Does Casino Blackjack Card-Counting Detection Methods Achieve Success?
This article was written by Richard Marcus. Richard spent two and a half decades traveling the world cheating land-based casinos. He developed and implemented some of the best gambling hacks ever, including one roulette move called "Savannah" which is widely considered the best move of all-time. Today, Richard is a game protection consultant to casinos globally.
Understanding Card Counting and How it Works
Card counting is a strategy used by blackjack players to tilt the odds in their favor. In simple terms, card-counters assign a value (positive, negative, or zero) to each card as it comes out of the deck, maintaining a running tally in their minds.
The aim is to notice the presence of more high cards (tens through aces), which benefit the player, versus low cards, which benefit the dealer. This helps players determine when the deck becomes statistically advantageous for them, known as "hot", allowing them to increase bets. Using this method, a player can gain around a 1% edge against the house.
The system was popularized by American mathematician Edward O. Thorpe in his 1962 book, Beat the Dealer, which spawned a wave of aspiring card-counters flocking to Vegas with varying degrees of success.
Although not illegal, casinos take numerous measures to prevent card counting from happening. Those suspected of using advantage play are often banned from casinos. While it's illegal for casinos to detain you or confiscate chips, no crime has been committed.
Detecting Card Counting
There are two primary types of card counting detection methods casinos employ: radio frequency identification (RFID) and computer vision systems.
RFID uses chips embedded with radio tags allowing casinos to monitor every non-cash interaction with the chips, tracking bet sizes, amounts cashed out, and chips left in casinos. This helps casinos identify card-counters holding onto their chips between counting sessions.
The second method is a computer vision system in tandem with facial recognition software. This system recognizes card-counters as they enter and move through the casino, or identifies them through their play behavior.
Chip Surveillance and RFID Technology
Successful card counters need to conceal their advantage and have a substantial bankroll and chip stack to tackle the short-term volatility of the game. Buying a massive supply of chips can draw unnecessary attention.
To avoid this, they might hold back chips over multiple visits in order to stockpile. RFID is a versatile technology utilized for tracking chips' influx and outflow. The microchip inside each chip allows the casino to monitor suspicious movements.
Additionally, RFID helps detect unusual bet sizes, as card-counters might increase bets during favorable situations. Combining RFID with scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) techniques gives casinos a potent tool against card counters. SIFT is essentially facial recognition technology that identifies known card-counters on entry or spots new ones through recurring suspicious bets.
Have Casino Security Tactics Evolved to the Point of Total Victory Against Card Counting?
Certainly, there are pros and cons to consider before conceding victory to casinos.
Casinos now possess sophisticated security measures that patrol the casino floor, as well as overhead surveillance cameras monitoring every inch of the property. Yet, card counters, as basic strategy players 80% of the time, make it difficult for computer systems to distinguish who exactly should be watched.
Moreover, often players operate in teams with some counting cards while others just make large bets during advantageous situations. Good teams create an unclear picture for the computer, even confusing detection software. The "big players" in these teams often bet the same amount on each hand deemed favorable, foiling the detection system looking for increased bets when the count is positive.
Modern Casino Security
The days of physical retaliation against casino rulebreakers are over. Contemporary casino security primarily involves trained personnel patrolling the casino floor for suspicious activity, along with a comprehensive network of security cameras.
Casinos are among the most closely watched places globally, and any attempts at cheating or stealing must be either exceptionally clever or exceptionally foolish.
Card counters, who haven't broken any laws, have to become more cunning to evade detection. Casinos have global databases of known countermeasures, so if you're banned from one, you might be kicked out of another, no matter how far away it is.
A lot of card counters wear disguises and work in groups, following intricate routines. They each play at a table, not changing their bets, but signaling to another team member when the deck is hot. This helps the next player move from table to table, making large bets only when the deck is in their favor.
Casino security is usually staffed with former cheaters, so they're aware of what they're looking for.
Another elaborate strategy that professional card-counting teams use to outsmart the detection is by combining their efforts while also playing individually.
Let's say a team of four is at a blackjack table that's equipped with RFID chips and SIFT algorithm applications. If the four members are counting and adjusting their bets based on positive and negative counts, betting more when the deck is positive, they'll be easily spotted by these technologies.
What if, during a strong positive count that necessitated a $100 bet increase from each player, instead of every player increasing their bet, one player bumps theirs up to $400 while the other three maintain their previous bet? The team now has reached its total increase but simultaneously eliminated two or three players from the software's radar.
With this technique of teamwork, the entire group can shift their bets without any one member being recognized as a card counter by RFID or SIFT. The key is that the team as a whole is counting, but due to the tracking of each individual, none of them are identified as card counters.
Simply put, casinos' detection devices can detect individuals who increase their bets, but they can't identify a group of players as a team. So, card-counting teams can continue to beat the system by combining their resources while maintaining their anonymity.
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