Professional blackjack players who are gambling in land-based casinos use a number of methods in order to get the mathematical advantage over gambling establishments. To be sure, they may select the most profitable versions of blackjack, search for tables with the appropriate parameters, make the appropriate changes in the basic strategy in accordance with some specific nuances of the rules, and count cards by one or several systems.
However a set of experts’ techniques is not limited to such well-known methods. Many of players have recurrence to additional tricks that may help to achieve the best results. Some methods are legal, while the others are more or less illegal, or they are just not approved by the administration of gambling houses.
This article covers a technique, which is beyond any cavils of dealers, inspectors, pit bosses, managers, or representatives of the security service. Firstly, it is almost impossible to notice that you are using it. Secondly, it does not break any of the standard rules or behavioral principles.
What You Should Know
So, we are going to discuss ace tracking in the decks or a shoe. It is an attempt to find clumps of aces in the cards dealt by a croupier. As you can imagine, this information provides customers with numerous advantages, since clumps of aces significantly increase the probability of winning (read about this fact in an individual article.)
We want to warn you in advance that we are not talking about card marking. Card marking is an obvious fraud, and the portal Casinoz does not support any kind of frauds in particular and card sharps as a whole.
It should also be noted that the technique discussed in this article is quite complicated, so that it can hardly be recommended to beginners. This article is intended for informative purposes only, and we are not going to teach readers to use tricks described below. If you are interested in this material, more detailed information can be found in specialized sources.
General DescriptionThe method that we are discussing is based on the fact that gamblers should memorize the cards dealt directly after or before aces. As soon as the cards are shuffled again, they may help to determine when the croupier can deal aces.
To be sure, this approach cannot be extremely accurate. If the dealer does his job well and shuffles the cards carefully and thoroughly, they are probably well shuffled, so that there is no sense in tracking.
Frankly speaking, dealers do not always shuffle attentively. Even while playing with one or two decks some employees of casinos can shuffle cards carelessly to start the next hand as fast as possible. This approach is particularly effective at such tables.
In addition, you can notice clumps of aces hidden in the cards. In such cases, it is necessary to pay attention to the adjacent cards. To be sure, it is difficult to guess when an ace shows up and players succeed in doing it in rare cases, but information about clumps of aces in the deck is very useful for experienced gamblers.
Ace Tracking in Practice
Let's simulate possible situations. You are sitting at the single-deck blackjack table and playing according to the basic strategy. It does not matter whether you are counting cards or not (although a real pro always counts, even subconsciously).
In one of the hands you have received two aces. When the hand is over, you should memorize the cards that were lying on the table. Let’s imagine that there were a five of spades, a jack of clubs, a ten of diamonds, and a king of diamonds. When the cards in the deck come to an end, the dealer shuffles them, and you should not forget the key cards.
Then a new hand starts. If at any stage you notice that a ten of diamonds and a jack of clubs show up, it is quite possible that aces (or one of them) will be dealt. Although there is no guarantee that they can appear, a pro will correct this strategy.
For example, he or she can always increase the number of boxes or raise a bet on them (especially if his or her score is positive while card counting). In the particular case, his or her activities can fail to provide an advantage, but this tactic is favorable over the long run.
One or Several Decks
To be sure, it is easier to keep track of aces in either single-deck or double-deck blackjack when a croupier shuffles the cards personally and deals them manually. However if the casino does not have good shuffling machines, multi-deck versions of blackjack are also suitable for ace tracking. Moreover, in this case, this fact will even provide additional advantages.
The croupier rarely shuffles six or eight decks well. This increases the probability of success. In addition, if you have a good memory, you can memorize several chains of consecutive aces. However it is very difficult.
Online Casinos
You probably know that there is no sense in counting cards at online casinos with blackjack running on the random number generator. It is absolutely useless to track aces in such games. All virtual cards take part in each hand and are dealt randomly. It is absolutely useless to search for any sequence, because it is not formed.
You may try to use it at live casinos where the gameplay with real dealers is broadcast. Though it should be admitted that such establishments cope with card counting and other tricks of the professional players (read about them in the special article on the website Casinoz.)
Extra Advices
The following recommendations will help you to use ace tracking more efficiently.
- Keep in mind that it is necessary to use the basic techniques. It is absolutely useless to track aces unless you have mastered the basic strategy.
- Card counting will be useful. However only experienced players can combine all these techniques.
- Look for inexperienced croupiers and lazy dealers. The first ones are not very good in card shuffling due to lack of skills, and representatives of the second group shuffle cards half-heartedly.
- If a croupier shuffles a deck thoroughly, does the riffle shuffle, and places a few cards into the discard tray, you will hardly be able to track aces at this table.
- Do not draw attention to yourself. You should not increase your bet dramatically, even if you are absolutely sure that you will get aces on two boxes. Pit bosses are very suspicious, and this step will make them keep an eye on you.
- You can also try to distract the croupier in any available way. Chat with talkative dealers. Pay compliments to female dealers. Ask them to tell you about the current promotions. Gain pace to make the dealer shuffle cards faster and less attentively.
Anyway, be wise.
Conclusion
To sum up, we want to remind you that the key factor of success in blackjack is the properly chosen strategy. The second leading technique is card counting. The other methods follow the aspects mentioned above. If you want to learn how to play blackjack professionally, you should be patient and move from the basics to the more intricate nuances.
We will be glad to know your opinion concerning this issue. Write it in the comments and tell us about your personal experience and achievements.