Playing Blackjack On A Team
by Henry Tamburin, published on Tuesday,
November 20 2001 BJ Insider
If you've been following the exploits of LV Pro in our Blackjack
Insider Newsletters, you are well aware that LV Pro (psuedonym for a
skilled card counter) sometimes plays blackjack with a team of
players. There are pros and some cons for doing this and I'll try to
explain them in this article.
What are Blackjack Teams?
Blackjack teams consist of a group of skilled card counters. These
are players who use a system to keep track of the cards that are
played so they know when the odds shift from player to dealer and
vice versa. When the odds favor the dealer, the counter bets small.
When the odds shift in his favor, he makes larger bets. By always
betting this way a card counter has a slight 1% mathematically
advantage over the casino which means in the long run, he will win
more money then lose. The trick however, is that counters must
disguise their betting skills from the ever present observation of
floor supervisors who get in the nasty habit of barring these skilled
players from playing in their casino.
When a group of card counters form a team, they pool their individual
bankrolls into one large bankroll (known as a joint bank). So what's
the big deal about combining bankrolls, you ask? Essentially every
player on the team can now use this one combined, large bankroll as
if it were his or her individual bankroll. This in turn allows the
team players to bet larger amounts of money with the same risk
compared to playing solo. And the greater amount of money that a card
counter can get on the table, the more money he or she stands to win.
This is what makes blackjack teams so attractive.
Example of Profit Potential of Teams
Player A plays solo with a $5,000 bankroll and wagers up to a $100
per hand when the advantage shifts in his favor. His earning
potential as a card counter is $25 per hour.
Player B joins Player A to form a team. Their combined bank is
$10,000 allowing each player to increase their maximum bet from $100
to $200. The team of two players profit potential is now $100 per
hour so each player averages $50 per hour profit, twice the earnings
compared to playing solo.
As a general rule the profit potential of a team of skilled players
is equal to the profit potential of each individual if playing solo
times the number of players on the team squared. So if a card counter
has the potential to earn $25 per hour playing blackjack, this is
what he could earn playing on a team.
Solo Earnings vs Individual Earnings on Team
$25/hr 2 $50/hr
$25/hr 3 $75/hr
$25/hr 4 $100/hr
$25/hr 5 $125/hr
The more members on the team the more money a card counter stands to
earn.
Earnings are Not Guaranteed
Even though a card counter has the advantage if he plays accurately
in games with good rules, this does not guarantee that he will win
every time he plays. The advantage that a card counter has is a long
term advantage which means over the course of one day, two days, a
week or even a few months a card counter can lose money. This is why
card counters keep a fairly large gap between the maximum bet they
will make on one hand and the amount of their bankroll. They need
this cushion in case they run into a negative swing where even though
they are playing accurately, the cards don't come their way and they
still lose. In fact the single reason why most "wanna-be" card
counters usually fail in their first year is because they are
undercapitalized and get wiped out.
Playing on a team sort of smoothes out the bumps in the road and
makes the negative swings more manageable and tolerable. Teams also
play more hands per hour compared to a solo player so they will get
into the "long run" a lot quicker. This means that the probability is
higher that a team of players will be ahead after playing x hours
compared to a solo player playing the same x hours.
Other Advantages of Team Play
The life of a card counter can be lonely especially when they are
losing. But when they are playing on a team and have a disastrous
losing day, members often provide support and sympathize with their
plight. There is also the possibility that even though one member of
a team lost, other team members have won. Secondly, having a group of
individuals trying to achieve the same goal (winning x amount of
money) often provided an uplifting psychology advantage. Thirdly,
team players are more apt to share intelligence about games with
better rules and penetration which makes winning easier for all team
members
Negatives of Blackjack Teams
Many teams run into personnel problems when a team member is
consistently losing and others believe he is cheating (in fact most
teams use random polygraphs to ensure honesty). Teams also need a
strong manager to establish the rules, the team conduct, do all the
accounting, and to ultimately make decisions that are in the best
interest of the entire team. And despite the best efforts of its
members there is always the chance that a teams bank can go broke
(even blackjack teams carry some risk). Or just as worse (like it
happened to LV Pro) you could be a winner but end up an overall loser
if you have to cover the losses of your teammates.
If you'd like to learn more about team play, I strongly encourage you
to read the 55 page manual by Rick Blaine, Blackjack Blueprint - How
to Operate a Blackjack Team.
by Henry Tamburin, published on Tuesday,
November 20 2001 BJ Insider
If you've been following the exploits of LV Pro in our Blackjack
Insider Newsletters, you are well aware that LV Pro (psuedonym for a
skilled card counter) sometimes plays blackjack with a team of
players. There are pros and some cons for doing this and I'll try to
explain them in this article.
What are Blackjack Teams?
Blackjack teams consist of a group of skilled card counters. These
are players who use a system to keep track of the cards that are
played so they know when the odds shift from player to dealer and
vice versa. When the odds favor the dealer, the counter bets small.
When the odds shift in his favor, he makes larger bets. By always
betting this way a card counter has a slight 1% mathematically
advantage over the casino which means in the long run, he will win
more money then lose. The trick however, is that counters must
disguise their betting skills from the ever present observation of
floor supervisors who get in the nasty habit of barring these skilled
players from playing in their casino.
When a group of card counters form a team, they pool their individual
bankrolls into one large bankroll (known as a joint bank). So what's
the big deal about combining bankrolls, you ask? Essentially every
player on the team can now use this one combined, large bankroll as
if it were his or her individual bankroll. This in turn allows the
team players to bet larger amounts of money with the same risk
compared to playing solo. And the greater amount of money that a card
counter can get on the table, the more money he or she stands to win.
This is what makes blackjack teams so attractive.
Example of Profit Potential of Teams
Player A plays solo with a $5,000 bankroll and wagers up to a $100
per hand when the advantage shifts in his favor. His earning
potential as a card counter is $25 per hour.
Player B joins Player A to form a team. Their combined bank is
$10,000 allowing each player to increase their maximum bet from $100
to $200. The team of two players profit potential is now $100 per
hour so each player averages $50 per hour profit, twice the earnings
compared to playing solo.
As a general rule the profit potential of a team of skilled players
is equal to the profit potential of each individual if playing solo
times the number of players on the team squared. So if a card counter
has the potential to earn $25 per hour playing blackjack, this is
what he could earn playing on a team.
Solo Earnings vs Individual Earnings on Team
$25/hr 2 $50/hr
$25/hr 3 $75/hr
$25/hr 4 $100/hr
$25/hr 5 $125/hr
The more members on the team the more money a card counter stands to
earn.
Earnings are Not Guaranteed
Even though a card counter has the advantage if he plays accurately
in games with good rules, this does not guarantee that he will win
every time he plays. The advantage that a card counter has is a long
term advantage which means over the course of one day, two days, a
week or even a few months a card counter can lose money. This is why
card counters keep a fairly large gap between the maximum bet they
will make on one hand and the amount of their bankroll. They need
this cushion in case they run into a negative swing where even though
they are playing accurately, the cards don't come their way and they
still lose. In fact the single reason why most "wanna-be" card
counters usually fail in their first year is because they are
undercapitalized and get wiped out.
Playing on a team sort of smoothes out the bumps in the road and
makes the negative swings more manageable and tolerable. Teams also
play more hands per hour compared to a solo player so they will get
into the "long run" a lot quicker. This means that the probability is
higher that a team of players will be ahead after playing x hours
compared to a solo player playing the same x hours.
Other Advantages of Team Play
The life of a card counter can be lonely especially when they are
losing. But when they are playing on a team and have a disastrous
losing day, members often provide support and sympathize with their
plight. There is also the possibility that even though one member of
a team lost, other team members have won. Secondly, having a group of
individuals trying to achieve the same goal (winning x amount of
money) often provided an uplifting psychology advantage. Thirdly,
team players are more apt to share intelligence about games with
better rules and penetration which makes winning easier for all team
members
Negatives of Blackjack Teams
Many teams run into personnel problems when a team member is
consistently losing and others believe he is cheating (in fact most
teams use random polygraphs to ensure honesty). Teams also need a
strong manager to establish the rules, the team conduct, do all the
accounting, and to ultimately make decisions that are in the best
interest of the entire team. And despite the best efforts of its
members there is always the chance that a teams bank can go broke
(even blackjack teams carry some risk). Or just as worse (like it
happened to LV Pro) you could be a winner but end up an overall loser
if you have to cover the losses of your teammates.
If you'd like to learn more about team play, I strongly encourage you
to read the 55 page manual by Rick Blaine, Blackjack Blueprint - How
to Operate a Blackjack Team.