When it comes to Blackjack, I'm no Team Player One of the things that bugs me about playing blackjack is blackjack players. By Willy Allison Read the full artcle

Ask the Casino Guys The Casino Guys break down your questions and offer helpful tips and advice: This month: The Myths & Truths of Rhythm Rolling? (Excerpt from WGPC08) See Video To see all Casino Guys videos go to www.casinoguysonline.com

This month: T-Ray Cameras by Vlado Damjanovski by Vlado Damjanovski

• "Take Down" of the Month • Good to Know

Has your casino been hit by a blackjack team in the last 2 years? Take Our Poll

2008 1st Quarter issue (large file)

View from
the Catwalk
April 2008

THE HOUSE WINS WITH "21"

This past weekend I toddled off to my local cinema at my local casino to see the new movie "21". Yes, I saw a movie at a casino about how to beat casinos. (Another only in Vegas moment.) Is that ironic? I think not.

What did I think about the movie? Well, like most movies depicting casinos I always come prepared with a slice of lemon and a pinch of salt. I understand that the casino guys in the movies have to be thugs and villains but come on Mr. Hollywood, knuckle sandwiches for card counters? How about just an ounce of realism, OK? Everyone knows to avoid visible external bruising and scarring you go for the stomach.

Surprisingly however, I liked it. I didn't think I would but I did. I thought it was a slick promotion for Las Vegas, casinos and the game of Blackjack and when the DVD comes out, it will be the cheapest training tool for casino staff on the market (especially if you wait for the $10 specials at Circuit City).

Sure there were parts that would make the seasoned casino professional throw up their cafeteria breakfasts or buffet lunches, but that's show biz baby. Movies are made to entertain. A little bit of escapism. A little bit of high-fiving. Throw in some bad guys, greed, gratuitous violence and a bit of how's your father and you got yourself a box office hit.

But I think what I liked the most about 21 was that now we have something to help show the new breed CEO's of the casino world why blackjack deserves special attention and why we need more well trained people and quality information systems to protect against team play. Blackjack is a unique casino game in terms of the skill factor and therefore more resources should be dedicated to monitoring it.

The concept behind blackjack team play is very simple. There are the backers, the trackers and the stackers. (OK, I made the stackers term up. Big players (BP's) just don't have the same rap value...sorry). The backers are investors and put up the money. Most of them play a management type role in the team. The trackers do the ground work. They are the players who grind it out at the blackjack tables, inconspicuously keeping count of the cards, betting the table minimum and playing simple basic strategy. There job is to find a game where the count is high. That's when the stackers come in. When the table count is high the trackers signal the stackers to come join the game. Right off the bat, the stacker does just that and takes advantage of the player's edge over the house.

It's beautiful to watch team play in action and 21 captures it in a stylish manner. Like the Kazakhstan ballet, each player moves around the floor with flawless synchronization and grace, always staying in character but never losing focus.

WGPC '09 March 1-3, 2009 Caesars Palace Las Vegas, NV

I expect there will be some Ben Campbell (the main character) wannabes trying to bring down the house in the upcoming months. My advice to budding team players is to get in line. The ATM line. Sure it's cheap and easy enough to go out and buy a copy of Ed Thorp's "Beat the Dealer" and start working on your count drills. But do you have the bankroll to stay in the game when the count is high and Mr. Statistical Fluctuation sits down at the table? Can you deal with placing more money than you make in a year on one hand only to be dealt 20 while the dealer makes a 5 card 21? Of course you can.


- Enjoy the game

Willy J. Allison
April 2008