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Split Double Destroy – Ungrateful McCheapy-Pants


The player next to me—as is often the case—was tipping the dealer tonight. I—as is always the case—was not. The dealer thanked Mr. Tips more noticeably each time for the table scraps coming his way, and Mr. Tips responded by ever more loudly espousing the eternal virtues of tipping. They […]

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Split Double Destroy – A Nine-Hour Layover


In search of a cheap last-minute flight to a casino destination west of the Rockies, I stumbled upon something wonderful this week. The cheapest flight available—shockingly cheaper than all of the others—involved a nine-hour layover in Las Vegas.

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Split Double Destroy – An Open Letter


Here we go again. A brash young pit boss with an itchy trigger finger just backed me off. It’s déjà vu all over again. Listen—no one can know you are a good card counter in the first hour. It’s impossible.

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Split Double Destroy – Comped Against My Will


Here’s a first: I just got comped–against my will. I arrived at the large tribal casino knowing I had been backed off here before. If I had any chance for earning EV, I would have to fly under the radar. I would hit the graveyard shift in “Disguise #1.” The […]

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Split Double Destroy – Throw A Tantrum


If there ever is an appropriate time to throw a tantrum—it is now. When the new dealer stepped up I was betting two hands of $500 each at an advantaged count. She burned a card, waited for a player to finish fumbling with his bet, burned a card, and dealt […]

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Card Counting in the Movies – “The Hangover”


Ed, Alan, Phil and Doug are driving towards Vegas in a classic Mercedes with the top down.  Alan is reading a book on card counting. Ed - "Isn't card counting illegal?" Alan - "No.  Its just frowned upon, like masturbating in an airplane." Phil - "I'm pretty sure that is [...]

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How to Practice Blackjack Card Counting by Yourself


Practicing Blackjack Part I: Basic Strategy is the FoundationPracticing Blackjack Part II: The Running CountPracticing Blackjack Part III: Practicing How to Get to the True Count Blackjack is the only game in a casino that can actually be beaten over the long haul. But it's not something that is mastered in [...]

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Top 10 Mistakes in the Movie “21”


These are the top 10 mistakes we noticed in the first (and only) time we watched the film. "There's not as much strategy as people think when you play blackjack." Blackjack is ALL about strategy Tipping casino personnel. Professional card counters don't tip like crazy. It's just TOO expensive! They [...]

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Can you beat Blackjack with Card Counting in Atlantic City?


I received this message recently from a member of our forum: “””can I use your card counting system in Atlantic city? what is the difference between AC and Vegas? does it have any effect in winning?” Simply put: Yes. You can use our system in Atlantic City, Vegas, Reno, Tahoe, […]

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How much does Penetration really matter?


I recently received this question from a member of our website: "hey can you explain the importance of deck penetration and if there is any change in strategy for different penetration. Thanks, love the site!" Member, thanks for asking, because deck penetration is incredibly important. First off, I'm going to assume [...]

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