Technological BJ enemies!

This article on the FUTURE OF BLACKJACK may be of interest to many of you!

http://www.casino.com/blackjack/article.asp?id=313

It is our job to educate "ploppies" about good games, try to keep`em away from CSMs saying something like " who the hell knows what`s going on inside those machines, I`v never won against it, we should just stick with old fashioned fair play.....". I personally have convinced many players not to play CSMs this way, not giving myself away, just being naturally superstitious. I don`t know much about biometrica, but some good news: Andersen, in his "Burning the tables in Las Vegas" says that the face recognition software isn`t effective, can`t sometimes recognize man from a woman. The EYE needs a clear picture of you,(this can be only taken if you look straight up or at the cashier`s cage) so you can make their job harder by wearing a cap, holding your hand in front of your face...

That was a very interesting article and I know Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are using the chips with microchips in them. These chips/tables expose every detail of a counter's play and probably even which count s/he's using. However, this won't ruin the day of the counter. Hypothetically ploppies could randomly increase their bet on a positive count by blind luck and as long as counters can remain anonymous and shorten their playing time to not expose themself too much, even to the computer, then we can continue going on about our ways as seemingly lucky ploppies. This will decrease the overall EV because you have to switch casinos more often, but it doesn't end the days of the counter. I'm sure some cover play can also distract the computer because it's only as good as the person who wrote the code.

Here's some questions to think about:
How do pit-bosses feel about this?
What purpose does a pit-boss serve if the cameras can see everything and the computer can track the chips/average bet better than the pit?
They are already dropping the craps pit position and reducing the amount of blackjack pit people would be significantly more devastating to the LV job market. Who knows, we may even see automatic dealing machines (I'm going to eat those words before I know it)!!! I'd be interested to hear any thoughts by casino employees about this.

But, by putting a microchip in every chip the cost of the chips increases 5 to 6 fold. So here's what we do, go cash in several thousand dollars in black chips with micro chips in them and just put them in a safety deposit box. Hopefully this forces the casino to put out the old chips, or they'll have to buy more of the new ones. If the old chips are put out, then you hang on to the mircochipped ones and play with the old chips that can't be tracked. If more new chips show up, then we just give them back their black chips and they take a shot in their bottom line by having an excess of microchipped plastic pieces. You also could just purchase a ton of black chips right now if you konw your local joint is going "microchipped".

Also, the CSM machines aren't catching on like the casinos had hoped. Most of my ploppy friends hate the machines, and this is without me telling them that their unbeatable. This looks good for the counter but significant danger lurks in the water - a movie

As most of you know, the book "Bringing down the House" about the MIT BJ Teams is going to be made into a movie next year. From my understanding, Kevin Spacey and company will explain how team play and counting cards can be done. As with any other pop craze, the number of wannabe counters is going to explode. This can do two things for us though, each of which is good and bad. The increase in counters allows us to act as part of the crowd, but any increase in counters will force the crappiness of the games to increase. Hopefully the casinos will be intelligent about this and see the new wave of wannabe's are just that, wannabes. Essentially they are educated ploppies with the same negative expectation. So by maintainig beatable games the educated ploppies will flock to these casinos and the casinos will make more money in the end. This assumes the educated ploppies are smart enough to at least read the game selection chapter in every BJ book.

Well, it's finals week and I must get back to studying. This is kind of a random post, but I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on this subject because it's something we're all about to face.

We all know how gulible as well as dependant the American people are on Television and the 'film industry'.

Just like Urban Cowboy boosted Western Wardrobe Sales and engendered the 'bull-riding honky-tonk bar scene' in the early 80s, this film will panick the casinos in the SHOE areas.

Like you, I'm sure they are preping up for the landslide of new players implementing Uston's Big Player concept.

Talk about heavy heat and surveilence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those of you using Multi deck strategies are most likely due for some MAJOR setbacks and readjustment when this film is put on the market; sounds detrimental for the 'multi crowd'!

But maybe the casinos want it; knowing what to lookout for?

It's like the 'hold'em fanatics' in poker stimulated by the gambling industry. Every top Hold'em player has been totally broke several times playing the best games in Hold'Em. **The luck or statistical swings are too wide. Might as well play Pai Gow or Baccarat as playing Hold'em Mike Caro writes articles and is seen as a poker guru; *he knows* he can't beat the Hold 'em like he did Draw Poker in Gardena, Ca. Maybe the Casinos are pushing this movie as they have a handle on what to look for and how they will prevent revenue going down for the industry.

Any half sensible casino exec ( is that an oxymoron ? LOL ), will be looking forward t this movie.

All those wannabe counters dropping $ after $ at the tables is nothing to worry about.

Howmany of this new age of counter will make it ?

Bulletin! Bulletin! Bulletin!

Some casinos now have CSMs!

There's something out there called "MindPlay."

Neither are popular with players; so won't last long.

The REAL threat is 6:5, not this technological nonsense.

I work in Mohegan Sun and Play in Foxwoods. I know their chips has microchip inside. even the $5 chip. but i also know what are under the table. there are only the Cover of Bankroll, some Price brands, couple fans for the Smoke, and nothing.

I dont see any mini computer under the $10 to $100 tables. how can they check how much chips we play?

All,
The recent insurgence of 6:5 games is becoming a problem and if nothing is done, we could be facing big problems. Luckily, we all have access to this unique form where people actually care about the trends in blackjack games. Along with access to this form comes the knowlege of how poor this game really is. Perhaps Mr. Wong could start accepting donations with purchases to pay some people to stand on the corners of LV passing out fliers that expose the horrendous house edge in this game. I don't think selling shirts is enough and wearing this shirt probably brings unwanted exposure. These fliers could double as advertisements for this site and further educate the general public. I think the average ploppy would understand some simple percentages, especially since the travel channel has commercials for "How to play" online programs. Maybe a simple e-mail to the online program companies would suffice, it would only have to warn the players of the losses involved in the game. Again, I like to hear everyones thoughts on the feasibility of this, or if they know how much the people passing out the "Stripper" cards on the stip cost a day.

As I've stated here before, the roughly 1.5% house edge on 6:5 BJ compares pretty well with the 2�% to 3�% edges on the carnival games, the 5%+ edge on double-zero roulette, and the 1.4% edge in craps.

For the average tourist-type player, it looks like a reasonable game.

The VA Coot wrote

As I've stated here before, the roughly 1.5% house edge on 6:5 BJ compares pretty well with the 2�% to 3�% edges on the carnival games, the 5%+ edge on double-zero roulette, and the 1.4% edge in craps.
For the average tourist-type player, it looks like a reasonable game.

One point. The 1..5% edge you are quoting on 6:5 is for perfect BS play. But the public doesn�t play perfect BS. My guess is that average player (weighted by bet size) nowadays gives up 1% more to the house. And the typical tourist who plays 6:5 probably gives up more than 2% via mistakes. This brings the overall house edge up to 3.5%.

Your point is well taken but what the Old Coot said was fact ..

" .. for the average tourist-type player, it (6:5 BJ) looks like a reasonable game."

If you put the house edge in terms of hours they could play with $XX, then I bet people would be more likely to listen. The popularity of the Las Vegas night on the Travel channel lends credence to the idea that people do care. However, the statement about who cares about the house edge as long as I'm having fun attitude is highly prevalent in LV