Lone card counters must vary their bets. It is possible to avoid all of the above signals. However, the costs can be high, as you will not be betting optimally. I will discuss these costs in the chapter on cover.

After Split/Double Assuagement

This strange sounding row in the table at the start of the chapter refers to situations where the betting tip-offs are less dangerous. For example, if you make a large bet change after a split or double, this is not considered as bad. After all, splits and doubles already double your bet. Suppose you bet $25, double down making the bet $50, and win. You now have $100 in the circle. If the count calls for it, you can now leave it in the circle, quadrupling the bet, without looking as though you made a large bet increase. It is less safe, but if you lose the bet, you can still bet $100 like a gambler trying to catch up for a bad loss. If you have split and you win, you are in the same situation. Only in this case, it also looks natural to bet two hands with the chips left in the circle. You are always trying to look like a gambler or system player, the casino’s favorite customer.

Robotic Betting

In shoe games, you are betting one unit in most hands, unless you are back-counting. When the count starts to rise, your bet rises. Many players bet simple powers of two, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16. Many gamblers also bet powers of two — and that is good. However, unlike counters, they do not usually flat bet the majority of hands. A pattern of 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 4, 8, can be a bit suspicious. This is one of the reasons we play short sessions.

Betting after the Shuffle

Card counters are supposed to drop to a one-unit bet after the shuffle. Unfortunately, max bets are often at the end of the shoe. If you win or push, you can have a multi-unit bet sitting in the circle during the shuffle. The pit boss may not know how to count. However, he quite likely knows that the count is neutral at the start of a shoe and counters are supposed to make a minimum bet. What to do? If it is a max bet, you cannot leave it out in shoe games. This

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger