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It is common practice for casino policy to be set by upper level management. This helps to create the culture of the organization and ensure the rules are fair to all employees. The policies are also usually set in order to align with financial risk, especially when dealing with potential liabilities and how to handle them.

Skilled Blackjack players can represent a small risk to a casino’s bottom line. To combat new tricks and acquired skills, the casino must implement a revolving policy. There are a few things to consider with this policy including:

• The significance of the risk
• State or federal regulation
• How much the casino is willing to risk
• The handling of these players
• The point where the player is no longer desirable

Casinos generally are referring to the significance of the financial risk involved with these players. The question is always posed by management; do these players or groups of players pose a significant financial risk to the casino? Also, the policy must abide by state and federal regulations as to the refusal of play for any guest.

Additionally, management must analyze the risk of losing other less-skilled players due to the handling of skilled players that may be detrimental to their bottom line. Furthermore, the actual handling of these players must be considered as well as the point where the player is out-of-control. These points are critical and a balance must be established.

This is an extremely subjective area of the casino. Some gaming corporations implement a no card counters rule while others have a “let them play” mentality. These are the two extremes of the issue and neither is correct over the long-run. Instead, a common balance must be found which is casino specific and is a decision left for upper management.

Whichever policy is selected, it is important that it is consistently enforced in the instance where it is challenged in court. There are different layers of policy that can be created, each presenting different benefits and challenges.

An effective policy takes into consideration the above points and must be strictly enforced by all parties in order to be effective. As casinos evolve and grow, the corporate policy on various issues and liabilities changes to fit the needs of the business. Creating the policy is half the battle, the other half is ensuring it is accepted and being enforced.

There is a great deal of controversy regarding how to handle skilled gamblers (card-counters), especially those playing Blackjack. In many cases the debate is based on lack of knowledge of the game or misconceptions by the surveillance, security and pit management departments. Depending on casino policy and the casino personnel, these opinionated differences can lead to liabilities.

Casino Policy

All casinos should have some type of policy on how to handle skilled players. This is commonly decided by upper casino management and verified by the legal counsel. The result of this collaboration is specific procedures that confirm how to handle players of high skill that are less than desirable customers.

Liabilities

Skilled Blackjack players do not hugely affect the casino’s bottom line. Instead they are a liability when practicing fraud by using false names. Another liability is that these players are using card counting methods which can be discovered through their betting and playing patterns.

Single card counters can easily be detected by surveillance and/or security. As a result, their income is minimal. On the other hand, card counting groups that risk little money and place large wagers when the cards are favorable can impact the pit income greatly when allowed to operate for an extended period of time.

The biggest liability is the actual lack of policy for handling these players. Without a procedure, the casino staff can mishandle patrons resulting in terrible public relations with potential customers. Also, this type of behavior often leads to lawsuits against the casino because they are treating players like criminals.

Why a Policy is Important

A detailed policy must be implemented prior to the opening of a casino to avoid these situations. There are too many areas where public relations can greatly diminish as well as legal battles can ensue as a result of improper customer relations. There is so much potential for liabilities within the casino business. Some are easily noticeable while others are hidden.

It is a shame when situations such as the previous go overlooked and the casino must engage in legal battles and poor press when it could have simply been avoided with policy and procedure. Once a policy is in place, security, surveillance, management and floor personnel will develop a better understanding as to how to manage these individuals and save the casino from the trouble and hassle of negative results.

There are 16 cards in a standard 52-card deck including tens, jacks, queens and kings. As a result, any player has a 31 percent chance of being dealt one of these cards. On the other hand, all other cards only have less than an 8 percent chance of being dealt. Therefore, this emphasizes the significance of hand value 10 in the game of Blackjack.

Due to this high chance of receiving one of these 16 cards, a strategy can be formulated. The following simple strategy is not as good as analyzing and utilizing data from computer simulations to formulate strategies. However, this helps the player understand the significance of value 10 cards in Blackjack and can assist with creating a solid strategy for when the value 10 card is not present.

There are only two options for this simple strategy. These include:

• Stay
• Hit

All other situations can be added later to create a much more complicated strategy but we will focus on the simple approach for the time being. This strategy is based on the postulation that the next card distributed to either the player or dealer will be of 10 value. Since almost one-third of all cards hold a value of 10 in the game of Blackjack, this is a reasonable hypothesis. If your total hand value equals 11 or less, then you must hit as exceeding 21 is impossible, even with a 10.

If your hand value from the first two cards equals 12 or more, the best action to take is stay. Since 31 percent of all cards are valued at 10, it is likely you may bust. However, this is based on the dealer’s face-up card. If between 2 and 6, it is likely they will have to draw another card. Chances are the hand is a 12 or 16 which means the dealer must draw. If the card is a 10, the dealer will bust and you win.

If the dealer’s card is between 7 and 11, with a 10 face-down they could have 17 to 21. Therefore, it is pointless to stay on a 12 to 16. It is best to take the chance and hit for one additional card. If the hand is 17 or higher, it is competitive and best to stay.

For committed Blackjack players, using this strategy can be an improvement in edge for the player by up to 1 percent. This may seem little, but in the long-run it is quite a significant advantage.

If you have been to a casino, it is likely you have seen the crowded Blackjack tables. Blackjack is one of the oldest and most popular games at the casino. Playing blackjack well takes a good mixture of skill and luck, which is why blackjack players are always looking to improve their game. While there are several ways of making yourself a better blackjack player in the long run, there are a few things you can do now to improve your game immediately.

Three Ways to Improve Your Blackjack Game

Set Winning Goals

While it is important to manage your bankroll, and divide your bets for maximum playing time, you should also be setting winning goals. A goal is simply a way of knowing when you have achieved what you came to achieve. This is good for two reasons. One, having a winning goal in mind will help give you perspective even when the last few hands have not gone your way. For two, a winning goal will help you know when to quit. If you set a goal and quit when you get there, you are far more likely to walk away from the Blackjack table with cash in hand.

Keep Your Emotions in Check

Proper emotional control is a huge key to successful playing in any gambling game, but this is especially true in Blackjack. Blackjack can be a very intense game. The emotions often run high at the table, the drinks are flowing, and the other players are adding to the confusion. It is easy to slip up and let your emotions get the best of you. This can cause you to run a bet too high or fold when you should not have. Learn to keep your emotions in check and your bankroll will thank you.

Choose Your Table Wisely

If there is more then one blackjack table in the casino, then pick the one you think will be the best fit for you. Study the other players for a few hands. If it seems like the players will disrupt your strategy, go to another table. If you start playing at a table and do not like the vibe, get up and move to the next one. Playing with a dealer or players you do not enjoy can negatively affect your game. Move around until you find a table you like.