Las Vegas Two Deck Strategy
by Rob McGarvey
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After months of dreaming and over a year of counting, I finally made my way to Las Vegas, the Entertainment Capital of the World and gamblers Mecca. It didn't take me long to realize there was no way I would be able to see everything I was interested in between Sunday afternoon and Thursday morning. The entire strip is only a short drive from the airport, but each and every few feet along the strip there is a distraction to follow, a freebie to persue, something to take your time away from playing Blackjack.
The hotel I booked into was stated as having one deck games, but I found that there were only two deck games and six deck shoe games. These two deck games allow doubling after splitting, and this cuts the house edge down to .22%. I found one deck games within walking distance, but the dealers would shuffle the deck on you if you bet much more than $5 a hand. The two deck games were dealt down to one deck left, so four or five rounds were dealt before each shuffle allowing for a lot of increasing your bets when the count went up. I stuck to this game played in the casino of my hotel and this built up my complimentaries and established my credit with the hotel.
On my way from one casino to another I was enticed into a small casino that promised me $40 in gaming tokens, one free drink, and a free lunch. I couldn't believe what some places will do to get your business, but they probably thought I would come in and lose their $40 plus some of my own. They offered a six deck game dealt down to two decks, a better game than I am used to in Ontario. I got my drink, ate my lunch and sat down to play cards. By the time the shuffle came I had $20 in chips I could cash in and made a move to leave. The gentleman watching the dealer asked me if I would like another drink, so I said yes, thinking it was only fair to give them a chance to bust me for the price of a second drink and my lunch. I got a Blackjack and passed a $1 chip to the dealer who quickly pushed the chip into my betting square and I got the idea he trusted my playing. I won that hand and he got his $2. My drink came and I kept playing to the end of the shoe. I was up to close to $40. I sat back and said I was done and began chatting with the two guys about their casino and business while I finished my drink. When I left I promised myself I would stick to my plans from then on, even though I had done extremely well for straying from my original thoughts of playing a one deck game.
The one deck game I played hit soft 17 which gave the house a .20% advantage, over half the advantage of the two deck game I played the rest of my stay. I didn't notice the splitting or doubling rules since I didn't stay long after I realized they were going to shuffle up on me if I bet larger the second round than the first. And that was the maximum rounds they would deal, two! It didn't matter how many people were at the table.
I made up my mind from that point this two deck game was the be all and end all of my trip. I sat down at the desk in my hotel room and did a bit of calculating. Since the house advantage is only .22%, a positive running count of only +2 would wipe it out. On the first deal I would see my two cards and the dealers, and once in a while some of the other players cards if I could see their hands or they were splitting or doubling. It's a face down game, something I was not used to, but got the hang of real fast and real easy. So even right at the beginning of the game it is easy to get an advantage.
As the dealer turns over the players cards you get a look at all of them and add your count up to help you make your next bet. I kept a conservative approach for my entire trip, but it cost me a much bigger win than I could have expected. I divided the running count by two no matter how many rounds had been dealt and basically ignored the Aces. I bet the true count in $5 chips, adjusted up or down one chip depending on my being ahead or behind. Sitting here in the safety of my own home I know just how much more agressive I could have bet safely. Let's go over some of the facts and come up with a solid plan for my next trip to Las Vegas.
Right after the shuffle, the casino has the advantage and will continue to have that advantage until the count goes to at least +2. The table minimum should be bet or as small an amount as possible. I have talked about capped progressions like betting $5, $10, then $25 if the count stays close to even. When the count dives into the negative always bet the minimum bet to protect yourself.
Once the count is +2 and you have the advantage, it is safe to bet as much as you can afford. This amount has been expressed by one of the best Blackjack players to ever live as about 100 betting units for a non-counting player trying to get comps. If you have $2,000 this might be a bet of $20 at +2 and you could bet what ever the count is multiplied by $10. If you have more money you can come up with a similar amount matched to the count. In any case, set a maximum bet for yourself and never go over it. Counting does not guarantee each hand is going to win, counting guarantees you will come out ahead in the long run.
As long as the count is over +2 you may want to appear to be a progression player. You can bet $25 and if you win or lose bet $50, then $100. I would watch going up much higher than that, but betting a progression makes you look like a normal gambler with a system of some sort.
I did get a chance to play head on with the dealer. That turned out to be very positive and I counted the Aces to adjust my bets for them. In a head on game you can expect to recieve 50% of the Aces since there are only two players in the game including the dealer. Getting dealt down to one deck left you can expect to see 4 Aces, two for yourself, and when there are more 10s than normal you know you have a larger chance for a Blackjack or an Insurance bet. All that together with the usual deviations from basic strategy based on the count and you're set to win. When you have a dealer that has dealt to Liberace and quite a few other famous entertainers and sports figures tell you you're a really LUCKY player, you know you've made the grade. Not to mention the extra $100US bills you can take home with you.
Always get a players card from the casino you plan to play in so they can track your play and give you the complimentary services you deserve on top of your expected winnings. On top of the free drinks you can expect while you sit and play you can expect free meals depending on your average bet size. An average bet of about $25 for a four hour period will cover you for diner for two, or just your room. Once your average bet is $50 you will qualify for a room, and limited food and drinks. At $75 you are a full RFB guest (room, food, and beverage). If you are serious about counting, you will see that you can almost live for free AND make money while you do so.
Establish credit with each hotel you stay at. I have a small credit account of $2,000US at the hotel I stayed in. The next time I go to Las Vegas I may stay at a different hotel and I will apply for credit there as well. I can play on the credit at either hotel and end up playing with their money to make mine with. This can save you from carrying cash or cheques with you that can be lost or stolen, and you can also make it appear as if you are a loser when you are not. By taking their money home with you, you have the use of it for up to 30 days. You can just get interest off it, or consider it an interest free loan. When you send the money back to the casino send a big thank you note and politely ask for a raise in your credit limit. There's lots of money out there that is waiting to be used. $2,000US is nothing to a casino, and with credit at a few different hotels you can quickly move up in the world of counting cards.
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