Blackbelt in Blackjack : Playing Blackjack as a Martial Art

by Snyder, Arnold

• ISBN13: 9781580421430
• ISBN10: 1580421431
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-02-01
• Publisher: Cardoza

Summary

In the spirit of Doyle Brunson's Super System, Arnold Snyder's Blackbelt in Blackjack is an underground gambling classic written by one of the grand masters of blackjack and a legend. This newly revised and updated edition is now made available for the first time to a national audience. This is blackjack as a martial art, targeted for serious and professional players looking to win real money at the game. Snyder reveals tips and tricks used by the pros-shuffle tracking, team play, multiple deck camouflage techniques so that the casino can't detect that the player is using winning techniques, and much more. 21 powerful chapters include a complete course on beating blackjack: the devastating red 7 count, the hi-lo count, the zen count, the true count, and so much more.

Author Biography

Arnold Snyder is the world's foremost authority on blackjack and one of its greatest players. Snyder is the author of nine books and advanced strategies on the game including The Blackjack Formula, the groundbreaking work which revolutionized the ways professional card counters attacked the games, and of course, the best-selling classic, Blackbelt in Blackjack. For 23 years, he was the publisher of the highly respected Blackjack Forum, a quarterly journal on gambling for professional players. In January 2003, in recognition for his contributions to the game, Arnold was elected one of the seven charter members of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Arnold is a high-stakes professional player who has been writing about casino blackjack for well over two decades.

Table of Contents

Introduction	13	(10)
SECTION ONE EARNING YOUR WHITE BELT
The Great Blackjack Hoax	23	(10)
A Card Counter Is Born
Why Blackjack Is So Popular
The Great Blackjack Myth
The Future of Blackjack
Blackjack as a Sport
How to Play Casino Blackjack	33	(10)
The Deal
The Table
``Hard'' Hands and ``Soft'' Hands
The Play of the Hands
Insurance
Hitting
Standing
Busting
Doubling Down
Splitting Pairs
Surrender
No Hole Card
Multi-Action
The Dealer's Hand
Basic Strategy	43	(8)
Why Basic Strategy Works
Using the Basic Strategy Chart
Order of Decisions
How to Practice Basic Strategy
Simplified Basic Strategy
The Red Seven Count	51	(18)
Balanced vs. Unbalanced Counting Systems
Unbalanced Systems
The Red Seven Count
The Red Seven Point Values
How to Practice Counting
The Starting Count
The Red Seven Betting Strategy
The Red Seven Playing Strategy
The Advanced Red Seven Count
How to Read the Strategy Chart
The Advanced Red Seven Chart
The Advanced Red Seven ``True Edge''
Make a Fraction
The Hi-Lo Lite	69	(10)
The Hi-Lo Lite Point Values
The Hi-Lo Lite Playing Strategy
The Generic Hi-Lo Lite Chart
True Count	79	(6)
Introduction
True Count by Division
The ``True Index'' Method
The ``True Shoe'' Method
Estimating the Remaining Decks
The Zen Count	85	(6)
The Zen Count Point Values
The Zen Count Playing Strategy
The Generic Zen Strategy Chart
Phony Systems	91	(16)
The Martingale: Progression To Depression
Shuffle-Bored, Anyone?
The ``No Need To Count'' System
The ``Overdue'' Systems
Big Secrets
Psychic Gamblers
Problem Gambling	107	(4)
Table Conditions	111	(20)
Counting Is Not Enough
The Number of Decks in Play
The Rules
The Number of Players at the Table
The Depth of the Deal (Penetration)
The Snyder Profit Index
Pseudo-Blackjack Games
A Fisheye View of Game Selection
East Meets West
How Much Money Do I Need?	131	(28)
Risk of Ruin
Kelly Betting
The Profit Formula
Allowing for Normal Fluctuation
Your Bankroll
Bet-Sizing for a Weekend (1,000) Hands
Bet-Sizing for a Month (10,000 Hands)
So, How Much Money Do You Need?
Fixed Bankroll Strategies
Single-Deck Betting on a Fixed Bank
Two-Deck Games on a Fixed Bank
Four+ Decks on a Fixed Bank
In Conclusion
Special Rules	159	(10)
Side Bets
Over/Under
Royal Match
Super Sevens
Lucky Ladies
``Bonus'' Blackjack Variations
The Pseudo-Blackjack Variations
Double Exposure
SuperFun 21
Spanish 21
No-Bust Blackjack
Player-Banked Blackjack
Summary
SECTION TWO EARNING YOUR GREEN BELT
Professional Betting Strategies	169	(24)
Starting from Scratch
Fixed vs. Replenishable Bank
Methods of Decreasing Flux
Watch Out for Scams
Play with a Bigger Edge
Table-Hopping
How to Read the 6 Deck/75% Dealt Chart
Always Play at the Same Bet Level
Avoid the Full-Kelly Roller Coaster
Play Multiple Hands
How to Read the Betting Charts
Half-Kelly 10K Starting Bank---Downswing Chart
Half-Kelly 10K Starting Bank---Upswing Chart
A Camouflage Chart
The Unencountered Counter	193	(34)
Depth-Charging: A Single-Deck Strategy
One-Deck Wonging
Opposition Betting
Idiot Camouflage
Two-Bit Deceptions
Hit/Stand Camouflage
Double-Down Camouflage
Pair-Split Camouflage
Insurance Camouflage
Cost-Free Camo
Heat Radar
Surviving Surveillance
The Cameras
The Computers
The Protection Services
Interview: Las Vegas Surveillance Agent
Card Counting and the Law	227	(10)
Is It Legal to Think in Casinos?
Do You Have to Show Your ID?
Is Fake ID Illegal?
Can They ``Back-Room'' You?
Can They Confiscate or Refuse to Cash Your Chips?
Is it Legal to Use a Computer in a Casino?
Are Laws Different in Indian Reservation Casinos?
SECTION THREE EARNING YOUR BLACK BELT
Team Play	237	(20)
Accounting
The Team Handbook
EMFH Teams
Two Person Teams
BP/Spotter Teams
The Gorilla BP
The Risk Remains
How the Successful Big Teams Do It
Team Investment Deals
Limited Joint-Bank Partnerships
Polygraph Testing
Some General Team Guidelines
Shuffle Tracking	257	(24)
The Necessary Tools
Exercise #1: Cutting a Standing Stack
Exercise #2: Cutting a Lying Stack
Exercise #3: Estimating the Discard Stack
Exercise #4: Card Counting
Describing Shuffles
Terminology
How Much Can You See?
Other Shuffle Actions
The ``Eyeball'' vs. the ``Recipe''
Cutoff Tracking
Best Counting System
Estimating Your Advantage
More Secrets of the Pros	281	(31)
Versatility
You Don't Know Me
House Phone Hang-Ups
Shift Change Vanishing Act
Going South
Toking Guidelines
General Tokes
Specific Tokes
Hole Card Play
Illegal Hole Card Strategies
Legal Hole Card Strategies
Marked Card Play
Flashed Card Play
The Danger of Hole Card Play
The Advantages of Hole Card Play
Dealers Who Cheat
Cheating by Any Other Name
High-Tech Surveillance
Traveling With Cash
Cash Transaction Reports
Suspicious Activity Reports
Comps
Special Promotions
Playing Blackjack on the Internet
And Finally...
APPENDIX
Comprehensive Strategy	312	(6)
Comprehensive Basic Strategy
Comprehensive Hi-Lo Lite Strategy
Comprehensive Zen Count Strategy
Recommended Source Materials	318