Tag Archives: thorps
Casino games. How professional blackjack started.
There are a lot of myths about gamblers who as if were playing professionally before publication of the basic strategy for one-pack game by Americans Cantey, McDermott, Maisel and Baldwin in1958. But all that was before them still remains a legend. The four statisticians performed their calculations just with the help of hand calculator. However it was their publication in the American Journal of the American Statistical Association causing much excitement among both gamblers and statisticians, and blackjack was considered a game a common player might probably win. Encouraged by popularity of the article in the magazine, copied and learnt by heart by many players, the originators published a book Winning Blackjack. Nowadays this book is a scarce edition and it enriches the home library of many professional gamblers.
In 1962 Edward Thorp this time using computer technologies calculate and published in his book Beat The Dealer not only the basic strategy of playing but also card counting. Thorp states that blackjack differs from roulette, craps and other games of luck, the result of every hand in blackjack depends on the previous dealing – it really matters which cards drew back form the game and which remained in the pack. Most of the stuff calculated by Thorp is still precise, but all the serious modern gamblers should read this book only for historical interest.
Thorps system called 10 count system was meant for one pack game which enjoyed great success in all casinos of Nevada. It was extremely difficult for learning, so most of the gamblers gave it up. However, Nevadas casinos restricted some rules, for example, doubling down only on 11 points. The media told the whole world about it, and Thorp with his book became known all over the world and the casinos that showed themselves to disadvantage had to return former rules. Realizing that under such circumstances crowds card counters would be trying to beat the house, operators of gambling houses introduced two procedures – shuffling after withdrawal of the trim card and multi-packed games.
Thorps systems was very difficult to use in practice. But for the computer conference in Las Vegas in 1963, the game would remain on the same level. On a whim, the conference organizers decided to include a Panel Session on “Using Computers in Games of Chance and Skill.” It was just a whim of the organizers to include a section Using computers in games of chance and skill. Thorp was designated as Chairman of the Panel and experts on the various casino games, including blackjack, roulette and baccarat. The room filled up and overflowed with computer gamblers. Hundreds of conference attendees were pushing and shoving to get into the room.
The crowd, of course, had been drawn by Thorp. They were expecting revelations on the game and anticipated using his imparted wisdom immediately following the session to make a killing at the blackjack tables.
After one or two more presentations that mainly corrected and modified Thorps system, Harvey Dubner was introduced. He described the approach. Dubner kept a count of remaining high cards (10,J,Q,K,A) and low cards (2,3,4,5,6) as the cards were played and divided its difference by total cards left to play. He called the result the High-Low Ratio. His presentation was enthusiastically received by the standing room only crowd and he was given a round of applause at its conclusion. Here at last, many were saying, is a system that is practical, that can actually be used in the real world of casino play. Thorp incorporated high-low system into the second edition of Beat the Dealer published in 1966 and since then over 100 professional books on blackjack, team games, hidden computers, shuffle tracking and sleepless nights for casino securities all over the world.
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.