I was overwhelmed by the chart when I first looked at it. Then I realized it is almost exactly what I would have already chosen to do with like 30 exceptions, and those exceptions are easy to memorize because they become obvious once you really think about them.
Lol I have asked fellow players, and the dealer what the count is someone usually tells me, but this is low price 5-200 dollar tables, they will also help with basic strategy.
Do all the same principals work for when there's more players at the table? I'm pretty sure I don't have the memory needed for this. 80's and 90's were rough.
Learning to fight my ADHD and distractions at the casino by practising while my phone and tv are playing different shows. Definitely my biggest struggle and my last hurdle before being confident enough to play for real
@@livebassngames bro adhd brain is able to handle multiple stimuli at the same time, it processes info ~4x the the average speed… that’s why it always seems like adhd people are never present bc they have usually already processed the info and are already onto a different train of thought… leads to hella forgetfulness tho lol
Here is another thing claimed by that article: It is possible to beat the house at any game, and that blackjack is low on the list of beatable games. I think that deserves another face palm
For the first part. Is it possible to beat the house at every game? Yes absolutely. Now, is it PROBABLE to beat the house at every game? Absolutely NOT. Personally my poison is roulette and baccarat. And while I'm far from a professional level player at either of those, I have made some pretty good money off both. Admittedly, for these two games specifically I rely on instincts as well, rather than any one mathematical way of playing. But for roulette specifically, even though most dealers will tell you they don't control their spins, the good ones can influence it, and picking up on those patterns can help you win. Even dealers who don't intentionally control their spins (and btw, there's no dealer in the world that can hit the exact number they want every time, it's about influence, not precision) you can sometimes pick up patterns in their "chaotic" spinning, although these are definately not as easy it profitable. As far as blackjack being on the low end, I'll say this. If you are not a good counter (which I'm admittedly not the best, I've only ever self taught) then yea BJ will be hard to beat. But for a professional who does this all the time, and who's refined their mathematical skills. I'd say it'd probably be one of the easiest.
Would be interested to see how the running costs and time spent on travelling etc. factor in to EV. It's fine saying your EV is $100/hour when sitting at the table playing, but factor in the expenses and travelling time must make a fair dent in that.
You're right, it does. That's why you need a pretty large bankroll to play professionally, if that means doing a lot of traveling. If you have a lot of casinos nearby, and you're just doing this part time or as a side hustle, then the traveling costs don't factor in AS much, and you're making more of a profit. But it definitely is a consideration, and one that needs to be well thought out before you jump into serious advantage play.
So based on everything I’ve learned, all you need to do to count cards is learn basic strategy and perfect it, and then learn how to keep track of the running and true count while not getting distracted in a casino. All that and handling back offs. Someone correct me if I’m missing something
You need a sizeable bankroll, and you need to learn how to manage. Also you need to learn your betting deviations, i.e. how much money do you bet based on the count. You'll need to learn what rules are good, and what rules are bad, and what to look for in a blackjack game - not all games are equal, and some are so bad that no matter how perfect you are, you still lose. Not only do you need to be absolutely perfect with basic strategy, but you need to know playing deviations as well...and you need to be perfect at them. "handling backoffs" is probably the least important thing, as all you need to do is leave the casino. None of this is particularly difficult - the concepts are actually quite simple. It's being able to put it all together, be perfect at it, and at the same time, NOT looking like a card counter. Did I mention you have to be perfect?
@@moneybags209 is that always though, even deep in a negative count? (Suppose it’s a true negative 3, 5 or worse) is there no deviation where it’s better to hit/stand rather than to surrender vs 9-10-A? Or is surrendering 100% the best decision always despite being in a horrible true count.
@@DanteHatchett_ That is also on the basic strategy chart. But when it gets really negative there isn't any deviations since you shouldn't be playing into the really negative.
@@trentongesler9637 I usually play until a running negative 10 & wong out (back count) or until I think the count is too far gone toward the end of a shoe to come back into a positive count. But if you look at the deviations chart for the illustrative 18 they say when to stop hitting 15’s & 16’s vs 9-10-A based on the true count. My question would be, if you can surrender should you always 100% surrender those hands? Just because it’s an option, should you always take it? (Ex: taking insurance at a true plus 3 or higher rather than always/never) just because there isn’t a deviation on the illustrative 18 deviations chart, doesn’t mean there isn’t a deviation for those situations based on the true count. Collin says all the time he uses like 50+ different deviations while he plays. If there is a time when it’s better to play the 15/16 vs 9-10-A, at what true negative count should you play and stop surrendering those hands.
@@DanteHatchett_ if the chart says to surrender and you have the option to even in negative count situations it is usually better to surrender in the long run. Because the examples of to stand or hit something like a 15 or 16 is what will give you a better advantage if you have to play it. But the best play is to not play it.
The other thing that these articles don’t take into account is sometimes they will back off a player only because they are beating the house not necessarily card counting! I used to be a blackjack dealer Las Vegas. I remember a graveyard shift in the old part of town. A guy came in and started playing blackjack started with $200 he was playing two hands built it up to where he was betting $1000 a hand and kicking the crap out of the house! He went all the way up to $50,000 ended up cashing out $36,000 and believe you me they try to do everything that they could changing dealers changing the cards they would’ve change the table if they could have! 😂 that time they didn’t back him off but there’s been many times where they have backed people off and said they were advantage player or were they?
We know the rules are getting worse. Your channel is doing one thing exposing casinos for the garbage They are. Give us a fair fight or quit dealing beatable games.
The only thing I’m worried about is being Welsh there’s only like 5 casinos in my area , as a beginner it’s really hard imagining what to do after they back you off, cuz you might be down in the variance and banned from casinos that don’t require you to spend money on a hotel to stay away
I believe part of the reason casinos still offer beatable blackjack games is that channels like these and the hype from movies like 21 are actually earning them a shitload of money. It would be very interesting to know how many mediocre card counters with an undersized bankroll have lost whatever they initially invested and never returned to the tables. Think about it. If not true why didn't all casinos simply convert to CSMs to take away the "advantage". I am honest, I never did card counting IRL, because I live in an area of the world where you cannot find a decent game. But I did many hours with card counting training programs and tried to translate the experience to real life. The bottom line is if you have a bankroll that allows you to earn the amounts you mentioned you probably have better ways to invest it. And with a small bankroll, you either do make ridiculously low amounts of money or still deal with a considerable risk of ruin.
Good take, the only thing I might add is that casinos are unlikely to convert to CSMs only because the average players distrust them. So their adoption isn't prevented just to get a little money from new/bad APs, but also because the ploppys can protect the APs on this one. Otherwise yes, you're completely right. Similar to why dealers will always offer basic strategy decisions if asked, or sometimes even let you play with the basic strategy table in front of you - because they know that even though it helps a player play closer to breakeven, they're still going to lose, so the casino doesn't mind
@@picklehuntertim As well as player distrust (which is ironic, considering CSMs actually decrease the house edge by a couple tenths of a percent), another reason why casinos are unlikely to go full CSM is the cost. Those things cost thousands of dollars a piece, and they break down as often as any other electronic device in continuous use 24/7/365 does. Compare that to the cost of a shoe and it makes fiscal sense to not go full CSM
@@picklehuntertim At the first casino I got backed off from (no more blackjack, you can play anything else), they had CSM's. March forward a few years later, they discontinued the CSM's.
Although it statistically has no impact on the game, one of the biggest distractions is other people hopping in and out of games. It’s also way more difficult to count more hands per round especially if it’s a DD pitch game. Although the count does change more quickly at a crowded table.
OMG! Did anyone Notice the underpay at 1:09 with a $500 Dollar Pink Chip with the Ace of Hearts and the Ten of Spades of a pink chip, two black chips and a green chip ( $725)... Then again at 7:36 with a correct payout with the Ace of Hearts and the Ten of Spades of a pink chip, two black chips and two green chips ($750). Am I the only one??? Im assuming BJA noticed the underpay and reshot the payout, but yet somehow missed it in editing? Wild.
if you could do a video talking about the life of a card counter after you have been backed off and you cannot play with an ID what your realistic profit could be the maximum you can play with etc. the six figure card counter the comps, etc. that’s a very temporary phase
There are hundreds and hundreds of casinos in the US alone, there is no point where you cannot play if you want to. Check out Tommy Hyland as an example of someone who's well known, public, and been playing for over 40 years. We also have videos and podcast interviews with him discussing his life and strategies.
Im 14 and my dad worked in surveillance in Nevada and he taught me to count so I have almost a decade to get amazing at counting and all I need to do is go to the strip which is 15 minutes away I will clean them out I hope
For me I’m not able to practice inside a casino because I’m under 18 but I usually listen to casino background audio at almost max volume with ear phones so that I can practice counting in my head with the sounds of the loud casino
This is really good tip, I’m 16 and I have sneaked into casino because they either don’t ask for it because I don’t look that young, or I use a fake id, still not worth the risk if I’m not there to make money yet
God. Had such a rough night tonight. Worst night since I started, but your videos remind me to never give up. I've put too much time into learning the game and getting counting down to stop now. Tonight I learned how bad my basic strategy memorization is, and why even with solid counting and TC conversion, they don't mean crap without the basics down perfectly. Next month I'm getting the spreadsheets out. This week is basic strategy drill until I get it inside my head how to play soft hands correctly, then next week more deviations. I am going to walk away with $100,000 by the end of the year from playing or die trying.
@@stevenhelgason8190 Thanks Steve. Pleasure to run into you on another one of BJAs videos. I went to Foxwoods the other night and lost $2400, nearly half of what I worked up to the past three months, but I stuck around and played for a bit and made half of it back. I had a couple of really good shoes with good high true counts, but the variance was getting me and the rest of the table bad. I finished the night strong on one good shoe with a solid +2 and +3 TC practically throughout the shoe. I was starting to get heat so I took what I recouped and ran. Lol It's alright. I'll try again tonight. The Seminole in Florida next month is my big test. They don't allow surrender at their tables from what I remember, so the basic strategy deviations will come into play heavily there. Card counting paid off. They gave me a three night hotel comp. Lol
@@chriscarlone527 Good to hear from you too Chris. Hope you can add to that bankroll a bit more tonight. I'll have limited play time in the coming month. Heading to Alaska to the land of the midnight sun and no blackjack! My 8 hour, nearly 150 unit slide appears to have ended. But I've only rebounded around 25 -30 units in the last 3 hours. Can't seem to capitalize on the big bets. For instance last night after wonging out once, I finally got up to a +27 RC with 2.5 decks remaining in a good penetration 8 deck game - best count I've seen in quite a while. The RC count remained in the low 20's and the teens till the cut card. But I lost just as much as I won in the 7 or 8 rounds of max bets that I put out. Ended the shoe with only $87.50 profit off of it haha. But....at least it wasn't a loss.
@@stevenhelgason8190 I had a really rough week. I had gone to Mohegan Sun on Saturday, played during peak time for them so the table minimums were higher, kept getting good shoes but constant people jumping in and out, so I barely got any good hands, lost $3800. Then I went back the next day and played for 9 hours straight and got all of it back. Then today I went to Twin River in Lincoln RI and lost $2000 in less than two hours on really bad shoes. The counts weren't even bad, just every hand I was losing non stop. Even requested shuffles twice, no good. I had about $400 bankroll left, hopped onto their $15 tables, made $1200, then lost all of that on bad shoes. I did everything right, split when I was supposed to, double when I was supposed to, raise bets when I was supposed, and I still lost it all. My bankroll has essentially been wiped. I have $1000 now, after months of work and playing sometimes four or five times a week. I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this kind of thing. My counting is fine, my basic strategy needed work and I've been correcting it, and I know about six deviations from the Illustrious 18, but I still lost everything I worked up towards. I don't think I have it in me to do this more than once or twice a month. I just can't afford it if the swings are going to be that bad.
@@chriscarlone527 The game can break your heart at times. I wish there was a way, playing solo, to greatly reduce or eliminate the money wagered at a true 1 or less. But its almost impossible, hence the rationale for team play. Wonging out helps. So does sitting out a few rounds when the table is crowded and the count low. In my situation. I'm away from casinos for half the year. When I'm in Iowa. there are a couple reasonably close, but I'm hours away from any major metropolitan area where there are more opportunities. I feel good about my skills, but I may break down and join BJA. It may be worth it just for the forum and training/practice tools (though I have others). If you've read "Burning the tables at Las Vegas", or watched the recent movie "Inside the Edge", both describe brutal prolonged downturns in advantage play. It's tough. Good luck in your future endeavors Chris and sorry for your recent losses. I'm down a couple thousand in my recent limited play too. I guess the difference between AP and gamblers is that gamblers will brag about how much they win. Counters can brag about how much they lose!
I’ve been counting since the 70s in Vegas with single decks. It’s tough now with multiple decks, but does work. The question I’ve had for 50 years, is why, if these guys are making so much money, would they tell, or in some cases, need to sell, this information? Why waste your time with RUclips if you’re making millions. I wouldn’t tell anyone but family and friends!
treating this like some f/t job is impossible to sustain the inevitable losing streaks. This guy has likely touched 6figures in his gambling career & has likely thrown majority back to the casino over the years They obviously charge "apprentices" to learn basic bj strategy and counting techniques. So that this is a perpetual business model. The more apprentice moneys the more bank roll provided to the "pros'"
Eventhough he tells all this information, only 1% of AP can be succesful. Not everybody has the discipline to control the emotions when in a downswing. ( This coming from a poker player)
Just came back from Las Vegas armed with basic strategy from Colin and BA. 6-5 tables are growing in number but I do get the sense that even they know they are pushing past acceptable limit of greed (bet the big casinos don't stop bad rules anytime soon is a good bet). Still even there I found some good 3-2 tables with good rules. One day when I am able to travel more, I may become a BA member. Quick question for anyone who knows: how do you handle taxes? Can you incorporate? Or do you simply factor personal tax rates into your EV?
Hey big fan of the Channel. I’m a little confused though, if you made 600k card counting over 15 years. that means you only make around 60k a year ? Is that a sustainable income for today’s time ? Let alone the gas for travel and tickets etc.
He hasn't been professionally counting cards that entire time. I think he mentioned in a comment on another video that for the past number of years, he's focused on BJA (as well as raising a family) so the numbers aren't truly indicative of profit/hour
How are the games different online or why are they unbeatable? Is it just a brand new deck every hand so there can be no count? What about the live dealer online games? Do they still use a new deck every hand?
Living in Western Europe. There are basically no games without CSM that I could play, so it really doesn't make sense here. Anyone has a list of European games that are actually beatable? I don't know any
I've done 100's of hours of IT training. Honestly part of me wonders how different things would be if I put that time into learning to count cards. I don't regret it though, I enjoy my job. Tho knowing how to count cards would also be nice.
I just moved to North Dakota. There are blackjack tables at every bar here. The max bet is only $25 though. Is it worth it to learn? There’s literally 2 tables across the street from my apartment and I doubt there is any security whatsoever.
No no no no. That 200 hours myth is wrong. People stop using that debunked myth. It does not take 200 hours to master stuff. That study only check on violin players from a specific school and asked "how many hours practice did these players have before they were done". They found that on average every player had 200 hours of practice. But we have learned with other fields that "Mastery" has been achieved way quicker with some people and taken longer with others. PLEASE STOP USING THAT MYTH. You're not the first I saw to make this claim and you won't be the last, but we shouldn't propagate lies. Sure, it's a cool gimmick that sounds pretty cool, but it is a lie based on poor sampling and a narrow field. No statistician/scientist/researcher would ever take that study seriously.
If you were that good at making money counting cards why are not not at a casino doing that ? To me it looks like you are making more money doing these U-Tube Videos. So you must not have that good a system.
Regarding point 3: You mentioned if someone were backed off every hour they'd have to be doing something "wrong"...and since you advocate raising bets appropriately when necessary, and discourage cover plays and camouflage bets, then what would be the "wrong" thing that would cause a quick backoff?
@@Blackjackapprenticeship Interesting response. I'd have thought that software scrutiny of betting and playing decisions would take precedence over mannerisms. Because there doesn't seem to be a lack of nervous and oddball players out there. Maybe the next questions is: To what extent do humans have in the process of determining who is or isn't an AP?
@@stevenhelgason8190 When I was a dealer, there were 2 giveaways to me: insuring a non-20 hand, and sudden/drastic bet increases/decreases. It's just not practical to expect a dealer (who is busy trying to make sure players don't cap their bets when they aren't looking) or floor supervisors (who have to make sure dealers aren't overpaying or getting abused by idiot gamblers) to constantly keep a running count in their heads while they're responsible for the dozens of other things that goes into their jobs. Most dealers don't even know how card counting works, although basically all supervisors do. Something has to tip them off, and it's usually one of those two giveaways I mentioned. If you can rationalize away how to do that to a dealer that might not otherwise suspect you, then you're pretty golden (use some superstition or rely on "gut feelings" as justification. That's what the other degenerate gamblers do). If the dealer knows how to count cards themselves, there's not really much camouflage you can run. Just be a good player and don't give them a reason to rat you out
Off topic, but I do like the way you advertise. It's not forced. You give information in your videos and it is just a casual plug. It flows with the video and just works. Probably the best style I have seen. It doesn't feel intrusive.
We don't have many blackjack venues in Australia, and Australia is BIG, I personally think counting is only going tho work in the Northern hemisphere. Which is a shame because I really like the idea of wound ING a, casino 🤣
Waiting for tips on card counting in Spanish 21. It can be done. It's a good game, anyway, without counting, just playing perfect strategy. Just wondering if the extra effort is worth it. I guarantee you the casinos don't know how to count cards in Spanish 21 and consider it a carnival game. They don't even know basic strategy.
Honestly at this point I’d have to say it’s not worth my time, I’ve been doing it a year almost and have logged into close to 700 hours not even counting the hours spent back counting. I’ve gone negative even up a couple grand, and then back down to negative about three times. And at this point I am just continuing to play to get back to even so I can stop with there at least being no cost to me moneywise. Timewise I would’ve been better off learn a foreign language or learning to code.
Let me ask ya something sir Colin, in your opinion what do you consider more profitable? Poker or BJ ... I’ve been playing poker 16 years and dealing poker games too ... I’ve done good personally but I have watched that movie 21 like 1 or 100 times lol and always wanted to learn this
Colin what do you think of the UK rules on European blackjack ? The casinos I go in don't use csm. But since its European blackjack does this cut the odds ?
Colin, I spotted you in 09 during your buy in and you were backed off before the dealer could finish cutting out the cheques. What gave you away. You did not even bother to change your shirt from the night before when the alert from another casino was emailed out. Its things like this and playing with three color cheques in front of you that make a AP stand out like a sore thumb.
The thing I like about you is as a card counter all of your points aren’t based on really any anecdotes. You use math to figure out how often players are backed off and you already know the risks and profit you can make whereas they made a lot of points without all the data to back it.
I have been trying to count cards for a month now and i cant seem to get it yet. I can keep up with the count at the casino.. But i never seem to win... I had 300$ i jumped in on a table thats at p10 last night on a 25$.. Lost it in 4 hands. The guy next to me was so pissed i jumped in the middle of the shoe. He told me he didnt want me to play like that. Can i just say screw him anf play however i want?
If you're going to count cards in a casino, you have to learn how to either 1) roll with the degenerate gamblers blaming you for everything wrong in their lives, or 2) tune them out completely. I prefer option 2, but that's just personal choice. If you let them in your head, you're better off finding another line of work because they will destroy you like they're destroying themselves
So I really like your channel and am interested in learning card counting but there is one thing that I don't understand. You say you recommend to play so the risk of losing your bank roll is about 1%. But if you play let's say 100 sessions with the risk of 1% each your overall risk is (as long as I don't make a dumb calculation mistake) 0,99^100 which is roughly 0,36. So only 1 in 3 card counters would not lose their bank roll in 100 sessions. The thing is most card counters don't play 100 but thousands of sessions which should make the risk of losing it all very high. But that's just my theory. Am I not understanding something?
My understanding is it's not that you have a 1% chance to lose in a single session because I don't think you're betting all of your bankroll. I def don't understand the math and have just been watching. The definition of risk of ruin means if it's 1% Risk of Ruin, 1 out of 100 card counters will go bankrupt in the long term throughout their entire life. I have no clue how the math works lol, but I think you're overthinking it?
its not the risk of losing it all in one session, its the risk of losing it all period. while i cant give you the exact math behind it, i can tell you how it works the long run is able to be calculated, ie, how many hours it takes before the variance should (and this is the key word here) have worn off the % given is how likely that a downswing can last long enough that you dont actually make it there. RoR is not the only thing you need to worry about. withdrawing from your bankroll increases risk, the % chance of hitting 50% or 75% loss also isnt a part of this. its only the chance of the bankroll hitting flat 0.
@@itsrrraven and lets say you have a ROR of 1% and bring 2k to the table each time out of your 50K bankroll, well if you have ten losing sessions and are down to 40K, you can go back to bringing 1K to the table for a while and you ROR will actually be lower with lower bets until you are back to the 50K roll
That depends on the games you find - in a lot of Europe CSMs are more common and they cannot be counted, but if you find a shoe game you're in business.
My take is you dont have to learn anything, if you are sitting in a game with a card counter and he is winning, just bet big when he/she is betting big in certain hands..........................Michael
but to spot the card counter you have to observe them for a while and know the principles... so you pretty much know counting but are too lazy to do so at this point.
Yeah. I pulled that one for a couple of reasons (it rustled some feathers) and decided to re-do it, even though it was one of our most successful videos.
I was overwhelmed by the chart when I first looked at it. Then I realized it is almost exactly what I would have already chosen to do with like 30 exceptions, and those exceptions are easy to memorize because they become obvious once you really think about them.
Lol I have asked fellow players, and the dealer what the count is someone usually tells me, but this is low price 5-200 dollar tables, they will also help with basic strategy.
Do all the same principals work for when there's more players at the table?
I'm pretty sure I don't have the memory needed for this. 80's and 90's were rough.
Haha. Yes full tables increase your N-0 however the math still works out
Is card counting and basic strategy going to help against a six deck shoe ?
Yes
The person who said the 7 reason why not is a casino owner
You posted all this videos
Haha going to Vegas tomorrow, great timing!
Let us know how much you make next week, TY
🙄 casinos love "up and coming" card counters.
Bro don't waste your time with Vegas
How did it go?
@@tony7132901 why? Because you think every game at the casino is rigged?
Learning to fight my ADHD and distractions at the casino by practising while my phone and tv are playing different shows.
Definitely my biggest struggle and my last hurdle before being confident enough to play for real
jeez give yourself a chance, enjoy a show and play a game... listening to two shows is plain torture
@@livebassngames bro adhd brain is able to handle multiple stimuli at the same time, it processes info ~4x the the average speed… that’s why it always seems like adhd people are never present bc they have usually already processed the info and are already onto a different train of thought… leads to hella forgetfulness tho lol
@@loganwright6829 the dude says hes listening to two shows at the same time. thats not ADHD ! thats just madness like i see at the institute
Getting distracted in a casino?!?!?! Lol. I have ADHD and I can count perfectly!
I'm not kidding: that was the best thirteen minutes and four seconds of my entire life. It's all downhill from here.
How do you know if its a beatable game or not?
Im in reno Nevada, where is a good place to play in Reno?
Also would you play single deck if you could?
Here is another thing claimed by that article: It is possible to beat the house at any game, and that blackjack is low on the list of beatable games. I think that deserves another face palm
For the first part. Is it possible to beat the house at every game? Yes absolutely. Now, is it PROBABLE to beat the house at every game? Absolutely NOT. Personally my poison is roulette and baccarat. And while I'm far from a professional level player at either of those, I have made some pretty good money off both. Admittedly, for these two games specifically I rely on instincts as well, rather than any one mathematical way of playing. But for roulette specifically, even though most dealers will tell you they don't control their spins, the good ones can influence it, and picking up on those patterns can help you win. Even dealers who don't intentionally control their spins (and btw, there's no dealer in the world that can hit the exact number they want every time, it's about influence, not precision) you can sometimes pick up patterns in their "chaotic" spinning, although these are definately not as easy it profitable.
As far as blackjack being on the low end, I'll say this. If you are not a good counter (which I'm admittedly not the best, I've only ever self taught) then yea BJ will be hard to beat. But for a professional who does this all the time, and who's refined their mathematical skills. I'd say it'd probably be one of the easiest.
Either the writer is hired by the casinos or the writer know black magic
I will learn from u,, i will watch all ur video boss
I think card counting has to fit your personality. This article seems to assume some things... Great video!
Would be interested to see how the running costs and time spent on travelling etc. factor in to EV. It's fine saying your EV is $100/hour when sitting at the table playing, but factor in the expenses and travelling time must make a fair dent in that.
You're right, it does. That's why you need a pretty large bankroll to play professionally, if that means doing a lot of traveling. If you have a lot of casinos nearby, and you're just doing this part time or as a side hustle, then the traveling costs don't factor in AS much, and you're making more of a profit. But it definitely is a consideration, and one that needs to be well thought out before you jump into serious advantage play.
nice like my home state texas flexing the most beautiful games
My question is how do you build a bankroll, when the cashiers are doing tax filings for every payout over $2,000 dollars??
Dont give ID when cashing out, you dont have to unless you are cashing out over 10k$
Memorizing Basic strategy and deviations are one thing. Committing it to the subconscious is another.
So based on everything I’ve learned, all you need to do to count cards is learn basic strategy and perfect it, and then learn how to keep track of the running and true count while not getting distracted in a casino. All that and handling back offs. Someone correct me if I’m missing something
Deviation helps too.
You need a sizeable bankroll, and you need to learn how to manage. Also you need to learn your betting deviations, i.e. how much money do you bet based on the count. You'll need to learn what rules are good, and what rules are bad, and what to look for in a blackjack game - not all games are equal, and some are so bad that no matter how perfect you are, you still lose. Not only do you need to be absolutely perfect with basic strategy, but you need to know playing deviations as well...and you need to be perfect at them. "handling backoffs" is probably the least important thing, as all you need to do is leave the casino. None of this is particularly difficult - the concepts are actually quite simple. It's being able to put it all together, be perfect at it, and at the same time, NOT looking like a card counter. Did I mention you have to be perfect?
You should make a video on if/when you should surrender 15’s & 16’s vs 9-10-A and in what counts should you not surrender & hit/stand instead
@@moneybags209 is that always though, even deep in a negative count? (Suppose it’s a true negative 3, 5 or worse) is there no deviation where it’s better to hit/stand rather than to surrender vs 9-10-A? Or is surrendering 100% the best decision always despite being in a horrible true count.
@@DanteHatchett_ That is also on the basic strategy chart. But when it gets really negative there isn't any deviations since you shouldn't be playing into the really negative.
@@trentongesler9637 I usually play until a running negative 10 & wong out (back count) or until I think the count is too far gone toward the end of a shoe to come back into a positive count. But if you look at the deviations chart for the illustrative 18 they say when to stop hitting 15’s & 16’s vs 9-10-A based on the true count.
My question would be, if you can surrender should you always 100% surrender those hands? Just because it’s an option, should you always take it? (Ex: taking insurance at a true plus 3 or higher rather than always/never) just because there isn’t a deviation on the illustrative 18 deviations chart, doesn’t mean there isn’t a deviation for those situations based on the true count. Collin says all the time he uses like 50+ different deviations while he plays. If there is a time when it’s better to play the 15/16 vs 9-10-A, at what true negative count should you play and stop surrendering those hands.
@@DanteHatchett_ if the chart says to surrender and you have the option to even in negative count situations it is usually better to surrender in the long run. Because the examples of to stand or hit something like a 15 or 16 is what will give you a better advantage if you have to play it. But the best play is to not play it.
@@trentongesler9637 do you play with deviations at all?
The other thing that these articles don’t take into account is sometimes they will back off a player only because they are beating the house not necessarily card counting! I used to be a blackjack dealer
Las Vegas. I remember a graveyard shift in the old part of town. A guy came in and started playing blackjack started with $200 he was playing two hands built it up to where he was betting $1000 a hand and kicking the crap out of the house! He went all the way up to $50,000 ended up cashing out $36,000 and believe you me they try to do everything that they could changing dealers changing the cards they would’ve change the table if they could have! 😂 that time they didn’t back him off but there’s been many times where they have backed people off and said they were advantage player or were they?
We know the rules are getting worse. Your channel is doing one thing exposing casinos for the garbage They are. Give us a fair fight or quit dealing beatable games.
The only thing I’m worried about is being Welsh there’s only like 5 casinos in my area , as a beginner it’s really hard imagining what to do after they back you off, cuz you might be down in the variance and banned from casinos that don’t require you to spend money on a hotel to stay away
I believe part of the reason casinos still offer beatable blackjack games is that channels like these and the hype from movies like 21 are actually earning them a shitload of money. It would be very interesting to know how many mediocre card counters with an undersized bankroll have lost whatever they initially invested and never returned to the tables. Think about it. If not true why didn't all casinos simply convert to CSMs to take away the "advantage". I am honest, I never did card counting IRL, because I live in an area of the world where you cannot find a decent game. But I did many hours with card counting training programs and tried to translate the experience to real life. The bottom line is if you have a bankroll that allows you to earn the amounts you mentioned you probably have better ways to invest it. And with a small bankroll, you either do make ridiculously low amounts of money or still deal with a considerable risk of ruin.
Good take, the only thing I might add is that casinos are unlikely to convert to CSMs only because the average players distrust them. So their adoption isn't prevented just to get a little money from new/bad APs, but also because the ploppys can protect the APs on this one.
Otherwise yes, you're completely right. Similar to why dealers will always offer basic strategy decisions if asked, or sometimes even let you play with the basic strategy table in front of you - because they know that even though it helps a player play closer to breakeven, they're still going to lose, so the casino doesn't mind
@@picklehuntertim As well as player distrust (which is ironic, considering CSMs actually decrease the house edge by a couple tenths of a percent), another reason why casinos are unlikely to go full CSM is the cost. Those things cost thousands of dollars a piece, and they break down as often as any other electronic device in continuous use 24/7/365 does. Compare that to the cost of a shoe and it makes fiscal sense to not go full CSM
@@picklehuntertim At the first casino I got backed off from (no more blackjack, you can play anything else), they had CSM's. March forward a few years later, they discontinued the CSM's.
I’m sitting on a quarter million dollars and honestly can’t find an investment with a better rate of return.
this is good////
How many members are there on Blackjack Apprenticeship?
Like 7 million
I think that as a hobby that YOU enjoy, every activity is worth your time as long as you like it
Although it statistically has no impact on the game, one of the biggest distractions is other people hopping in and out of games. It’s also way more difficult to count more hands per round especially if it’s a DD pitch game. Although the count does change more quickly at a crowded table.
OMG! Did anyone Notice the underpay at 1:09 with a $500 Dollar Pink Chip with the Ace of Hearts and the Ten of Spades of a pink chip, two black chips and a green chip ( $725)... Then again at 7:36 with a correct payout with the Ace of Hearts and the Ten of Spades of a pink chip, two black chips and two green chips ($750). Am I the only one??? Im assuming BJA noticed the underpay and reshot the payout, but yet somehow missed it in editing? Wild.
Excellent catch, we're pro card counters, but clearly have some room to improve on the editing table haha
if you could do a video talking about the life of a card counter after you have been backed off and you cannot play with an ID what your realistic profit could be the maximum you can play with etc. the six figure card counter the comps, etc. that’s a very temporary phase
There are hundreds and hundreds of casinos in the US alone, there is no point where you cannot play if you want to. Check out Tommy Hyland as an example of someone who's well known, public, and been playing for over 40 years. We also have videos and podcast interviews with him discussing his life and strategies.
Im 14 and my dad worked in surveillance in Nevada and he taught me to count so I have almost a decade to get amazing at counting and all I need to do is go to the strip which is 15 minutes away I will clean them out I hope
Lol no offence kid but stay in school, or be more ambitious
You've made over 600K? You dress like you've lost over 600K.
For me I’m not able to practice inside a casino because I’m under 18 but I usually listen to casino background audio at almost max volume with ear phones so that I can practice counting in my head with the sounds of the loud casino
This is really good tip, I’m 16 and I have sneaked into casino because they either don’t ask for it because I don’t look that young, or I use a fake id, still not worth the risk if I’m not there to make money yet
God. Had such a rough night tonight. Worst night since I started, but your videos remind me to never give up. I've put too much time into learning the game and getting counting down to stop now. Tonight I learned how bad my basic strategy memorization is, and why even with solid counting and TC conversion, they don't mean crap without the basics down perfectly. Next month I'm getting the spreadsheets out. This week is basic strategy drill until I get it inside my head how to play soft hands correctly, then next week more deviations. I am going to walk away with $100,000 by the end of the year from playing or die trying.
Hang in there Chris.
Yes...get the soft hand strategy down pat. They're important!
@@stevenhelgason8190 Thanks Steve. Pleasure to run into you on another one of BJAs videos. I went to Foxwoods the other night and lost $2400, nearly half of what I worked up to the past three months, but I stuck around and played for a bit and made half of it back. I had a couple of really good shoes with good high true counts, but the variance was getting me and the rest of the table bad.
I finished the night strong on one good shoe with a solid +2 and +3 TC practically throughout the shoe. I was starting to get heat so I took what I recouped and ran. Lol
It's alright. I'll try again tonight. The Seminole in Florida next month is my big test. They don't allow surrender at their tables from what I remember, so the basic strategy deviations will come into play heavily there. Card counting paid off. They gave me a three night hotel comp. Lol
@@chriscarlone527 Good to hear from you too Chris. Hope you can add to that bankroll a bit more tonight. I'll have limited play time in the coming month. Heading to Alaska to the land of the midnight sun and no blackjack!
My 8 hour, nearly 150 unit slide appears to have ended. But I've only rebounded around 25 -30 units in the last 3 hours. Can't seem to capitalize on the big bets. For instance last night after wonging out once, I finally got up to a +27 RC with 2.5 decks remaining in a good penetration 8 deck game - best count I've seen in quite a while. The RC count remained in the low 20's and the teens till the cut card. But I lost just as much as I won in the 7 or 8 rounds of max bets that I put out. Ended the shoe with only $87.50 profit off of it haha. But....at least it wasn't a loss.
@@stevenhelgason8190 I had a really rough week. I had gone to Mohegan Sun on Saturday, played during peak time for them so the table minimums were higher, kept getting good shoes but constant people jumping in and out, so I barely got any good hands, lost $3800. Then I went back the next day and played for 9 hours straight and got all of it back. Then today I went to Twin River in Lincoln RI and lost $2000 in less than two hours on really bad shoes. The counts weren't even bad, just every hand I was losing non stop. Even requested shuffles twice, no good.
I had about $400 bankroll left, hopped onto their $15 tables, made $1200, then lost all of that on bad shoes. I did everything right, split when I was supposed to, double when I was supposed to, raise bets when I was supposed, and I still lost it all.
My bankroll has essentially been wiped. I have $1000 now, after months of work and playing sometimes four or five times a week. I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this kind of thing. My counting is fine, my basic strategy needed work and I've been correcting it, and I know about six deviations from the Illustrious 18, but I still lost everything I worked up towards. I don't think I have it in me to do this more than once or twice a month. I just can't afford it if the swings are going to be that bad.
@@chriscarlone527 The game can break your heart at times. I wish there was a way, playing solo, to greatly reduce or eliminate the money wagered at a true 1 or less. But its almost impossible, hence the rationale for team play.
Wonging out helps. So does sitting out a few rounds when the table is crowded and the count low.
In my situation. I'm away from casinos for half the year. When I'm in Iowa. there are a couple reasonably close, but I'm hours away from any major metropolitan area where there are more opportunities.
I feel good about my skills, but I may break down and join BJA. It may be worth it just for the forum and training/practice tools (though I have others).
If you've read "Burning the tables at Las Vegas", or watched the recent movie "Inside the Edge", both describe brutal prolonged downturns in advantage play.
It's tough.
Good luck in your future endeavors Chris and sorry for your recent losses. I'm down a couple thousand in my recent limited play too.
I guess the difference between AP and gamblers is that gamblers will brag about how much they win. Counters can brag about how much they lose!
From what + true count (TC) do You reccomend Colin start playing Wonging ?
I forget in which video he said this, but he reccommends to wong in at a true 2 or 1.5.
I think that as a hobby that YOU enjoy, everything is worth your time
Sounds like a gaming industry sponsored article.
I’ve been counting since the 70s in Vegas with single decks. It’s tough now with multiple decks, but does work. The question I’ve had for 50 years, is why, if these guys are making so much money, would they tell, or in some cases, need to sell, this information? Why waste your time with RUclips if you’re making millions. I wouldn’t tell anyone but family and friends!
Multiple sources of income are less stressful. Also maybe they've been banned from most casinos
treating this like some f/t job is impossible to sustain the inevitable losing streaks. This guy has likely touched 6figures in his gambling career & has likely thrown majority back to the casino over the years
They obviously charge "apprentices" to learn basic bj strategy and counting techniques. So that this is a perpetual business model. The more apprentice moneys the more bank roll provided to the "pros'"
Eventhough he tells all this information, only 1% of AP can be succesful. Not everybody has the discipline to control the emotions when in a downswing. ( This coming from a poker player)
Just came back from Las Vegas armed with basic strategy from Colin and BA. 6-5 tables are growing in number but I do get the sense that even they know they are pushing past acceptable limit of greed (bet the big casinos don't stop bad rules anytime soon is a good bet). Still even there I found some good 3-2 tables with good rules. One day when I am able to travel more, I may become a BA member. Quick question for anyone who knows: how do you handle taxes? Can you incorporate? Or do you simply factor personal tax rates into your EV?
Hey big fan of the Channel. I’m a little confused though, if you made 600k card counting over 15 years. that means you only make around 60k a year ? Is that a sustainable income for today’s time ? Let alone the gas for travel and tickets etc.
He hasn't been professionally counting cards that entire time. I think he mentioned in a comment on another video that for the past number of years, he's focused on BJA (as well as raising a family) so the numbers aren't truly indicative of profit/hour
@@tmtmtlsml oh okay, thanks for the clarification.
Thanks for the content ! Keep making more videos please !
Eliot Jacobson Ph.D is a chump!!!
How are the games different online or why are they unbeatable? Is it just a brand new deck every hand so there can be no count? What about the live dealer online games? Do they still use a new deck every hand?
Rules of the game are very bad, game is slow and they cut the shoe almost in the half which messes up the odds when counting.
After this video I need to plan a roadtrip to USA, because here in Europe I think all the games are pretty bad. What an awesome channel !!!
How do you plan on driving here from Europe?
Be careful. The roads are wet this time of year.
Living in Western Europe. There are basically no games without CSM that I could play, so it really doesn't make sense here. Anyone has a list of European games that are actually beatable? I don't know any
You said this wouldn’t work with online blackjack... but what if it’s LIVE online Blackjack?
Nope. We have a video on this.
Looks like some pit boss had this article made
I've done 100's of hours of IT training. Honestly part of me wonders how different things would be if I put that time into learning to count cards. I don't regret it though, I enjoy my job. Tho knowing how to count cards would also be nice.
never too late
Did you ever learn?
@@robertocamacho7134 I did not. I continued on my IT training and making really good money.
Good for you! I also work in IT and I work remotely but still gonna do blackjack :) I even got a second job to save up for my bankroll
Elliot is generally a good dude though
What does the author have his PhD in ? Poetry ?
The article was definitely written by a Casino manager 😂😂
Eliot Jacobson has never even attempted to count cards
I don't want to tip but I also feel bad when I don't tip 😭
I think tipping only encourages employers to underpay their employees, if they paid them what they are truly worth there would be no need to tip.
lol wait a minute wtf are you from Washington?
I've ridden my bike by the Silver Dollar Casino dozens of times
I love the new editing. Love the b roll and gifs
I just moved to North Dakota. There are blackjack tables at every bar here. The max bet is only $25 though. Is it worth it to learn? There’s literally 2 tables across the street from my apartment and I doubt there is any security whatsoever.
You can use betting software to calculate the EV of the games. It probably won't be much, but depends on the rules, deck penetration, etc.
Wow.. So u are saying there are BJ tables at just a regular sports bars or casual bars in North Dakota that aren’t connected to a casino ?
@@Remi-bt7tp yeah, it’s pretty strange. Most of them have slots too but for some reason poker is illegal.
How's Portland, colin... Totally destroyed or what? Your bro to the north
I'm in WA state. Things are good!
@@Blackjackapprenticeship Seattle area??
if ya get kicked out do ya get to keep ypour money?
this article was probably put out by a casino
Do you recomend playing in a casino with no surrender option?
Yeah, if everything else is good.
I recently bought your book for my wife, and now I’m hooked. Counting is the way to go 😎
So 3 years later, did you use the knowledge? If so how did it work out?
No no no no. That 200 hours myth is wrong. People stop using that debunked myth. It does not take 200 hours to master stuff. That study only check on violin players from a specific school and asked "how many hours practice did these players have before they were done". They found that on average every player had 200 hours of practice. But we have learned with other fields that "Mastery" has been achieved way quicker with some people and taken longer with others.
PLEASE STOP USING THAT MYTH. You're not the first I saw to make this claim and you won't be the last, but we shouldn't propagate lies. Sure, it's a cool gimmick that sounds pretty cool, but it is a lie based on poor sampling and a narrow field. No statistician/scientist/researcher would ever take that study seriously.
If you were that good at making money counting cards why are not not at a casino doing that ?
To me it looks like you are making more money doing these U-Tube Videos. So you must not have that good a system.
It is more likely because he was banned everywhere, which would actually be a strong argument in favor of his strategy working.
Regarding point 3:
You mentioned if someone were backed off every hour they'd have to be doing something "wrong"...and since you advocate raising bets appropriately when necessary, and discourage cover plays and camouflage bets, then what would be the "wrong" thing that would cause a quick backoff?
Shifty eyed, looking unnatural, drawing attention to yourself, being combative. Any of those things.
@@Blackjackapprenticeship Interesting response. I'd have thought that software scrutiny of betting and playing decisions would take precedence over mannerisms. Because there doesn't seem to be a lack of nervous and oddball players out there.
Maybe the next questions is: To what extent do humans have in the process of determining who is or isn't an AP?
@@stevenhelgason8190 When I was a dealer, there were 2 giveaways to me: insuring a non-20 hand, and sudden/drastic bet increases/decreases. It's just not practical to expect a dealer (who is busy trying to make sure players don't cap their bets when they aren't looking) or floor supervisors (who have to make sure dealers aren't overpaying or getting abused by idiot gamblers) to constantly keep a running count in their heads while they're responsible for the dozens of other things that goes into their jobs. Most dealers don't even know how card counting works, although basically all supervisors do. Something has to tip them off, and it's usually one of those two giveaways I mentioned. If you can rationalize away how to do that to a dealer that might not otherwise suspect you, then you're pretty golden (use some superstition or rely on "gut feelings" as justification. That's what the other degenerate gamblers do). If the dealer knows how to count cards themselves, there's not really much camouflage you can run. Just be a good player and don't give them a reason to rat you out
Off topic, but I do like the way you advertise.
It's not forced. You give information in your videos and it is just a casual plug.
It flows with the video and just works. Probably the best style I have seen. It doesn't feel intrusive.
We don't have many blackjack venues in Australia, and Australia is BIG, I personally think counting is only going tho work in the Northern hemisphere. Which is a shame because I really like the idea of wound ING a, casino 🤣
Waiting for tips on card counting in Spanish 21. It can be done. It's a good game, anyway, without counting, just playing perfect strategy. Just wondering if the extra effort is worth it. I guarantee you the casinos don't know how to count cards in Spanish 21 and consider it a carnival game. They don't even know basic strategy.
Honestly at this point I’d have to say it’s not worth my time, I’ve been doing it a year almost and have logged into close to 700 hours not even counting the hours spent back counting. I’ve gone negative even up a couple grand, and then back down to negative about three times. And at this point I am just continuing to play to get back to even so I can stop with there at least being no cost to me moneywise. Timewise I would’ve been better off learn a foreign language or learning to code.
The blog post reads like that guy got PAID by the casinos to hyper exaggerate to try to scare people off from card counting.
Let me ask ya something sir Colin, in your opinion what do you consider more profitable? Poker or BJ ... I’ve been playing poker 16 years and dealing poker games too ... I’ve done good personally but I have watched that movie 21 like 1 or 100 times lol and always wanted to learn this
I think I'm starting to develop a problem. I'm starting to count cards in my sleep! And build a twitch whenever I have been card counting and stop.
Colin what do you think of the UK rules on European blackjack ? The casinos I go in don't use csm. But since its European blackjack does this cut the odds ?
Colin, I spotted you in 09 during your buy in and you were backed off before the dealer could finish cutting out the cheques. What gave you away. You did not even bother to change your shirt from the night before when the alert from another casino was emailed out. Its things like this and playing with three color cheques in front of you that make a AP stand out like a sore thumb.
How many hours should I play monthly playing blackjack to achieve good profits ? thanks
Are you still doing bootcamps? Do you take students that have learned counts other than Hi-Lo? Or do you only teach Hi-Lo?
BJ Army! > BJ apprenticeship.
This dude strings you along treating you like an ATM.
my city has 1 casino ...
fuck
After everything, I'm just freaked out that you wear your watch on your right wrist. 🤯🤯🤠
The thing I like about you is as a card counter all of your points aren’t based on really any anecdotes. You use math to figure out how often players are backed off and you already know the risks and profit you can make whereas they made a lot of points without all the data to back it.
How much more do you win, on average, vs how much do you lose?
I think Im too dumb for this to make money, but I do find it fascinating and enjoy trying to get better.
First time ever being backed off tonight, and here i thought nothing was worse than losing.
Was Eliot Jacobson Ph.D. sponsored by the Casino?
I like your shirt! Mostly because I'm vegan
Does the website offer information on casinos for brits? I live in uk and am very interested!
Ginger: I’ll back him off
Ace Rothstein: AND THIS; This is how she backed him off!!
Seems like the bottom line here is that, yes, some of the points are true but none of it means it won’t work.
I have been trying to count cards for a month now and i cant seem to get it yet. I can keep up with the count at the casino.. But i never seem to win... I had 300$ i jumped in on a table thats at p10 last night on a 25$.. Lost it in 4 hands. The guy next to me was so pissed i jumped in the middle of the shoe. He told me he didnt want me to play like that. Can i just say screw him anf play however i want?
Yes.
If you're going to count cards in a casino, you have to learn how to either 1) roll with the degenerate gamblers blaming you for everything wrong in their lives, or 2) tune them out completely. I prefer option 2, but that's just personal choice. If you let them in your head, you're better off finding another line of work because they will destroy you like they're destroying themselves
Im curious on the tulalip casino cards you use. What do you think of the casino and how did you do there
I could not care less if casino personnel are bothered by me....
Not easy, most people who try probably don't make it.
So I really like your channel and am interested in learning card counting but there is one thing that I don't understand. You say you recommend to play so the risk of losing your bank roll is about 1%. But if you play let's say 100 sessions with the risk of 1% each your overall risk is (as long as I don't make a dumb calculation mistake) 0,99^100 which is roughly 0,36. So only 1 in 3 card counters would not lose their bank roll in 100 sessions. The thing is most card counters don't play 100 but thousands of sessions which should make the risk of losing it all very high.
But that's just my theory. Am I not understanding something?
My understanding is it's not that you have a 1% chance to lose in a single session because I don't think you're betting all of your bankroll. I def don't understand the math and have just been watching. The definition of risk of ruin means if it's 1% Risk of Ruin, 1 out of 100 card counters will go bankrupt in the long term throughout their entire life. I have no clue how the math works lol, but I think you're overthinking it?
its not the risk of losing it all in one session, its the risk of losing it all period.
while i cant give you the exact math behind it, i can tell you how it works
the long run is able to be calculated, ie, how many hours it takes before the variance should (and this is the key word here) have worn off
the % given is how likely that a downswing can last long enough that you dont actually make it there.
RoR is not the only thing you need to worry about. withdrawing from your bankroll increases risk, the % chance of hitting 50% or 75% loss also isnt a part of this. its only the chance of the bankroll hitting flat 0.
That is why you have an exist amount and you don’t resize up infinitely.
@@itsrrraven and lets say you have a ROR of 1% and bring 2k to the table each time out of your 50K bankroll, well if you have ten losing sessions and are down to 40K, you can go back to bringing 1K to the table for a while and you ROR will actually be lower with lower bets until you are back to the 50K roll
i feel like the article was written by someone with casinos
Does anyone know of a discord for this group?
Is it viable to card count in ireland
That depends on the games you find - in a lot of Europe CSMs are more common and they cannot be counted, but if you find a shoe game you're in business.
I thought this was going to be in response to one of my forum posts lol
what's the name of your book???
My take is you dont have to learn anything, if you are sitting in a game with a card counter and he is winning, just bet big when he/she is betting big in certain hands..........................Michael
but to spot the card counter you have to observe them for a while and know the principles... so you pretty much know counting but are too lazy to do so at this point.
Wait why can't u tell us that one story lmfao
Didn't you literally do this exact same video like a year ago?
Literally responding to what that exact same article said. 🤷♂️🤦♂️
Yeah. I pulled that one for a couple of reasons (it rustled some feathers) and decided to re-do it, even though it was one of our most successful videos.