Big Three

The way I see it is, there are only three games offered by the casino, that you can beat. Blackjack-Poker-Sports Betting
IF, you are good enough. To get "good enough", you will have to devote a lot of time and energy, to whichever one you chose.

Pick "one", the one that you are most interested in, and stick with it. All will take a great deal of time to learn. Realize that most who try any of these, will fail.

Trying to play more than one, is a mistake, for most people.
If you HAD to play Tiger Woods a game for $1000, but you had the choice of games, bowling or pool, would be a better choice than golf.

O.K., how long will it take, a few weeks, or months, or years ?
The answer--A LIFETIME, you will still be learning,(at least you should be) when you kick the bucket. You will get good, but you will never know all there is, to any of them.
People learn at a different rate. To some, it will come much easier, than to some others. Some will never be able to do it. Some that can do it, will decide it's not worth the effort.

Take your pick and stick with it. If it's BJ, see you at the tables. If it's one of the other two, see you at the casino. If it's none of the big three, see you at the ATM......
Luck-2-U
Midnite

John May or Frank Scoblete. May thinks you can beat baccarat, but his idea is delusional.

Scoblete thinks you can beat craps by being a "rhythmic roller." His idea is infinitely more delusional.

Don

Hello Don Schlesinger;

What is your opinion about the Continuous Shuffling Machines, or would you prefer to keep it to yourself??

teach. Or become psuedo experts. Hey Don, why is it that after all these years the only casino skill you've acquired is counting cards?

you should master as many as you can get away with. Let's face it, basic card counting isn't that difficult...it's a rather mechanical process. I play VP, Poker, wongable slots, sports bet, etc. The more versatile you are the the better IMHO!

A different point of view, is always welcome. As I said, "most" are unable to excel at several games. Maybe you are the Bo Jackson, that can do it.
Michel Jordan also plays a good game of golf, but he is not in the league of a Tiger Woods.
Just remember the old saying--
"A jack of all trades, master of none".

(games)

Midnite

Tell me that you've read John's baccarat book and Frank's newest craps book. That all I ask! If you've read these two books, I'll never again criticize what you have to say about them, or me, or anything else that you have to say!

who spread their action between blackjack, live poker, and sports betting. I don't think many cross over to VP -- too mechanical; not enough "personal input" allowed by machine play.

May thinks you can beat baccarat, but his idea is delusional

Oh for Christ's sake, we've been through this before.
I don't think anything, I did actually win $50,000 from counting at baccarat.
I have produced simulation data, a math proof, theoretical justification and extensive references, supporting my position. So far, you have provided absolutely nothing.

My guess is you have never played a hand of baccarat in your life. You alluded to references careful questioning revealed you had not read. If you can prove a single, coherent intelligent statement supporting your position by all means lets hear it, otherwise stop boring me to death with your baseless negativity.

Walter,

No doubt Don has to read a book by Scoblette or yourself to realize it's GARBAGE . That would be like reading a book on ways to commit suicide and some lucky sap survivor saying , " It really works...just try it " -

I know some players who find slots a welcome respite from blackjack. (A sickness, yes, but a respite too.) And I know others who do like video poker. It is difficult to generalize in this manner. There are always exceptions.

I sort of agree with Walt on this one though. My suspicions are that blackjack players as a group are obsessional compulsives who are also control freaks.

Now excuse me while I take some medicine as I'm feeling rather poorly after agreeing with Walter Thomason about anything related to blackjack!

"I did actually win $50,000 from counting at baccarat."

What you mean is that you counted at baccarat, and you won $50,000. Now, how do we prove the cause and effect? I once chewed gum and won a jackpot at a slot machine. Get the idea?

I hear Kerry Packer routinely wins millions playing baccarat. I guess he counts, too, huh? What's that? He also routinely loses millions playing baccarat? Oh. But, that never happened to you, did it?

Don

"If you've read these two books, I'll never again criticize what you have to say about them, or me, or anything else that you have to say!"

Fun betting on a sure thing, isn't it? I wouldn't read them if you gave them to me for free -- or if you stuffed the inside covers with $100 bills!

Don

gamblers specialize in one area but many are aware of others and in the correct situation will take advantage of others.Example- card counter notices a wild cherry dollar pie with 3 to go and 60 in the basket he will probably take a seat.Example 2- A vp pro hears about a blackjack promo paying 2 to 1 blackjacks on tues morning there is probably a good chance he will be playing BJ tues morn. Example 3- A slot hustler is playing an X factor and he talks to an old couple playing next to him and they offer the matchplay coupons to him they got off the bus and arent going to use- he will probably be playin those matchplays at the mini bacc or craps table later in the day. Most pros specialize but they know advantage gambling frequently comes down to oppurtunity.

While there are still a lot of us who play blackjack or one of the other games you mentioned to advantage, there are very few pros who specialize in blackjack alone. While there may be those who specialize in poker and/or sports betting, the modern advantage player who is looking to make serious bucks becomes aware of many possible advantage plays in a variety of games and takes advantage of them whenever he runs across them. Even in blackjack, the best players don't rely on counting alone, but a variety of tactics that can get the money. In fact, there are a few who rarely count cards straight up, but use other advantage plays in the game. I should point out that none of these other tactics include progression betting. Each of them is used to identify a point where the player has the advantage, and in some cases, it can be quite large.

From internet gambling to slots to video poker, there are ways to identify certain advantage situations and exploit them. I would suggest that the 21st century advantage player is one who knows how to do this.

Don't look at me. I'm just an old-fashioned 20th century style garden variety card counter. :-)

Can you please elaborate on what wongable slots are. I'm curious.

Thanks,

Rutager

What you mean is that you counted at baccarat, and you won $50,000.

Does anyone here seriously think I'm incapable of running a statistical test on my own results.

Now, how do we prove the cause and effect? I once chewed gum and won a jackpot at a slot machine. Get the idea?

I must have proved it a thousand times both here and on various other forums. You can prove it by exact calculation, as in the "Favourable strategies for casino baccarat" paper on my homepage, by the analysis of M'Hall's extensive simulation work over at bjmath, or by the theoretical justification in Baccarat For The Clueless.

But unfortunately I can't transmit this knowledge to your brain by osmosis, it does require you to read something. And I know I've got more chance of beating three-card monte than I have of actually getting you to do that. The implications of your behaviour are that you know very well that baccarat is beatable as a practical matter, yet you are trading on your reputation and seeking to halt all research in this area.

I mainly play BJ at Casinos, but I think u need to play all of these games due to COVER purposes.

If u just sit playing BJ all day every day drinking mineral water, I wonder who the counter is???

Why not play other games such as roulette, and learn to be the best player u can. In this way, u are losing money at a slower rate than the average punter, giving u time away from BJ, hence excellent COVER.

Good cards,

4Armies.

I'd like to check it out and couldn't find it in the links here. Could you post the link?