Warning: Often what seems like a cheap game is actually going to cost you quite a bit. A great example is O’Sheas located between Flamingo and Imperial Palace. Don’t be fooled by the “cheap” $5 games. All blackjack at O’Sheas holds at least a 2% house edge due to the horrible rules, and that’s assuming you play perfect basic strategy on every hand. So would you rather play $5 per hand at a 2% disadvantage or $25 per hand at a .2% disadvantage? Over time you would lose twice as much money at the $5 game!

Low Blackjack Table Minimums on the Las Vegas Strip

Keep in mind I’m only considering casinos on the Strip for this article. Downtown and off the Strip will hopefully be covered another day.

Single Deck – All single deck games on the Strip pay 6:5 on blackjack (a $50 bet gets paid $60 on blackjack instead of the usual $75). Avoid these games due to the large house edge. The closest legitimate single deck blackjack would be at Hooters located just behind Tropicana. Although Hooters single deck blackjack will have just a $10 minimum, the house edge is nearly .5% since you can only double on 10 and 11. For all the card counters out there, this game is not a good opportunity because of the weak dealer penetration.

Double Deck (Dealer hits on Soft 17 / Player may double after splitting)

• Circus Circus – $10 table minimum
• Excalibur – $10 table minimum
• All other $5 and $10 double deck on the Strip will have worse rules such as no doubling after splitting.

Double Deck (Dealer stands on Soft 17 / Player may double after splitting)

• Aria – $25 table minimum
• Bellagio – sometimes on a weekday one table will drop to a $25 minimum
• MGM – sometimes on a weekday one table will drop to a $25 minimum
• Mirage – $50 table minimum
• New York, New York – $50 table minimum
• Treasure Island – $50 table minimum

6-Deck (Dealer stands on Soft 17, Double after split, Resplit Aces, Surrender)

• Mandalay Bay – $10/$15 table minimum
• Aria – $25 table minimum
• Bellagio – $25 table minimum
• MGM Grand – $25 table minimum
• Treasure Island – $25 table minimum
• Wynn – $25 table minimum
• All $5 multi-deck games on the Strip will hit on Soft 17.

8-Deck (Dealer stands on Soft 17, Double after split, Resplit Aces, Surrender)

• Monte Carlo – $10 table minimum
• All $5 multi-deck games on the Strip will hit on Soft 17.

So what’s the best value blackjack on the Las Vegas Strip? If you play good basic strategy and bet the table minimum, then out of the places I’ve mentioned you’ll lose the least amount of money over the long haul by playing the $10 minimum 6-deck at Mandalay Bay and 8-deck at Monte Carlo. In fact, you would have an expected loss of under $3 per 100 hands played. This low expected loss is due to the combination of low $10 bets and good rules.

Looking for more options? If you’re willing to bump your expected loss per 100 hands up to the $3-$5 range, then you can play at the other places listed that are $25 and under. Playing $25 per hand can actually start to build some decent comp value over time. The $50 minimums would put you closer to a $10 expected loss per 100 hands played, but would also further increase your comp value. To be able to hang out at great places like Aria, Bellagio and Wynn, have free drinks, build some comp credit and have a good time, would you be willing to pay under $5 per 100 hands played? Sounds like a good deal for those that don’t want to take their game to a higher level with card counting. Just make sure you know your basic strategy!

The “Salary” (Income) of a Pro Blackjack Player

Every blackjack player has a theoretical “expected value” of their play. When you bet $100 on a hand, you’re going to win or lose $100 (assuming you don’t push, double, split, surrender or get a blackjack). However, over time there’s an average value of that hand. In card counting, high positive counts create a positive expected value for a card counter and negative counts create a negative expected value. Knowing this, and knowing how to take advantage of this, is the foundation of how professional blackjack players are able to make money.

So exactly what is the total overall expected value for a professional blackjack player? Check out the examples below to get an idea. For simplicity I’m going to do some rounding off and I’ll assume only one hand is being played with all counts being played through (no backing out on negative counts).

Scenario #1
Bellagio (Las Vegas)
# of decks: 2
Rules: S17, DA2, DAS, no RSA
Stakes: $100 units
Betting Spread: 1-5 ($100-$500)
Penetration: 68%
Counting System: Hi-Opt II with Full Indices
Hands/Hour: 180
Expected Value = $390 per hour

Scenario #2
JA Nugget (Reno)
# of decks: 1
Rules: H17, DA2, no DAS, no RSA
Stakes: $50 units
Betting Spread: 1-4 ($50-$200)
Penetration: 7 Rounds (heads up)
Counting System: Wong Halves with Illustrious 18 Indices
Hands/Hour: 200
Expected Value = $285 per hour

Scenario #3
Foxwoods (Norwich, CT)
# of decks: 6
Rules: S17, DA2, DAS, LS, no RSA
Stakes: $50 units
Betting Spread: 1-10 ($50-$500)
Penetration: 80%
Counting System: Hi-Lo with Sweet 16 & Fab 4 Indices
Hands/Hour: 220 (heads up)
Expected Value = $275 per hour

Needless to say, changing any of the variables listed would alter the expected value of an hour played. Now let’s assume for simplicity that a professional blackjack player played each of these scenarios for 5 hours per week. That’s a respectable 15-hour work week (nice, right?). Here’s what the 15 hours per week would yield in theoretical expected value…

(5 hours X $390) + (5 hours X $285) + (5 hours X $275) = $4,750 per week

$4,750 X 4 weeks = $19,000 per month

Yearly Theoretical Earnings from Playing Blackjack

Okay, so in this example you’re looking at $19,000 per month, which would then be $228,000 per year if you played for 12 months. These numbers are theoretical, meaning that your reality will not be exactly there. You might overshoot your theoretical (gotta love that) or you might fall short (not as fun). However, if you play enough hours it all pans out over time, or at least your results will be in the ball park of your theoretical earnings. Getting it all in cash is nice too.

If you’re contemplating a career as a professional blackjack player, you have to understand your own personal circumstances. You might play more or less hours than this. You might play higher quality or lower quality games. You might not have a very high skill level or you might play at higher or lower stakes. You also need to know what kind of bankroll can handle these levels of action, but that’s not something I’m going to get into here. This is just a teaser to show you the potential of a skilled blackjack player rather than a guide on how to actually reach these numbers. If you want to know everything that goes into being highly successful, you’re going to need to do more than just read a few pages off a website. You might want to consider my next blackjack class. I apologize for the shameless plug, but whether you want to become a professional player or just make some extra cash on the weekends, my class is definitely a smart investment.

Ok… and this matters why?

To most blackjack players it doesn’t matter at all. They can just move on over to any other blackjack table in the casino and continue losing their money. For the more advanced players though, it marks the end of a truly exceptional game.

The high limit single deckers at Barona were the only blackjack games in the country where you could essentially break even with the house just using basic strategy. That’s right, no card counting at all. Add in any half-ass counting and you had an easy edge over the casino.

There are plenty of great card counting opportunities out there, and the single deck at Barona wasn’t the best of them. It was just the game with the very best player odds without card counting. I’m sure almost any player that was a regular at the single deck tables was getting overcomped compared to their value to the casino. I know I enjoyed years of comped suites and lobster tails without needing a large betting spread that could potentially risk exposing my skill level.

Thank you Barona for the good times. I just wish they could have lasted a few more years before you wised up!

First let’s take a look at the best blackjack odds in Arizona (defined by the lowest house edge over a ” basic strategy ” player)…

So what makes these the best blackjack options in Arizona? Well, for the purposes of this article I’m only taking into consideration the estimated house edge when using basic strategy. These odds are created by the combination of the number of decks used and the rules of the table. So it’s important to note here that I’m not taking other card counting factors into consideration such as dealer penetration and number of tables. If you’re interested in further details that are critical to success as a card counter, then you might want to consider one of my upcoming blackjack classes to gain complete insight.

Arizona Blackjack Rules

Most casinos in Arizona are going to hit on Soft 17 and not allow Surrendering. If you know where to look though, you can find both of these rules working in your favor. Tucson has hands-down the best blackjack rules and odds in all of Arizona. Below I will be detailing the casinos of Tucson as well as the less player-friendly games in other areas of the state. I will be skipping Spanish 21 and Super Fun 21 and sticking to real blackjack games.

Casino Del Sol – Tucson, AZ

3 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $25 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces, surrender available

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces, surrender available

Desert Diamond – Tucson, AZ

3 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $25 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer stands on soft 17 (S17), double after split, resplit aces, no surrender

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer stands on soft 17 (S17), double after split, resplit aces, no surrender

Casino Arizona McKellips – Scottsdale, AZ

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces, no surrendering, lucky ladies side bet

Multi-Deck Blackjack w/ Continuous Shuffle

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces, no surrendering, lucky ladies side bet

Casino Arizona Talking Stick – Scottsdale, AZ

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces, no surrendering, lucky ladies side bet

Multi-Deck Blackjack w/ Continuous Shuffle

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces, no surrendering, lucky ladies side bet

Gila River Lone Butte – Chandler, AZ (less than 30 minutes from Phoenix)

4 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $25 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double down after split, no resplitting aces, no surrender

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double down after split, no resplitting aces, no surrender, lucky ladies side bet

Gila River Vee Quiva – Laveen, AZ

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, no resplit aces, no surrendering, lucky ladies side bet

Gila River Wild Horse Pass – Chandler, AZ (15 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport)

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, no resplit aces, no surrender

Fort McDowell – Scottsdale, AZ (15 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport)

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces (RSA), no surrender

Cliff Castle Casino – Camp Verde, AZ (30 minutes from Sedona)

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces (RSA), no surrender

Harrah’s Ak-Chin – Phoenix, AZ

4 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double down after splitting, no resplit aces, no surrender

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5/$10 minimum – $1,000 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double down after splitting, no resplit aces, no surrender

Cocopah Casino – Yuma, AZ

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double after split, resplit aces (RSA), no surrender

Paradise & Quechan – Yuma, AZ

Double Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double down after split, no resplitting aces, no surrender

6 Deck Blackjack

Table Limits: $5 minimum – $500 maximum
Blackjack Rules: dealer hits on soft 17 (H17), double down after split, no resplitting aces, no surrender

Keep in mind that there are areas in California that have “card houses” that are not located on tribal reservations. These card houses do not deal traditional blackjack, so my advice is to stay away from them. Commerce Casino and Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles are examples of places where you don’t want to play.

California Blackjack

I’ve taken some time to review the majority of the casinos in California to help you determine where to play blackjack. I’ve covered the number of decks used in each casino, the specific table rules and odds, and the table betting limits.

I’ve listed the legitimate CA blackjack games here:
Northern California Blackjack | Southern California Blackjack.

Best Blackjack in California

A special thanks to Barona in San Diego for offering single deck blackjack with surrender, doubling any two cards, doubling after splitting, and full 3:2 payment on blackjacks. As far as rules go, this is not only the very best blackjack game in all of California, but in the entire country! If you know the proper basic strategy, the house has almost no advantage over you at all. Throw in some weak card counting and minor play deviations and you’re instantly playing with a significant edge.

For those of you that really know blackjack, go get ‘em! For those of you looking to improve your game and get an edge over the house, consider joining my next blackjack class!

Professional Blackjack Players Always Have an Edge

When playing blackjack at a professional level you always know you have an advantage over the dealer. If you know what you’re doing (though few people do), you’ll maintain a clear cut edge over any dealer you go up against on any given night. The skill level of the opposition (the dealer) won’t change your favorable odds. The same can’t be said for poker. In poker you’re not playing against the dealer, you’re playing against other players. This means that you’ll never really be certain about your odds or know for sure if you’re a more skilled player than the other people at your table. You could be playing against an average tourist, or you might be facing off with a seasoned pro and not even know it.

Professional Blackjack Pays the Bills, Even the Big Ones

Talking with guys that play poker for a living, I’ve gained some insight into what kind of earnings are typical. A good friend of mine says he makes roughly $100 an hour playing poker. That’s after totaling all wins and all losses over the long haul. I know as a Professional Blackjack Player that $100 an hour would be a pretty rough year at the blackjack tables. Personally, that’s just not enough money for me. If you’re just playing as a hobby, then $100 an hour is great. If you’re trying to support a family and make some serious cash, then I believe you have to go with blackjack unless you intend to win the World Series of Poker. If you win a big tournament, then that’s great. Unfortunately very few people do.

Decision Making is Easy in Blackjack

Professional Blackjack Players always know exactly what to do in every given situation. There’s really no need to stress because every move is clear cut. You know what to do, and then you do it. Professional Poker Players face a huge stress in the fact that the game is so largely psychological. Sure there’s the calculations on when to match the blinds, but once you get deeper into the hand you’re trying to read other players’ thoughts. Sometimes you’ll be right and sometimes you’ll be wrong. Tormenting! I prefer to relax with blackjack knowing that I never make the wrong call and never have to play psychological games with other players.

More Action! Poker is Simply Too Boring

In my opinion, poker is unbearably slow. A good poker player folds more hands than they actually play. Even when you’re in the hand, you often end up sitting there bored out of your mind waiting for the other players to make their decision. When it comes to blackjack, there’s non-stop action. You’re using your card counting skills at all times and there’s always money in play. This creates a lot more excitement in a typical day of hitting the tables and leaves a lot less need for coffee. Maybe it’s just me, but blackjack is just a lot more fun and enjoyable as people come and go from the tables. Poker on the other hands seems to always be a drag with the same people sitting at the same table all night long.

Casino Comps – Ham Sandwich or Steak & Lobster

If you play poker, I’m sure you’ve noticed that the casino doesn’t respect your action much. Play all night and you might get a free sandwich or even a pass to the buffet. Ouch! One of the awesome things about blackjack is that the casinos usually comp blackjack players very well. Vegas and other gaming areas will have you eating at some of the finest restaurants in the world, staying in plush suites, going to concerts, fights and shows, and laughing all the way to the bank as you kick their a** at the tables. Nothing feels better than being treated like a king (queen for my female players) while beating the house at their own game.

And the Winner is… Professional Blackjack!

To me the choice is obvious. Blackjack pays better, is more entertaining, pulls in far more comps, and is less likely to have you second guessing yourself. If you want to learn how you can play professional blackjack, take a look around here at BlackjackClassroom.com and maybe consider joining one of my live card counting classes. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re ready to go make money just because you know basic strategy and can count +1 and -1. There’s a lot more to it and you don’t want to learn that lesson the hard way. If you have any questions, feel free to post below or contact me here.

First let’s take a look at the typical rules for Super Fun 21…

Super Fun 21 Rules

1. Dealer typically will hit on Soft 17.
2. Player may double after splitting (including aces).
3. Player may split up to four hands (including aces).
4. Player may hit or double down on split aces.
5. Play may double after hitting.
6. Player may surrender anytime (even after doubling).
7. A player’s six cards totaling 20 or less is an automatic win (except after doubling).
8. A player’s five cards or more totaling 21 pays 2-to-1 (except after doubling).
9. A player blackjack is an instant winner (even if the dealer has blackjack).
10. Blackjacks pay even money.

Okay, so now onto the question…

Super Fun 21 Strategy – Q & A

Player’s Question:

Would you surrender after doubling down against a 4, 5, or 6 if you
don’t make a hand above 17?

I’m assuming that the dealer will only bust out less than half the
time even with these cards. I’m thinking my analysis doesn’t fully
account for all expected values, so that’s why I’m confused.

Blackjack Instructor’s Answer:

To answer your question, it would depend on the count if you’re card counting. This is because an extremely high positive count would increase the dealer’s odds of busting. If you’re not card counting, then this is a bit trickier than you might have thought. Let’s make an example…

Say you’re facing a dealer’s 6 on a Super Fun 21 double deck game and your double has fallen short of 17 (as mentioned in the question). Now the dealer must bust for you to win. The dealer will bust a 6 roughly 42% of the time. If you played this out 100 times you would win the double 42 times and lose it 58 times. That’s an overall loss of 16 doubles. If you had chosen to surrender all those doubles, then you would have lost the value of 100 original bets (same as 50 doubles). Clearly you would be much worse off surrendering.

Here’s the value of betting $100 and doubling versus a dealer’s 6…

1. If you double, end up with 16 or less, and don’t surrender = $32 loss (expected value)
2. If you double, end up with 16 or less, and surrender = $100 loss (expected value)

Now think about it this way… would you ever surrender a 12-16 versus a dealer’s 6 if it weren’t a double but were your original hand instead? Hopefully the answer is no. So the fact that you have twice as much money on it after doubling shouldn’t change the way you play it. It’s still just a 12-16 versus a 6 at that point.

Super Fun 21 Blackjack Odds

My recommendation to all blackjack players, card counting or not, is to stay away from Super Fun 21. The overall odds of Super Fun 21 are deceivingly poor for the player. Some of the more favorable player rules available in this game can often trick players into thinking the terrible “even money” payment on blackjacks is tolerable. It isn’t.

A quick way to make this clear is to compare the difference in the house edge of a regular blackjack game and a Super Fun 21 blackjack game at a casino like the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The house edge of the Super Fun 21 version of Bellagio’s double deck is roughly 6X as high as that of the regular double deck blackjack (S17, DAS). Hopefully that says enough.

Progressive Betting | Optimal Card Counting

Progressive Betting Systems – Why Don’t They Work?

There are several pitfalls that you will eventually hit if you’re using a strategy based on progressive betting. First of all, at some point you might run out of money and not be able to afford doubling your bet after a loss. Here’s how things will look if you lose 7 hands in a row starting at $25…

Bet #1: $25 (total loss = $25)
Bet #2: $50 (total loss = $75)
Bet #3: $100 (total loss = $175)
Bet #4: $200 (total loss = $375)
Bet #5: $400 (total loss = $775)
Bet #6: $800 (total loss = $1,575)
Bet #7: $1,600 (total loss = $3,175)
.

Problem A

At this point you’re down $3,175 and you now need to bet $3,200. Can you afford that? How about if you lose an 8th hand in a row… Can you afford to be down $6,375 and then bet another $6,400? Even if you think you can afford it, when you finally win a hand you will be up a whopping $25 for all your work and emotional stress. Will you lose 7 or 8 hands in a row? Maybe not in the first hour of play, but there is no question that at some point you will lose more than 8 hands in a row no matter how good of a player you are.

Problem B

Looking at the above example, you can probably guess what the next problem with progressive betting is. Even if you have an unlimited bankroll, at some point you will hit the table maximum bet and will not be allowed to raise your bet further. Most Indian casinos will usually have a $500 or $1,000 table maximum. Many high limit rooms in Las Vegas only go up to $5,000. Even the high end properties in Vegas such as Wynn, Bellagio and Aria will only go up to $10,000 on their blackjack tables.

Problem C

Other factors involved in blackjack progressive betting are the player options of doubling and splitting. If you ignore these options the house edge against you will increase. If you use these options, as you should, you could end up with 2X or 3X your bet on the table. I’ve had pairs split into four separate hands and have needed to double all four of them. That meant I had 8X my original bet on the table. If the dealer busts and I win, that’s great, but if the dealer pulls a 21 and I lose all of my hands, that’s a tough pill to swallow. Now imagine you’re about five losses deep (down $775 and betting $800) into your progressive betting system and you’re dealt 8,8. The dealer shows a 6, so you split. Another 8 comes to you, so you split again. Now you get two face cards and a 3 to match your 8s. You stand on your 18s and double the 8,3. You get a low card on your double and the dealer turns the 6 into an easy 19. After all, a a dealer’s 6 only busts about 42% of the time. In this scenario you lose $800 X 4… That’s $3,200 in one shot! Now you’re down $3,200 + $775 and need to bet $4,000 just to make that original $25 in profit. Lose another hand and you’re at the table max without an opportunity to recoup your losses. It’s over and you only lost six hands in a row. Ouch!

The shortcomings of progressive betting apply to all casino games. Roulette, craps, baccarat, sportsbetting… you name it, progressive betting will guarantee you lose at it. Not even card counting is able to avoid the ultimate collapse of such a flawed system. You might win for a day or two and gain false confidence, but when the reality of progressive betting hits you it gets ugly quick. With one losing streak you will lose what you gained over the previous sessions and more!

Learn from the Mistakes of Others…

The bottom line – DO NOT USE A PROGRESSIVE BETTING SYSTEM! Many uneducated gamblers will try to mask the fact that their progressive betting system loses by adding little twists and tweaks. It has been proven over and over again that you will still lose if your strategy is based on a progression. Don’t sell yourself short, learn something useful that actually works and holds a long-run advantage. Take the time to learn about blackjack and card counting (not just counting +1 and -1, but everything that goes into being successful at counting cards), and you’ll maintain a long term advantage over the casinos. While you’re at it, why not join my next blackjack class!

Side Note – If you’re attempting to count cards in Laughlin, at the end of this article I will cover the strategy I suggest using to maximize your winning potential. If you don’t know how to count cards or are just simply ineffective with your current way of doing things, then you might want to consider one of my upcoming blackjack classes.

Best Blackjack Odds in Laughlin

The smallest house edge you can find in Laughlin will be at the single deck tables at Golden Nugget and Pioneer. These games give a full payout on blackjack and hold a house edge of under .2% if you know how to play your hands correctly. If you’re looking to get these great odds, then I suggest brushing up on your single deck basic strategy. Beware of the single deck at Harrah’s Del Rio and Aquarius, because they pay 6:5 on blackjack rather than 3:2. That gives the house nearly a 2% edge rather than a .2% edge.

Your next best option is the single deck blackjack at Riverside. They also give a full 3:2 payment on blackjack, although they restrict your doubling down to just on 10 or 11. The house edge on this game is still under .5% if you use optimal basic strategy.

Laughlin Double Deck Blackjack

The double deck games you’ll find in Laughlin are all pretty similar. There’s no doubling after splitting and no resplitting aces. The odds hang around .5% for a basic strategy player. If you’re not card counting, then you’re better off on the full paying single deck games. If you are card counting, then you may want to consider the deep dealing 6-deck options. Either way there’s never really a reason to be playing double deck in Laughlin.

Laughlin 6-Deck Blackjack

The 6-deck shoe games in Laughlin have the worst odds other than the dreadful 6:5 paying single deck games. Even as a perfect basic strategy player you will be facing nearly a 1% disadvantage. Being a Professional Blackjack Player myself, I probably wouldn’t play these games unless they had extremely good dealer penetration and I was using a team strategy. The 6-deck dealer penetration in Laughlin is typically pretty good.

Laughlin Blackjack Rules

All blackjack games in Laughlin have the dealer hitting on Soft 17. The majority of the games will not allow you to double after splitting and you cannot resplit aces or surrender anywhere that I’m aware of. Since the rules are pretty consistent, you will get the better odds going with a game that uses less decks. Single deck is best, followed by double deck, then 6-deck and 8-deck. This isn’t always the case in other parts of the country (especially Vegas), but it is clearly the case in Laughlin.

Card Counting in Laughlin

When it comes to counting cards in Laughlin, you have a couple of choices. You can go with the better odds on single deck and use a minimal betting spread, or you can go with a large betting spread on the 6-deck games that have good penetration. In order to fly under the radar I suggest using both strategies so you can move from casino to casino without overexposing yourself in any one place. You’ll find the greatest return on your investment using a good team card counting strategy with a friend or two. This will allow you to take advantage of a huge betting spread on the 6-deck tables. These 6-deck games have terrible initial odds, but you can often find great penetration to offset it. Pioneer would be the number one option for good 6-deck penetration followed by Tropicana Express, River Palms, Riverside and Harrah’s Del Rio.

Now go enjoy the river, the sun and the blackjack. Just be sure to use this guide to increase your chances of going home a winner!

Speaking from experience, I’ve put together a list of the top 5 positive and negative aspects of playing blackjack for a living. My hope is to help people decide if this lifestyle seems right for them before they go out and experience everything first hand. I’ll go with the assumption that you enjoy playing cards and are interested in card counting, because I would never recommend anyone pursue a career that they won’t enjoy.

Positives of “Playing Blackjack for a Living”

1. Paid in Cash

The benefit of being handed cash on the same day you earn it is fairly self-explanatory. I don’t know anyone that would rather be written a check than given cash.

2. No Boss

Doing what you want, when you want, how you want, is a luxury very few people have. Being your own boss and having no one to answer to can be very satisfying and work well for a motivated person. If you’re an extremely lazy person and need someone to babysit you and tell you what to do, then playing blackjack as a job and card counting in general may not be for you. This is an entrepreneurial type of business that provides great financial reward for hard work.

3. Flexibility in Schedule

Having the ability to work when you want and start or stop on a moments notice is an immeasurable benefit of playing blackjack for a living. You can never be late for work or take too long of a lunch. For the night owls, you’ve got the luxury of playing blackjack any time of day or night any day of the week. Sometimes I like to play as much as possible for a straight week and then take the entire next week off. The point is, as a professional blackjack player, how you manage your time is completely up to you!

4. Environment

This might not be a positive for everyone, but it certainly is for me. I would much rather spend a Tuesday afternoon at a Las Vegas resort than in a cubicle at an office. When blackjack is your job, you get to enjoy casual conversation at the tables in a vacation setting rather than sitting in a meeting room at work talking about increasing production. What’s more appealing, having a diet coke in a break room at the office or drinking a cold beer out at a pool?

5. Free Comps

For me this is a huge perk of the job. I’m not the type of guy that goes out and spends $300 on dinner at an overpriced steakhouse. However, when those lobster tails are free, they seem to taste so much better. Playing blackjack for a living allows me to eat at some of the priciest restaurants in the world and stay in some of the most beautiful resorts ever built. While most people save up all year for a summer vacation, my family is able to go to just about any casino resort for free on a moments notice.

Negatives of “Playing Blackjack for a Living”

1. Healthcare

For those of you that depend on company paid healthcare, you’re simply not going to get that covered playing blackjack as a job. You will be left to buy your own healthcare out of pocket just like any other self-employed person.

2. Retirement

Along with no company healthcare, you also will not be getting an employer matched 401K. My suggestion is to set up a Roth IRA and make the maximum contribution every year. Your Roth IRA capital gains will be tax-free and can be cashed out upon retirement age. Although you may never want to retire from playing professional blackjack, you will hit what is considered the “retirement age” for a Roth IRA at 59 1/2. Roth IRAs are one of the best things going in the investment world, so take full advantage. Distributions really are 100% tax free!

3. Travel

This can be a good thing or a bad thing. I have a wife and kids, so I don’t like to travel away from them too much. We’ve chosen to live in a nice area with great weather rather than live where there are a lot of great casinos. This means I have to travel out to where I play. Sometimes that’s a lot of fun, but sometimes it’s just a hassle. You really have to give strong consideration to how you’re going to get to the casinos you plan to regularly play at.

4. No Exact Paycheck

Playing blackjack for a living doesn’t earn you a bi-weekly paycheck of a set amount. In card counting the money tends to come in waves that simply cannot be planned. Some days a Pro Blackjack Player might make more than he made the entire previous week. Then the next day he might make nothing. If you’ve ever worked a commission job, then you know how this is. If you’re accustomed to a predictable paycheck that you get every two weeks, then this lifestyle takes a little getting used to. Just don’t go spending all your money when you have your first big winning day.

5. Smokers

This is my own issue and I don’t expect everyone to agree. After all, some professional players are smokers themselves. I personally can’t stand having to sit at blackjack tables with people blowing smoke in my face. Unfortunately casinos are packed with smokers. These days more and more casinos are adding non-smoking tables and are improving their ventilation systems, so this is a continually improving negative aspect of the game. One of my top personal rules is to never sit directly next to someone that’s smoking. If they light one up, I’m getting up and switching tables.

Is Card Counting for a Living for You?

So there you have it, my own personal list of 5 positives to playing blackjack for a living and 5 negatives to consider as well. Only you can decide if this type of work is a good fit for you and your personality. I realize many of you just want to beat the game for when you’re on vacation or to supplement your income on weekends. For you, the issues listed above probably aren’t too significant. For those looking to get to a professional card counting level and have blackjack as their sole source of income, these are some things you really must consider before quitting your day job. Of course these issues only matter once you gain the necessary knowledge, skill and discipline to be a profitable blackjack player in the first place.