Keith Smith

Better yet is play with a team, a sacrifice player at third, the heavy hitter on first. The sacrafice player on third sole job is to feed the dealer tens when he see an identifiable clump of tens. In addition, his job is to hit as much as possible when he is in a clump of lows. It can get draw an awful lot of heat though when you split 10s and hit 19 etc to pull lows. An added twist per your suggestion was have him play dealer startegy rather than basic strategy when the cards are deemed random to affect the card flow bias.

We used to do this on AC in the early 90's but had a lot of success putting the dealer strategy player in the middle of the table. The reason being is that the third based players hand is more like the dealer than any other position so it tended to move the bias to the middle of the table.

Can you explain a bit more of what you are trying to point out? I am not clear what you are saying will be the clue and why

Where are you playing the two deck game at? How many times in that game did you lose 3 hands in a row?

Card counting works on a computer simulation. The one thing that a computer simulation does is produce close to random cards. In the real world, it is obvious that the cards are not random and are clumped. Clumped meaning that statistically a high card will follow a high card more than they do randomly and the same happens with low cards. When this occurs with low cards, it produces a game that favors dealer strategy. That's why the house seems to hit with impunity in a multiple deck game. What we teach you is how to play a non random game.

I have to tell you that the 2 deck game at the goldstrike is one of the best game I have seen in years. They use a shuffle machine to alternate two 2 deck shoes. Before they place the cards in the shuffle machine they do a once through stutter shuffle with a strip at times. The cards clump up at a frequency that allows you to see some predicability but not to the point of "you know why you lost". My wife killed the game at third base and twice cashed in $1200 in greens in a back and forth game playing NBJ at third. Most of the other folks at the table lost eventually, but due to some alteration in card play when she saw clumping was obvious, applying the correct betting strategy to a back and forth game we had a windfall. I saw people in games always betting up as you win in a game when they are clearly never losing three hands in a row playing very close to even straight basic. They can offer that game for the same old reason, everyone plays close to or some variation of basic strategy and ignore the obvious ( card clumping) Theyall bet the same way, up as you win. Just to prove they have no fear of counters, it I counted it out and recited the basic strategy play refine to "WONG Halves count" out loud and no one said a word. A double deck game where they deal down to 3/4 of a deck they didn't care if I counted. Bring on the card counters they beat you hands down. Play NBJ and learn to win. k

New Blackjack and World Class Blackjack The strategies are based on non random cards and not randomness that card counting assusmes. KS

Where were you playing at and how many decks? Looks like you had enough predicabilty from the Aces ploy you made. After all, thats all you really need is and edge. Looks like you found it in that game. Realize that most people look for too much or read predicability into a game that doesn't exist. If you played close to even on the other areas and worked the first base with the Aces predictabilty then you played as well as anyone could. If the cards become too predicable, they are too clumped and you know exactly why you lost! K

Folks we made a single subscription forum for BJ. BJ being my first love it was hard to track and get involved with with the different forums so we moved to one. The membership includes WCB, NBJ and In Search Of manuals. If you had membership to NBJ club or WCB message me and I will add the access for you if I missed you. KS

The no hole card option offers the experienced NBJ player the greatest advantage. First, let's take a look at how this game is played. The dealer deals the first round of cards to every player, face up in most cases. On the second pass the dealer gives everyone a second card, however, does not take a second down card himself. This style is not seen much at all in the United States. All the players at the table make all their play decisions, i.e., hit or stand. After all the players' decisions are made the dealer then draws a second card and plays out her hand. At first glance, this would eliminate the hole card read for the NBJ and thereby seemingly inhibit some of the advantage gained by the hole card read. However, it yields a greater advantage - control over the dealer's second card. In addition, it provides a better hit card anticipation in some circumstances due to the fact that with this no hole card option, we have switched to the other side of the table, thus allowing us to see more hit cards before we make a hit/stand decision. To start, I recommend the no hole card players switch to the third base position. This is the position directly before the dealer takes his cards. You cannot use the NBJ tactic of playing off the last card ten in the prior round to make your betting decision as you are too far away from the next card out of the shoe. The only exception to this would be if you are at a table where there are three or less players. In this case you have a huge advantage due to first card anticipation and also dealer second card control. You will be playing (in most cases) a negative or up as you lose progression. I want you to start with a low risk one to test the waters: 1-1-2. In other words, with $5.00 as the base unit you would be playing $5 - $5 - $10 on each hand if you have three successive losses. If you win any of the bets you are to return to the first bet. If you find that you are winning then you should up the progressions base bet as appropriate to your stop loss and bankroll. When playing from the third base position you must first determine what your strategy will be. Of course if the dealer has a low card as her first card your objective is to feed the dealer a clump of tens to facilitate a break. This can be achieved in some circumstances. First, I must caution you not to read anything into the flow of the cards that isn't there. Too many players think that they are in a clump of cards when they are not and read things into the play of the hands that isn't appropriate. This is bad blackjack. With that said, if the dealer has a low card up and you have a pat hand 17-21 then of course the play would be to stand. However if you have a stiff hand 12-16 and the dealer has a low card up you should first: 1.) Determine if the next cards out of the shoe are a clump of cards. You do this by visually observing the hit cards in the round. If no one has hit then proceed back from your second card to the second card of the other players at the tables. 2.) If you determine that the clump is low and the dealer has a low card then you should hit your stiff to 17. 3.) If you determine that the clump is high then you should stand. 4.) If you cannot determine the clumping or the deck is random at this point play basic strategy and in most cases you will stand. Not difficult from that point. Please understand that this is a common sense approach to blackjack. Let's look into another possible scenario. Assume the dealer has a low first card. You, at third position, have a pair of 3's. You are in a very powerful position. First, you have many card play options that are available. Go through the same thought process. First determine if you are in a clumped section of the shoe. Assume that you identify a clump of tens. Your first impulse probably is to hit your hand or split. I want you to think about that for a moment. What advantage would there be by having two hands of thirteen? What is the difference if you stand with 6 or 13? Nothing! That's correct. The only way you can win is if the dealer breaks. Why take away the cards that could possibly break her? A ten doesn't improve your hand. You would not re-hit after you received a ten on the first three. So don't hit or don't split... send the dealer a clump of tens and collect the money! Consider this same scenario again, only now you have identified a low clump of cards. Split the threes. If the clump still is going after you hit your first three, hit on your first hand until 17. Don't double the first hand unless you are certain you will receive a ten (of course I can't see how you could hit and obtain a total of 10 or eleven and then qualify the double). On the second hand you want to stop as soon as a ten falls, whether it be on the first or second hit. I hope that this has enlightened you as to how to think when you are playing no hole card from third base. Now I will show you how to gain the greatest advantage from third base with a no hole card option. The no hole card style play lends itself to the sacrifice player strategy. You will try to find a table with the 2 positions directly in front of the dealer, traditionally called third base and the 6th position. The third base position ( spot directly before the dealers hand) will be your sacrifice player spot and the spot to the right of that spot will be your "Money Spot". For betting purposes the sacrifice player spot will be flat betting the table minimum for every hand. The Money Spot will be betting a negative progression at least twice the base bet of the sacrifice player. For instance, if the sacrifice player spot is flat betting $5 then the money spot must be using a negative progression of at least $10 - $20 - $30 (1-2-3) . The sacrifice player will always flat bet. The sacrifice player will never double. The reason is that the sacrifice player must always have a card play option. His sole purpose is to feed break cards to the dealer. If the dealer has a low card up the sacrifice player will always try to eat up the low cards so that the clump changes to a high card clump. It is better to eat up a low card clump and send random cards to the dealer then it is to let a low card clump proceed to the dealer. The dealer cannot break with a low card clump, at least with a high card or random cards the dealer has a chance to break. If we use the previous scenario with the pair of threes as an example we note that the sacrifice player has many options to try to break the dealer. If highs are running he should stand on the pair of threes. If lows are running a split would be in order to eat up low cards. You will receive "heat" from other players as well as the casino when playing this strategy. I encourage you not to argue with other players or get into a discrepancy with the casino. If you get to much grief the best policy is just to leave. The final and most powerful approach is the previous sacrifice player strategy with a partner at the first base position. If you have a sacrifice player at third base and a partner at first position you can capitalize on the last card ten dealt to the dealer and also the increased dealer break ratio. In the United States it is technically collusion at the table and I would encourage you to be discreet when using this strategy. It is not necessary to play the no hole card only strategy with the sacrifice player and first base strategy.

Like this Keith Smith

Post your user name here we will be moving to access masks rather than a forum password. I want to insure you are given access if you have a subscription

look in the universal forum

Get a partner and have him play third base. Have him flat bet and when there is an obvious low card clump, hit no matter what he has, split, hit stand with less than 11 if highs are running. Me and Ellis used to do this all the time.

I received a ticket to see an advance preview of the movie "21" last night and I attended. The movie was entertaining, as it is always fun to see the glitzy life of Las Vegas. It was certainly modeled after the BIG PLAYER of Ken Uston team strategy. I found it interesting that they started the movie by using the "three doors game show host" example as their introduction... the same example that Ellis and I use in our NBJ seminar of variable change. We have opened every NBJ seminar with that example since we started! Initially, a statement made by the primary character was that Card Counting requires a special skill and he has it. He indicated that you need a high level of intelligence to count cards and to make it work. This feeds right into the egos of card counters that they have superior intelligence and are somehow gifted to be able to do this. The reality of the issue is that it is essentially basic addition and subtraction and a 7th grader could accomplish it. Of course then they expose that if you can keep a running count of +1 and -1 and memorize plays you are a card counter. He would even admit (in later scenes) it only requires basic math and he then proceeds to teach his friends. The Movie was entertaining and funny at times. I enjoyed it, but once again it is the Casino Industry promoting card counting and the glamour of winning big by doing it. The movie ends with, "I went 17 times to Las Vegas and made hundreds of thousands of dollars yada yada yada"....and of course all the money got stolen.

After I had a heart attack I think it was Elli'ss fault to many times he would be at first base and I would stand on a total of 6.... no shit

Any time you can't predict yes play basic or safe strategy

Yea i needed visualization drills hahahah

Here is a Trip report frpm 1991 when I was full time pro. I will try to dig them up from Kenny Forbes that were sent to Jerry Patterson and Ellis

Here are a few Screen shots of the revised WCB manual

Random means that the cards have no identifiable pattern and you are unable to predict (expect) any cards. Dirty clumps usually mean long runs of predominantly high cards with an occasional low card. It must be a consistent pattern for it to be considered dirty clumps. For instance of 10 cards you see a low card in predominantly high cards. The only way that it is predictable is if you see it a few times. You can only temper your bets and card play decisions on the fact that it may be a dirty clump and that the card that you feel may come may be interrupted by a "low card so adjust your card play, double decision based on the fact that you are seeing dirty clumps. Be cautious not to see things that you cannot predict without a certain amount of accuracy.

Special Offer is to send me your name, physical and email address and i will send you Chapter 1 of the NBJ manual absolutly free. You can take a look first, you will want to pick it up then. Fill out this form and include your name and address.

Im working on getting them in the forum Sorry about the delay as they were lost form the old forum and web server move So i have to replay them and get them into digital format again

If it was a low stakes game and you want to **** around this works Put a guy in the middle of the table and have them play straight dealer strategy for minimum bets for a few shoes. One he will play close to even and two the dealer bias will go away. Try it it works ~k