Blackjack A very interesting video

<<< This video is FASCINATING. It is in regards to blackjack but an absolute must watch !!!

Ken

 

Although I have seen it several times, I started watching again. My brother who has ended play for the year and is just sort of chilling and I watched it today. He said hadn't seen it before. I don't know how that happened.

I am sure most real AP's even if they aren't into blackjack or play blackjack anymore has seen this documentary by KC. It really is extraordinary on several levels. There are things to be learned and take-aways for blackjack card counters at every level and style of play.

KC's 12 month journey, literally and figuratively is exactly how card counting works! KC had a great first 6 months winning about 600K, then experienced a severe downturn lasting several months in which he lost half of that amount and then in the final couple months rebounded back to $500k. At one point KC states that every card counter will experience losing periods lasting month, which is something I have harped on for more than a decade. Playing a fraction of KC's max bet, I have had similar downturns of 30K, 5 different times. That is just the way it works. And you have to learn to deal with it without freaking out.

In card counting I often refer to two approaches, the slaughter vs shearing. Slaughter is obviously playing high stakes, for as long as you can before you are banned everywhere. Shearing or sometimes called the milking approach is playing lower stakes, drawing less attention and milking it for as long as you can. KC's approach was obviously the slaughter approach, because of both the stakes and style he played. There is no blending in or hiding what you are doing. And he didn't!

So besides, being a very entertaining documentary and showing exactly how card counting works with the variance and swings, we saw firsthand the heat and backoffs that come with this higher stakes "slaughter" approach. KC was trespassed at lots of places and some before he even set foot in the casino or played a hand.

That should make anyone viewing ask themselves "well what if a player didn't play such high stakes and style that drew so much attention?" "What if a player was able to figure out stakes and a style of play that was better tolerated?"

And that is exactly what I did my first 10-12 years in Vegas and what my brother has done for 7 years now. It can be done. And it is being done, by more than just myself and my brother. And it can still be done. As much as things change....they also remain the same. Like Munchkin said in the doc, you just need to figure ways around some of the obstacles.

I think my brother benefited from watching this doc today, especially just wrapping up his first year significantly below expectation. More important, anyone interested in, getting into or even that has been into card counting for years can benefit from this video. Showing you what you might want to NOT do as much as what you might want to do.