Blackjack Was John Scarne right?

I wrote this in 1996 with crediting Scarne
John Scarne finally admitted that he had a card casing system in his book "Scarne's Complete Guide To Gambling"(1986). On page 370, Scarne explains his COUNTOWN SYSTEM. This method did not fit into computer programs and more importantly wins.

Scarne was the first counter to barred at Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo in the 40's. Subsequently, he was barred from all Las Vegas casinos. Scarne was rebuked by the casino sponsored gurus because he had the guts to reveal a valid winning blackjack method. This system is by far, the best single deck method ever devised.

In a nutshell, this system requires you to buy 20 additional chips to be used for the "countdown". Take four chips off this stack and place it next to the remaining 16 chips. The four chips represent aces while the 16 chips represent tens, jacks, queens and kings. As you go through the deck, take off the chips from these stacks as they are played. If, for example, 1/2 of a deck remains and 8 chips are left from the ten's pile and four chips remain on the aces pile. Since this situation has produced a 2-1 ratio from the normal 4-1 ratio of ten cards to aces, we will get blackjacks 9.6% of the time instead of 4.8% of the time. You will NEVER find and exploit this advantage with Stanford Wong's or Arnold Snyder's counts.

John Scarne was the ultimate insider who sought to reveal the truth of this great game. But as usual, you suckers will believe in people who can manipulate computer simulated outcomes better than they can handle cards.

John Scarne's "Countdown System" also works perfectly regarding insurance. While ALL the "recognized" experts can only offer approximations, Scarne's
method will give you the EXACT percentage of the insurance bet. When the ratio of tens and aces is under 2-1, then it is favorable to take insurance. You can also do this with double- deck and beyond if you wish. In the double deck, just adjust your stacks of chips to 32 and 8, for tens and aces respectively. When over the 2-1 ratio, don't take insurance.

 

The genius (for lack of a better word) wasn't what he was counting but rather how he was doing it using chips as an aid.

Unfortunately that is illegal, falling under the "device" clause. Personally I think considering gaming chips a device is ridiculous, but it is pretty clear it stands up legally.

 

One can use a foot count or move up to use memory to avoid prosecution

 

Interesting reading!

 

It's interesting to learn about John Scarne's "Countdown System" for blackjack card counting. Scarne was certainly an influential figure in the gambling world, and his book "Scarne's Complete Guide To Gambling" is a classic. The idea of using chips to count cards is unique, and Scarne's system seems to work well for single-deck blackjack. However, it's important to keep in mind that this system may not work as well for multi-deck games, as it becomes more difficult to keep track of the cards.

It's true that many experts have developed their own card counting systems, and some may be more effective than others depending on the game and the player's skill level. It's also important to note that card counting is not illegal, but it is frowned upon by casinos, and players who are caught doing it may be asked to leave.

Overall, it's interesting to learn about different gambling strategies and methods, but it's important to remember that there is no surefire way to win at gambling. It's always a risk, and players should only gamble with money they can afford to lose.