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ATLANTIC CITY BLACKJACK REPORT─June 2012
by Frank and Alene Scoblete
Alene Scoblete is the CEO of Paone Press, which sells gaming books and tapes at discount prices. She also writes for www.scoblete.com. Her husband, Frank Scoblete, is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. Frank’s books and tapes have sold over a million copies. For a free brochure call: 1-800-944-0406 or write: Frank Scoblete Enterprises, Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565. Frank’s websites are
www.goldentouchblackjack.com, www.goldentouchcraps.com and www.scoblete.com.Where Have All the BJ Teams Gone?
In 1980 (or thereabouts), my mentor the late, legendary Captain of craps watched a person he believed was Ken Uston playing blackjack at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. Uston was a part of a team at that time but he had become somewhat well known and was wearing a disguise to hide his true identity.
According to the Captain, it was the worst disguise he ever saw, maybe just short of Clark Kent wearing glasses so no one would know he was Superman. Uston was not using his "big player" method during this period; he was just playing straight up against the dealer. His teammates were playing at other tables (I imagine).
In those heady early days of Atlantic City and going right through most of the 1980s and 1990s, blackjack teams attempted to take advantage of some excellent four and six-deck games being offered at the Queen by the Shore. You had the Czechs, the Russians, Uston’s Team, various other American teams, and two teams I played with during the 1990s – one a wonderful winning team and one a team that became the blackjack equivalent of the OK Coral.
However, Atlantic City ultimately became a less favorable blackjack venue and slowly eight-deck games were replaced with six-deck games and the latter were replaced four-deck games in the high roller rooms. Today, we see relatively shallow penetration throughout the venue, a tightening on the rules ("tightening" means "worsening"), with dealers now hitting soft 17 at most casinos.
I am guessing that only the small teams (if any) are attempting to win at blackjack in Atlantic City nowadays, especially when there are truly ripe games in other venues, such as Pennsylvania and the Midwest. I have not seen in my scouting trips anyone who even looks as if he counts or uses the "big player" approach that is obviously old hat to the casinos and easy to spot. Maybe MIT or its equivalent has a team out there but I haven’t seen any sign of them.
The teams seem to be gone while carnival games are replacing many of the blackjack tables. There are fewer tables to play at, and fewer games that are even worth playing. There are advantage players in Atlantic City but they seem to be lone wolves, or, perhaps, hooked up with a few other players. I am more or less guessing that no one is trying to make a killing at blackjack.
The glory days are over – at least they seem over. Team play was a romantic notion for a couple of decades but those players who toured the country and the world soon found out that it was more a drag and a drudge than rip-roaring swashbuckling fun. Blackjack advantage-play is hard work and far from glamorous.
It is possible that I am wrong (I was wrong once about 20 years ago until I found out I was right so I was wrong that I wasn’t right) and maybe there are teams that are so subtle that even several blackjack card counters scouring the casinos looking for them can’t find them.
Or they are gone.
I think they are gone.
If any of my readers know of such teams, send me an email at fscobe@optonline.net and I will judiciously put the info in a letter to the editor without giving away the details.
Our Readers Report
If you wish to contribute your reports or observations, we need to receive them by the 18th of the month for the next month. Write to: fscobe@optonline.net
We have many readers who send us their reports on various aspects of Atlantic City and we do have some that give us reports just about every month – so we have decided to give them the fame and glory (as opposed to "fortune and glory") of their own columns
You will note that our correspondents tend to have somewhat different views. Always it is up to you to decide which games you want to play by scouting them for yourselves.
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Dear Mr. Bigsnot:
I am sick and tried of you constantly saying that Atlantic City has inferior gams. To what? Answer me that mr I Know Everything. The blackjack ganmes are fine and the dealers are fiendly. So there. I know you won’t publish this because all you want are people that agrees with you. That is true of all gambying writers I am shore.
Davis J. J.
(I had no real letters this month so I figured I’d print one nutty one from my extensive files of nuts and dolts.)
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CASINO RATINGS
We thank many of our readers for helping us to stay as updated as possible. There may be some disagreements in ratings among our correspondents but all these reports are based on individuals’ experience.
A word to the wise: it’s always best to check out the casinos for yourselves.Rating system:
***** = Excellent
**** = Very Good
*** = Good
** = Fair
* = Poor.
BALLY’S PARK PLACE:
Good cuts of about 80 percent. Could be a happy time for small-time card counters. This might be a good time to check this casino out. All 8-deck games except for the high roller room action. The hitting on soft 17 is now a sad fact. Crews are friendly. Craps games are quite good. High roller minimums can go as high as $200. Three stars: * * *BORGATA
: The hottest place in AC bar none. The 6-deck games are now almost everywhere again and the penetration is starting to look like the old Borgata, if you can call a relatively new casino "old." A mixture of S17 and H17 were found but the H17 is starting to dominate. This is a happening place and caters to a swinging 30-something crowd that Revel is trying to attract but failing at it miserably. You’ll enjoy the night clubs and the beautiful people. We’ll see what happens. This is still a decent casino for blackjack. Not a good casino for craps. Two and one-half stars: * * *CAESARS:
Looks to be a casino that is still flourishing from what we can see during those midweek periods. The main floor of eight-deckers has some of the upper-limit tables ($25 and $50) with no mid-shoe entry. All the games in the high roller pit are also no mid-shoe entry with $100 and higher minimums. Six-deck games in high roller room have 75 percent penetration just as most of the regular floor does. High roller room is S17; the main floor is H17 when we were there. The craps games here are good with 12-foot tables. The tables are high so smaller controlled shooters should wear their "special shoes." Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *
CLARIDGE:
Closed every time we’ve stopped by. This is an historic hotel. If it weren’t, we think it would be torn down and be another empty lot across from the empty lot that used to be the Sands. If this place doesn’t fold it is possible it will just become an empty, old building with landmark status and pigeon poop decorating the bricks.
HARRAH’S:
The blackjack games are so-so with eight decks and penetration of about 70-75 percent. Seems to be holding its own in the down-trending AC landscape. Good place for craps. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *
ACH [
formerly the Hilton]: My last trip here was interesting. It was a Tuesday morning and the place had some fairly good action. High roller room is 6-decks; rest of the casino is 8-decks with a few $25/$50 6-deckers on occasion. No mid-shoe entry on the six-deckers. For craps, we are dealing with 13-foot tables and a couple of 12 footers. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *RESORTS:
Same as last issue. The reports are in and out about this casino’s games and the casino’s future. Many H17 games on main floor; high roller room is S17. Penetration on all games is about 70-75 percent which is not bad considering this is AC. Decent craps games. Has opened the first Atlantic City gay nightclub and is courting the gay community, which is a smart move as gay vacation resorts and nightclubs seem to make a good go of it. Two and one-half stars: * * ½*REVEL:
Only a little over a year into its existence and it is already in bankruptcy. Some games are good and some are bad. Look for the six decks with S17; the eight deckers are hit on soft 17. The six deckers are in the minority and the best are right by those giant escalators. Penetration is 75 percent at most. You’ll meet a lot of sad-faced dealers who left previous casinos in AC. That should help you get acclimated. But whoever decided to go with the small comps, highly expensive rooms did not understand the AC base. This wanted to become a destination resort and its destination seems to be the bottom of the economic barrel. Three stars: * * *
SHOWBOAT
: Same as last issue. Slots dominate this place now. The blackjack has deteriorated considerably with little penetration – maybe you play 60-66 percent of the shoe. All games are hit on soft 17. High roller room is passable with better penetration, about 75 percent, and at some slow times the minimums are $25 – although you won’t see this much in the summer. Pass this place by unless you are walking Fido since they are now the animal friendly hotel – disgusting! One star: *TROPICANA:
No change from last issue. Starting to really look like a top-notch property. This place is going in the opposite direction from Trump Plaza and ACH by bringing the highest rollers into AC. Now the place is H17 on all games except those outside the high roller room. Still has some good penetration, maybe 75 percent; sometimes excellent penetration of 80 percent. Three stars: * * * (for penetration)THE GOLDEN NUGGET:
The blackjack games in the high roller room are excellent with penetration of 80 percent and top rules such as splitting and resplitting; and standing on soft 17. The eight-deck games in the casino are ho-hum and basically the same as all the other casinos in AC. The craps games are excellent and – as always – this place has the nicest and most professional dealers you will find. Give it a whirl but again, the report is blackjack paranoia now reigns supreme here. Two and one-half stars: * * ½*TRUMP PLAZA:
Has been sold but it might be too late for this place which is now called "Dump Plaza" or "The Trump Dump" but it does have fairly good games when those games are open. Still something has to be done with the dark casino and the low-life scum skulking through it. The penetration is 70-75 percent. No mid-shoe entry on games outside high-roller pit but you can find $25 (a few) to $50 minimums on these. Allows resplits, except aces. All tables are $10 and higher. Craps tables are 12-footers. The dealers range from professional and friendly down to arrogant and ignorant. Some days the place is practically empty. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *
TRUMP TAJ MAHAL:
No change from last issue. Now they are hitting soft 17 except in high roller room. First they screwed up the craps tables so the dice go flying off the table every third roll and now they have decided to give the blackjack games a wicked colonoscopy with barbed wire. Great hotel and great restaurants and great entertainment. Also, great dealers and pit personnel. Too bad it isn’t the premier place to play any more because it is a great place to stay. Two and one-half stars: * * ½*WILD, WILD WEST:
Tumble-weed is blowing through this place now.THE BEST BLACKJACK IN ATLANTIC CITY:
Bally’s, Borgata, Revel and TropicanaBest Craps in Atlantic City:
All except: Borgata, Taj Mahal, Showboat and Wild, Wild West (if open).* * * * *
Everything Casino Poker:
Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold’em,
Omaha Hi-Lo and Pai Gow Poker!
By Frank Scoblete
Every game in this book can be beaten if you play the right way. Even video poker machines that return 98-99 percent of the money played can garner comps that make playing the machines a positive experience. And the great news is that there are a multitude of machines in this book that return 100 percent or more! These machines can be beaten mathematically by using the strategies the Casino Player columnist Jerry "Stickman" has developed.
If you want to learn how to play casino-poker-room games such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha Hi-Lo with an edge, then read what poker expert and best-selling author Bill "Ace-10" Burton reveals. Since you are playing against other players in poker rooms, then you have to know how to beat those other players at two radically different forms of poker. Burton explains all the winning concepts.
Finally, many players are not that familiar with a great casino table game, Pai Gow Poker. This game can also be beaten if you follow the advice of the King of Pai Gow Poker John "Skinny." He'll explain exactly how you should play your hands, how to increase your chances to win big and how to learn from the experiences of others.
If you are looking to get a real edge against the house or against other players, this is the book for you. I am a believer that when players get an opportunity to win casino games they should make the small effort to do so. Otherwise, why bother to go?
Frank Scoblete is the #1 best selling casino gambling authority in America. His books, DVDs, articles, web sites and television shows have helped millions of people become better casino players and also help players get real edges over the house at certain games such as blackjack and craps.
Book can be purchased at Amazon.com, your favorite bookstore, or by calling 1-800-944-0406. Cost is $18.95 plus $6 shipping and handling.
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