Gambling as a profession
I have always been fascinated by playing card manipulation, partly because there is an analytical component to card games. For the masses, Hollywood has been responsible for publicizing card gaming, through Rounders and 21.
However, the appeal of gambling as a profession is attributed to Jon Chang, who spearheaded the MIT card club into a lucrative business. “Lucrative” is certainly not exactly an accurate description of the profession anymore, but much can be gleaned from gaming history nonetheless.
The game of choice at the time was Blackjack, which was simple enough at the time produce a probabilistic advantage to the player. The fundamental premise behind winning in Blackjack is to keep count of which cards have been cycled out, and increase your bet when there is a higher chance of obtaining face cards (table is hot). Casinos have since implemented strategies to discourage card counting. One frequent finding in casinos is simply shoe recycling. Dealers and pit bosses have much lower thresholds to reshuffling the shoe even after about 50 cards in a 6-deck shoe. In Vegas, the tables with more lenient shuffling policies tend to have a higher minimum bet. Overall, winning in Blackjack consistently is more of a chore.
That said, I have seen a handful of people hit the card tables routinely for weekend Blackjack sessions twice a month with relative success. The gains come mostly in the form of “comp’s”; Blackjack is one of the highest compensating table games at the casino. Your “comp” status depends on the duration you spend at the tables, as well as the betting amounts you put down. The casinos keep track of your earnings/losses through their member cards at the table.
In Vegas, the standard tables are mostly located downtown. These casinos keep the cards unshuffled until over half of the shoe has been cycled through. I suspect that this is a marketing gimmick to attract business. On the Strip, most tables have horrible card movement. The $5/$10 tables at Excalibur, Luxor, MGM, Tropicana, and NYNY all keep the player’s winning percentage at a minimum. Mandalay, as I recall, has a few tables during the early hours that allow a more systematic gaming system, although they mostly require $10/$15 minimum bets. Aria, Bellagio, Caesar’s, Wynn, and Venetian all have strict shuffling policies on all under-$25 tables. Overall, winning conditions are generally unfavorable in Vegas.
Where are the best tables? Sound out in the comments below!