Changing the Playing Strategy

According to the Count

For purposes of this section, we're going to stick with our simple count. Perhaps the word simple is a misnomer, for though the count is easy to remember and use, it is very, very effective, as many of my pupils can attest, and it has been used to good effect to truly damage the bankrolls of several casinos.

Before you study the variations presented in this section, you should be familiar with the basic playing strategy, knowing the correct moves for every possible situation. If you don't yet know these moves, go back and study them again and again until you do know them.

Then, after the basic strategy is mastered, study the basic counting method. Play out hundreds and perhaps thousands of hands at home until you can easily follow the count, which means not to linger over cards, raising your head in the air, thinking of what the count was and is now.

To be able to use this count effectively under casino conditions, where you'll be playing at a table with other bettors, where the cards will be snapped at you, where a floorman will be watching your every move, is the bottom line. And if you are having trouble at home keeping track of the cards, imagine the difficulty you'll be facing in a casino.

Be patient. What you're learning in this page is the key to making a lot of money for the rest of your life. It's the key that unlocks the treasuries and bankrolls of casinos to your wallet.

So learn and practice and be patient. When you can handle a count at lightning speed, immediately knowing the plus or minus figure, and you also know what moves to make under any condition, you're ready to learn the variations. After this section, you'll be ready to tap into the casino bankrolls.

the variations presented

the first player

the borderline hands