Hi,
For the life of me, I cannot tell the difference between a 6 deck shoe and an 8 deck shoe. No matter how much experience I get (have been playing for about 3 yrs now) or practice I do, this seems to be one hurdle I cannot climb over. My question is, would it draw too much suspicion to myself if I asked the dealer how many decks were in the shoe before I played? Thanks for any help!
We all have our hurdles. (My biggest one is remembering the running count when I return to it.)
If yours is deck estimation, and you cannot discern 6 decks from 8 decks, I would imagine that you would have a terrible time establishing the true count for balanced counts. I would first suggest that you use an unbalanced count.
As for a direct answer to your question, I recommend that you subscribe to either CBJN here or the conditions service on bjfonline. Both of these services accurately inform you of how many decks each casino uses (along with a lot of other good information).
Of course, you can always just call the casino on the phone, ask for the 21 pit, and ask how many decks are used.
In a case where a casino has both 6 and 8 deck games, I see no problem in slapping on your best ploppy face, looking the dealer straight in the eye, and saying, "How many decks do ya'll use in this here game?"
If such an innocent question draws too much attention then the casino is obviously not worth playing.
Generally the size of the discard tray can give you a hint as to whether they might be dealing 8 decks. But be careful there also as some casinos deal 6 decks but use a 6D discard tray, which can be confusing at first.
Hi Titaniumman,
Thanks for your reply. To answer your question, I use an unbalanced system. Thank God they exist, because there is no way I could effectively use a balanced system. Thanks again!
I've never had a problem with this question, if you are really paranoid about it you can say something ploppylike. If they say it's an eight deck shoe you can shake your head and say "My dog just died on the eighth, can't play here." If they say it's 6 you can say that 6 is your lucky number and sit down. This way you get your info and establish that you are a supersticious player:)
how would you be able to do something really obvious, like make big bets with a high count?
One thing I don't see discussed much is that deck estimation varies quite a bit from casino to casino. Some brands of cards are much thicker than others.
A nice, svelte deck times four looks almost like a perfect square. But 8 decks at Binion's cut in half looks all the world like six decks on a Wisconsin reservation.
ETF
I wouldn�t overdo the superstition. I think that sort of thing makes it obvious that you are trying to hide something.
It is common knowledge that 6 decks are better than 8 decks. Actually, I think the general public overstates the disadvantage for 8 decks. For a BS player, there really isn�t that much difference, but most players think that 8 decks is really awful compared to 6.
Many casinos have 6 decks in the H/L room, but 8 on the main floor.
Because they know high-roller, indeed all players, prefer 6 decks.
I can�t imagine a high-roller coming into the high-limit and saying �I am going to play in here because my dog died on the 8th.�
"...most players think that 8 decks is really awful compared to 6."
8 decks *ARE* really awful! It is amazing what that addition of 2 more decks to 6 does.
I often wait for the completion of a shoe before sitting down, simply to see all the cards in the discard tray. I note the level of all the cards, and use that as a guide for estimating decks. Entering a new casino, and not immediately jumping into a game, saves money in more ways than just one.
I think that if you are a high roller then you have earned the right to be a little eccentric and would hope that the casino would let some things slide without an explination. On the other hand you could be setting off red flags. Elaborate cover may draw unwanted attention but you never know what the eye in the sky might be thinking. Suppose there was a convention in Vegas (yeah I know, what are the odds) for say psychics, one could dress like a psychic and consult magic crystals (would they bust you on the device laws for that?) and the back of your hand for wager decisions. If you kept your bets jumping around a bit you could probably but the big money out when need be.
