Author: Arnold Snyder

Basic Strategy for Blackjack Switch, With Easy Switching Rules

By Arnold Snyder
(From How to Beat Internet Casinos and Poker Rooms, by Arnold Snyder)
© 2005 Arnold Snyder

Introduction to Blackjack Switch

Many online casinos, particularly those that use Playtech software, offer a unique game called Blackjack Switch. It is similar to regular casino blackjack in many ways, but different enough that you must study the easy switching strategy and correct playing strategy and employ them accurately.

Blackjack Switch is a fun game and an excellent game for bonus qualifying when allowed. In fact, most skilled online players choose Blackjack Switch over standard blackjack if both are available. When you apply the correct basic strategy at Blackjack Switch, the house advantage against you is even lower than at regular blackjack—only about 0.10 percent—as opposed to traditional blackjack’s typical 0.5 percent.

[Ed. Note: This article is taken from Arnold Snyder’s How to Beat Internet Casinos and Poker Rooms and deals specifically with the online games. In live U.S. casinos where Blackjack Switch is offered, the house advantage is about 0.25% and the playing strategy is slightly different, due to slight rules differences. You will find easy correct basic strategy charts for both brick-and-mortar and online Blackjack Switch at the end of this article.]

In addition to a lower house edge, Blackjack Switch has milder fluctuations than regular blackjack.

The unusual feature of Blackjack Switch is that you play two simultaneous hands, and you are allowed to switch the second cards dealt to each hand if you so desire. That is, if one of your hands has a 6 with a ten for the second card, and the other hand has an ace with a 5 for the second card, you may exchange the ten for the 5 to make the much better hands of an 11 and a blackjack!

The rules compensate for this advantage by paying player blackjacks only even money. In addition, a dealer total of 22 is an automatic push in Blackjack Switch on any hand other than a player blackjack. In other words, if you double down on that 11 and catch a ten for a total of 21, and the dealer proceeds to hit his hand to 22, your 21 hand just pushes. If you are holding a blackjack against the dealer’s 22, your blackjack wins—but only even money.

The Rules of Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch is dealt face-up from 6 decks. You must play two hands, and both hands must have equal bets. Only the second card (or top card) dealt to each hand can be switched. You cannot switch a first card from one hand with a second card from the other.

Other rules: The dealer hits soft 17. You may double down on any two cards and double down after pair splits. No resplits are allowed. The European no-hole-card rule is used—that is, if you double or split against a dealer ten or ace, you will lose all bets if the dealer gets a blackjack. On the positive side, you may make a switch before the dealer plays his hand, so that if you make one hand into a blackjack by switching your top cards, that hand will push the dealer’s blackjack—that is, it will be a tie.

[Ed. Note: In live U.S. casinos where Blackjack Switch is offered, the European no-hole-card rule is not used, and players may not switch to make a blackjack before the dealer checks his hole card.]

A player blackjack pays even money and is the only hand that will beat a dealer total of 22. Otherwise, a dealer total of 22 will push all other player hands, including 21. A dealer blackjack will push a player blackjack.

The difficulty for most players in this game is knowing when to switch. Some hands—such as the first hand described above, where a player could switch to make a blackjack and an eleven out of a hard 16 and a soft 16—are obvious switches. Anyone with a basic understanding of the game would know that this switch will create two strong hands out of two weak hands. But it’s not always so obvious whether to switch or not. For instance, what do you do with two hands of A-5 and 10-6? Is it better to have A-6 and 10-5? If so, why?

The switch strategy provided below will get the house edge down to about 0.10 percent, a smaller house edge than on a traditional blackjack shoe game. After you have made your switch decision, Blackjack Switch basic strategy is very similar to that of a regular blackjack game, with slightly more hitting on stiffs and slightly less doubling.

The hard part is the switch, and it’s not really that hard—just different from any decision you’re accustomed to making in a blackjack game. It’s not just a question of which hand is better against the dealer upcard, but which two-hand set is better against the dealer upcard. So, let’s learn to switch!

Blackjack Switch Switching Rules

Before you can play your hands, you must decide if you would be better off with the two different hands you can get by switching your top cards. The first step in making this decision is defining the dealer’s upcard as strong, weak, or deuce.

Defining the Dealer’s Upcard

We have three types of dealer’s upcards in Blackjack Switch:

1. Strong: Any upcard from 7 to ace.
2. Weak: Any upcard from 3 to 6.
3. Deuce: Any 2. We have separated this upcard from the Weak upcards because the deuce is less likely to bust in Blackjack Switch. That’s because a dealer total of 22 is an automatic push against all player hands except blackjack.

Defining the Player’s Hands with the WLPC Switch System

After you categorize the dealer’s upcard, you must consider each of the two hands you have been dealt. There are four different types of player hands: Winner, Loser, Push, and Chance. I call this the WLPC classification. In defining the player hands, we always assume that the dealer has a Ten in the hole, and that any player hand that requires a hit will catch a Ten for a hit card. Here are the WLPC player hand definitions:

Winner

Any player blackjack and any hard or soft total from 18 to 20 that beats the dealer’s total (assuming ten in the hole) is a Winner. So is any player total of 8 to 11 that beats the dealer upcard. Examples: Player 18 v. Dealer 7 is classified as a Winner. Player 9 v. Dealer 8 is a Winner. Note that although we classify a dealer upcard of 7 as Strong, we never classify a player total of 7 or 17 as a Winner.

A pair that we would split is a Winner only if each of the split cards would qualify as Winners v. the dealer upcard. Examples: 8-8 v. 7 is a Winner. 7-7 v. 6 is not, because although we would split 7-7 v. 6, a player 7 is never classified as a Winner.

Finally, the only player hands that qualify as Winners v. a dealer 2 are: 10, 11, 19, 20, and 21. That’s because the dealer’s deuce will just not bust as often in Blackjack switch as it does in regular blackjack.

Loser

Any player hand, pat or stiff, that is beaten by a dealer’s Strong upcard (7 through ace) is a Loser. Examples: A5 v. 7 is a Loser. 19 v. ten is a Loser. 8-8 v. 9 is a Loser.

Push

Any player hand from 18 to 20 or 8 to 11 that would push the dealer’s Strong upcard is a Push. Examples: 19 v. 9, 20 v. ten, 8-8 v. 8, and A7 v. 8. Note that 16 v. 6 is not a Push because it fails to meet the definition in two ways:

1. 16 is not a total from 18 to 20 or 8 to 11
2. 6 is not a Strong upcard for the dealer.

Likewise, 17 v. 7 is not a Push, because 17 is not a total from 18 to 20 or 8 to 11.

Chance

Any player soft or hard hand totaling 3 to 7 or 12 to 17 against any dealer upcard from 2-6 is a Chance hand. 2-2, 3-3, and 6-6 that you would split v. a Weak dealer card are Chance hands. All hard and soft totals other than 10, 11, 19, 20, and 21 v. a dealer deuce are Chance hands. A Player 7 or 17 v. a dealer 7 is also a Chance hand. In other words, a Chance hand is a hand where your cards are weak, but so is the dealer’s total. A player 17 v. a dealer 6 is a Chance hand.

Despite all of the precise definitions above, there is a pretty easy and logical method for quickly classifying the player hands. Assuming the dealer has a Ten in the hole, and if the player needs to hit he’ll draw a ten, does that player hand win, lose, or push?

If both the player and dealer totals look weak, with no clear winner or loser, then it’s simply a Chance. The only weird exceptions to this Ten-in-the-hole/Ten-hit rule are that the dealer deuce is assumed stronger than the other low upcards, and a player’s 7 or 17 is never considered a Winner, or even a Push.

The WLPC classification system allows you to quickly make a judgment as to whether your hand is more likely to win, lose, or push. If both your hand and the dealer’s upcard look weak, then you simply have a Chance.

Some Blackjack Switch Sample Hands

A few sample hands will show you how quick and easy this WLPC system for Blackjack Switch actually is. Look at the sample player hands below versus various dealer upcards and be sure you understand why each one is categorized as Winner, Loser, Push, or Chance.

• A7 v. 7 = Winner
• A7 v. 8 = Push
• A7 v. 9 = Loser
• 16 v. 8 = Loser
• 16 v. 6 = Chance
• 19 v. 9 = Push
• 5 v. 8 = Loser
• 5 v. 2 = Chance
• 18 v. 2 = Chance
• 15 v. 2 = Chance
• 19 v. 2 = Winner
• 8-8 v. 6 = Winner
• 8-8 v. 2 = Chance
• 7-7 v. 7 = Chance
• 7-7 v. 2 = Chance

I purposely threw lots of 7s and 2s into the sample hands because those are the hard ones. Once you get those down pat, the rest are a piece of cake. It shouldn’t take a lot of studying for you to remember that 18 v. 6 is a Winner. But you will have to make an effort to remember that 18 v. 2 is just a Chance.

When you can quickly classify any two-card player hand v. any dealer upcard as a Winner, Loser, Push, or Chance, you must learn how the different types of hands should be ranked according to your win potential. These rankings are pretty logical. From best to worst, the hands we’d like to hold are:

1. Winner
2. Push
3. Chance
4. Loser

The Winner and Loser classifications as first and last choice are obvious. Note that a Push is better than a Chance. That’s the only hard part of this chart.

The Two-Hand Set Ratings

Now the game starts to get interesting. Since you will always have two hands in play, you must be able to quickly classify both of your hands versus the dealer upcard. Then you must be able to mentally switch the top cards of each hand, and classify the two other hands you could potentially hold if you choose to switch. Here’s an example (the top card for each of the player hands is always on the right):
Player Hands: 10-7 and 6-9, Dealer Upcard: 8

Both hands (17 and 15 versus 8) are Losers. Consider the possible switch:
Player Hands: 10-9 and 6-7, Dealer Upcard: 8

Now the hands have changed from Loser/Loser to Winner/Loser, so we make the switch. It’s pretty obvious that it’s better to have one Winner and one Loser than two Losers. That one was easy.

There are only nine possible two-hand combinations that we can be dealt. Based on our overall win potential, this is how we rank our two-hand totals, from best to worst:

Two-Hand Set Power Ratings 1. Winner/Winner 2. Winner/Push 3. Winner/Chance 4. Winner/Loser 5. Push/Push 6. Push/Loser 7. Chance/Chance 8. Chance/Loser 9. Loser/Loser

It may not be obvious to you that a Winner/Loser is better than a Push/Push, but mathematically a single winner in your hand is always better than no winner. Again, before you can make your switch decision, you must know what you are switching from and to, and which two-hand set is stronger.

Also note that there is no listing for a Push/Chance set. Based on our hand definitions, this combination is impossible. A push hand requires a dealer upcard from 8 to ace, while a chance hand requires a dealer upcard of 2 to 7. Those two classifications are mutually exclusive.

The best way to practice the switch decisions is to download Playtech software from any casino you are considering playing, and play the Blackjack Switch game for free until you get the hang of it.

Sample Hands:

Player Hands: 10-A and 9-10, Dealer Upcard: 9

You have a blackjack and a 19 versus a dealer 9: Winner/Push. If you switch, you have 10-10 and 9-A versus dealer 9: Winner/Winner. Contrary to what your intuition might tell you, you will sometimes be better off switching from a blackjack if it means turning a non-Winner–in this case a Push–into a Winner. (If blackjack paid 3 to 2, we would not switch. But with blackjacks paying even money, a blackjack is just another winner.)
Player Hands: 10-A and 9-10, Dealer Upcard: 10

Same two hands, blackjack and 19, this time versus a dealer 10: Winner/Loser. If you switch, you have 10-10 and 9 -A versus dealer 10: Push/Push. Because Winner/Loser beats Push/Push in our power ratings, you do not switch.
Player Hands: 10-A and 7-10, Dealer Upcard: 7

You have a blackjack and a 17 versus a dealer 7: Winner/Chance. If you switch, you have 10-10 and 7-A versus dealer 7: Winner/Winner. Again, it is better to switch from the blackjack to turn a Chance into a Winner.Player Hands: 10-5 and 9-6, Dealer Upcard: 10

You have a 15 and a 15 versus a dealer 10: Loser/Loser. If you switch, you have 10-6 and 9-5 versus dealer 10: Loser/Loser. Same power rating. Abysmal situation. It doesn’t make any difference what you do. Pray! Sometimes, even though switching might change your hand totals, it doesn’t change the power rating, so we do nothing. But let’s look at some exceptions to this rule.

When Switching Does Not Change the Power Rating

The above hand brings up a good question. If our two sets of hands have the same power rating, is it always just a coin flip? No—in certain situations, one set of hands is notably better than another, even if they have identical power ratings.

If you have the two losers we described above say two 15s versus a dealer ten, turning them into a 16 and 14 versus a dealer ten is a waste of time. Both sets are equally bad. It makes little difference whether you switch or not. But let’s look at some hand combos where we would switch despite the fact that the power ratings of both two-hand sets are identical.

Switching a Chance/Chance for Another Chance/Chance

The switching rule: Switch if it means you can take action on a hand.

A stiff hand that you can take action on is better than a stiff that you will just stand on, all other factors being equal. This is an important concept because when we study the basic strategy for Blackjack Switch, we will see that it is different from traditional blackjack in that there are more stiffs that we hit versus dealer low cards.

Let’s say you have two 13s versus a dealer 3 (Chance/Chance), and you could turn them into a 12 and 14 versus a dealer 3 (Chance/Chance). In this case, you would be better off switching. Why? Because your basic strategy with the two 13’s is to stand on both hands. With a 12 and 14, your Blackjack Switch basic strategy is to stand on the 14 but hit the 12.

Because you are turning a stiff that you would stand on into a hand that you can take action on, this 12 has a chance of becoming a strong hand. The idea is to grab that opportunity to improve.

When to Switch a Loser/Loser for Another Loser/Loser

The switching rule: Switch if you can turn a stiff loser into a pat loser.

If you have two stiff Losers (hands totaling 12 to 16 or 2 to 6), but you can make one stiff Loser a pat or potential pat hand (17 to 20 or 7 to 11) by switching, even though it would still be classified as a Loser, you should switch. Here’s an example:Player Hands: 10- 5 and 9-7, Dealer Upcard: 10

With a 15 and a 16 versus a dealer ten, we have two stiff Losers. By switching, we’ll get a 17 and a 14, still two Losers but with one hand now a pat 17. So we switch.

(In actuality, a pat Loser is not always a better hand than a stiff Loser. For instance, a pat 17 v. a dealer Ace is a worse hand than a 12, 13 or 14. But whenever you switch to make a stiff Loser into a pat Loser, your switch will lower the total of the other stiff hand, and increase its chances of making a stronger total when you hit it. A total of 17 is always better than a 15 or 16, so the easy rule to remember when you are considering any Loser/Loser switch is that you should make the switch if it makes a stiff Loser into a pat Loser.)

When to Switch a Winner/Winner for Another Winner/Winner

The switching rule: If you can make one Winner stronger versus any Strong dealer upcard, switch.

If you have two Winners of different values versus a strong dealer upcard (say a player 20 and 18 versus a dealer 7), always switch to improve the weaker Winner, even if the stronger Winner will get weaker. Example:Player Hands: A-9 and 10-8, Dealer Upcard: 7

With a 20 and an 18 versus a dealer 7, you have two Winners. With a switch, you’d have 19 and 19 versus 7, still two Winners. Do the switch because you are improving the weaker Winner versus a strong dealer upcard, even though you are weakening the stronger Winner.

When to Switch a Winner/Chance for Another Winner/Chance

The switching rule: If you can make one Winner stronger versus any Weak dealer upcard or deuce, switch.

Let’s say you have an 18 and a 14 versus a dealer 6. This set is classified as Winner/Chance. By switching, you can make yourself a 19 and 13 versus that dealer 6, still a Winner/Chance set. Do the switch in order to make that winner a stronger winner. Remember that a chance hand only wins if the dealer busts, so a 13 and 14 versus a 6 are virtually identical hands. Totals of 18 and 19, on the other hand, are not identical. Your 19 will beat more dealer hands.

Switching to or from a Blackjack

There are also two exceptions to the rules on switching that only apply when you have a blackjack or can make one.

1. Versus any dealer upcard from 2 to 6, always keep a blackjack, or switch to make one, if possible.
2. Versus any Strong dealer upcard (7 to ace), never switch from a blackjack unless it raises the power rating of the two-hand set. Specifically, ignore the rule about making a weaker winner into a stronger winner if you must give up a blackjack to do so.

Blackjack Switch Conclusion

You will be surprised at how fast you’ll pick it up the Blackjack Switch WLPC strategy. The logic will sink in pretty quickly, and make you a better blackjack player overall.

There will be many hands where switching does not raise the two-hand power rating, and there is nothing you can do but pray. Example: you have a 20 and an 18 versus a dealer ace: Loser/Loser. You can make two 19’s if you switch, but you’ll still have two pat Losers. It really doesn’t matter if you switch or not.

Or, you have a 14 and a 16 versus a Dealer 5, Chance/Chance. If you switch, you can make two 15’s, still Chance/Chance, with no possible action on either set of hands. All you can do is hope the dealer busts. Don’t fret over hands like these. They make no significant difference in your overall result.

You will make most of your money by following the WLPC strategy to raise the power ratings of hands. When switching does not change the power rating of a two-hand set, you’ll gain a small amount more by paying attention to such factors as stiff hands you can take action on versus stiff hands you cannot take action on, and the few other refinements based on the logic of the game as described above. These refinements will squeeze a small percentage more from the house edge on this game.

One thing you will discover as you practice in any Internet casino’s free game is that the switching decision quickly becomes automatic. Most hand sets play themselves as you will primarily be turning Losers and Pushes into Winners.

Basic Strategy for Blackjack Switch

The basic strategy for Blackjack Switch is the strategy you follow after you make your switch decision. I’ve boiled it down to sixteen rules. If you want to learn perfect basic strategy for Blackjack Switch, you’ll find it in the charts below. It is identical to the sixteen rules except for some minor pair split decisions. ♠

Hard Hit/Stand Rules

1. Stand on all hard totals of 17 or higher.
2. Hit hard 12 to 16 v. 7 to ace.
3. Hit hard 12 v. 2, 3, and 4; and hit hard 13 and 14 v. 2.
4. Stand on all other stiffs v. 2 to 5.

Soft Hit/Stand Rules

5. Always stand on soft 19 and 20.
6. Stand on soft 18 v. 2 to 8, but hit v. 9, 10, or ace.
7. Always hit soft 17 and below unless doubling. (See soft doubling strategy below.)

Hard Doubling Rules

8. Double down on 10 and 11 vs. 2 through 8.
9. Double down on 9 v. 6.

Soft Doubling Rules

10. Double down on A-6 and A-7 v. 5 and 6.
11. Double down on A-5 v. 6 only.

Pair-Split Rules

12. Split aces v. 2 to 10.*
13. Split eights v. 2 to 9.*
14. Never split fours, fives or tens.
15. Split all other pairs—twos, threes, sixes, sevens and nines—v. 4, 5, or 6.
16. Also split nines v. 8 and 9.
    *In live U.S. casinos, with no European no-hole-card rule, always split aces and eights.

BLACKJACK SWITCH BASIC STRATEGY FOR MULTIPLE DECKS
w/EUROPEAN NO HOLE CARD RULE

---

STAND

Stand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	X	A
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	H	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	H	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
12	H	H	H	S	S	H	H	H	H	H

DOUBLE DOWN

Double	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	X	A
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H	H
9	H	H	H	H	D	H	H	H	H	H

DOUBLE DOWN, SOFT TOTALS

Soft Totals	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	T	A
(A,9)	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
(A,8)	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
(A,7)	S	S	S	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
(A,6)	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
(A,5)	H	H	H	H	D	H	H	H	H	H
(A,4)	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
(A,3)	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
(A,2)	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H

PAIR SPLITS

Pairs	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	T	A
(A,A)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	*
(T,T)	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
(9,9)	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N
(8,8)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	*	*
(7,7)	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
(6,6)	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
(5,5)	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
(4,4)	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
(3,3)	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
(2,2)	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N

INSURANCE: NO

S = Stand
H = Hit
D = Double Down
Y = Yes, split
N = No, don’t split*  In live U.S. casinos, with no European no-hole-card rule, split.

For more information on Blackjack Switch and other blackjack variations, see Arnold Snyder’s Big Book of Blackjack. To use Blackjack Switch to beat online casinos, see How to Beat Internet Casinos and Poker Rooms, by Arnold Snyder.

Heaven in Hell: Blackjack in Moldavia

by Garry Baldy
(From Blackjack Forum Volume XXIV #2, Spring 2005)
© Blackjack Forum 2005

Day minus one. Introduction to Moldavia.

One well-known professional gambler asked me if I wanted information about a blackjack game with extremely good rules. Sure, answered I. (What professional gambler wouldn’t?)

He proposed to give me information on some really good blackjack game with an off-the-top advantage close to 2%. He also proposed that I go to this casino with his good friend and a joint 50/50 bankroll. After some thinking, I decided to agree, mostly because this guy’s friend was local and knew everything about the place and could solve possible problems.

I was told that the game was in Chisinau City, the capital of Moldavia. I gave him my phone number and he said that his friend would call me soon.

Day Zero. Deeper in the Hole.

The friend called. Let him be known as George for the rest of this report. George immediately asked me if I could count the cards. Warning! I guessed that George himself was not a professional player. Later I discovered that he was a complete sucker with gambling addiction problems. But he really knew all the stuff in Moldavia because he was a former local policemen.

We decided to catch a plane the day after tomorrow. He proposed we each take $5000. It would be a tiny bank but we expected the blackjack table limits to be small, and we also expected that our trip would last only 3 or 4 days. I decided that if all went well I would return later to play much more heavily.

Day Number One. Arrival in Moldavia and Getting Through Customs.

Airfare: $250 round trip. No visa required for Russian citizens. The flight takes two hours. In the plane, I once more clarified the expected rules, names of casinos, hotel prices, etc.

George was born in Chisinau, and he says he had gone to Moscow intentionally to hire the best blackjack player he could. Well…

Then we are told on the flight that we should declare all the money we are carrying at the airport in Chisinau. We are told that we’ll run into problems when leaving the country with cash if we enter without this declaration. Moreover, we are told that it’s prohibited for us to leave with more money than we declare now. Fuck.

George says that he knows several bank clerks who will send the money to us in Moscow, so I can get my possible winnings home that way (paying 1% for the transfer). Fuck, fuck. Now I should trust not only George but some unknown guys in some Moldavian bank.

OK, at customs we filed the declaration forms. They asked us to show the money. We showed it. They didn’t counted it but the girl who spoke with us looked at the cash and sighed, then quietly asked if I could give a tip (!!!) for the customs people. I gave her 500 rubles (about $17). She was happy.

Still Day Number One. Set-up.

George called somebody from the airport. It was Serge, his brother-in-low or some such. Serge was working as a taxi driver in Chisinau. He met us in his taxi with his friend. Damn. Why did so many people know about our arrival???

While going to the city, George started to say approximately the following: “OK, now we go to the hotel, then Serge and Garry will go to the casino. Garry will play, and you, Serge, will just sit and look. Garry knows how to play blackjack and bet. Do nothing. Just sit there quietly next to him.”

Oh, my God. I decided that George wanted to achieve two goals at the same time: get control over me (so I didn’t steal the money) and make sure I was safe, just in case. Serge would be acting as a bodyguard and watcher.

I said that it might bring heat, but I finally decided to agree just to calm them down. Let Serge watch.

We checked in at the hotel Flora under Serge’s name ($13 per night, low quality). I said I wanted to eat. They took me to a restaurant with local food (tasty but heavy).

George insisted that in the casino I pretend to be a local, from Chisinau. He gave me an address to give as my place of residence. How can I pretend to be a local if I don’t know a single word of Moldavian?! George answered that most of the local people speak Russian and casino personnel do this always. (It turned out to be true, by the way.)

Still Day Number One. Casino National in Chisinau.

This is my first casino visit in Moldavia. I learn that the National casino is located in the National hotel in the center of the city. George said that the Napoleon casino is owned by the same people. The rules at both casinos are the same, but the Napoleon is a much more luxurious place, operating like a private club. In order to get in there, one should establish himself as a high roller in the National first.

Serge and I went to the casino. We left George outside.

Well, the casino was looking nice… But where was the blackjack here? No players yet? Could you please open a table for us? What stakes? And what stakes do you have? $2-25?! And higher? $5-50? Much better. And MUCH higher? Aha. VIP hall with the $10-100 table.

I decided to start slowly. I opened the $5-50 table and decide to ask for the VIP table soon, no matter what my results were. I bought in for $500. Serge too. Fuck! What was he doing? He was not supposed to play! I was seriously afraid then that he would start to play roulette or to back-bet me, slowing the process. But it turned out, he just considered this camouflage. During all the play he never placed a bet and his chips remained untouched.

Well, now about the rules. Look people: Because of these rules a person in perfectly sane mind took a plane to Moldavia with a group of unknowns with pockets filled with cash.

6 decks. S17, DOA, DAS, RS, NRSA, ENHC. Early Surrender against any dealer’s card. Surrender after insurance. Rehit and double on split Aces. Blackjack against Ten pays 3:2 immediately (before the dealer draws his hole card). And joker.

Look guys, I play in Russia and I travel. I thought that I had seen all the bizarre rules in the world. But this joker is a killer. First, it counts as zero if the dealer receives it. But if the player receives the joker on cards 2-9 his hand pays 1:1 immediately. And if the player receives a joker on a Ten or Ace, such hand pays 2:1 immediately.

Now I’m asking you: what else does a card counter need? 75% penetration. Over 2% advantage off the top. Heads up. Play from 1 to 7 spots. Fast dealers. One-pass shuffle. I love this game!

But one problem remains. Heat. It looked as if this casino didn’t see a lot of customers betting higher then $10. So I decided to put out some heavy camouflage. I played a betting progression as the count went up, increasing bets slowly.

After I reached four spots of $50, I heard Serge (sitting next to me) start to pray quietly. His monthly salary is about $100. The $500 he bought in for had been given to him by George—it was joint money. Serge almost fell from his seat looking at the action.

I won a grand in my first two shoes (without receiving a joker) and lost about $800 in the next two (twice catching a joker). Serge started to look sick. He just was not used to seeing so much money and action.

Then some obnoxious ploppy appeared and started to play at our table. I used this as an excuse to ask for the VIP table. The pit boss told me that at the $10-100 table there was no rehit and double on split Aces rule. But the joker was still there.

But right in the middle of shuffling new decks the same pit boss came to us and told us that unfortunately they would not play with us anymore. “Please cash your chips and leave the casino.” Fuck, fuck, fuck. I asked for the reason but they refused to give it.

We cashed out ($230 win) and waited 10 minutes more for the lottery draw (I had collected a few tickets during the play). They did’t force us to leave. The draw missed us and we left.

Now I was blacklisted in the two casinos with the joker. Damn. We discussed this and decided that 4x$50 is an extremely high bet for Moldavian casinos.

Still Day Number One. Rio Casino in Chisinau.

After eating in a restaurant (George always paid for Serge and me, but the meals were always very cheap), we headed to the Rio casino. The Rio belongs to the same owners as the Cosmos casino (in the Cosmos hotel) and the Grand casino (in the Tourist hotel).

The rules were the same, except for no joker. Well, let’s play there, I said.

Now we decided to pretend that we didn’t know each other. George and Serge entered first. I came in 15 minutes later. There they are, sitting at an empty blackjack table. Not playing. Just keeping the seats for me. When I arrive at the table, a friend of Serge’s wishes me luck. The whole situation looks absurd. Like half of Moldavia knows some pro from Moscow just arrived to kill the local casinos. And all of them are rooting for me. Surrealistic experience.

This time I bought in for $300, hoping not to scare them. And I started to play. George and Serge were in the seats next to me. Not playing, not talking. Just watching. And obviously calculating my chip balance after each shuffle. SIX hours in the raw.

Six hours in the raw of some unknown guy betting from 1 x $10 to 4 x $100 in the absolute silence. Now I know the exact meaning of the word “uncomfortable.”

Every time some ploppy arrives at the table to place a bet, George covers his mouth with his sleeve and whispers something to him. The ploppy leaves, looking at me with deep respect. I remind you that we supposedly don’t know each other. Franz Kafka knows nothing about absurd.

After six hours I’m up three grand and consider leaving. But there is still a lot of time to play.

George left the table for the restroom. Then he ran into the pit and, throwing out the remainder of our poor camouflage, screams: “Fuck! Cash out the chips and get out of here! NOW!!!”

I took his word for it and, without stopping to ask questions, I grabbed my chips and ran to the cage. They paid me quickly. I ran to the exit. George was running to the left of me, Serge to the right. Serge’s friend was sitting in the car with the engine started and doors open. Have you ever seen any movies about assassination attempts on presidents? They threw me into the back seat of the car. George shouted to the driver: “Leave immediately! Follow that car!”

Ahead of us, blue and red signal lights flash and I see that we’re following the car with POLITIA written on it.

“George,” said I, with unexpected calm, “Is this the fucking end or do we have some chance to get out of it somehow?”

George, talking excitedly, said, “All in the full order,” and that tomorrow he would have “a hard talk at 12 o’clock with these goats.” He went on to say: “I will now make a call to a colonel I know well,” and “In all my life I have never seen such a thing happen and they will regret it.”

I personally at this moment regretted just about everything about this trip. Then I realized I had forgotten my passport—it was back at the hotel…

To make a long story short, some local mobsters had approached George and said that we’d been “running some cheating.” They said that if we wanted to play more, we had to pay them $1500. George had refused to speak further with them but instead had called cops that he knew. The cops had arrived in two minutes and accompanied us from the casino to our hotel for our security. George gave them 20 bucks.

George swore that this would not happen again and that he would destroy all the gangsters.

Day Number Two. Trembling but Still Playing Blackjack.

Rio, Cosmos and Grand open at 2 p.m. At breakfast we decided to play at the Rio once more, despite the gangsters, because the table max at the Cosmos and Grand was $50, while at the Rio it was $100. Also, at the Grand you had to show ID upon entrance, which I didn’t want to do. Frankly, I also didn’t want to play at the Rio.

We walked in. There were no gangsters. No visitors at all. Only we three. The picture was pretty much the same as the day before: one player spreading his bets like a lunatic and two non-players watching. Empty casino. Nobody talking. Nobody socializing. The dealer was calling the totals of the hands, not asking for a single tip. The music was so quiet I could barely hear it. Pure nightmare.

After three hours I was up $2500 and decided to take a break for lunch.

The second I mentioned lunch George and Serge both shuddered and almost carried me in their hands from the casino to a restaurant. I think they were very much impressed with the speed at which we were winning.

We returned to the casino and found some local high roller playing blackjack with a crowd of kibitzers. But when I approached, the crowd immediately parted and released to us three places. Now the only people playing were the high roller and I. The high roller starting periodically throwing out such phrases as: “And now I shall ask the maestro to tell me how I should play.” Horror.

I played six hours more and won three grand more. That was over eight grand at the Rio alone. Just at the moment I decided to call the session, George whispered to me that a security guard he knew well had just told him that the pit boss had decided to blacklist us. That meant that he would let us play this time as long as we wanted, but we would not be allowed to return to the casino.

This security guy said that winning over seven grand lead to almost guaranteed barring.

I sat back down at the table and played until morning, but only broke even for the rest of the play that night. We returned to our hotel and I fell asleep. Those had been two mmm… rich with impressions days.

Day Number Three. Blacklisted at Almost Every Casino in Chisinau, so Where to Play?

Now I’ve got a problem. I’m blacklisted in the Napoleon-National chain. I’m blacklisted at Rio (and probably in Grand and Cosmos). There is only one casino left in the city, and it’s called the Imperial. But the information is that it’s a burn joint with low limits and bad rules.

I decided to give the Napoleon a try, but security at the entrance asked for my membership card. They tell me that I must play at the National first and receive my membership card there. So the National casino is like a filter for unwanted persons for Napoleon. Three times I was asked whether I was a local or not. I insisted that I was a local, thinking that maybe for locals the entrance requirement for Napoleon would be more liberal. But no, it looked like the blacklist had caught me.

So I decided to check out the Cosmos casino. At the entrance there was a sign saying something like “RIO company,” so I knew the casinos were connected. But they let us enter. At the cage I found THE SAME girl who had paid me three grand at Rio yesterday. But there was no heat for any of the three of us.

The table limits were $2-50 (same rules as Rio, no joker). After a very long session, I had won $1100. I got paid with no problems. So, either they don’t exchange information within this chain, or I just don’t understand what’s going on.

Day Number Four. Still Playing Blackjack.

Tomorrow is our flight back to Moscow. That morning I bought Moldavian wine as a souvenir (very good quality). Then back to Cosmos. No problems at the entrance. Another very long session, another $1300 win. I still don’t understand the principles of barring in this chain of casinos.

To summarize: the communication connection between National and Napoleon is very fast and good. Between Rio and Cosmos there appeared to be no connection at all. I haven’t visited Grand or Imperial.

Total win: $10,000 over four days. Minus about one grand in expenses for George and me, including airfare for two, $10 per day for Serge, and restaurants every day.

On my last night in Moldavia we visited the striptease-club Soho. Good quality but no sex allowed. By the way, there is almost no prostitution in Moldavia because of very cruel laws.

I also can recommend the Déjà vu Club. It’s a mix of the Real McCoy and Hungry Duck, with a local Moldavian accent. There are dances at the tables, tons of booze. Cocktails are a specialty. If you’re with a girl, order her a B-52 cocktail: They make a good and loud show from preparing and drinking it. Do not arrive there until 10 p.m.

Day Number Five. Home Sweet Home.

Four rough days in Moldavia are over. We head to the airport right from the strip-bar. Serge, who has never been in a strip-bar in his life, is talking excitedly about “cool girls” and “crazy prices.” George and I are thinking about possible future trips. We gave all our winnings to Serge, who was supposed to give the money to the bank workers for transferring to Moscow.

In the airport we showed the declarations. Customs was again impressed by the amount of money we had in cash. They asked how we could spend only $5 total in Moldavia for two people for four days. We said that local friends had always paid for us.

Another problem with the registration arose. If you stay in Moldavia over three days you must get an official registration at the hotel or a police station. George said that we actually stayed just slightly over three days. They say OK, no problem.

And that was the end. A bottle of single malt in the duty free shop and after two hours I was back in Moscow.

Final Recommendations on Playing Blackjack in Moldavia

If you decide to play blackjack in Moldavia, I strongly advise you to arrange some local support. If you’re crazy enough to go there after reading this, I mean. Despite the face that I paid VERY heavily for such support, I think I decided correctly. George really can solve almost any problem.

The downside is that you’re always playing under the gaze of your support. It’s a mix of control and safety issues. But George strongly respected me and Serge simply idolized.

I got my money in Moscow (minus 1%) the day after my return home. We decided to call my teammate Vaso and propose to him a new venture in Chisinau—this time with three persons and 33% of the bank each: George, Vaso and me. Vaso agreed after hearing the rules. Vaso will be the hired casino killer, George will solve possible problems and I will just be a partial investor, not even going to Moldavia because I was burned practically everywhere.

Then I left Moscow and headed to Ecuador. That’s another story (much more peaceful). While I was playing in Eucadorian casinos, Vaso and George took their trip to Chisinau. Vaso was blacklisted too in the National and Napoleon in two days.

And then that fucking George stole all the bankroll and disappeared. I’m still trying to find that asshole. He couldn’t resist his gambling addiction any longer. Serge says he lost all the money in Cosmos.

Should I type the moral of this story?

Luck (in or out of Moldavia).

Garry Baldy. ♠

Casinos and Blackjack in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay

By RK
(From Blackjack Forum XXIV #3, Summer 2005)
© Blackjack Forum 2005

[Note from Arnold Snyder: I want to thank RK, a long-time Blackjack Forum subscriber and trustworthy reporter, for this report.]

[Note from R.K.: For me it is really a pleasure to share this information with you. The information on Argentina and Uruguay is most up-to-date, as I do most of my play there.]

Casinos and Blackjack in Argentina

Argentina has 71 casinos, some government owned and some privately owned. As you may know, the main game here is roulette (single zero) and punto y banca (baccarat). 

Blackjack was introduced in Argentina in 1980, with some weird rules, so it is a relatively new game here. But blackjack is growing in popularity in South America, especially with young people. 

Until the end of the 90´s the main casino in Argentina was the old Casino Central in Mar del Plata, on the Atlantic Coast (government owned then and now). It was opened in 1939 as a temple for all the gamblers in Argentina—a big place with a wonderful view of the sea. It’s a big casino with 103 roulette tables, 50 Punto y Banca tables, 20 blackjack tables and 2 craps tables too. And, of course, you will find plenty of slot machines. 

In summertime about 25,000 people gamble there every day. 

At the end of the 90´s a casino was opened in Buenos Aires (the capital of Argentina) after a long-awaited bill, and all the gamblers started to make long lines waiting for the opening of the casino each day. For the owners, it was a like a gold mine. 

This casino is a riverboat owned by the Spanish Cirsa Corporation (which also owns a lot of casinos in the Caribbean, Venezuela, Colombia and other third-world places). Open 24 hours a day now, the casino is a 5-minute drive from downtown. It’s a big boat with four levels—the first one full of slots, the other ones filled with table games. As at other South American casinos, the main game here is single zero roulette. After that comes baccarat (punto y banca). The boat has 28 blackjack tables. 

The rules are 6 decks with 75% penetration (sometimes better), face-up games, ENHC, DOA, DAS, resplit aces 4 times. The limits are in local currency (1 dollar = 3 pesos) with various tables at 10-200 and 25-500. Only five tables are shoes, the others are 4-deck CSM’s.

One floor is for dollar play, with four tables (just one non-CSM)—there the limits are 5-100 (early in the morning) and 10-200 later. A high roller pit is also open (with play in dollars only) with three blackjack tables, all non-CSM shoes, and with limits of 25-500, 50-1000 and 100-2000. The heat is very low—of course, if you bet BIG, they will watch you, but mainly for security reasons. The PC’s are young people. Penetration is worse today, and sometimes they only put 60% of the cards in play. No tips are allowed there. 

The other casino is in Tigre (Provincia of Buenos Aires), a 25-minute highway drive from downtown. This casino is in a big building with three floors, of which two are full of slots (almost 2000 machines). On the third floor are the table games. The state is the owner of this casino, and the employees only want your tips (this is the main point).

The 16 blackjack tables are in the blackjack pit, where the limits are 10-400 and 20-600 (all in pesos). The rules are 8 decks, face up game, double 10 &11 only, no resplits, a push on a blackjack wins a player 50% of his bet, and if you get 10s on aces after splitting it counts as a natural and pays 3 to 2 (the same for when you split 10’s and get aces on them).

The penetration here is 83% and sometimes better (dealer discretion). But the best thing is it is fine to bet min to max if you want—the dealers and floormen will cheer with you if you tip them.  

The Provincia of Buenos Aires has 10 more casinos, some medium and the one big one (Mar del Plata) on the Atlantic, all with the same rules. 

Other states in Argentina have casinos too, including the Provincia of Entre Rios (200 miles from Buenos Aires), which has five casinos, all with blackjack. These are the rules: 6 decks, ENHC, double 10 & 11 only, no resplit of pairs, unlimited draw on split aces and one unusual rule: If your first card is an ace (face up games), you can place an additional bet on YOUR hand for half of your bet, and if YOU receive a blackjack, not only is this additional bet paid 2 to 1, but you also get the full payoff on your natural of 3 to 2.

No regular insurance (against a deaker blackjack) is allowed. Regarding penetration: The dealer deals down to the last 20-30 cards of the shoe. Limits are 5-200 (in pesos), and you may play all the spots you want. 

Other casinos in the country have standard strip rules with ES10 (Corrientes Casino and Salta Casino in the North of the country), but low limits. In the South, good rules can be found in Bariloche with ES against any card (limits 5-300). I was there one year ago, and found the PC’s were people with zero experience in blackjack. Also in the South, on the Atlantic Coast, are a few other casinos, some with good rules like ES, as well as good penetration, but low limits. 

Another nice place that I recommend is Iguazu Falls, in the three borders zone (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay) 1000 miles from Buenos Aires. The show of the water falling is incredible, and there is also a casino (!!) with standard strip rules plus LS. All the play here is in American dollars.  

Casinos and Blackjack in Uruguay

Okay, Argentina has lots of casinos, but Uruguay is good too. In front of Buenos Aires is Colonia (Uruguay) where there is a small lovely casino with two blackjack tables. The rules are 6 decks, dealer takes a hole card but all bets lost when the dealer has a blackjack, DOA , DAS, resplit up to 6 times (aces too), you can hit your split and resplit aces, and if you get 10’s on them it’s a full-pay blackjack (same for split and resplit tens).

The penetration is 75% (sometimes better). The limits are in dollars (5-60), but you can arrange a higher max.

The national government is the owner of six or seven casinos in Uruguay. In Punta del Este (a beach for the rich people on the Atlantic shore) are three casinos. The biggest is the Conrad casino (the only private casino in the country)—a big casino with plenty of high rollers.

The rules there are standard strip rules, with penetration around 75%. All play is in American dollars, with limits from 5-500 to 100-5000 (or more). Here the pit does know about card counting, beware. The other two casinos have the same rules but better limits. Again, play is in American dollars. A few weeks ago I visited Punta del Este and found that the two government-owned casinos, trying to compete with the Conrad casino, had installed ES on their blackjack tables. This rule is still in effect. 

Casinos and Blackjack in Chile

It’s been two years since I’ve played in Chile, but I found good rules. The state is owner of these five casinos. Even if you’re there to play blackjack, you might want to visit Pucon (Chile), a beautiful and pleasant place where you can drive across the Andes.

There’s also a nice casino there. They have DA2, ES10, hole card, but no DAS. The limits are up to 800USD on the weekends. They play in Chilean pesos and the exchange rate is very bad in the casino. Be sure to exchange your money in Banco del Estado before 2 p.m. when they close. The other casinos are on the Pacific coast, in cities like Viña del mar, La Serena and Arica.  

Casinos and Blackjack in Paraguay

Paraguay has four or five casinos too, with two of them in Asuncion, the capital city. There are low limits there. The rules are D9, DAS, ES10, and the penetration is 80% or better. ♠ 

Hole Card Tips for Beginners

By Arnold Snyder
(From Card Player, July 28, 1995)
© 1995 Arnold Snyder

Question from a Reader: Last week, the blackjack dealer against whom I was playing kept flashing her hole card in my direction. She wasn’t doing it on purpose; it was just the way she angled the hole card up as she slid it beneath her other card.

The only time that I could really tell what she had with certainty was when it was a facecard, because of all the colors. Most of my other reads were wrong.

I took insurance once when I thought that I saw an ace, but it turned out to be a three. I also mistook a five for an eight or nine once, and hit a hand that I really should have sttod on (thinking that she had a pat hand).

Probably the weirdest play I made was when I hit a hard 17 (and busted, of course), but it was the right play because I definitely saw a face card go underneath her nine up. One of the other players at the table got up and left when I took that hit!

I played against her for about two hours, and pretty much broke even. My bad plays due to my incorrect reads canceled out what I made from my good plays, when I clearly saw the face card.

I’m tempted to look for this dealer again very soon, but my reading ability leaves much to be desired. Do you have any suggestions on how I could take advantage of her more profitably? Also, are you sure this isn’t cheating? Could I be arrested for playing this way?

Answer from Arnold Snyder: Ever since blackjack has been played in casinos, sloppy dealers like the one you found have been taken advantage of by smart players. Professional gamblers refer to this type of dealer as a “front loader”, because the hole card is loaded beneath the upcard from the front by tipping the card up toward the player at the middle of the table. Dealers can also tip the card to either side at some point before loading it beneath the top card.

Dealers are taught specifically not to tilt their hole cards in this manner, or to shield the card with a hand during loading, precisely because a smart player can get a big edge if he or she knows what to do with such information. The precise edge available depends on what percentage of the time you’re able to read the hole card, how accurately you’re able to read it, how well you know what to do with the info, and how much you are willing to vary your playing strategy to take advantage of the info.

James Grosjean has run extensive analyses to figure out the best way to play hole card information under various degrees of certainty about your read. Much of his analysis is available in his book Beyond Counting. In addition, Norm Wattenberger’s Casino Verite software now has the ability to run extensive hole card simulations.

Other authors who have written extensively about hole card strategies are Stanford Wong, in his 1978 book Winning Without Counting, and Ken Uston in his 1981 book Million Dollar Blackjack.

If you run into a dealer who is flashing his hole card, and you haven’t had a chance yet to study all the nuances of proper strategy, here is a simple emergency strategy to use.

Down and Dirty Emergency Hole Card Strategy

First, forget normal basic strategy. You’re no longer basing your play on the dealer’s upcard. You’re basing your play on the total of the dealer’s hand, which you always assume (for playing purposes) will get hit with a ten if the dealer needs to hit.

If you know that the dealer is going to be standing, it should be clear to you, based on both your total and hers, what you should be doing with your hand. The only question is whether you think it’s wise to hit a hard 17 or higher.

If you know the dealer is stiff, you should definitely stand on all your stiffs, even if his upcard is a ten. The hand total is all that matters.

Also, if the dealer is stiff, you should double down and split pairs more frequently. You want to get more money on the table when the dealer is more likely to bust. If you can get away with splitting tens, do it. Double down on all soft totals.

If you know the dealer’s hand totals 7 to 11, you should hit your stiffs regardless of his upcard.

Again, this is a simple emergency strategy for when you run into a flasher but aren’t prepared. If you have ambitions to play blackjack hole cards professionally, you’ll need all the information you can get from the above-listed books.

And there is one more thing you should know if you’re going to try to take advantage of a hole card flasher–if the dealer can see you watching for the flash, she is going to very quickly correct her mistake herself.

Is Blackjack Hole Card Play Legal?

As long as you are merely taking advantage of the dealer’s natural sloppiness, and are not colluding with the dealer to flash her hole card to you (that is, paying her to show it to you), you are not cheating. [For comments on this issue from an attorney, see Blackjack Hole Card Play and the Law: Is Spooking Legal?, in the BJF Library.]

The danger of using hole card strategies, however, is that the weird plays you make might cause the casino to believe that you are colluding with the dealer. For a better idea of what can happen when a casino believes you’re cheating, even when you’re not, see James Grosjean’s article A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, as well as Richard Munchkin’s Interview with RC (RC is one of the all-time great hole-card players).

What To Do When You’re Not Sure of Your Read

It’s a lot more difficult to find flashers these days than it used to be, because casinos are much more aware of the professional players who specialize in these games. That actually tends to work out to the benefit of professional players, who have the skills to read more difficult flashes. More subtle flashes mean the pros can exploit these games a lot longer, as the casino tends not to find subtle dealer error as quickly.

Professional players are able to deal with more difficult flashes because they have spent so many hours dealing with this sort of thing. Like anything else, you get better with practice. I have a hole card practice device in my office that I’ve shared with various players that increases your skill more rapidly–it’s essentially a card funnel attached to a viewer, which you use to flash cards past your field of vision as fast as you can handle.

But even professional players often have to make decisions with less-than-perfectly-clear information. You may have to base your playing decision on an impression of massed pips on the cards, rather than a few pips surrounded by a lot of white space, for example. Again, consult the texts recommended above for what to do with imperfect information.

The one thing you want to be sure not to do is just guess. If you really have no idea what the hole card is except when it’s a face card, then you’d be better off sticking with basic strategy unless you read a face card in the hole. It can be extremely costly to violate basic strategy on uninformed guesses.

Also, do not be surprised if this flashing dealer does not flash her hole card by the time you return to play against her. My guess is that if she was obvious enough for a beginner to play, the casino will figure it out pretty quickly and coach him on his mistake. ♠

An Attorney Fights Casino Abuse of Professional Gamblers in the Nevada Courts and Wins

by Richard W. Munchkin
(From Blackjack Forum XXII #4, Winter 2002/03)
© Blackjack Forum 2003

[Bob Nersesian is a partner in the Las Vegas law firm of Nersesian & Sankiewicz. He specializes in representing players in lawsuits against casinos. Richard W. Munchkin is a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame and the author of Gambling Wizards: Conversations with the World’s Greatest Gamblers.]

RWM: Why is it that attorneys don’t want to take cases in which card counters have been manhandled by casinos?

Nersesian: Number one, there isn’t enough money in those cases. Number two, and this is really bizarre to me, people in our community don’t understand that the casinos are invading someone’s rights when a card counter is back roomed or handcuffed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked with other attorneys about this stuff and the reaction I get is: “Well for god sakes, he was counting cards. What do you expect them to do?” My answer is, “I expect them to follow the law, not falsely imprison the guy, not hold him out there and walk him through the casino and embarrass him in front of the world.”The law says that if they suspect him of a felony or if he is suspected of committing a misdemeanor on premises, they can detain him. It does not say they can detain him because he is winning, and that is what they are doing. The public accepts that, and most of the lawyers do, too. Across this country professional gamblers are vilified as far as perceptions are concerned. What we are faced with is a private company who says, “We don’t like what you’re doing. You’re hurting us, so we are going to get back at you.”

The general perspective when I approach other lawyers and upper management of casinos about counters being handcuffed, which does occur regularly, they are as aghast as I am. The policy has been changed, and been put out in writing at some properties, after lawsuits that I’ve been involved in.

RWM: That’s good to hear.

Nersesian: They know they can’t do that. I’m giving the upper management some credit here. It’s the way business works. They put out a dictate that says, “We’re supposed to make money.” Then you get down to the functionary level where they don’t deal with management decisions or the overall policy decisions. They just get the directive, “Your job is to make sure we make money.” They don’t know the ins and outs and niceties about it.The next thing you know they are handcuffing honest people. When the upper management finds out about that, they are pretty straightforward about changing their policies and seeing that it doesn’t happen again. Historically, few lawyers have been willing to sue, and nothing happens because of it. The casino management isn’t even aware there is a problem.

RWM: What is a case worth when a card counter is handcuffed and maybe pushed around?

Nersesian: I don’t want to put down hard numbers, but the patron generally walks away with $5,000 – $15,000. That is provided all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. What I mean by that is there aren’t other reasons for what happened.The story that comes from my client in the first place is very rarely the story that you can see from the facts once things develop. For example, someone might assume they were back roomed for card counting, when in actuality they were back roomed because the casino suspects them of using a counting device. If that is the suspicion, and it’s arguably supportable, the detention can be found appropriate.There are usually videos of that back room, and the cases where I have been successful usually show the casino security lambasting my client and stating, “We saw you in the book. We know you’re a card counter. We don’t want your business.” The client is calmly standing there saying, “I told you outside that I didn’t want to come back here. Put away that camera. You are not going to take my picture. You have no business holding me here. You can ask me to leave. You could have done that out in the casino. Let me out right now.”

RWM: Is that what someone should do if detained?

Nersesian: First inform them firmly, but not physically, that you have no desire to accompany them anywhere.

RWM: Should you attempt to walk to the door?

Nersesian: Your call. I’ve had it both ways. Firmly state, “If you want to throw me out, tell me I’m 86’ed or trespass me. Do it now and do it quickly, because I intend to walk out that door.” If they say, “You’re not going,” or “You have to come with us,” don’t fight them, because they may beat the living daylights out of you.Do I want to see that kind of lawsuit? Not really. You get hurt on those. If they have determined that they are taking you to the back room, they will probably do whatever it takes to restrain you. Your firm statement that you desire to leave and they should not take you back there is all that is needed.

RWM: Unfortunately, the surveillance tapes don’t have audio.

Nersesian: No, they don’t. Once you get in the security office, say it again. That room is recorded with audio.

I want to give you an example of the way the attorneys here look at this stuff. I have a case going to trial on the 23rd. I’m suing a Gaming agent for what he did to a card counter. The court originally dismissed the action. This card counter spent a whole night in jail. He didn’t do anything illegal.When the court dismissed it, I had to go to the Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, and that court reversed the dismissal. Now we have a judgment of liability. I am $80,000 into this case. What do my friends who are lawyers think when I describe the events to them? The guy spent a night in jail. He has never been arrested in his life. He is a wonderful father of two.The question to me is, “What was he doing?” He was counting cards. When I ask them what they think it is worth, they tell me, maybe $2,000. I ask, “Why only $2,000?” I was talking to two lawyers just yesterday and they said, “Because he was a card counter.” I said, “So, that’s legal.” They said, “It might be legal but it doesn’t garner any sympathy.”There might be some truth to that. I don’t think it’s a $2,000 case. If it ends up being a $2,000 case, so be it. I still proved my point.

RWM: What was their excuse for keeping him in jail?

Nersesian: He was actually arrested because he refused to give this cop his name.

At the same time I am trying to sue six other Gaming agents. The courts keep throwing them out. I’m going to take these cases to the Nevada Supreme Court. If that doesn’t work, I will try for the United States Supreme Court.I can’t believe what these police officers think they are allowed to do. In one instance, and this one blows my mind, I have a client who plays video poker. He found a machine that had an edge and he played the heck out of it. It turned out the machine was misprogrammed. After he won on the machine, two police officers held him in custody for well over an hour and a half, and repeatedly requested that he return the money before he could leave, or alternatively go to jail. He did not do anything illegal.Here you have the Nevada State Police acting as collection agents for casinos. Isn’t that special?

RWM: Nevada is a very special place.

Nersesian: That one will be going to the Supreme Court for darn sure. Are they going to confirm the court throwing it out? They might. But I have been very impressed with the Gaming Control Board itself and the Supreme Court on gaming issues. Those three guys who make the big decisions. Or, the Nevada Supreme Court. The games tend to go out the window, and they are very judicious, both the Board, and the Supreme Court, about applying the law.

RWM: Really?

Nersesian: Yes. You hear people say that they are rubber stamps for the casinos—not true. From what I can see, at the agent level, those guys seem to have a perspective that they’re working for the casinos. However, the Supreme Court and the Gaming Control Board seem very guarded about their perspective, and that they are working for Nevada. That includes the taxpayers and the people who play in the casinos, as well as the properties.

You might be familiar with another case I handled, which happened at another casino. There was a programming error on a 50-cent video poker machine. A progressive jackpot for four of a kind, which would normally pay $250, instead paid $100,000. My client hit it.A Gaming agent, in a throwaway off-the-cuff opinion, effectively stated, “There is no liability here on behalf of the casino. The patron loses.” The Gaming Control Board unanimously held that the casino had to pay. You see the distinction? The Board recognizes that the integrity of our system is reliant upon expectations being met. That sure was no rubber stamp decision for the casino.

RWM: If it were a PPE [Park Place Entertainment] or MGM/Mirage property, do you think the decision would have been the same?

Nersesian: Yes, in my opinion that would not make a difference. You see some similarities in this case with the other slot case where the agents held him and tried to get him to give back the money.One thing that is most curious is the video of that incident. The police officers were citing the Nevada tax base, and implying that injury to that tax base was something they weren’t going to allow to happen. If you take that in context, and expand it out to its logical conclusion, what they are saying is, “We will not allow casinos to lose in this state.” There is a voiced attitude of the agents that patrons have to deal with every day.

I have a client who was back roomed and we tried very hard to get Metro to prosecute the casino for false imprisonment. We showed up at the station and requested they take a report. They wouldn’t take a report. I actually spoke to a police officer who said to me, “Well, he was card counting. Of course they put him in the back room. That’s cheating.”This is a police officer in the state of Nevada who thinks it is cheating to count cards. No, sorry, the Supreme Court of Nevada has said three times it is not cheating. Reason tells you it’s not cheating. Maybe so, but the guy on the street doesn’t view a professional gambler with any sympathy. It might be jealousy. Whatever the rational might be, there just isn’t a depth of sympathy for card counters and other legal advantage players.

If the cop on the street thinks that is the case, how are you going to get lawyers or the general public to look at these people as anything other than dreck? Are they dreck? Not the ones I know. My clients include business leaders, mathematics professors at national universities, and noted authors. They are not dreck.This whole concept of treating them as less than upstanding citizens is particularly curious when you balance against it the idea that the casinos are allowed to use their skills to make money, and they are the stellar citizens of Nevada. But a player who uses his skills should be persecuted. Isn’t that a curious perspective?

RWM: It certainly is. Do you have any other advice to the player when confronted by the casino?

Nersesian: Don’t show a fake ID. I know a lot of guys are carrying them. If you use another name, one thing that might add some protection is to go down to the Clark County Clerk’s office and register that name as a “registered assumed name.” The law regarding identification is ambiguous and I believe unconstitutional. The law says,NRS 205.465 Possession or sale of document or personal identifying information to establish false status or identity.1. It is unlawful for a person to possess, sell or transfer any document or personal identifying information for the purpose of establishing a false status, occupation, membership, license or identity for himself or any other person.Nersesian: Pretty broad, isn’t it?

RWM: Wow. So if my wife uses my player’s card in the slot machine, she’s committing a crime under that law.

Nersesian: There is an argument that she is. I don’t think this statute passes constitutional muster. It’s vague and fails to include a scienter element, but do you want to be the guy who spends two days in jail before being bailed out for $5,000 to see if that is true?There is also a statute, or ordinances, that deal with doing business under an assumed name. The argument will be when this statute is popped on someone who has filed that DBA certificate is that this is not a “false” identity. This is a legal, fictitious identity, and there has to be a distinction between the two, else the assumed name statutes would not exist.If you are going to use fictitious ID, file an assumed name certificate in the county where you are using it. Even then you can’t be sure you are not committing a crime, as far as Nevada defines one. Isn’t this fun?

Gamblers have gone to great lengths to avoid being noticed. Often the simplest diversion will add hours to the play. For example, I know of a case where a Gaming agent, a professional security officer, and a chief of security watched the wrong guy on the table for hours before they figured out he was getting signals. They were dumbfounded as to where his information was coming from.Then they watched the other guy at the table, since the first guy was not doing anything to get information. They watched the other guy for hours to figure out what the signals were. The signals were blatantly obvious. My point is not that surveillance is inept. My point is that players think all this stuff is known, and as soon as you do something they are going to see it. The simplest stuff can take years for them to decipher.

On the other hand, I have another case where a guy was popped twenty minutes after he sat down. He was 86’ed. He somehow was in Griffin. His spread was $50 to $200. He’s relatively an amateur.

RWM: Why is this a case?

Nersesian: He was back roomed. And he did everything right. He said, “I don’t want to go there.” They entered the back room. “I don’t know why I’m here. Let me go.” Then the beautiful part, the security guard says, “You’re here because we found you in the book. We know you’re a card counter.” Talk about handing it to me.To add insult to injury, he asks the security supervisor who says, and this is cute, “You’re here because you’ve committed a gaming violation.” He asked, “What violation?” The security chief essentially says, “I don’t have to tell you.” And he walks out.Then he kept telling the other security officers, “Let me go right now. You have no right to hold me. You know that I have done nothing illegal. Let me out that door.” They told him to calm down and he said, “I’m perfectly calm. I just don’t want to be here.” Then the supervisor comes back in and my client said, “Let me go.” The supervisor said, “First, I want to ask you some questions.” My client again said, “Let me go right now.” Eventually when it became clear they would get nothing, he was allowed to leave.

RWM: Should he have said, “Call the police.”

Nersesian: That’s the case where we did call the police. They said, “So? You were card counting.” I’ve got a letter from Metro saying, to paraphrase, “We choose not to investigate or prosecute. Our scarce resources cannot be used on such claims.” No, but if a casino calls them up and says they have a disorderly person, how long before they are over there hauling that guy away?

RWM: My first question to you was: Why don’t lawyers take these cases? Now I’m wondering: Why do you take them?

Nersesian: I do this because what is going on in this community is not some minor infringement in everybody’s day-to-day life. To be thrown into a back room against your will, and be told that you have to do whatever they tell you for however long they want—that is imprisonment. It is traumatic beyond what you or I could ever fathom.Those lawyer friends that I told you about, and they are dear friends, they think I’m tilting at windmills like Don Quixote. I get very angry with them. If you’re a lawyer, you took an oath. When I tell my friends that this is what I do to give back, their reaction is, “Well, that’s pretty silly. You’re giving back by making things worse.” The kind of cases I am talking about, the casinos think they can treat patrons as chattel, as pieces of property. These people are not chattel, and they have not done anything illegal. For a casino to think that they have some special position in society that allows them to do this to innocent people cannot be reconciled with the country we live in.That’s why I do it. Because it angers me that much. I don’t make money at this. It has been a money loser for years, but it is a matter of principle, and a wrong that needs righted.
Bob Nersesian can be reached c/o:

Nersesian & Sankiewicz
528 S. 8th Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 385-5454

Casinos and Nevada Politics

The Nevada Gaming Commission and the State Gaming Control Board comprise the two-tiered system charged with regulating the Nevada gaming industry. The Commission and Board administer the State laws and regulations governing gaming for the protection of the public and in the public interest in accordance with the policy of the State.

The Nevada Gaming Commission is a five-member lay body appointed by the Governor, which serves in a part-time capacity. The primary responsibilities of the Commission include acting on the recommendations of the State Gaming Control Board in licensing matters and ruling in work permit appeal cases. The Commission is the final authority on licensing matters, having the ability to approve, restrict, limit, condition, deny, revoke, or suspend any gaming license.

The Gaming Control Board is made up of three full-time members, appointed by the governor to four-year terms. The gaming statutes require the board to include: one person with a minimum of five years experience in public or business administration; one person who has been a certified public accountant for five years or more, or who is an expert in finance, auditing, gaming, or economics; and one person with a law enforcement background.The Board’s purpose is to protect the stability of the gaming industry through investigations, licensing, and enforcement of laws and regulations. They also insure the collection of taxes and fees, and maintain public confidence in gaming. The Board implements and enforces the state laws and regulations through seven divisions. Those seven divisions are: Administration Division, Audit Division, Corporate Securities Division, Electronic Services Division, Investigations division, Tax and License Division, and Enforcement Division.

If a card counter or other casino patron were to have an interaction with someone from Gaming, it would most likely be someone from the Enforcement Division. The Enforcement Division is the law enforcement arm of the Gaming Control Board. It maintains five offices statewide and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Primary responsibilities are: to conduct criminal and regulatory investigations, arbitrate disputes between patrons and licensees, gather intelligence on organized criminal groups involved in gaming related activities, make recommendations on potential candidates for the “List of Excluded Persons,” conduct background investigations on work-card applicants, and inspect and approve new games, surveillance systems, chips and tokens, charitable lotteries, and bingo.

For an in-depth look at the Gaming Commission, read License To Steal: Nevada’s Gaming Control System In The Megaresort Age, by Jeff Burbank. ♠