Blackjack Professional?

[juman]

Is there such thing as a Blackjack professional? I know that during normal playing the only way to get ahead is by card counting in some way. But isn't most Casinos working quite hard in preventing that now days? The Swedish casinos are using cardshufflers so after each turn is delt the cards goes back into the machine making even card counting useless.
And how about Blackjack tournaments? Is it mostly just a luck game or does the skill make a big difference? Do you see the same people win a tournament over and over as you do on the poker side?

/juman

 

[KenSmith]

Yes, there are definitely pro blackjack players out there, who support themselves solely by playing. While card counting has gotten tougher and tougher, there are still opportunities out there. There are also pros that use other techniques, such as shuffle-tracking or hole-carding.

As for tournaments, skill is a big factor, but you have to play a lot of tournaments to see the effect. Since blackjack tournaments are generally decided in a relatively small number of hands, luck seems to be a bigger factor than in a typical poker tournament.

For lots of tournament discussion, visit our sister site:
https://www.blackjacktournaments.com/

 

[johntks]

BJ Professional Player, H'mmm.

You can make money playing BJ. if you are a card counter. You will get up to 1 or 2% advantage over the house _ if you don't make any mistakes and the casino allows you to do so. However it is a very tiresome work as you have to watch every card and count every card. It takes the enjoyment out of the game and is not for the recreational player
Actually the only people who make money from BJ are those people who write books about it and advertise for the online casinos. It is the same as the historic California Gold Rush where the only people who got rich are the ones that sold the spades and shovels to the gold diggers.
Now here comes the CSM (continuous shuffingly machine). You cannot count cards against the CSM. The startling fact is that if you sea of high or low cards and expect the CSM to have a reservior of opposite cards, you would be wrong. The same busted and surrended cards in the early hands could reappear futher down in the later hands in the same round. I am not talking about the other 4 or 5 identical cards in the 5 or 6 packs in the CSM.
If you are playing anywhere outside the US the CSM is the only game for you. The US seems to hold on the shoe game but for how long long. With their obsession to productivity (CSM has non stop play) and latest technology usage, the CSM may also be soon be a thing of the past.
The technology is now in place for the "Mindplay" BJ table. It is now legal for use in Nevada and I think it will kill the game of BJ. The casino can set the house advantage at will just like the jackpot machine. Maybe the jackport players will play BJ. The intermediate technology which is presently being used in the Wynn casino is the RFID chip. It can tell the casino how much you bet every single time and whether you have won or lost. Their computer can figure out the rest of the information that they want about you.
Now back to your qusestion about Professional BJ Players. I would recommend that you read http://www.wizardofodd.com ten commandments and pay particular attention to commandment No 2 and 5. Theoretically the casino house advantage in BJ is about .5% but the Las Vegas casinos calculate their actual house advantage at 2% and comp the players about one third of this. I myself think this is far too conservative. You just have to see how some players are throwing their money at the casinos. I have seen some players double 16 againstt 10 and split their 10 and the same person refuse to split their 8, etc. According to The Wizard of Ords if you don't split and double down when you should it would cost you an extra 2% already.
So after reading this you still want to be a Professional BJ player it is your free choice.

 

[newyorkbear]

On the other hand,

If you get to the point where you have a 1% edge over the house and make minimum bets of 20, and average bets of $75,you can make about $45 an hour. Do that a few hours a day a few days a week and you can certainly live on it. Of course,you are responsible for paying your taxes,your medical insurance,will never have a paid day or week off, and the work environment sux.But on the plus side,you'll never pay for another buffet in your life.
Now if you can double your average bet,you can double your pay.

 

[zengrifter]

If you get to the point where you have a 1% edge over the house and make minimum bets of 20, and average bets of $75,you can make about $45 an hour.

That translates to about $20 an hour after tips! zg

 

[johntks]

:sleep:
Newyorkbear, I didn't know you are a dreamer. Dream on baby!

 

[zengrifter]

johntks, do you believe in card-counting? zg

 

[johntks]

zg,
I am not a card counter. Do I believe in card counting? I do not believe that you can get rich and make tons of money from card counting.
Make a decent living? My answer is probably not. The casino is making good money from bad card counters. Why else would the US casino still operate the shoe game. It must cost them plenty in terms of labour cost compared to the CSM.
Anyway this is an academic question for those of us living outside the US.

 

[LeonShuffle]

Yes, the casinos are making good money from bad counters (I started out as one). But that's got nothing to do with the effectiveness of card counting.

 

[E-town-guy]

zg,
I am not a card counter. Do I believe in card counting? I do not believe that you can get rich and make tons of money from card counting.
Make a decent living? My answer is probably not. The casino is making good money from bad card counters. Why else would the US casino still operate the shoe game. It must cost them plenty in terms of labour cost compared to the CSM.
Anyway this is an academic question for those of us living outside the US.

I think you are being ignorant johntks. The statistics and math prove you otherwise.

 

[newyorkbear]

For every person who is successful counting,there are dozens that think they can do it. I think I will do it,but know I have a long way to go.
Lets look at basic strategy. Nearly every BJ player I meet claims to practice perfect BS,but few really do.
If everyone did,the casinos would make so little per hour,they'd replace the games. If half the players really even understood half of BS,you'd never see a situation where a 3-2 table is half full while the 6-5 table next to it is packed.
Casinos would make more money if they welcomed counters,limited the spread a player could bet,and sold plastic cards explaining how counting worked.

 

[johntks]

E-town-guy

I think you are being ignorant johntks. The statistics and math prove you otherwise.

Wait a minute, friend.


I did not say card counting doesn't work. You call me "ignorant.' About what.

 

[E-town-guy]

Though you didn't say it doesn't work you pointed out that someone wouldn't even be able to make a decent living. If you're counting and good at it why can't you make a decent living? If you're the above and also have something like $50,000 to back you why can't you make a good living?? I was probably wrong to call you ignorant but I also think you were a bit too negative/wrong in some of your conclusions.

 

[johntks]

Thank you for the apology regarding my being ignorant.
Your contention is that you can make a decent living if you are good at counting and if you have $50,000 backing. Once you have the above then I presume you have to find a casino that allows you to do that i.e. make a decent living off their casino.
Good Luck.

 

[newyorkbear]

I believe Bj is much more than simple math and statistics.
Sure,a computer can determine the math of the game but thats only one aspect of it.
There is as much an Art to the game as a Science.That,a computer can't quantify. I'm not aware of any computer program that can accurately simulate dealers mistakes,dealer dishonesty,pit boss favoritism,heat,ect,ect.
As far as needing to find a casino that will allow you to play- why?
In Las Vegas ,alone, there are more than enough casinos.
If you were to play one hour a day in three different casinos,it would take you about a month to play them all. Throw in the fact that casinos have three shifts and it could be several months before you see the sme dealer,pitboss combo.