How to Play Professionally

[JavaBusinessProgrammer]

What techniques, strategies, and processes are currently the most advantageous for playing blackjack at a professinal level? (Meaning, for money, not recreation.)

I played blackjack successfully for an extended period about 20 years ago, using Hi-Opt and Revere's Plus-Minus. I have not played since then, due to lack of time (too much work, too little play). I have an extended vacation coming (5-6 months duration) that will allow me to visit Las Vegas for about a month, various US locations with reservation casinos, Australia/New Zealand for a month, and another month in Hong Kong.

I would like to learn a strategy that would enable me to profit from that vacation--and to play blackjack well enough to take advantage of the opportunity to switch to full-time professional play (and avoid returning to "work" later).

Is this even possible? What would you recommend I do, learn, study, master to accomplish this? What are the best training and learning resources available for those intent on playing blackjack professionally? What are the most profitable strategies, techniques, and approaches available?
Thanks!

 

[BrianCP]

Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but the pros on this forum (I am so surprised the large amount of them to be honest) aren't just going to tell a brand new member about the profit enhancing techniques used by professional APs nowadays. You are going to have to build a level of trust online and in person with them in addition to doing a lot of independent research.

I spent a good few hours a few days a week searching for more advanced techniques and such (along with sources that teach them) online, and barely managed to find sources I could purchase for learning them. It is gonna take awhile, but in the meantime make sure counting, BS, your indices, and bet spread/ramp are 2nd nature before you go plunging into advanced edge gains.

 

[JavaBusinessProgrammer]

Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but the pros on this forum (I am so surprised the large amount of them to be honest) aren't just going to tell a brand new member about the profit enhancing techniques used by professional APs nowadays. You are going to have to build a level of trust online and in person with them in addition to doing a lot of independent research.

I spent a good few hours a few days a week searching for more advanced techniques and such (along with sources that teach them) online, and barely managed to find sources I could purchase for learning them. It is gonna take awhile, but in the meantime make sure counting, BS, your indices, and bet spread/ramp are 2nd nature before you go plunging into advanced edge gains.

I made a fairly comfortable living for about 18 months using Hi-Opt in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. I have no problem with the basics, nor with learning advanced strategies. My questions are based primarily on the premises (expressed elsewhere) that the "old" methods (Hi-Opt, APC, etc.) "don't work anymore." If "new" methods have supplanted them, I would like to know what they are.

I don't much believe in "secret techniques." I played with a group of professionals, and from what I have seen--in blackjack as well as in horse racing--professionals do not jealously guard their secret knowledge. In fact, the opposite is true--they are more than willing to share their expertise with anyone willing to devote the time and effort to master the techniques.

I am not looking for an instant, quickie method guaranteed to generate fame and fortune in no more than a couple of hours. I am sure that other professinals understand that.

 

[BrianCP]

Well the old single deck days are long gone, the counts you used mainly worked with single deck games, but don't have the Betting Correlation needed to beat shoe games (well, showing a profit that is actually discernible from break even). I was recently looking into this area as well, and several counting methods were advised. Zen, Wong Halves, Omega II (with an ace side count is definitely preferable for a shoe game, but multi parameter systems are quite difficult), and others. Check out this page for a list of known counting methods with related statistics http://www.qfit.com/card-counting.htm

Once you decide on a method (or methods) you want to explore, purchase the book originally detailing them (For Wong Halves, that would be Professional Blackjack, for Zen, Blackbelt in Blackjack, for Omega II, Blackjack Attack, etc...)

Good luck to you in your journey!

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I made a fairly comfortable living for about 18 months using Hi-Opt in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. I have no problem with the basics, nor with learning advanced strategies. My questions are based primarily on the premises (expressed elsewhere) that the "old" methods (Hi-Opt, APC, etc.) "don't work anymore." If "new" methods have supplanted them, I would like to know what they are.

I don't much believe in "secret techniques." I played with a group of professionals, and from what I have seen--in blackjack as well as in horse racing--professionals do not jealously guard their secret knowledge. In fact, the opposite is true--they are more than willing to share their expertise with anyone willing to devote the time and effort to master the techniques.

I am not looking for an instant, quickie method guaranteed to generate fame and fortune in no more than a couple of hours. I am sure that other professinals understand that.

Who told you that crap? The counts you know work just fine. Make sure the game you are playing has decent rules and pays the full 3:2 on a natural. Find a game with good penetration. Have a lot of money down on the table when there are a lot of high cards left. There is no additional secret to counting cards.

 

[moo321]

Who told you that crap? The counts you know work just fine. Make sure the game you are playing has decent rules and pays the full 3:2 on a natural. Find a game with good penetration. Have a lot of money down on the table when there are a lot of high cards left. There is no additional secret to counting cards.

What Automatic Monkey said.


Counting still works fine. You may need to spread a little more than you did before, and learn to play shoes.

 

[JavaBusinessProgrammer]

Thanks for the advice! I am familiar with Stanford Wong and Arnold Snyder from way back, and I read Blackjack Attack a couple of years ago. I appreciate the comments and ideas, and I think the next step is some serious research and reading.
Again, thanks for your comments.