It's fairly common now to acknowledge that casinos are careful to spot potential card counters at their tables. In reality, many people think they can count when in fact they can't. Good counters will employ multiple strategies from multiple angles to try and increase their odds in the best possible way at the best possible time. So what will a casino typically do when they spot a good card-counting strategist - someone who knows the game inside and out, who is prudent about when to wager high and when to wager low. Here are some of the casino's potential counter measures:
1. Shuffle the pack
A pit boss can approach the table at any time and simply reshuffle the pack. Card counters are most successful when they've penetrated the shoe as deeply as possible. By randomly reshuffling everything, a card-counter is effectively thwarted in his current running count. Some players actually consider this unethical. But a casino is permitted to do it.
2. Impose flat betting
This really hurts a card-counter's profits. The whole purpose behind card-counting strategy is to wager high amounts when the table becomes "hot" and low amounts when the casino is at its greatest advantage. A "hot" table is one where the player has the greatest likelihood of having a high-value hand without busting or, of course, a blackjack. Higher-value cards that are still in the shoe advantage the player. Lower-value cards, however, will tend to advantage the dealer. By imposing a flat bet, a casino is in effect normalizing your profits. It's a sure sign that they don't like you because you're playing too well.
3. Introduce more decks
The less decks there are in a pack, the better the situation for a card-counter. It's one of the reasons why the majority of blackjack tables use a number of decks in a shoe. Perhaps one enormous advantage of playing blackjack online, then, is a table's rules won't arbitrarily change just because you're doing well. At land-based casinos, however, the casino can do what it likes to counter your play.
4. Change certain rules of play
Obviously, a casino can't suddenly change all the rules of blackjack. But it can impose certain limitations on the playing thereof. For instance, a casino can announce narrow restrictions on doubling down, or they can prohibit a player from taking insurance against a dealer's potential blackjack.
5. Close the table
If a card-counter is starting to perform exceptionally well, a casino can randomly shut the table down, forcing all players to migrate to other tables. At a new table, a card-counter will have to start over: he will have no knowledge of the deck, where it's sitting, what's in play and how to bet.
The best advice is to walk away immediately if you notice the casino has become suspicious. Once they do, and start employing countermeasures, you're effectively done for. They have far too many options to limit your profits. In fact, they can cause you to lose much of your winnings.
1. Shuffle the pack
A pit boss can approach the table at any time and simply reshuffle the pack. Card counters are most successful when they've penetrated the shoe as deeply as possible. By randomly reshuffling everything, a card-counter is effectively thwarted in his current running count. Some players actually consider this unethical. But a casino is permitted to do it.
2. Impose flat betting
This really hurts a card-counter's profits. The whole purpose behind card-counting strategy is to wager high amounts when the table becomes "hot" and low amounts when the casino is at its greatest advantage. A "hot" table is one where the player has the greatest likelihood of having a high-value hand without busting or, of course, a blackjack. Higher-value cards that are still in the shoe advantage the player. Lower-value cards, however, will tend to advantage the dealer. By imposing a flat bet, a casino is in effect normalizing your profits. It's a sure sign that they don't like you because you're playing too well.
3. Introduce more decks
The less decks there are in a pack, the better the situation for a card-counter. It's one of the reasons why the majority of blackjack tables use a number of decks in a shoe. Perhaps one enormous advantage of playing blackjack online, then, is a table's rules won't arbitrarily change just because you're doing well. At land-based casinos, however, the casino can do what it likes to counter your play.
4. Change certain rules of play
Obviously, a casino can't suddenly change all the rules of blackjack. But it can impose certain limitations on the playing thereof. For instance, a casino can announce narrow restrictions on doubling down, or they can prohibit a player from taking insurance against a dealer's potential blackjack.
5. Close the table
If a card-counter is starting to perform exceptionally well, a casino can randomly shut the table down, forcing all players to migrate to other tables. At a new table, a card-counter will have to start over: he will have no knowledge of the deck, where it's sitting, what's in play and how to bet.
The best advice is to walk away immediately if you notice the casino has become suspicious. Once they do, and start employing countermeasures, you're effectively done for. They have far too many options to limit your profits. In fact, they can cause you to lose much of your winnings.
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