Today, an amateur blackjack player who has read all the books is usually like the amateur poker player who just finished reading Brunson's book 20 years ago. He goes out and plays "by the book," wondering why his competition seems to read his every move!

When blackjack pro reads a book that reveals a new method, his first thought is not, "Hamm, I wonder if I should give this a try?" Instead, it's "Hmm, interesting, but the casinos have probably read this too ... How can I pull this off without looking like this is what I'm doing?"

If you play by the book, you'll never make it as a pro. You've got to write your own book, and then, whatever you do, don't publish it! If you don't have the versatility to adapt quickly to changing conditions, give it Today, an amateur
blackjack player who has read all the books is usually like the amateur poker player who just finished reading Brunson's book 20 years ago. He goes out and plays "by the book," wondering why his competition seems to read his every move!

When a blackjack pro reads a book that reveals a new method, his first thought is not, "Hamm, I wonder if I should give this a try?" Instead, it's "Hmm, interesting, but the casinos have probably read this too ... How can I pull this off without looking like this is what I'm doing?"

If you play by the book, you'll never make it as a pro. You've got to write your own book, and then, whatever you do, don't publish it! If you don't have the versatility to adapt quickly to changing conditions, give it You Don't Know Me Card counters must be very careful about their associations with other card counters in the
casino . It is not wise to socialize in the casinos with other card counters. Even if you are traveling with a fellow player, in the pits you should be strangers.

If one of you is identified as a card counter, you do not want suspicion cast upon the other. Most big money players also avoid associations with other counters in the casino restaurants and other public areas. Pit bosses and hosts, as well as other floor and surveillance personnel, eat in the casino restaurants and buy magazines in the gift shops. You never know whom you'll run into, or where.

Don't take unnecessary chances.

House Phone Hang-Ups

Although most counters feel that the casino hotel room phones are unlikely to be bugged, as that would be a federal crime, many still feel it is unsafe to call other counters room-to-room within the same casino. I won't even use my room phone to call another counter even if his room is in another room. The worry is not so much that the private conversation may be monitored, but that surveillance may review the electronic record of the numbers you call.

Does this sound overly paranoid? It's happened. There are teams of players who have been identified like that.

The solution? Use cell phones for all of your calls. If for some reason your cell phone is dead, or you can't get a connection, then leave your room and call your friends via any white courtesy phone, many of which are located throughout the casino. Naturally, if you're the paranoid type, and you believe all casino phones are bugged, federal regulations be damned, then you'll just have to call from pay phones and speak in a code that only you and your friends understand.

Shift Change Vanishing Act

All 24-hour casinos have three work shifts-days, swing, and grave. The hours of each shift may vary somewhat: Day shift generally begins between 10 AM and noon, ending eight hours later between 6 and 8PM; swing starts immediately after and ends between 2 and 4AM; then grave takes over and goes to 10 AM or noon. You can always figure out a casino's shift changes by noting when you see a group of new dealers milling around the perimeter of the pit. If you intend to play for any length .

of time, ask the dealer how long until she gets off when you first sit down at the table. Although it sounds like you're making small talk, what you really want to know is when the shift change is, and if the bosses change when the dealers do, and if the change is "staggered" over a period of time. Once you learn this information, you should keep a record of it so that whenever you return to that casino you don't have to go through this process again.

The reason you want to know about the shifts is that you do not want to play through a shift change. Whether you are winning or losing, and regardless of whether you think you may be suspected of counting, playing through a shift change is generally a bad idea. You just don't want the swing boss discussing your play with the grave boss. Let the grave boss form his own opinion.

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