Tag Archives: las vegas
How the Griffin Agency was Born (Page 1 of 2)
Every card counter quickly learns about the dreaded Griffin books. Initially, it was just a single book. Now, in its fifth “volume,” the Griffin books are a virtual library of photos and information about professional casino gamblers. In fact, the mug books of card counters photos that are published by Griffn Investigations in Las Vegas have become so well known among professional blackjack players that they often dont even use the proper name when referring to them. One counter might ask another, “Are you in the book?” And the other will immediately know what hes talking about.
The book.
An annoyance for every advantage player.
To be fair, its not all card counters photos. There are some actual cheaters and thieves, purse-snatchers, and slot machine “sluggers” in the Griffin books. But its more card counters than any other category, and for a good reason. There just arent very many real crooks in the casinos. And casinos arent scared of purse-snatchers. The security guards will take care of them. The casinos fear the players who can blend into the crowd and legally take money from their gaming tables simply by playing with intelligence.
Intelligence is not a trait any casino is looking for in its customers. And the Griffin books are essentially mug books of the intelligent players, the customers the casinos definitely do not want playing their games.
But where did “the books” come from? How did the concept originate? Most counters today have no idea. It seems the Griffin books have been around for as long as card counting itself.
Well, almost. . .
The timing of their arrival was perfect.
It was 1967 when a young Las Vegas private detective, Robert Griffin, first got the idea for the books that have plagued card counters now for almost thirty years. Ed Thorps Beat the Dealer had just gone into its second (1966) edition, and the casinos were frantic to find an answer to the growing problem of getting rid of this new crop of professional players.
They had tried changing the rules of blackjack in 1963, but it didnt work. Their main consultant, John Scarne, was valiantly trying to convince the public that Thorps system was a fake and that card counting didnt work, but the public wasnt buying it. In fact, it was ruining Scarnes reputation as a player advocate, which he clearly no longer was.
So, throughout 1964 and 1965, Scarne began advising the Las Vegas casinos to stop dealing single-deck games and start dealing blackjack from four-deck shoes, which he believed would be far more difficult for card counters to keep track of. At the same time, Scarne was warning players that the single-deck blackjack games were too “dangerous” for players because skilled card mechanics could cheat too easily in a hand-held game.
Many of the Las Vegas casinos did, in fact, switch from single-deck games to four-deck shoes. And it was nearly impossible for any player to use Thorps ten-count in a shoe game. But when Thorps 1966 edition of Beat the Dealer came out, with the new Hi-Lo counting system that could be used to count cards with any number of deck, the casinos knew they were in trouble. Thorp was not letting up-more and morel books and counting systems were being sold, and John Scarne had no solution.
Smart Gambling Tips To Use In Las Vegas
If you’re visiting Las Vegas for the first time or returning for another visit, then you’re more than likely planning on doing a little bit of gambling along the way. The question is, do you want to increase your chances of winning money? Many people claim to gamble for the fun of it, and don’t bother to learn any ways of improving their play or chances of winning. But who is to say that you can’t take gambling more seriously and still have a lot of fun? We will take a look at some smart gambling tips that you can use on your next trip to Las Vegas to increase your chances of coming out ahead!
The first gambling tip is an easy one: Learn whatever games you plan to play. If you don’t have any idea what you’re doing at the table, your chances of winning are next to nothing! Your best chances of winning at any particular game in Las Vegas is 50/50, and that’s only if you know the game perfectly. The areas where you lack knowledge of the game are sure to bring those odds crashing downward. Not only should you learn the basic concepts of the game, but also study the odds and math behind each of the most common bets to determine which bets are sucker bets and which are not. Vegas is full of sucker bets!
For example, if the dealer asks you if you would like to take “insurance” when playing blackjack, refuse it! When playing craps, instead of betting the Big 6 or Big 8 which pays even money, tell the dealer to “place” your money directly on the number 6 or 8 and you will be paid 7 for 6. Also, avoid the bets at the middle of the craps table! While these seem to be big winners, the odds are in the house’s favor by over 15 percent! There are usually sucker bets in every game you will play, so be sure to do a little bit of research before playing.
Another major gambling tip is to always gamble within your “Bankroll,” that is the amount of money you take with you to gamble. Don’t walk up to a game with $200 and expect to walk away with $1000. Be smart, and think of it as an investment. If you walk up to a table with a particular amount of money, be happy if you end up with a 30 or 40 percent profit. Learn to have self-discipline and walk away while you are ahead without giving it all back to the casino. Also learn to walk away before you lose everything you take the table, as walking with something will leave you feeling much better than walking away broke.
Play at a table with limits that suit your bankroll. Don’t go to Vegas with $500 to gamble and bet $50 per hand. Also, break your bankroll into smaller amounts which will allow you to have multiple “session” or periods of play. Break your $500 into 5 sessions of $100 and play at tables or games that allow you to bet within those limits. This gives you the greatest chance of making a profit and not going broke quickly.
Learn to follow the trends of gambling. We don’t know why trends occur, but we can see them all over the casino. For example, 5 black numbers in a row on roulette. Or perhaps you’ve witnessed a “hot” craps table where the shooter is throwing one point after another. Take advantage of these trends by trying to recognize when one is taking place. Never bet against the trend, as most people instinctively do. Always bet with the trend, and be sure to recognize when the trend has ceased and get out while you’re ahead!
These are just a few of the basic tips that should make your Las Vegas trip a little more enjoyable and hopefully more profitable. As we said earlier, you can take a game seriously and still have a lot of fun playing it! You’re also sure to impress your friends when you use your knowledge and discipline to stay away from sucker bets and walk away when you’re ahead. You’ll have them wondering why you were the only one who made any money during that trip!