I use an aggressive bet style paired with table changes after increasing my bets.
Two Parts of the Betting Strategy
Before we get into how this blackjack betting strategy actual works, it is important to understand the logic behind the strategy. It has been developed from my own experience of playing in various casinos in recent years.
Logic behind the blackjack betting strategy.
Big casinos and most likely all the smaller ones too are using automated software to detect card counters. The technology has been in use since before 2010.
Blackjack table dealers or their table managers rarely know that you are counting cards. The job of catching you is out sourced to the upstairs security team. This team is monitoring you and your play on cameras. They use computer programs that watch every hand played by every person in the casino to identify card counters. This software knows when you are counting because you are betting bigger when the true count is profitable and small the rest of the time.
Mixing in bigger bets when it is not profitable to trick the blackjack card counting software is almost certainly ineffective. Plus you would eat away at your blackjack profits which is a mistake when you only have a tight edge against the house.
Having your play get put through the computer software is unavoidable. Big casinos in my experience however, do not ban everyone who is flagged by software as a counter! There are a few reasons for this.
Firstly, you might just be a random non card counter who happens to be putting their bets up when the count was good. A casino definitely does not want to restrict players by accident, so they like to verify you are actually a counter.
Secondly, the big casinos have worked out the most profitable way for them to deal with card counters. They are not that scared of you. You only have a small edge and they also know that only really good card counters are making money. The weaker ones who make mistakes are probably losing money. In fact, it is annoying for security to have to do the paperwork to restrict or ban you and then walk down to the casino floor to give it to you.
This brings us to the main hypothesis that this betting strategy centers on:
Casinos don't ban you when their automated software flags you as a counter. They ban you when they confirm you are a winning player.
The goal of this blackjack betting strategy is not to avoid detection by the software. The goal is to avoid the casino confirming you as a winning player.
You are going to get caught and restricted eventually if you are a profitable player. It is a reality of card counting in todays tech driven casinos. I want to maximize profits for the time I have.
Once the casino catches you, there is no Hollywood style interrogation and beating. They are friendly and only restrict you to minimum bets. They know you like to gamble and will probably keep playing some other casino game for fun.
It should be noted, that from my experience this hypothesis does not apply to smaller independent casinos that are not part of a bigger casino conglomerate. I have been identified and restricted in some of these within an hour of play. The sample size that I've tested this strategy on is also relatively small at around 10 different casinos across 3 countries.
How the blackjack betting strategy works.
The main strategy is to bet big when it's profitable and shift to another blackjack area when you have increased your bets significantly. I just keep repeating this process. It makes it harder for the casino to establish you as a winning player. I don't put a casino loyalty card in and I target busy tables at busy times.
Other counters recommend more conservative strategies but I have had success with this hard and fast one. The best I have done is lasted 3 months playing 4-5 nights a week without being caught at a very large casino.
When the true count is below -1, you bet the table minimum. E.g. count is at zero, 1 or anything over 1.
Bet Table Minimum
When the true count is between -1 and -2 you bet 2 times the table minimum.
Bet 2 Times Table Min
When the true count is between -2 to -3 you bet 4 times the table minimum.
Bet 4 Times Table Minimum
When the true count is between -3 to -4 you bet 8 times the table minimum spread over two boxes.
Bet 8 Times Table Minimum Over Two Boxes
When the true count is between -4 to -5 you bet 16 times the table minimum spread over two boxes.
Bet 16 Times Table Minimum Over Two Boxes
From -5 onwards you bet 32 times the minimum bet spread over 2 boxes and maybe even 3 boxes.
Bet 32 Times Table Minimum Over Two Boxes
If I open a second box, I will definitely be leaving the table after either the true count becomes unprofitable or a shuffle at the end of the shoe happens.
When to Leave Table
I generally do a couple of loops around the different blackjack table areas of the casino. I am waiting for a few good true counts to happen and then go home: hard and fast.
Open up the blackjack betting chart PDF now.
Blackjack Betting Table
The aggressive bet sizes in the table do not have to be followed when you are new to playing or if you want to be more passive. Opening more than one box is an advanced move. You are doubling or tripling the amount of things you have to think about at the highest pressure times.
Maybe just stick to one box until you are more comfortable. At -3 to -4, just bet 4 times min bet on one box. Do the same for the rest of the 2 box true counts in the bet sizing table. On -4 to -5, just bet 8 times the min bet on one box. For -5 onwards, just bet half the amount on one box too. That is 16 times the min bet on one box. This is still all profitable just less aggressive until you are more confident.
I want to share one quick note on opening multiple boxes at a blackjack table in a real casino. It is considered poor etiquette to do it without asking other players first. It does not matter. Do not ask for permission. Just go ahead and open another box.
Remember, you are not at the tables to make friends. You are there to make money. I am not saying don't be friendly but when the time comes you just have to do it. Other players are often superstitious and think you have mixed up what cards they are going to get. They will blame you for any misfortune they get from then on. Just put up with it friendly.
For the practice activity I think it is best to just get some poker chips or even coins to practice with at home. One chip or coin will equal one minimum bet. With your coins start adding in bet sizing to the online live dealer practice activities from previous lessons.
Like we discussed and have seen throughout the course, the online games do not really get good true counts. This is why you should not count cards online. It is not profitable, so you should only use it to practice by back watching other players.
If you want to play blackjack online for real money, it is best to only play for fun. Blackjack Pal has a number of unique online blackjack site directories. One example is our bitcoin blackjack page . Always gamble responsibly.
To adjust our practice for this lack of true counts, at the beginning of the shoe start the running count at -10 instead of 0. That way you will get to practice a lot more advanced strategy and betting strategy.