hole-carding for beginners, rookies, and neophytes.

[Mimosine]

how does one go about finding a flasher? should you actually sit down at 3rd base and play a few rounds, can it be down without sitting down, are there any easy to describe tell tale cues an amateur like me should start looking for. i know that sometimes you can see a flash at 1st or 2nd base, but it seems to me that 3rd is prime real estate for this technique. is slouching always/often required?

I'm hitting vegas in 2 weeks with a newly expanded & painfully doubled bankroll. i have 3-4 days to play and want to at least be on the lookout for hole carding opportunities since they don't exist at my level of play locally.

for the sake of this discussion, let's assume everyone knows the strategy for flashing (see Sonny's posts here: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showpost.php?p=9592&postcount=6 ), so let's leave those conversations in that thread!

 

[EasyRhino]

Ken Uston's Million Dollar Blackjack (referenced in Sonny's thread) has what seems to be a pretty good primer on flashing.

And also "spoofing" if you want to set up a team to read cards when the dealer checks for BJ.

And even some information on how to tell if your dealer is a "mechanic".

God bless old books.

 

[Sonny]

People make this out to be a lot harder than it actually is. It’s really quite simple. Just stand behind the players and watch the dealer for a while. If you spot a possible “gap” in their delivery, try to identify which seat would be the best to catch it from. Then sit down for a while and see if they are flashing enough to get a glimpse of the cards. If not, think about ways to encourage them to widen the gap.

The only way to get good at it is to get out there and do it. After watching dealers for a while you will start to know where to look and how much of a “gap” you need. Uston’s book has some good info on this, but the only way to really learn it is to do it. There is no piece of information that will magically give you the power to see the hole cards. It is a skill that must be practiced to be effective.

-Sonny-

 

[Sonny]

And also "spoofing" if you want to set up a team to read cards when the dealer checks for BJ.

Just be careful with spooking-type strategies. If the spotter is signaling you from elsewhere in the casino then I believe it is illegal. The person who catches the hole card must be at the same table as the player. At least that is my understanding.

-Sonny-

 

[Mimosine]

Just be careful with spooking-type strategies. If the spotter is signaling you from elsewhere in the casino then I believe it is illegal. -Sonny-

not interested in this, just straight up me against them is my style.

 

[EasyRhino]

Yeah, I forgot to mention that spooking is probably considered "cheating" by the law, and therefore you're talking possible jail time.

And it would just be for that one place that still checks the hole card without some kind of device to protect from spooking.

 

[RJT]

Spooking is most certainly illegal. No uncertainty about it, just flat out jail time.

RJT.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

There are a couple of things I'd like to add. Being tall is a drawback, and I know there are a few big guys posting in this thread. Slouching can compensate somewhat but it is noticeable and can be painful after a while. Also, sitting back further from the table can help by decreasing the angle between your eyes and the card, but the drawback to that is it makes the card harder to recognize. I've been in situations where I could see a card from 20 feet away but lost it when I actually sat down to play.

Being careful with your eyes and letting them stay acclimated to dark will help you. Of course, if you wear glasses keep them clean, prescription up to date and no shaded lenses. This will also help reduce fatigue in general.

 

[zengrifter]

how does one go about finding a flasher? should you actually sit down at 3rd base and play a few rounds, can it be down without sitting down,

When you become more focused on what to look for you do not need to be sitting down.

For the sake of this discussion, let's assume everyone knows the strategy for flashing (see Sonny's posts here: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showpost.php?p=9592&postcount=6 ), so let's leave those conversations in that thread!

How about someone post the more complete play strategy from Grosjean or Uston, please.

How about CrapMaster? Naaawww he won't post it because he didn't get elected moderator. GoldenShower..eerrr Vision, how about you? Anyone? Any Real Pros out there?

Ahh forget it. zg

 

[RJT]

A flashing dealer is by far more valuable than any counting game you will find. In fact it is probably the biggest average advantage you can gain over the game of blackjack legally and is more than worth the time spent to find if you have the skill to take that advantage.

RJT.

 

[EdgeCapper]

I know of a casino where I can find a flashing dealer in under 3 min. The first time I found one was at seat #2 and wasnt even trying. I was there counting cards and just stumbled upon this circumstance. I can go there any day and find at least 3 dealers who are exposing their hole cards. The floormen are just as bad at their jobs and therefore it will go on uncorrected until somebody blows it.

 

[21forme]

Is all this hole carding on pitch games only?

 

[RJT]

It's not soley on pitch games, but finding a shoe dealer that exposes their hole card is a very rare thing indeed. And that's rare amongs a rare thing that is a dealer that flashes in the first place.

RJT.

 

[shadroch]

Playing with a flashing dealer gives you such a huge edge,it's worth taking some time looking for them.its like looking for that perfect dealer on the Big Wheel. Twhen you find them,it takes an unplayable game and makes it into a gamblers paradise.

 

[biggamejames]

Yeh, but let's be honest here, you don't know **** about what you are talking about James.
A flashing dealer is by far more valuable than any counting game you will find. In fact it is probably the biggest average advantage you can gain over the game of blackjack legally and is more than worth the time spent to find if you have the skill to take that advantage. But having done your research you'll know all this already.....

RJT.

And yet those who claim to know more about this seem to advocate for nonsens that pretty much contradicts even their own arguments!!!

Take you for example with this bogus notion that a flashing dealer is more valuable than any counting game i will find!!!


That is just plain stupid!!! A flashing dealer isnt more valuable than a dealer who is on a paying streak!!!

If you think a hole card flashing dealer is your key to paradise, well then go on and spend all day looking for one. Me i will rather find a simple dealer who even wins at a 50% rate or less (which is infinitely much simpler) and make my profit by upping my bet when the count is right!!!

 

[Brock Windsor]

Take you for example with this bogus notion that a flashing dealer is more valuable than any counting game i will find!!!

That is just plain stupid!!! A flashing dealer isnt more valuable than a dealer who is on a paying streak!!! Here you are yet again claiming to be more knowledgeable about something yet simple logic can easily beat you out and expose the fact that you dont really know that much in the first place.

If you think a hole card flashing dealer is your key to paradise, well then go on and spend all day looking for one. Me i will rather find a simple dealer who even wins at a 50% rate or less (which is infinitely much simpler) and make my profit by upping my bet when the count is right!!!

Are you being funny? Where is the punch line? "paying streaks"?? If a paying streak is a dealer who pays green chip wins in black chips because he doesn't know the value of the chips I'll submit you are correct.... Looking for a flashing dealer is the most profitable advantage play (no cheating) I can think of for someone playing against a human dealer/shuffler and unmarked cards. Maybe if you could sequence aces with 100% you would do better, but that is highly unlikely.
The wizard of odds posts the proper strategy to play hole cards (not accounting for surrender) here: http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/appendix16.html
I would much rather spend my time scoping out flashing dealers than wonging tables. Just watch their hands, you only need to watch a dealer dealing one hand then move on. If they have some sort of quirk that causes them to raise the card from the felt keep watching, if the card tilts a particular direction sit where you can see it. I'm tall and slouch. It is killer on the back but that's the price I pay. You will find a lot more flashing dealers at 3 card poker but it is less advantageous than finding one at BJ or a BJ carnival equivalent (Spanish21, SuperFun21, etc.)..but still more adantageous than straight counting unless the game has great rules and allows a big spread.

 

[moo321]

If you want to believe in hot dealers, that's fine. But what you are advocating is not supported by math, whereas hole-carding and card-counting are. Believe whatever the hell you want, but just admit that you believe it on faith, and have no mathematical support for it.

I know people who claim to have a psychic ability to predict the results in roulette. That's fine; who the hell knows, they may have that ability. They just need to admit that it's not supported by mathematics.

I certainly would rather see people telling new counters about hole-carding than to seek out "paying" dealers. And, for the record, hole-carding dealers aren't all that rare. I have spotted 2 reliable flashers in my last 3 visits to casinos, and several more that I may have been able to read, but I couldn't get to the right seat.

 

[zengrifter]

Please BGGJames, take it to the Voodoo forum, this is the Advanced board. Cape'ce? zg

 

[biggamejames]

If you want to believe in hot dealers, that's fine. But what you are advocating is not supported by math, .

Here we go with the voodoo crap yet again!!!! Try as you may every dealer goes through a hot streak hence the term "hot dealer"..

Its a mathematical fact, not a myth not superstition. Dont try and lecture me on things you obviously dont understand yourself! Or may be most every gambler who has gone through a bad run was just day dreaming. The dealer wasnt hot...It was a figment of their imagination...

So every player who ever lost a huge amount must have been day dreaming in voodoo land. The dealer wasnt hot since that is a figment of my imagination!!

 

[ScottH]

That is just plain stupid!!! A flashing dealer isnt more valuable than a dealer who is on a paying streak!!!

You can't make this up! :laugh: