The solution to this problem is team play. One excellent book
describing how it works is "Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story
of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions" by Ben Mezrich
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743225708/103-6493355-6870207?v=glance).
To avoid detection, you use multiple players who communicate with one
another using nonobvious signals. One counts the cards, betting low
amounts each time. When the count becomes favorable, they signal
another player, who joins the game and consistently bets large
amounts. That way, the fact that one player is counting is not
obvious because his or her betting behavior does not change as the
count becomes more or less favorable. Meanwhile, the "wealthy"
gambler who only bets large amounts plays a consistent role as well.
Using this technique and disguises, MIT students made several million
dollars before they were finally banned from casinos worldwide.
The book is a very entertaining and informative read. I highly recommend it.
Here is a source of many links about the MIT Blackjack Team:
"Blackjack Science" http://www.blackjackscience.com/.
As for the behavior you observed during the tournament, counting may
well have been permitting. Typically the participants' fees fund the
payout, so the casino hosting the event has no money at risk.
Card counting by yourself is pretty easy to spot because you have to
change your betting behavior significantly in order to profit from it.
By betting low for awhile, and then betting high, winning, and then
betting low again when the count is unfavorable, you give yourself
away.
Sincerely,
Wonko |
Clarification of Answer by
wonko-ga
on
15 Apr 2005 21:49 PDT
I thought I should further elaborate on how the MIT Blackjack Team
eluded detection by the cameras for so long. The key was to eliminate
any appearance of teamwork between the participants. They flew to
Vegas from different cities on different flights, stayed in different
hotels, adopted false identities, and wore disguises to disrupt
pattern-recognition software. They also developed methods of
communication that were apparently random and meaningless to unknowing
observers. This was especially useful for passing off the count so
that team members could move from table to table as their "luck" got
better or worse. While they were eventually caught because their
disguises were penetrated, they were able to play for several years
before they were discovered.
Excellent acting skills were as important to their success as were
outstanding blackjack skills. The team member playing the role of the
wealthy gambler had to dress properly, act properly, spend properly,
and garner the "whale treatment" casinos proffer their highrolling
customers. Similarly, team members playing tourists had to look and
act the part. Most importantly, they had to never interact with one
another where the casinos could observe them except for a brief period
at the blackjack tables.
While any consistent winner will be scrutinized by the casino, a
skilled team combining acting ability and blackjack skills can
nonetheless operate for a period of time without being discovered.
The acting, communication, and counting skills described in the book
are certainly not common and are very difficult to acquire. An
individual acting alone has very little chance of making money
successfully through counting because in order to do so their betting
pattern gives them away.
I really think you will enjoy the book thoroughly. I certainly did.
Sincerely,
Wonko
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
radioguy-ga
on
16 Apr 2005 15:57 PDT
In my original question I have already explained, that casino
surveillance cameras can track your count and if you already part of
team and track how you play.
To answer some of the comments, the tournament was sponsored by the
casino, the casino pick its best players of the year to compete an
annual blackjack tournament. If I'm right don't hold me to it, the
player who has the most winnings when the shoe is done that player got
what he won plus $25,000. Plus I wanted to add, after the tournament
because I had passes I was allowed to watch other high rollers play.
I walked around the floor and watch others play. Some of them were
playing the basic strategy then there were tables where some of the
players were counting cards. One player was ahead by $6,000 and this
player was counting cards. because on the able to follow with them.
To break it all down what I'm trying to figure out is my friend can
walk into a casino win $100 on three hands and get asked to leave
because the camera in the sky tracked him down by using card counting,
but a professional player or highroller is able to win $6,000 on six
hands dealt to him, this player by the end of the day went home with
$9,000.
When I play which is usually a day trip we go three times a year to a
casino, I bring $200 with me and I find the table to play at I am
usually there for about seven hours and I try to come home with $100
to $200 and I call that good. I play the basic strategy in keeping
and track of the count also keeping track of my bankroll, I don't
change my bet size when the count is positive because they'll be able
to track that you are counting. For example the player above that
came home with $9,000 I would not do this in a couple hours I would
spread it out in seven hours.
|
Clarification of Answer by
wonko-ga
on
20 Apr 2005 13:25 PDT
The professional/high roller's presence may have been welcomed by the
casino to attract other players/provide publicity or he may play other
games as well and lose lots of money at them. As a result, he may
have been allowed to engage in activities like counting that the
casinos do not permit the general public to engage in. As private
businesses, casinos have complete control over who they allow to play
and can therefore choose to allow players to count or not. The amount
that the player was betting may also play a role. Finally, it is
possible that the casino had not yet caught onto the fact that
particular player was counting.
Sincerely,
Wonko
|
