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Slot Machines Handling
Pay close attention to the pay particulars of "7s" machines; they can be tricky. We were in a casino one day and a woman started yelling, "1 got three blue sevens! I got three blue sevens!" We looked over and sure enough, there they were, three blue 7s lined up on the pay line. However, there were no lights flashing, no bells ringing, no credits racking up, no money coming out of the machine. The woman cried, “Where’s my jackpot?" Upon closer inspection, we saw that with less than-max coins played, payoffs were limited to bars and cherries only; to get paid for 7s you had to have three coins in. The woman had played two coins, so when her three blue 7s came up, instead of winning a $1,000 jackpot, she got nothing.
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Professional Players At Casino
Ace Adjustments
Normally, one ace should be seen for every thirteen cards. If there is any disparity from the usual number, the RC needs to be adjusted. This is generally only done for betting situations, and then only when the adjustment might make a difference on the amount you will wager.
This may sound a little complicated, so let me give you a few examples to show how it works. If you were playing in a double-deck game at and approximately half a deck (twenty-six cards) had been played, you should have seen two aces. However, if only one ace had appeared, you have a situation in which the remaining cards are slightly ace rich (by one ace). You then need to adjust the RC, up or down by the excess or shortage of aces. In this case you would add either + 1 (for Hi-Opt I) or +2 (for Hi-Opt II) to the RC before making your TC conversion.
These numbers are for Hi-Opt I, in which you adjust 1 for every ace. If you used the Hi-Opt II system, then you'd need to adjust plus or minus 2 for each ace.
Double Deck Principles
The same principles from the double-deck chart could be used to adjust for aces in a single deck game, except the number of normal aces would be different. Playing against only one deck is actually easier because the TC in single deck is always greater than the RC, and this greatly simplifies much of the conversion process. This means that it is only necessary to make TC calculations on close decisions. Often, the number needed to stand or to increase your bet will be evident without having to go through the several steps of adjusting the RC. Playing single deck at full tables where they deal two rounds is especially a snap because you only need to make one TC decision per deck for betting (between each round).
Proper Procedure
Learning the proper order for counting cards at the . table can be confusing at first, especially in shoe games in which a dozen cards can appear within a few seconds. I will explain the technique I use, although the important thing is not so much the methodology, but its consistency. Never count cards in a random manner because you will inevitably miss a few or count some twice.
In a face up game, I never begin my count with the first card given to each player. Instead, I start my count with the dealer's up card, and then count each player's hand, two cards at a time. The reason I wait until each player receives his second card is that many combinations cancel each other out and it's much easier to count in pairs. After that, I count each hit or double-down card as it is seen, beginning with the player at first base and ending with the dealer. The term "first base" refers to the individual sitting in the first betting spot immediately to the left of the dealer.
Holding the Cards
In most handheld games, players still hold their cards like in the movies. Many people enjoy the old-fashioned tactile sensation this offers, but there is a downside for card counters-they don't see all the cards until the end of the round when the dealer flips them over to resolve the hand. This can be the source of errors, as sometimes you may catch a glimpse of another player's cards during one hand, while on the next hand you don't. Once again, consistency is the key here.
I usually try to sit in the middle seat, which gives me the best view of other player’s hands, since seeing a few extra cards can make a big difference in single deck. My procedure in facedown games is to always count the dealer's up card first. Then I count my hand and any other hand that I can see every time. After that I count all the other cards as they are exposed-hits, busts, double downs.
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