Snyder – a Blackjack master
We’ve already taken a look at some of the greatest blackjack players of all time. But this one is a little different. Certainly, Arnold Snyder is an extraordinary player but his story to greatness isn’t quite what you’d expect. His story has no reference to MIT. You won’t find the likes of Alan Woods or John Chang there as mentors. Perhaps the biggest thing to note is that Snyder got going with a tiny bankroll. Let´s taje a closer look at Arnold Snyder the blackjack master.
Players, such as Dana White, were always able to win big as they had the ability to wager big. When you’re ambition is to become a blackjack master but you’re lacking the funds. You need to be taking a rather different approach. We’re going to take a look at just what Snyder did. How he got started, how he made a name for himself, and how it all paid off in the end. If you want to know how this master made it to the top of his game, read on.
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Arnold Snyder Blackjack master – Snyder’s early blackjack days
When Snyder first decided that he wanted to conquer all things blackjack related. He certainly wasn’t in a position of wealth. Snyder was a letter carrier on a low wage. But he already had ideas about bettering himself and improving his situation. He began to read books such as “Playing Blackjack as a Business” and “Beat the Dealer”. He committed to taking in every detail when it came to the strategies mentioned and this would stand him in good stead for the future.
With card counting mastered, Snyder then faced the frustration of being unable to fully unlock its potential. He was playing in an area where card counting was easy when you knew how, and it was the perfect location to win big. The problem was that his bankroll just wouldn’t allow for these big wins. Yes, he’d easily walk away with an extra $150 to his name, but he’d already decided that this wasn’t ever going to be enough.
Arnold Snyder Blackjack master – Creating a name for himself
With no money to his name, Snyder was going to need a backer. Someone who believed in him and who would help to bankroll his game. The problem was that no one would throw money at a blackjack player who is an unknown. Snyder knew this so he began to work on branding himself and getting his name out there.
His name first became well-known on the back of a booklet that he produced. This was called “The Blackjack Formula”. It contained mathematical formulas that could be used for calculating card counting advantages. Not only did this booklet bring his name to the fore but it also made him more money than the game itself ever had.
His next move was to realise “Blackjack Forum” and this proved to be another runaway success. These publications positioned Snyder as an expert. Those in the know when it came to blackjack started to talk about him as he became the go-to guy for advice and guidance. However, it was what came next that set the course for Snyder’s future and would see him being regarded as one of the greatest blackjack players ever.
Shuffle tracking
It was when Snyder came across shuffle tracking that things really started to change for him. From this point onwards his winning potential continually increased and players were clambering for the chance to be seen with him and learn his technique. This led to him publishing another book, this time called “The Blackjack Shuffle Tracker’s Cookbook”. Players used everything in this book so that they knew when to bet big.
If you’re sat there wondering what shuffle tracking even is, it’s a sophisticated technique used by blackjack players. It’s all about tracking clumps of cards through shuffles which leads to a player knowing when the good cards are due to be dealt.
Snyder got his input on shuffle tracking from a gambling legend known as Steve Forte. In the 1990s, this was a technique that hardly anyone knew about it meaning that those that did could make a killing. While card counting had its place for Snyder, he realised that with shuffle tracking he could take his winnings to the next level, and that’s exactly what he did.
The elusive backer
As we saw at the start of Snyder’s story, what really held him back was the size of his bankroll. To start racking up bigger winnings he needed to be in a position where he could wager more on every hand. After years of trying, the year 2000 saw him find that elusive backer that would allow Snyder to reach the top.
This backer gave Snyder a cool $200,000 to play with. Combining this newfound bankroll with shuffle tracking meant that Snyder could finally start to rack up the winnings that he’d been focused on from the very start.
What Snyder found was that casinos had no idea what he was doing when using the shuffle tracker technique. While card counters were being outed at casinos everywhere, no one could ever spot a player that was using this technique. Snyder states himself that he was ejected from more than one casino but it was never because anyone had cottoned on to what he was doing. It was simply because he was winning big and the casinos just couldn’t fathom out how or why.
All about strategy
If you’ve read any of our other articles, you’ll know that we’re passionate about learning strategies when playing blackjack. Every player needs to master basic blackjack strategy and most should make the effort to learn how to count cards too. Both can lead to your wins increasing and your bankroll lasting longer.
Snyder is the perfect example of what strategy can do for a player. His choice of technique wasn’t widely known but he put the work in to study it and perfect it. That’s what makes an average blackjack player a great – the commitment to learn, master and then implement.
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