John Scarne Revisited

[1357111317]

Using Hi OptII is a good alternative to Scarne's Countdown System. Practicing Scarne's method at home is a no brainer exercise to assimilate the asymmetry of aces and tens to others. The method is burned in our minds. Unconsciously, we have the advantage when we play single or double deck blackjack games in casinos. No need for an abacus.

JSTAT

Is it just me or did you basically just quote AM's post and essentially repeat exactly what he said?

 

[moo321]

Give us some proof that this system was used before 1986 and maybe we'll have a discussion. Otherwise, it's well known that Scarne was a liar and a spreader of misinformation to help the casinos.

 

[shadroch]

In his later years, Scarne claims to have written a pamphlet on card counting in the 1940s that was distributed to millions of GIs to help them gamble.Dispite a huge reward, none has ever turned up. In fact, no one can even recall seeing one.

 

[zengrifter]

Some acknowledgement please - the Scarne basic strategy is WORSE than 6/5 BJ. zg

 

[JSTAT]

Give us some proof that this system was used before 1986 and maybe we'll have a discussion. Otherwise, it's well known that Scarne was a liar and a spreader of misinformation to help the casinos.

John Scarne most likely didn't want his "Countdown System" published until his death in 1985. In the 1986 edition of "Scarne's New Complete Guide To Gambling", the method was explained. Scarne admitted he was a casino consultant in his books, no lie here. Scarne was hired as a consultant by the US Army, which sent him to bases around the world in order to educate soldiers about the dangers of card cheats. Service to our country is honorable. Scarne also served as technical consultant in "The Sting", and doubled for Paul Newman in scenes that involved card manipulations and deck switching. Not such a bad guy after all.


JSTAT
(Dead link: http://twitter.com/moviejjcasino)

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Using Hi OptII is a good alternative to Scarne's Countdown System. Practicing Scarne's method at home is a no brainer exercise to assimilate the asymmetry of aces and tens to others. The method is burned in our minds. Unconsciously, we have the advantage when we play single or double deck blackjack games in casinos. No need for an abacus.

JSTAT

Everybody has their own learning methods and I'm not going to say using the chips as an abacus at home when practicing will have no value for anyone. But the whole premise is silly- why not just use a simple level 1 count that will give you more advantage and be easy to practice and implement using purely mental techniques?

Scarne's an expert on card magic and on social card playing. He's out of his league on anything having to do with advantage play, unless you want to learn how to throw the Three-Card Monte out on the sidewalk.

 

[JSTAT]

Some acknowledgement please - the Scarne basic strategy is WORSE than 6/5 BJ. zg

John Scarne's advising of splitting tens vs 10 is not good advice. Standing on soft 18 vs 9,10,A also defies basic strategy. Using Scarne's "Countdown System" with conventional basic strategy is good advantage play at 3:2 single or double deck blackjack.

JSTAT
(Dead link: http://twitter.com/moviejjcasino)

 

[zengrifter]

John Scarne's advising of splitting tens vs 10 is not good advice. Standing on soft 18 vs 9,10,A also defies basic strategy. Using Scarne's "Countdown System" with conventional basic strategy is good advantage play at 3:2 single or double deck blackjack.

JSTAT
(Dead link: http://twitter.com/moviejjcasino)

Scarne did NOT recommend correct BS - just like he said that card-counting didn't work, he said HIS BS was THE correct one. Scarne was dead-wrong about BJ from the beginning and then later lied his ass off to make it look like he invented counting decades before the real experts. zg

 

[shadroch]

Lets not forget his claim that early surrender was actually bad for the player and increased the house edge several fold.

 

[JSTAT]

Here is John Scarne in the movie "The Sting". He is shuffling for Paul Newman.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bnMv3ULes

 

[1357111317]

Lets not forget his claim that early surrender was actually bad for the player and increased the house edge several fold.

But shad, lets not forget that he is in a movie with Paul Newman. If my logic serves my correctly then I am pretty sure that means that his claims are verified.

 

[zengrifter]

Scarne was one of the all time best... except at BJ where his work taken as a whole is TOTALLY wrong.
You cannot divorce his chip-case method from his historical revisionism, lies, and BAD basic strategy. zg

 

[JSTAT]

But shad, lets not forget that he is in a movie with Paul Newman. If my logic serves my correctly then I am pretty sure that means that his claims are verified.

The claim of blackjack dealer cheating is verified in the movie "The Sting". John Scarne (Paul Newman's double) is dealing second's from :24-:30 in this clip from the movie. Watch and freeze the video to see this dealer cheating technique. The left index finger is not touching the left middle finger. The second card from the deck comes in between these fingers in a side-arm motion. The proper procedure is to keep these fingers married to each other. The card should be going over the top of the left index finger. We will be able to spot a cheating dealer by watching this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bnMv3ULes

 

[moo321]

The claim of blackjack dealer cheating is verified in the movie "The Sting". John Scarne (Paul Newman's double) is dealing second's from :24-:30 in this clip from the movie. Watch and freeze the video to see this dealer cheating technique. The left index finger is not touching the left middle finger. The second card from the deck comes in between these fingers in a side-arm motion. The proper procedure is to keep these fingers married to each other. The card should be going over the top of the left index finger. We will be able to spot a cheating dealer by watching this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bnMv3ULes

You'll be able to get some idea that you're dealer may be cheating if you're aware of how to cheat. You'll probably never "catch" a cheating dealer.

 

[nightspirit]

You'll be able to get some idea that you're dealer may be cheating if you're aware of how to cheat. You'll probably never "catch" a cheating dealer.

Second that! I recommend everyone to get a copy of Steve Forte's Gambling Protection Series to get an idea what can be done with the right skills. Formerly on VHS these videos are now available on dvd format. Steve Forte and Jason England did a great job for this series. The bonus dvd alone is worth the money and if you ask kindly you may have the luck to get a signed copy too.

Steve Forte's Gambling Protection Series

 

[WRX]

How can it be a "HOAX" when it is in a copyrighted book published by a major publisher?

That's the best laugh I've had in a while.

Comparing the power of count systems, whether single- or multi-parameter, is easily enough done with sims, with the computing power now available to all. 'Nuff said. Unless you don't believe that blackjack can be mathematically modeled.

 

[JSTAT]

That's the best laugh I've had in a while.

Comparing the power of count systems, whether single- or multi-parameter, is easily enough done with sims, with the computing power now available to all. 'Nuff said. Unless you don't believe that blackjack can be mathematically modeled.

Two counts can't be compared to each other in the same sim run. QFIT said, "Two very different counts. Looking at only a few counts tells you little, if anything. It is the amalgam of all counts and standard deviations, and bets that matters. And if you are side-counting aces, comparison on a count by count basis is even less meaningful." 'Nuff said.:laugh:

JSTAT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLtT8fzQsTc&feature=channel_page

 

[kewljason]

Don't you ever give up??

 

[johndoe]

Two counts can't be compared to each other in the same sim run.

Good thing it's a simple matter to run a sim multiple times. Problem solved.