By Guest Contributor Eliot Jacobson, Ph.D., Jacobson Gaming, LLC and Raving Partner, Table Games Operations and Casino Math Analysis
The methods casinos use to protect against blackjack card counters are among the most costly managerial decisions many casinos make. Contrary to popular belief, there is not an army of card counters waiting to pounce at the first opportunity. In this day of multiple table game options and hundreds of casinos, the few skilled advantage players (APs) who do target blackjack are highly unlikely to harm a specific casino's bottom line. The poorly understood policies put in place cost far more than the casino stands to lose to the few counters who do stop by. One of the most wasteful procedures is the placement of the cut card in shoe games.
There are several variables that go in to determining the cost associated with the cut card. Among these are shuffle time, game pace, number of players and house edge. The deeper the cut card is placed towards the end of the shoe, the more rounds will be dealt per shoe. The effect of this will be to reduce the number of time-consuming shuffles. Even if a batch shuffler is used, there can be significant time savings.
For example, consider a shuffle time of 180 seconds (three minutes), an average of $50 wagered per round, an effective house edge of 1.50%, with three players at the table. Assume the game is moving at a pace of 90 rounds per hour (a typical pace for three players). Then the yearly cost of cutting off two decks instead of 1/2 deck is $78,321 per table.
What are the chances that card counters are going to beat that table out of that amount? If the casino has an average of six tables open, the cost is over $450,000 per year. In the highly unlikely event that card counters beat the casino for $50,000, the casino is still ahead by over $400,000.
The obsession with protecting blackjack against card counters costs far more than card counters will ever win. Casinos should use a fraction of the profit they will gain by placing the cut card between one half (1/2) and one (1) deck and invest in education for their staff. Bring in an expert to train staff on card counting. Along the way, staff can be educated on a host of far more costly forms of advantage play.
The light of game protection is focused on blackjack card counters, while the real action is taking place at the dimly lit table one over.
The House of Pane
The methods casinos use to protect against blackjack card counters are among the most costly managerial decisions many casinos make. Contrary to popular belief, there is not an army of card counters waiting to pounce at the first opportunity. In this day of multiple table game options and hundreds of casinos, the few skilled advantage players (APs) who do target blackjack are highly unlikely to harm a specific casino's bottom line. The poorly understood policies put in place cost far more than the casino stands to lose to the few counters who do stop by. One of the most wasteful procedures is the placement of the cut card in shoe games.
There are several variables that go in to determining the cost associated with the cut card. Among these are shuffle time, game pace, number of players and house edge. The deeper the cut card is placed towards the end of the shoe, the more rounds will be dealt per shoe. The effect of this will be to reduce the number of time-consuming shuffles. Even if a batch shuffler is used, there can be significant time savings.
For example, consider a shuffle time of 180 seconds (three minutes), an average of $50 wagered per round, an effective house edge of 1.50%, with three players at the table. Assume the game is moving at a pace of 90 rounds per hour (a typical pace for three players). Then the yearly cost of cutting off two decks instead of 1/2 deck is $78,321 per table.
What are the chances that card counters are going to beat that table out of that amount? If the casino has an average of six tables open, the cost is over $450,000 per year. In the highly unlikely event that card counters beat the casino for $50,000, the casino is still ahead by over $400,000.
The obsession with protecting blackjack against card counters costs far more than card counters will ever win. Casinos should use a fraction of the profit they will gain by placing the cut card between one half (1/2) and one (1) deck and invest in education for their staff. Bring in an expert to train staff on card counting. Along the way, staff can be educated on a host of far more costly forms of advantage play.
The light of game protection is focused on blackjack card counters, while the real action is taking place at the dimly lit table one over.
The House of Pane