I have only been able to prove that detectable dealer biases may exist in the real world4

3 The effects of non-random shuffles, insufficient shuffling, and the clumping of cards have become one of the major areas for blackjack research and study in recent years Although valid traditional means already exist to exploit these types of games none was

as controversial as the TARGETsystem invented by Eddie Olsen, the publisher of Blackja£k Confidential As taught to me by Jerry

Patterson, TARGET is a table selection method and playing style that claims that exploitable biases exist in the real world of casino play due to the effects of non-random shuffling and the clumping of cards Since its original marketing by Jerry Patterson in 1981, TARGET has become one of the most controversial blackjack strategies to ever have been marketed A number of heated debates,

reviews, and analyses can be found in past issues of Arnold Snyder's Blackja£k Forum magazine Information aboutTARGET was

first mentioned to the general public in Jerry Patterson and Eddie Olsen's book Break the Dealer, which was published in 1986.

4 In 6-deck simulations performed using John Imming's Real World Casino: Universal Blackjack Engine software, I have

determined that insufficient shuffling may have a negative impact on a basic strategy player's expectation Although these simulations are worst case scenarios they are not necessarily unrealistic for some games, especially during the first few shoes of a

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I have thoroughly studied the TARGET techniques and methodology and have used them in the casinos with and without card counting5 To be honest, although I have had good success with TARGET you would probably expect about50% of good players to have success with such a methodology, especially if these players are also card counting The buyer should realize that these systems have not been proven mathematically or by computer simulation.

Now back to some traditional thinking When referring to and discussing specific card counting strategies I often compare them to the Hi-Lo system, which I highly recommend all players consider using The Hi-Lo system is adequately described in the books How to Play Winning Blackjack by Julian Braun and Blackjack Secrets and Professional Blackjack

by Stanford Wong However, as any respected blackjack authority will probably tell you, a card counting system is also a personal choice The player is often told that he must weigh the costs of simplicity versus complexity If the complexity of a system will cost you more money due to errors and fatigue, then a simpler system is that much more appropriate, even if the more complex system is theoretically more profitable.

If you wish to devote the time and effort to learn an advanced card counting system I would recommend Arnold Snyder's Zen count which is described in his book Blackbelt in Blackjack I have found this practical and powerful system as simple to learn and playas any

advanced card counting system could be Both the Zen and Hi-Lo count have essentially the same betting correlation, however, the Zen count has a significant advantage in playing efficiency The bottom line to the player is that if you plan to generally play single- or two- deck games, the extra effort to learn a system such as the Zen count may be worthwhile However, if the only games you play are multi-deck games, then the Hi-Lo count may be your best choice.

game with new cards or in games that repeatedly introduce old cards back into play in new deck order I believe that these long term

dealer biasescan have as much as a 0.25% negative impact on a player's long term win rate Players are advised either to not play during these periods or to use other strategies Recent evidence even suggests that playing position may have a small but significant effect on your expectation in severely insufficiently shuffled games.

5 I have taken Jerry Patterson's TARGET class as well as his advanced Blackjack Enrichment class during the period 1989-1990.

My review of TARGET lasted approximately one year.

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A number of other good card counting systems are also available that are noted in this book with a * Whatever system you select you should verify that accurate playing indices for the most important plays6 are available and that the system is practical to use in the casino environment If you are seriously interested in keeping up to date about this game, including information on the latest systems and methods, instructional advice and casino playing conditions, I strongly recommend that you subscribe to the following newsletters and publications:

Arnold Snyder's Blackjack Forum

Published 4 times a year byRGE Publishing

Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack News

Published monthly plus special issues byPi fee Press

Eddie Olsen's Blackjack Confidential

Published 10 times a year byBlackjack Confidential Publishing

Robert Gates's Blackjack Monthly

Published monthly byRichard Canfield&Associates

Michael Dalton's Blackjack Review

Published 4 timesayear bySpur of the Moment Publishing

Arnold Snyder's Blackjack Forum is currently the best card counter's resource available

anywhere This quarterly publication (published since 1981) gives good reporting of games across the country and is an excellent technical forum for serious card counters I would highly recommend that all serious players purchase most if not all back issues of this publication Snyder's reporting is no-nonsense, technical in nature and very reliable when it comes to traditional card counting techniques and methods You will also appreciate his sense

of humor

Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack News (published since 1979) is currently the best

source for comprehensive rule and condition reporting for most Nevada and Atlantic City

6 See Donald Schlesinger's article Attacking the Shoe in the September 1986 issue of Blackjack Forum and Michael Dalton's The

Most Important Plays For Card Counters in the Summer 1992 issue of Blackjack Review for important information on these plays.

Also, refer to Illustrious18 in the dictionary section of this book These are the plays that provide the most gain from varying from basic strategy.

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caSInos Included are hot tips about playing conditions that may last only a few days or weeks.Stanford Wong seems to always be on top of the blackjack scene and he strives to get thisinformation to subscribers as soon as possible He even provides a FAX service for hot items.

If you have an adequate bankroll to do some harm then you will want to subscribe to thisnewsletter

Eddie Olsen's Blackjack Confidential (published since 1986) is definitely in themagazine category This publication started out quite controversially, however, today itincludes good reports of newsworthy blackjack related items as well as reporting that givesplayers insight into the casino and gaming industry Of course, blackjack conditions arereported for casinos around the world along with feature articles and methods of play Youwill find recommendations based on published casino win rates, player feedback, casinoshuffling procedures, and whether games do or do not exhibit excessive like-card clumping It

is interesting to note that past issues of Blackjack Confidential have completely disclosed

somewhat different format, by Jerry Patterson This publication has improved considerably inthe past few years with expanded coverage of the games in places outside of Nevada andAtlantic City This publication also provides the best blackjack tournament coverage that Ihave seen anywhere

Robert Gates's Blackjack Monthly (published since 1987) provides good reporting ofblackjack conditions in Nevada and Atlantic City and, inmyopinion, is useful for lower stakesplayers This traditional style blackjack newsletter also includes monthly articles andinformation on gaining an edge in this game

And, of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention my own newsletter Michael

reporting for new and experienced players alike From instructional advice for new players toadvanced tips and tactics for card counters to player reports of casino conditions across the

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country and around the world Blackjack Review may be your best bet yet Dh, oh I guess I

am a bit biased in this regard so why don't you pick up a copy and check it out for yourself.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRUST MY RECOMMENDATIONS

My criteria for recommendations in this book are as follows:

* Is the information accurate and proven by

mathematical and/or valid statistical means?

* Is this the best source for this information?

"* Is the author honest with his/her readers?

* Does the material live up to its advertising?

* Does the author accept criticism and

acknowledge mistakes?

* Is an addendum available?

* Is the information presented well?

* Is the material otherwise of value to players?

As I have mentioned before, I have attempted to remain unbiased in my ratings and recommendations, however, I reserve the right to change my mind from one edition to another Yes, even I can make mistakes and can

be proven wrong occasionally! If you think I rated or described some system, product or term incorrectly please write me with the details Other comments and criticism are always welcome and appreciated.

LOOKS LIKE I HAVE SOME SPACE LEFT NOTE

Since I have some space left let me tell you the story behind the

BLACK-JACK TABLE CONDITION REPORT FORM that you will find in the back

of this book First of all, donlt take it too seriously! I don' expect players to walk around the casinos filling out these forms On the other hand, if you were to walk around a blackjack pit looking at games, these are the questions I would most like answered I put this form together as an exercise only You should use it in the same manner For training purpos-

es only try filling out a few forms for your favorite casinos If you think something should be on the form that isn't please write me and let me know.

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USING THE DICTIONAR"Y

Word and term headings are always in largerboldtype

If underlined this is (or was) an available system, strategy or technique.

(XX) =Abbreviation or acronym {Key} = Strategy or system type (Name) = System developer/author

More than one definition

blackjack (BJ) 1) Common reference to the game oftwenty-one,~ '

a card game played between a dealer and one to seven players Alsocalled vingt-en-un, pontoon, and van-john 2) When the player'sfITst two cards are an ace and any ten valued card Also callednatural and snapper

-~ [1992 DaltonBlackjack: A Professional Reference 30]

Cross reference items are always in bold type _-.-

References are enclosed within [ ] brackets with [Date Name Title PUB Page]

(If applicable, PUB is used to list the publication name in which an article was referenced.)

POINT COUNT STRATEGIES

Where x is the card count value used

Be=Betting Correlation in percent

PE=Playing Efficiency in percent

NOTE: The above indices (Be and PE) were calculated independently by the author using the methodology as

described in Peter Griffin's The Theory of Blackjack and Arnold Snyder's The Blackjack Formula The effects of

card removal, which are used in the calculations, are based on single-deck Las Vegas Strip rules with 20 cards remaining.

ACE 2

-.61 38 25 30

3 45 43

4

.55 62

5 69 85

6

.46 61

7

.28 58

8 00 22

9 10 -0.18 -0.51 -.26 -.90

PA =Approximate player advantage in percent HA=Approximate house advantage in percent

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

"*=Products that I rate as excellent and highly recommend

• =Products that I highly recommend but may be personally biased toward

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THE NUMBERS OF 21

1 One of two values for the ace as

declared by the player If an ace is

removed from a single-deck Las

Vegas Strip (LVS) rule game it puts

the player at a -.61 % disadvantage.

1 deck See single-deck.

2 A low card which, if removed

from a single-deck L VS rule game

gives the player a +.38% advantage.

2-6 A stiff card When the dealer

has one of these up-cards the dealer

has what is referred to as a

potentiallystiff hand.

2deck See two deck.

from a single-deck L VS rule game,

3 deck See three deck.

4 deck See four deck.

s. 1) A low card unique in the sense

that it can convert all stiff hands into

pat hands It is the most valuable

card for the dealer If removed from

a single-deck L VS rule game it gives

the player a +.69% advantage 2)

Acronym for Five Card 21 pays

bonus.

5 deck See five deck.

6 1) A low card which, if removed

2) Acronym for Six Card 21 pays bonus.

6 deck See six deck.

7 A card that can be considered a low card or a neutral card If

removed from a single-deck L VS rule game it gives the player a +.28% advantage.

8 The most neutral of all cards which, if removed from a deck has little or no effect on advantage.

8deck See eight deck.

9 A card which, if removed from a single-deck L VS rule game puts the player at a 0.18% disadvantage.

10 A ten valued card which can be

a ten, jack, queen, or king There are 16 ten valued cards in a deck of cards A card which, if removed from a single-deck L VS rule game puts the player at a 0.51 % disadvantage See ten.

11 One of two values for the aceas

declared by the player See 1.

12-16 A stiff or potentially breaking hand.

14 Count See Revere 1973 APe.

17-21 A pat or potentially winning hand.

21 The best sum of card values a player can obtain This value is called a blackjack if it is from the player's original two cards (ten valued card plus an ace).

22-31 A busted hand.

52 The number of cards in a standard deck of playing cards, excluding jokers.

6-7-8 A popular bonus hand in social blackjack games and in some casinos Some casinos have experimented with paying players a bonus if they receive this handsuited

but only if they win the hand In other words, the player does not receive the bonus if he ties the dealer

or the dealer turns up a natural See Royal 21 See '-7-7 See A-J

bonus.

[9/92 Schlesinger Lost in the Maze BJF]

[92 WongBasic Blackjack]

7-7-7 A Royal 21 A popular bonus hand in social blackjack games and in some casinos See

6-'-8 See A-J bonus.

[9/92 Schlesinger Lostin the Maze BJF]

~ SIDE NOTE "

The two exotic rule options above have appeared in the casinos in the following formats:

Winning 6-7-8 suited pays 2 to 1 Winning 7-7-7 suited pays 3 to 2

In each case above the advantage to

the player is small (PA =+0.01 %) According to Wong's Blackjack Analyzer software the only basic strategy change is for the 6-7-8 case where it is correct to hit 6-7 suited versus a dealer 2.

[9/92 Schlesinger Lost in the Maze BJF]

5-5-5-5 A bonus hand offered in some casinos Typical payoff was 2

to 1.

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THE BLACKJACK

DICTIONARY

A. 1) See ace 2) Acronym for large bets

accepted graciously

[Wong Current Blackjack News 93]

AC. SeeAtlantic City

A-J bonus. TheAceandJack ofSpades is a

popular bonushand in social games and in some

casinos If the player is always paid double for

this bonus he has a gain of +.042%

Accu-Count. {PCSIL2} (cI978?) (Forest

Hills, NY) See Hi-OptII

BC=.91 PE=.67

[c78? Accu-Count System for Winning BJ]

[78 Casino&Sports Vo1.2, 18]

[e78? Rouge st Noir 12]

ace. (A) 1) A playing card with a single pip

on the face whose value counts as1or11 points,

as declared by the player Aces have a critical

importance in the game oftwenty-one for if all

the aces in a game were used up it would be

impossible to receive any soft hands or

blackjacks Any card counting system that

ignores aces cannot yield a very good estimate ofthe advantage a player has in a given situation.The ace has little effect on a player's overallplaying strategy but is critical in a player'sbetting strategy See ace-count 2) A reference

ace adjustment. To adjust a player's bet

size based on the proportion of aces remaining to

be played See ace adjustment factor See

ace-count

ace adjustment factor. A numberspecified by advanced card counting systemswhere the ace is assigned a point value of zero

A side count of aces is therefore required todetermine this factor which is multiplied by thenumber of aces rich or aces poor, in order toadjust therunning countfor betting purposes

[81 UstonMillion Dollar Blackjack141]

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ace count. 1) {RCS} A strategy whereby

the player keeps a count of all aces, as they are

dealt, and raises or lowers his bet based on this

information 2) {CS} In more advanced card

tracking systems this is a separate side count

that the player keeps in addition to his regular

point count Some systems intentionally assign

a point count value of zero to aces and expect the

player to keep a side count

ace-five count. {RCS} A simplified rank

count strategy where the player keeps track of

aces and fives only See Uston Ace-Five

Count

ace poor. When there is a lower than average

proportion of aces remaining to be played This

generally favors the house, however, players

may notice greater dealer breaking activity See

poor Seeace rich

ace rich. When there is a greater than average

proportion of aces remaining to be played This

generally favors the player due to the higher

probability of receiving anatural Although the

dealer also has the same chance of receiving a

natural the player is paid at greater odds (3 to 2)

Seerich See ace poor

achtzehn-und-drei. A German term for

the game of blackjack SeeEin-und-zwanzig

[66Thorp Beat the Dealer 4]

act. The false personality adopted by the expert

blackjack counter to help disguise from casino

personnel the fact that he is a skilled player See

camouflage Seecover

[8/86 OlsenBlackjackConfidentia~

[66Thorp Beat the Dealer 132]

action. As in heavy action The total amount

of money that a player wagers over a period of

time For example, one hundred bets of $5 each

is $500 in action From a dealer's perspective,

action can also refer to games where players are

betting large amounts ofchecks

action player. A term often referring to aplayer who enjoys gambling just for the sake ofgambling and not necessarily for any profitmotive High rollers and junket players wouldfit in this category All casinos like to cater toaction players who are often the first to beofferedcompswhen available

Action 10. {RWC} (1990) (A blackjackstrategy developed by Steven Heller andmarketed by Jerry Patterson) Also, see ClumpCard Blackjack From its advertising:

"Action lOis a method for exploiting dealer biased games It is an integrated approach that includes specific betting strategies, unit win goals, stop losses and signals for moving into a more aggressive betting mode Like the TARGET

method it relies on certain factors such as chips, bets and cardflows However, Action 10 differs in what the player is actually looking for "

Action 21: Carousel of Decks. (1986)

Ablackjack variation offered by Harrah's Tahoe

in December 1986 Twelve single-decks wereindividually shuffled and stood on end in slots in

a plastic carousel Players place bets before thedealer spins the carousel Whichever deck lands

in the one "open" slot is then removed for play

of one round

[3/87 SnyderAction21:Carousel of DecksBJF 30]

Adams Black Jack Chewing Gum.

Made of sugar, gum base, com syrup, naturaland artificial flavoring and artificial colors(including FD&C yellow no 6) Produced by

Warner-Lambert Co., Morris Plans, NJ 07950.

adjusted running count. The runningcountadjusted to reflect the number of aces rich

or poor Seeace adjustment factor

Trang 25

SIDE NOTE

The tenn advantage asin advantage player once

referred to a person who cheats, usually by using

altered cards or dice

[1890 QuinnFools of Fortune 196]

[87 ClarkDiet of Gambling&Gaming]

advantage. The advantage that a player or

casino enjoys depends on a number of factors

These factors include:

• Rules of the game

• Number of decks

• Randomness of cards

• Strategy employed

• Penetration

If a player correctly uses basic strategy in a

game, his long-run advantage can range from

approximately 0.1% in a single-deck game with

Las Vegas strip (LVS) rules and double after

splitting (DAS) allowed to a disadvantage of

greater than 1% for typical double exposure

type games See player advantage See house

advantage

APPROXIMATE CASINO ADVANTAGES

VERSUS BASIC STRATEGY PLAYER

Single-deck LVS & DAS -.1%

Six-deck 09,10,11 & OAS +.50/0

Eight-deck LVS & DAS +.50/0

Double Exposu re (Typical) + 1 1 %

amateur shuffle. A shuffle operation thatdivides the deck approximately into two groups

of n cards and interleaves them singly or in

clusters of 2,3, or 4 according to someprobability distribution

[77 EpsteinTheory of Gambling & Stat Logic 161]

anchorman. Also shortened to anchor The

player to the right of the dealer, who is the last toact on the hand before the dealer As far as thebasic strategy of the game is concerned, thisposition is often erroneously considered to behighly important as to the success or failure ofthe other players

SIDE NOTE

The anchorman can also be used as an

accomplice to a cheating dealer The anchormancan hit or stand according to signals from thedealer, thus taking undesirable cards off the top

of the deck

See third base

[66 ThorpBeat the Dealer 158]

Andersen) See Reppert Count

-2 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 -1-1

[76 AndersenTurning the Tables on Las Vegas]

APe. Short for Advanced Point Count. See

point count system

apron. The cloth band worn around the waist

by casino dealers Aprons are worn by manydealers and are usually fastened by an elasticband in back The casino logo and/or name isusually imprinted on the apron

[80 SolkeyDummy Up and Deal 107]

Trang 26

[81 Chambliss Playing Blackjack in Atlantic City]

[83 Griffin Breaking Even in A.C C&S VoI.24,28]

Seefive-card surrender

[8/89 Wong Instant Update CBN]

[Fall 93 Blackjack in Korea BJR]

[4/86 BlackjackConfidentia~

[9/89 Brahms Blackjack in Asia BJF]

[3/90 Brahms Blackjack in Asia Update BJF]

[90 Patterson Blackjack: A Winner's Handbook202]

[12/90 Pell Blackjack in Japan BJF 17]

Asian rules. Rules vary throughout Asiawhere you may find unusual and sometimes veryadvantageous games For example, a typicalKorean casino might offer:

(1980) - 52 tables {1979} - 64 tables (1979) - 54 tables (1981) - 46 tables (1980) - 57 tables

(1978) - 46 tables (1980) - 49 tables {1987} - 40 tables (1981) - 62 tables (1985) - 51 tables (1984) - 49 tables (1990) - 101 tables

Bally's Grand Bally's Park Place Caesars Atlantic City Claridge

Harrah's Marina Merv Griffin's Resorts Sands

Showboat TropWorld Trump Castle Trump Plaza Trump Taj Mahal

• 4 or 6-deck face up games

• Las Vegas strip rules

• Early surrender vs 10 only

• Player 21 pushes dealer 10-up BJ

New Jersey Casino Control Commission

(NJCCe) The first casino, ResortsInternational, opened its doors to the public onMay 26, 1978 At one time, Atlantic City hadsome of the best blackjack rules in the worldwhich included early surrender Today,Atlantic City's 12 casinos offer players over 700blackjack tables to choose from At time ofwriting the following casinos were in operation:

Asia. Many countries throughout Asia have

legal casinos that offer blackjack These

countries include the following:

ash tray. What players use at a blackjack

table to dispose of cigarette ashes*. A player

may be able to estimate how long a smoking

player has been playing by noticing how many

cigarette butts are in his ash tray Some have

estimated about 10 minutes per butt Of course

if they empty the tray ????

*As if you didn't know already!

• All games are 6-deck

• Dealer stands on soft 17

• Double on 10 or 11 only

• Bonuses in some casinos

[8/90 Wong Current Blackjack News]

[Wong of MacaucasVo1.3, 41

[Wong Korean Casinos Use 4 Decks C&S Vol.4, 12]

[Wong Manila Winner ProblemC&S Vol.6, 68]

[77 MacauC&S Vol 1,33]

Aruba rules. Typical blackjack rules on the

island of Aruba and Netherland Antilles are as

follows:

Arizona.

[88 Arizona Legalizes GamblingBJF]

Aruba. An island in the Caribbean just off of

Venezuela Along with Curacao and Bonaire of

the Netherland Antilles, these islands have

several casinos that offer casino blackjack

[2190 Cohen Playing Smart in Aruba BJC]

Trang 27

[83 Yoder How to Play A C Blackjack]

[90 GaffneyWinning BJ in Atlantic City and ]

[3/90Wong Risk in Atlantic CityBJF 13]

[91 Brown Blackjack: Atlantic City Style]

[Sum 93 BankerBlackjack Review]

Atlantic City rules. Typical Atlantic City

rules are as follows:

• Double on any first two cards

• Dealer stands on soft17

• No re-splits allowed

• Double after splits allowed

Most Atlantic City games use 4, 6 or 8 decks

face up with the majority being 6 and 8 decks

The most significant change in Atlantic City

rules since 1978, was the abolition of early

surrenderin 1981

[Wong Current Blackjack News]

[90Olsen BlackjackConfidentia~

[90Chambliss Fundamentals of Blackjack 35,54]

[90 SnyderBlackjack Forum]

[11/90Olsen Atlantic City Floor InstructionsBJC 23]

[11/90 Olsen5-Csrd21 &8-5Odds In A.C.BJC]

[Sum 93 DaltonBlackjack Review]

SIDE NOTE

At time of writing, some casinos where experimenting

with double-deck games, late surrender, Progressive 21

and side bets such as Five Card-21 and OverlUnder 13

at selected tables You can probably expect many

changes in the next few years in Atlantic City due to the

increased competition with Indian reservations and

riverboat gambling The Casino Control Act was

modified in 1991 allowing 24 hour gambling in Atlantic

City Also, poker was introduced at several casinos in

1993.

Alvada Proven Method of Play. {BS}

(Atvada Associates, San Francisco, CA)

[81Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 325]

Aus the Boss. {PCS/Ll} (Computerized

Systems Institute, East Century City, CA)

[81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 325]

Austinls Starter. {PCS/Ll} (Austin) See

Hi-Opt I and Einstein counts

BC=.88 PE=.61

[7/77 Austin's Starter System for BJGT]

Australia. Casinos offering blackjack can befound in Adelaide, Alice Springs, Broadbeach,Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Perth, andTownsville Typical rules have included:

• Most games are 6-deck

• Double 9, 10, 11 only

• Dealer stands on soft17

• Other rules normal

[1/92Olsen Blackjack Confidential19]

[Winter 92Humble Int Blackjack Club NewsletteJ1

Mechanical devices that automatically shufflethe cards for the dealer A number of differentdevices have been used in casinos over the past

10 years or so

[2188,7/89 Olsen BlackjackConfidentia~

[2190RandNicoletti Automatic ShufflerBJC 26]

[11/91Olsen Breeding's Single-Deck Shuffler BJC]

AWK Count. {PCSIL2}

-2 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 -1

BC=.96 PE=.41

[88 Watson Beating Casino's Blackjack 124]

Trang 28

I

B. Seebonus

back counting. {CS} To count cards while

standing beside or behind a table but not actually

playing This technique is particularly useful for

multiple-deck shoes because the counter can

wait for a favorable count before he wagers any

money In single and double-deck games the

dealer will be more prone to shuffle up on you

This technique is usually done from a pqsition in

back of the players and can be the basis ofteam

play SeeWonging

[12/84Schlesinger Day in the Life of a Table Hopper BJF]

back room. The room or area in which a

suspected cheat or card counter is questioned by

casino security personnel Seecheating

backer. Also called backer man Also called

the bankroll An individual or group who

[mancesa game

backlining. The rule option that allows

standing players to place bets on or along side of

a seated player's bet Typically, the seated player

is always in charge of playing the hand This

option is very popular in Europe where you will

find several players standing behind a winning

player and betting along side him

Bahamas. Blackjack is offered on Grand

Bahama (Freeport) and New Providence

(Nassau) Island At time of writing, the

following casinos were in operation:

• Crystal Palace (Nassau)

• Paradise Island (Nassau)

• Lucayan Beach (Freeport)

• Princess (Freeport)

[6,7/86,2,7,8/87,4/89 OlsenBlackjack Confidentialj

[Sum 93 DaltonBlackjack Review]

Bahamas rules. Typical blackjack rulesobserved in the Bahamas are as follows:

• 6-deck shoe games

• Double on a 9, 10 or 11 only

• Dealer stands on soft 17

• No re-splits allowed

[90 GaffneyWinning BJ in Atlantic City and 87]

[9/89 Jay Blackjack in the Bahamas BJF]

balanced count. A card-counting systemthat begins and ends with the same number (i.e.,0) The Hi-Lo system is an example of abalanced count Seeun-balanced count

bank. As in a changing bank. The playingstake of a player or team Seebankroll

banker. A term used in social blackjack

games where the players share the responsibility

of being dealer orbanker Some establishments

(e.g., California card rooms) have also offeredblackjack games which require a player to bebanker

bankroll. 1) A money management termreferring to the total amount of money that aplayer has set aside for gambling purposes See

betting handle 2) Seebacker

1)[90 Malmuth Gambling Theory 57]

1) [90 PattersonBlackjack:AWinner's Handbook 123]

bar. As in to be barred from a casino. Acasino game control measure to restrict a gamefrom undesirables This includes cheats,disorderly persons and players suspected ofcard

Trang 29

countingat blackjack Seecheating Seegame

control

[1/80 WongDec 1979 in A.C WBN)

[80 Barred Counter Uston Taking casVo1.14,24)

[81 UstonMillion Dollar Blackjack 255]

[81 EddieHow to Never Get Barred C&S Vol 15,30)

[81 Eddie AnAnti-Baffing TacticC&S VoI.17,22]

[83 Rep the Barred CounterC&S Vol.22,76]

[83 Notice of Trespass C&S VoI.23,65]

[12/86 WongThe Nevada Trespass Statute BJF 9]

Players should be aware of abarringtactic that somepros

have used to get into a full game First theprochecks

out the players to see if any of them appear to be card

counters or very proficient He then quietly tells the

counter that "his action is no longer welcome in this

casino!" After the counter vacates his seat, the pro sits

down and plays.

[1/84 WongNevada Blackjack13]

barber pole. Also called rainbow. A bet

consisting of chips of different denominations

and colors Typical casino policy is to break

down all barber pole bets and have them paid

color for color

[80 SolkeyDummy Up and Deal107]

basic strategy. {BS} Also called the zero

sum strategy or the strategy for a neutral deck

A mathematically derived and computer proven

system providing the optimal way of playing any

hand and based only on the values of the player's

cards and dealer's up-card The basic strategy is

slightly different for single and multi-deck

games and due to rule variations See chapter4

for comprehensive basic strategy charts that

cover most games in the world

The first scientific and mathematically

sound attempts to devise a basic strategy were

made by Roger R Baldwin, et al in 1953 In

1962, Edward O Thorp published his findings of

an optimal blackjack strategy utilizing a

high-speed computer Thorp's work was later refined

by Julian H Braun who wrote the first program

for computing the exact probabilities of the

game

[56 BaldwinOptimum Strategy in Blackjack]

[66 ThorpBeat the DeaJeij

[80 BraunHow to Play Winning Blackjack)

[80 ReverePlaying Blackjack as a Business 43]

[88 GriffinTheory of Blackjack)

[90 ZenderCard Counting for the Casino Exec 20]

[92 WongBasic Blackjack)

[Fall 92 DaltonLesson2: Basic Strategy]

BC. Seebetting correlation

Beat the Dealer Computer. {BS} (H.T.Bean, Technical Research of Florida) A non-electronic and palm-sized mechanical computerdeveloped by Dr H T "Tom" Bean in 1964with some assistance from Edward Thorp Thisplastic device was basically acircular slide rulethat computed others/tens The ratio and the betsize could be read visually or they could beobtained by touch

[87 SnyderBlackjack Forum]

Bee. Reference to Bee brand cards which have

an unbroken diamond back pattern with noborder Manufactured by The United States

Playing Card Company, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212

[81 WongProfessional Blackjack 75]

[82 Casino Management 44]

[3/83 WongSorling Edges of Nevada Blackjack 45]

Trang 30

SIDE NOTE v

Players should be aware that cards held in the hand with

no borders are easier to deal seconds from The diamond

design dazzles the player and generally makes it

impossible to see whether the dealer has pulled a top card

or a second Many casinos use Bee brand cards with or

without their own logo printed in the center of the card.

bet. Awager in dollars orchecks (chips) that a

player makes before the cards are dealt

bet sizing. To vary one's bet according to the

advantage held in any given situation

bet spread. Seespread

bet variation. To vary one's bet as thecount

or other system indicator rises and lowers

betting correlation. (BC) An index

measure of how closely acard counting system

approximates the advantage that a player has in a

given situation The best betting efficiencies

approach 100% when the ace is given a non-zero

point value These indices are often used to

compare the relative strengths of one system

over another Seeplaying efficiency

[88Griffin Theory of Blackjack 43]

[90Chambliss Fundamentals of Blackjack 86]

[82Snyder The Blackjack Formula 85]

betting efficiency. See betting

correla-tion

betting handle. The total amount of money

that a player actually wagers during a gambling

session or over a more extended period of time

betting progressions. Seeprogressions

betting ratio. The mathematical ratio

between the highest and lowest bets placed by a

player

betting spread. Seespread

betting strategy. As compared with

playing strategy The strategy a player uses insizing his bets before being dealt his first twocards

bias. In mathematics, the difference betweenthe estimated value and the true value of astatistic obtained by random sampling Inblackjack, a bias can be described as a tendency

in the game Aplayer bias is often defined as a

game where most players are winning and a

dealer bias as a game where the dealer is

winning most hands A bias in either of thesesituations would imply that these games wouldhave a tendency to continue as before.However, it can also be said that the standarddeviation of a number of hands of blackjack canaccount for both these cases Whether detectableand exploitable player biases exist in blackjack

is still a very controversial subject See

TARGET

[77 Epstein Theory of Gambling and Stat Logic 160]

[85Patterson The TARGETManua~

[86Patterson Break the Dea/eij

[6-7/87Malmuth Blackjack BiasesGT 54]

[4/88, 8/90Olsen Blackjack Confidential4]

[90Dalton The Florida Cruise Ship Report]

[90Malmuth Gambling Theory131]

[90Patterson Blackjack: A Winner's Handbook 77]

BIAS Barometer. {RWC} (c1986) Alsocalled B.I.A.S PLUS (c1989) (Douglas J.Devine) Gaming International, Parma, Ohio

A situation based method that supposedly givesthe player a running measurement of the

TARGET

[3/87Snyder The BIAS Barometer is Falling BJF13]

New BIAS Barometer. {RWC} (c1988).(Douglas J Devine and Jerry Patterson) An

updated version of the BIAS Barometerreflecting the effects of such things as playerbreaks, the dealer two-card total, integrity of thetable (vs hand) SeeTARGET

big player. (BP) The blackjackteam player

that makes the large bets but does not countcards The BP is often supported by team

Trang 31

members who are making small bets or not

playing at all It is generally preferable for the

BP to be to the left of the counter This allows

the counter to dispose of his cards prior to using

his hand (or hands) to signal the BPhow to play

See high roller See gorilla BP

[86Uston Ken Uston on Blackjack 98]

Bishop. Arnold Snyder is the self appointed

bishop of the First Church of Blackjack which

was inaugurated Oct 25, 1981, at Caesars Tahoe,

Stateline, NV Snyder sermons four times a

year within the pages of Blackjack Forum

magazine a publication for card counters

[83Snyder Blackbelt in Blackjack9]

[Snyder Blackjack Forum]

BJ. 1) In a casino, the letters on the drop box

beneath atwenty-onetable 2) Seeblackjack

1) (79Newman Dealer's Special 12]

BJ Quick-Eye. CRN Enterprises, EI Monte,

CA This is an ingenious device for speed

reading cards based on the principles of a

tachistoscope It is comprised of a viewing tube

and a card-sliding tray and may be helpful for

players alert enough to spot cards accidentally

flashed by a dealer

[82 casino & Sports Vol.21 ,40]

[5/82Wong Nevada BlackjackVol.4,83]

[6/82 Snyder Blackjack Forum 41]

black. Short for a black check, a $100 chip

Seeblack action

black action. A phrase that the dealer might

make to inform pit personnel that a player is

wagering black checks This is typical house

policy at most casinos Seegreen action

black book. Also written blackbook. Also

called the list of excluded persons In Nevada,

the state-maintained list of undesirable people

who must be excluded from gambling

establishments by the owners See Griffin

Investigations

[87Clark Dictionary of Gambling&Gaming 19]

black box. A small calculator or computer

dedicated to providing the correct play strategybased on a given count or to determine the truecount Seecomputers (concealed)

[65 Wilson The Cas;no Gambler's GUide]

Roden) Milwaukee, WI A cardboard basicstrategywheel that can fit in your hand

[80 casino&Sports Vol 10,36]

Black-Jack-O-Matic. {BS}

blackjack (BJ) 1) Common reference to thegame of twenty-one, a card game playedbetween a dealer and one to seven players.Also called vingt-et-un, pontoon, and van-john 2) When the player's first two cards are anace and any ten valued card Also called

naturalandsnapper

In casino twenty-one a blackjack is an automaticwinner unless tied by a dealer blackjack.Typical casino rules pay player blackjack wins at

3 to 2 (e.g., a $5 bet will win $7.50.) If ablackjack always wins but is paid at even moneythe basic strategy player is at a loss of about2.1 % If paid at 2 to 1 the player has anadvantage of about+2.3%

Trang 32

The origins of the game of blackjack are

some-what uncertain but it is known to have been

played in this country early in the eighteenth

century It is also said to have been the favorite

game of Napoleon Only in relatively recent

years has it been called blackjack

[1875 American Hoyle???]

[38 AsburySucker's Progress 49]

[80 A Look at Blackjack in the 1930's C&S V.13, 29]

[1887 U.S.Playing CardOfficial Rules 228]

Blackjack Jackpot. A bonus game offered

at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City during 1992.Jackpots started at $250 and increased by 1 centper second until a player was dealt an ace ofspades and the jack of spades on the fIrst round

of an 8-deck game

[7/92, 9/92 PilcherPuzzle Corner BJC]

(c1979?) (John Bollinger) Long Beach, CA

[80 Casino & Sports VoI.9,43]

Blackjack II. An anti-card-counting system

developed by Thomas Kadlic (President of

Vingt-Et-Un Corp, Absecan, NJ) and Murray

Kirch for the casinos A double shoe with 12

decks held in two separate compartments was

proposed Six decks would be red and six decks

would be blue with the deal alternating based on

suit color

[81 KadlicBlackjack 11- An Anti-Card Counting Sys.]

B~ackjack Profits. {PBS} Whit McCall

B~ackjack Shields. A card counting

prevention apparatus designed by Kenneth C.Dylag of Westmont, IL A method to preventplayers from seeing each other's hands

[83 Casino&Sports Vol.22,9]

[83 OylagRebuttal to Casino Int C&S VoI,24,36]

{BS}

B~ackjack Winning Wheel.

Artech Products

Blackjack-Mate. {BS} (Lantana, FL)(cI978) A 1-2-3-5 progression betting system

is offered along with inaccurate advice on basicstrategy and insurance Originally sold for about

$10

[78 Casino & Sports Vo1.5, 11]

A Radiocalculator

Blackjack 121 1 Calculator.

Shack wallet-sized blackjack

(Catalog #60-30-11)

[80 Casino&Sports Vol, 10,67]

Blackjack Calculator. (c1979) Toshiba

BC-lOlO BJ calculator Similar to the Unisonic

Computer calculator this is a 10-digit game in

which you can be player or dealer It features

betting, insurance, double-down, splitting pairs

and hit or stay decisions A win-loss function

keeps track of how you are doing It's also a

regular calculator Originally sold for about $30

from the May Company (West) and Eastern

Department Stores

[79Casino&Sports Vo1,6, 11]

(Charles Jay) Charles Jay Enterprises,

Hallandale, FL A nice pocket sized basic

strategy card (4 sides) that gives an accurate

basic strategy for multiple-deck games,

variations for single-deck, DAS, no soft

doubling, and surrender Helpful information

and 11 cardinal rules

blind shuffle. A procedure for appearing tomix a pack of cards while maintaining astackeddeck Seefalse shuffle

blister which the dealer can feel.

[83 OrtizDealing a Blister Vo1.23,66]

[90 OrtizGambling Scams]

body language. See tell play

bonus. As in a bonus hand To be paid extra

or to win automatically on special hands Only a

Trang 33

few casinos offer bonuses on special card

combinations These bonuses can include the

following hands:

• 6 card automatic winner

• 5 card 21 pays double

• Two-to-one for blackjack

Occasionally, you will also find bonus options

offered to players These include, for example,

the option to double-down on any number of

cards (e.g., Las Vegas Club) See Progressive

Blackjack

bop {CS } To jump from table to table as

decks or shoes become favorable to the player

See Wonging See table hopping

bottoms {CHS } Also called bottom deal.

To deal from the bottom of the deck. See

seconds See bottom dealer

bottom dealer. A dealer who deals from the

bottom of the deck See bottoms

Boyd System. {PCS/L1}. Also called The

Play Better Blackjack System. (C Boyd)

BP. 1) See big player 2) Common acronym

for bad penetration

BR. See bankroll

'* Braun High-Low. {PCSlLl} (Julian

Braun) (cI971) Julian Braun also calculated the

strategies for Lawrence Revere's books and theHi-Opt I and n systems He was a majorinfluence in the development of computerproven blackjack systems See Hi-Lo System

A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1

BC=.97 PE=.51

[80 Braun Casino&Sports Vol 10,39]

[80 Braun How to Play Winning Blackjack]

[81 Julian Braun Int9Niew BJF]

break. Also called bust To draw cards thatexceed the card count total of 21 points When aplayer busts he always loses regardless of thefinal outcome of the dealer's hand It isinteresting to note that the primary advantagethat the casino has over the player in blackjackarises from this fact

[88 Griffin Theory of Blackjack]

will bustonlyabout16%on average

break card clumping. The clumpingeffects of player breaking Generally limited tomulti-deck games

[5/87 Olsen BlackjackConfid9ntia~

break cards. Cards valued 6 through 10.The only cards that can break the dealer or the

player since all dealers must stand on 17 andmostplayers stand on 17 as well

break down a bet. In casino dealing, toseparate a stack of chips of various colors intoseparate stacks, each of a single denomination.This is performed by dealers to make it easier topayoff the bet and, as casino policy, to prevent

cheatingon the dealer's part Seerainbow bet

Trang 34

break-in dealer. A new dealer or a dealer

in training

break-in tells. Term coined by Steve Forte

to refer to tells given offbreak-in dealers when

they fear having to payoff bigrainbowbets

[86 ForteRead the Dealer 37]

expression referring to the time when monies are

distributed to members of the team

break the deck. Toshume up To stop the

play of the hands and reshuffle Often used as a

casino game control measure when a player is

suspected of card counting and that player

suddenly increases his bet

breaking hand. Two cards totaling 12

through 16 points So called because a single

card may put the total point count over 21 See

bust

bridge {CHS } A card bent in such a fashion

as to be recognized by the person making the

cut,indicating that the cards are to be cutat that

place A bridge is a card slightly curved and

may have been intentional or unintentional See

warp

[87 ClarkDict of Gambling & Gaming 27]

however, players should be aware that a expertdealer can manipulate the chips in such a way as

to actually cheat the players out of their ownchips and the payoff itself This cheating

technique can be done only when the player has

a multiple unit bet out

burn. As in to bum a card To remove a card

from play See burn card

burn card. The card that is removed at thebeginning of a new deck or shoe, or when a newdealer comes on duty One or more burn cardsare typically placed in a discard tray or on thebottom of a hand-held deck of cards In single-deck games the bum card is usually not shownand in multi-deck games it may be shown onrequest at some casinos In single-deck games,especially, it is very advantageous for the player

to know the value of the bum card(s)

bury. As in to bury a card To place a card in

the middle of a deck or among the discards, sothat it cannot be readily located

bust. Seebreak

bust box. This is a side bet that you will

break with exactly one card Changes to basicstrategyinclude betting the bust box with 15 and

16 vs 7,8,9,10,ace and 17 vs 8,9,10,ace

Bustout Blackjack. (1993) Also called

Bustout 21 A side bet where players can betthat the dealer will bust with a 10 valued cardwhen he has a total of 12-16 on his first twocards This makes this bet similar to the

insurance bet except the option will come up 4times as often and you can bet twice as much!.This side bet was first introduced at the Golden

BS. Acronym used in this book to mean a

Basic Playing Strategy such as what is presented

in chapter 4 Seebasic strategy

bubble peek. An action in which a dealer,

by squeezing the top card on adeck between his

little finger and the heel of his hand, can see the

indexvalue of the card before dealing it

bump. A dealing term referring to the push

dealer's often make with a stack of chips into a

player's shorter bet stack while cutting the

excess chips off so that both stacks are equal

PA=+6% to +8%

PA=+3%to +4%

PA=+O.2%

(bust box bet)(original bet)(overall value)

Trang 35

Gate casino in Las Vegas during the Summer of

1993

16/93 CurtisBlackjack Forum 73]

[Sum 93, Fall 93 Dalton Blackjack Review]

[8/93Wong Current Blackjack News]

[9/93 SnyderShhh It's Bustout Month (wink) BJF 43]

button. Seemarker button

buy-in. The amount of money exchanged at a

table for chips before beginning play For

example, a typical buy-in at a $5 minimum table

might be $100 The dealer, in many cases,

would usually give the player two green $25

chips and ten red $5 chips Atypical player

buy-in chartcan therefore be developed from actual

observations of how most players enter a game:

TYPICAL PLAYER BUY-IN CHART

Trang 36

Caddy blackjack. A private blackjack

game, popular in the Northeast, where the deal

rotates from player to player

cage. Where the casino cashier is located

Casinos have a habit of placing the cage in the

back or farthest point from an entrance or exit

California blackjack. An ace and a nine

A facetious expression

[87 ClarkDictionary of Gambling&Gaming 34]

call bet. An amount to be bet, called out by a

player, without the exact amount of money in

evidence Call bets are typically not allowed at a

blackjack table unless the player has excellent

casino credit or has money in thecage

call for insurance. This is an

an-nouncement made by the dealer to the players

when the dealer has an ace as an up-card See

insurance

expression for pre-determined numbers

repre-senting the adjusted running countused by the

counter to signal abig playerto his table

call plays. A blackjack team expression

referring to the signals given a blackjack player

by a counter for how much to bet and how to

play his hands

camouflage. To disguise the way you arebetting and playing so as not to draw attention tothe fact that you are a card counter See act

Seecover

[SUM 91 ScannerCamOUflage: Secret Weapon EBN]

[9/93 SchlesingerBasic Strategy Camouflags BJF 7]

Canada. In 1990, there were at least 32 legalcasinos in Canada These include:

• 18in British Columbia

• 4in Saskatchewan

• 8in Alberta

• 1 in Manitoba

• 1 in the Yukon Territory

At time of writing, several other Provinces werepreparing for casinos including a large casino in

Windsor, Ontario

[81,9/89,9/90 SnyderBlackjack in CanadaBJF]

[VIII, Issue 8 RoseOh! Canadian CasinosCAM 14]

Canada rules. Rules vary somewhat inCanada with the following being a typicalexample:

• Max bets $25

• 4- or 6-deck face up games

• No insurance

• Splitting/Doubling rules vary

candy store. Often used in the literature torefer to a casino with excellent blackjack rulesand conditions

Canfield Expert. {PCS/L1} (Richard A.Canfield a.k.a Joe Hinton) (c1977)

BC=.87 PE=.63

(77 CanfieldBlackjack Your Way To Riches)

[GatesBlackjack Monthly Newslettef1

(Richard A Canfield a.k.a Joe Hinton) (c1977)

Trang 37

An advanced point count system See Omega

II

[77 CanfieldBlackjack Your Way To Riches]

[ GatesBlackjack Monthly NewsletteJ1

Cant, Clark SeePrecision Count

cap. 1) A chip of a different denomination

atop a stack of chips which are the same

denomination 2) {CHS} To add a chip or

chips to a bet after the cards have been dealt

card count. The total numeric value of cards

held in a hand Seecount

card counter. A blackjack player who

keeps a mental tally of cards played for betting

and playing purposes A typical card counter

will bet higher when he detects a favorable

situation (i.e., a positive count) and use the

count to vary from basic strategy The card

counter can also detect when it is advantageous

to take or not take insurance See also case the

deck

[80 RichWhat to do While Card Counting Vol 13,22]

card-counting system. A system based

on the fact that when a deck or shoe is deficient

in small cards the player is at a greater than

normal advantage and when the deck or shoe is

deficient in high cards the player is at a less than

normal advantage In general, all previous

card-counting systems have been based on a random

shuffle Seepoint count system

[78 AnOverview of Blackjack C&S Vol.4, 44]

[90 Zendercard Counting for the Casino Executive 44]

[1/92 OlsenBlackjack Confidentia/1 0]

SIDE NOTE

In an article that D Howard Mitchell once wrote hedescribes five distinct classes of blackjack systemsthat are available:

1 Basic -no counting

2 lntennediate -a simple side count

3 Advanced - a running count.

4 Professional - a true count plus an

optional side count of aces

5 Expert - everything more complicated

thanprofessional systems

[2178 Mitchell BJ Systems From 85 GT 15]

card-dauber. A person who marks the backs

of cards for purposes ofcheating See markedcards See daub

card down. A statement made to a pit boss

orfloorman by a dealer when a card is droppedfrom the table Dealers are not allowed to bendover and leave the chip tray exposed, therefore

a pit boss or other person must retrieve anything

a dealer drops

card eating. Seeeating cards

Cardoza Base Count Strategv. {???}

School of Blackjack, Cardoza Publishing, CooperStation, NY Seen advertising in several ofCardoza's gambling books He advertises thatyou can"become anexpert in tlVodays".

Caribbean. Casino gambling is legal inmany countries in the Caribbean and SouthAmerica You will find blackjack offered in thefollowing countries:

Trang 38

[9/89Dog-Ass Johnny Blackjack in St Maarten BJF]

[90Gaffney Winning BJ in Atlantic City and 87]

Carson City. The state capital of Nevada

This small city is east ofLake Tahoe and west

of Reno Carson City has a population of over

40,000 and several small casinos that offer

blackjack games Rules are typical of Reno

Carter R.P.I {PBS} (Sci-Rater, Williston

Progressive Increments

[80Revere Playing Blackjack as a Business 172]

[88Watson Beating Casino's Blackjack92]

casing. Seecase the deck

case the deck. 1) To count down a deck.

2) To observe closely the composition of the

cards played (without counting) and then make

decisions based on this limited information See

card counter

Casey. A concealable computer developed

by Steven Goldberg (a.k.a George Stevens) in

the early 1980's, which originally sold for about

$4000 Believed to have been copied from Keith

Taft'sDavid computer See George

[12/83Snyder Blackjack Forum 45]

[84Snyder The David Computer BJF]

[5/84Wong Nevada Blackjack78]

[90 Zender Card Counting for the Casino Executive 97]

[9/90 Casey Advertisement BYTE Magazine 493]

cashier. Seecage

casino. Also called house, joint, shop, store,

toilet, or trap An establishment that offers

low blackjack win rates of 11-14% may indicategames favorable to the player High win rates of17-22% may indicate house games These winrate figures are otherwise known as the holdpercentage Seewin rate

[89BlackjackConfidentia~

Catch 22. Also called Push 22 A blackjackadvertising giveaway occasionally offered bycasinos This coupon would give you a push on

22 If you were to double with 12 and bust this

recommended playing strategy for these types ofcoupons would be to double with 12 (including6-6) against 2,3,4,5,6 or 7 Hit all 12s of 3 ormore cards With other hands, play normal basicstrategy

PA=5.8%/hand[2180Wong Wong's Blackjack Newsletter23]

catwalk. The narrow walkway above theceiling and over the gaming tables used forsecurity and monitoring of players actions Mostmodem casinos no longer have catwalks sincesecurity monitoring can now be performed by anetwork of television cameras controlled from acentral location Seeeye-in-the-sky

CF. Seeconversion factor

Chambliss,Carlson See C-R Point Count

Trang 39

check rack. See chip tray.

Check colors above $100 are not as commonwith the following being an example:

checks. Non-metallic gaming tokens, the size

of a silver dollar, of various colors anddenominations used in casinos in place ofcurrency More commonly called chips Themost typical color scheme and denominationsused at most blackjack tables are as follows:

change space. On a blackjack table, the

area of the layout in front of the dealer where

money is exchanged for chips

Charles Jay·s Blackjack Gold Card.

{BS} (Charles Jay) (1992) An two-piece

business card with the accurate basic strategy for

multiple deck games and DAS allowed Also

includes variations for single deck, when DAS is

not allowed and surrender Tips for evaluating a

game, bankroll guidelines and 11 cardinal rules

[Summer 92 Dalton Blackjack Review 24]

cheating. The Nevada Legislature defines

cheating as "to alter the selection of criteria

which determine (a) The result of the game; or

(b) The amount or frequency of payment in a

game.II [NRS §465.015(1)] The Nevada courts

have also commented that card counting can not

be considered cheating In one court case the

following statement was issued:

"By way of contrast, a card counter one who

uses a point system to keep track of the cards that

have been played does not alter any of the basic

features of the game He merely uses his mental

skills to take advantage of the same information

that is available to all players."

[Sheriff of Washoe County vs Martin, 662 P.2d 634, 638 NV 1983)]

Whites (Aces or singles)Pinks (Twofers)

Reds (Nickels, Fives)Greens (Quarters)Blacks

PurplesOrangesGrays

Chips can also be used by players to:

• Keep track of the count

• Keep track of the shuffle

• Manage their money

In New Jersey, the Administrative Code [NJSAC

§5: 12-113(a)] states "any person who by any

trick or sleight of hand performance, or by a

fraud or fraudulent scheme, cards, dice or device,

for himself or another wins or attempts to win

money or property or a representative of either

is guilty of crime.II

See Uston vs Resorts See bar

[Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS)]

[§5.011 (9) of the Nevada Gaming Commission &

the State Gaming Control Board]

[80 Dunes Dealers Nix Cheat ChargesC&S Vol.11 ,6]

[82Case Cheating Dealers BJF]

[83 How Casinos Detect CheatersC&S VoI.23,71]

[83 How Cheats StackaDeck BJF]

[3/84 WongNevada Blackjack 42]

[9/85 RoseCounting is Not Cheating GT 24]

[86 RoseGambling and the Law 196]

[86 WongNevada's Trespassing Statute BJF]

[87 Cheating in Puerto Rico BJF]

[1190 RoseCard Counting and the Back Room BJC 18]

[4190 RoseIs Counting Cards Cheating? BJC 10]

Three types of chips are typically used within acasino:

• Negotiable chips

• Non-negotiable chips

• Match play chips

Chinese Blackjack. A dealer hand with aten up-card and a 4 in the hole A 4 looks like

an ace Many Orientals have the custom of

"squeezing" their cards, opening up their 2-cardhand a small fraction at a time until the secondcard comes into view

[90 PattersonBlackjack: A Winner's Handbook 74]

chip tray. Also call the rack The gular metal tray which contains the casino'schips and silver for a particular table This tray

Trang 40

lies flat in the middle of the table in front of the

dealer Chips are typically organized by

denomination: silver and lower valued chips on

the outside and higher valued chips in the

middle

chips. Seechecks

CHS. Acronym used in this book to refer to a

cheating strategymethod

chunk. To over-bet or to bet in large amounts

C-K Count. SeePrecision Count

clap. As in clap hands What many dealers

do as part of casino policy when they are

re-lieved by another dealer This is done to show

the watchful eyes of security that the dealer has

not palmed anychips

club. The black figure (.) marking one of the

foursuitsof playing cards

(1991) Steven Heller, Calabasas, CA

According to Heller, tlCCB is a systematic

approach to exploiting excessive clumping often

found in shoe games The method includes

specific table selection and departure criteria as

well as five specific betting strategies designed to

take advantage of various game type

personalities "

clumping. As in the clumping of cards.

When specific card denominations stay togetherduring the shuffle process See like-cardclumping

[3/87 OlsenBlackjackConfidentia~

[90 PattersonBlackjack: A Winner's Handbook)

cold. As in the deck is cold 1) To signify that

the deck or shoe has recently been veryunfavorable 2) To signify a deck or shoe that isunfavorable to the player, that is, with a highminus count Seehot Seecooler

cold turkey. Slang for a hand consisting oftwoface cards

(Donald I Collver) (cI966) A card countingsystem in which the player keeps track of theexcess of tens over other non-ace cards and lowcards (2-5) over other non-ace cards plus acount

of aces

[66 CollverScientific BJ & Complete Casino GUide]

{PCSIL1} (DonaldI.Collver) (cI966)

o 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 -2/3

BC=.81 PE=.61

[66 CollverScientific Blackjack and ]

color. 1)A designation of the denomination oftable chips by color. 2) A reference to a jack,queen, orking

color for color. An instruction to a dealer

to pay the player's bet in the same denomination

as those making up the original bet Seebarberpole

[87 ClarkDictional}' of Gambling&Gambling 47]

color up. To exchange one denomination ofchips for higher ones Dealers will often ask

players to color up before they leave the table.

This is usually done for one of two reasons: (a)The dealer's chip tray is in need of lower

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