Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Blackjack - Card Counters make their way back to Casinos through Tournaments

Casino workers frequently confused on card counters

There's a long and murky history of professional blackjack players getting barred and backroomed by casinos in Vegas and other gaming resorts.

However, due to the increasing popularity of table games, more specifically poker, and the advent of the 'World Series of Blackjack', card counters - which can be more professionally termed "advantage players" - are recently finding themselves welcomed back into the casinos to take part in these events, despite blackjack tournaments originally being the realm of 'high rollers'

The casino industry itself is still wary of these advantage players and blackjack tournaments, especially in a game ike blackjack in which the math can favour the player.

Over the years, casinos have viewed card counters with huge amounts of caution and sometimes violence, but recently, casino players are beginning to learn about their rights and defending themselves in potential lawsuits - in 2001 a blackjack player won $400,000 from a Vegas casino after being handcuffed and accused of bending cards and looking at the dealers hole card. The player denied bending cards but accused the dealer of sloppy play and allowing the hole card to be seen.

Casinos have stopped being so heavy-handed in barring players, and often just ask the player not to take part. Managers are having to learn the difference between a cheater and a card counter but still there is a huge gulf between the senior casino managers and the casino staff in knowing these differences and have to be evermore careful due to corporate lawsuits.

Naturally, blackjack advantage players find the whole attitude towards them as 'ridiculous'.

I somewhat agree with them.

Links:
- World Series of Blackjack
- Online Blackjack Guide

posted by jo @ 3:34 PM   0 comments

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