If you’ve read any of our other articles, you’ll already know that we’re huge fans of using card counting when playing blackjack. That’s because it’s a skill that anyone can learn, assuming that they’re committed and dedicated, and it vastly increases your chances of winning. That’s precisely why some of the biggest blackjack winners in history use this method to boost their winning ways. However, not everyone wants to use card counting at a casino. They may find it too difficult or they may not be fans of the risks that it entails. So, let´s take a look at some alternatives to card counting.
Now, to be clear, card counting is perfectly legal it’s just that casinos aren’t fans of the practice. That means that the only risk that exists is that you will be asked to leave or maybe be banned for the long term. For people who believe that risk is too much to take, are there any other options to explore? The good news is that yes, there are other ways to win at blackjack without counting cards.
There are actually two methods that players can use in place of card counting. These are:
- Hole carding
- Front-loading
Now, the reality is that these methods are going to take a lot more work to master than card counting but that extra work is certainly worthwhile. That’s because they both give you a substantially higher advantage than that offered by card counting.
Before you jump in and do your best to learn about these methods, there is still a rule that holds true: you need to master basic strategy. You need to be able to implement this strategy perfectly, flawlessly and without the smallest of slip-ups. If you can’t do this then you need to revisit basic strategy and then come back.
If you have mastered basic strategy then read on as we explore the two methods. Before you do, it’s worth knowing that, just like card counting, these methods are perfectly legal.
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Hole Carding – Alternatives to Card Counting
In simple terms, this method is all about identifying the dealers’ face-down card. If you know what this unexposed card is you suddenly have a huge advantage over the casino. The winning potential from hole carding is huge. It not only leads to big wins but regular and consistent ones. That’s why, once you’ve got to grips with it, you’ll never even think about counting cards ever again.
When looking at blackjack, we focus on the house edge all of the time. We look at how you need to use basic strategy to bring the house edge down but, no matter what, the house will still have the edge. Well, hole carding flips things around. By mastering this as a player you will have a 13.5% advantage. Let’s keep things simple and say that you’re betting $100 per hand. That means that there’s the potential to profit by $1,350 per hour.
To take advantage of this method, you need to find an exploitable hole carding game. The reality is that this is an extremely tedious task and one that you should only try in casino-centric cities. While it’s true that dealers undergo extensive training and know how to hide the hole card, after years they become a little laid back and they start to make mistakes.
If you take a look at the summer months, casinos get extremely busy with tourists flocking to play. During these months it’s common for there to be rookie dealers and these are much easier to exploit. One of the books that we’ve previously recommended is “Million Dollar Blackjack” by Ken Uston. In this, he states that around 1 in 200 dealers can be exploited. That means that you’re looking at scouting time of around 12 hours for every one hour of play.
Yes, it may well be time-consuming looking for the right dealers to try this with, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of opportunities. Look at Las Vegas alone. There are so many casinos and with three shifts per casino leading to hundreds and hundreds of dealers, there is huge potential just in this one area.
Front Loading – Alternatives to Card Counting
This is another way of making blackjack highly lucrative without the need to count cards. According to many players, front loading is the most lucrative method that’s actually legal in casinos and it’s one that everyone should make the effort to learn. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what front loading actually is.
Front loading sees the dealer expose the hole card while it’s being pulled out of the deck or while sliding the card underneath the top one. When looking for the best opportunities to benefit from this method, it’s said that you should be targeting tables that have women dealers. That’s because they tend to have smaller hands meaning that they have trouble holding a double-deck handheld game.
As with all blackjack methods and strategies, there is plenty of complex maths that goes into front loading. However, the truth is that you have no need to fill your head with numbers and probability unless you really want to. What this all boils down to is the fact that if the next card won’t make you bust you should hut. If it will take you over 21 then you obviously stand. Of course, it can all get a little more complicated when splitting but overall this is a relatively simple method.
Final thoughts
If, as a blackjack player, you’re wanting to improve your win ratio you may not be a fan of card counting. As we have seen, there are other methods that you can exploit instead and these may even be more profitable than counting cards. The downside is that they take more time to master.
The big thing here is that nothing can take the place of basic blackjack strategy. Regardless of the other methods that you may be trying to master, basic strategy is the foundation of everything and is something that you must learn.
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