Ian Andersen has been a successful high-stakes blackjack player for a long time. His 1976
book, Turning the Tables on Las Vegas, is a classic in the field.
Ian Andersen has been a successful high-stakes blackjack player for a long time. His 1976
book, Turning the Tables on Las Vegas, is a classic in the field.
Andersen's Burning the Tables in Las Vegas, originally published in 1999 and revised in 2003, is also a classic. The book's emphasis is on how Andersen gets away with big bets (his preferred bet range is $500 to two hands of $3000 or more each) while counting cards in a casino. Andersen uses extensive cover and it is expensive, but in spite of that he has a win rate in excess of $1000 per hour. One of the things that Andersen does to increase his win rate is talk the dealers into giving him better penetration; Burning the Tables in Las Vegas explains how he does it. Andersen shares a lot of good stories. The book has a great section on establishing multiple legal identities. The book also has advice that can serve you well in your life outside of a casino, such as the section on interpersonal competence on pages 32-34. The book is hard cover and 345 pages, including an index.
The 2003 edition has three chapters (50 pages) not in the 1999 edition: chapter 8 "Crazy Surrender," chapter 9 "For Green-Chip Players," and chapter 14 "Understanding Casino Thinking." Crazy surrender is a new gambit developed by Andersen to keep the welcome mat out in casinos. For chapter 9, Andersen played 50 sessions with green chips, so that he could experience what greenies face. The new chapter 14 devotes seven pages to discussion of facial-recognition software.
Here is a paragraph from page 185, which is a good summary of the meat of the book:
By now I hope you've developed an understanding of the tactics for winning money at casino blackjack. You should know how to play your cards, bet your money, camouflage your play, and improve your playing conditions. You should also know how to interact with casino personnel to optimize your wins and preserve your longevity as a player. And you should be able to maintain your privacy by using guises, disguises, and different identities.
Here is another quote I really like, from pages 201-202:
Feeling at Home in a Casino
Some players feel intimidated by the casino environment. These feelings are usually related to not fully understanding the role of the dealer, pit boss, shift boss, casino manager, casino host, casino executive, and casino surveillance personnel. We're often intimidated by what we don't understand. Having a complete knowledge of the job description of every casino employee allays a lot of fears.
Another major help in easing fear is having a constructive paradigm. You are not at war and the casino is not your enemy. Blackjack is my business, casino personnel are my business associates, and the casino is my office. It makes perfect sense to establish excellent relationships with your colleagues. This technique is especially effective, given that most other players are using less constructive paradigms.
They may chronically complain to dealers or, worse yet, verbally abuse them. They may be hostile to pit bosses whom they fear. If a pit boss puts an evil eye on them, they may squirm, avoid eye contact, and use body language that leads to suspicions and surveillance. This is the meat of the whole matter, the foundation on which this paradigm, the Ultimate Gambit, is built. When you can trick a pit boss, who's paid to be suspicious, and fool a game-security specialist, who knows all the moves, then you've made it. You've broken through to a brave new world.
The price is $27.95 (plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada address). Burning the Tables in Las Vegas is available from:
Pi Yee Press
4855 W. Nevso Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89103
Phone 702-579-7711
E-mail info@bj21.com
Or use the Pi Yee Press on-line order form.