Casino Games. How Professional Black Jack Started.
The four statisticians performed their calculations only with all the help of hand calculator. Encouraged by popularity of this article in the magazine, reproduced and learnt by heart by many players, the originators published a book ”Winning Blackjack”. Today this novel is a scarce variant and it enriches the home library of many professional gamblers.
In 1962 Edward Thorp this time using computer technologies compute and published in his book Beat The Dealer not only the basic strategy of playing but also card counting. Thorp says that blackjack differs from roulette, craps and other games of chance, the result of each hand in blackjack is dependent upon the last dealing – it really matters which cards drew back form the game and which remained in the pack. Most of the things computed by Thorp is still precise, but all the serious modern gamblers should read this book only for historical interest.
Thorp’s system called ”10 count system” was meant for just one pack game which enjoyed great success in most casinos of Nevada. It was extremely problematic for learning, so all the gamblers gave it up. Nonetheless, Nevada’s casinos limited some rules, for example, doubling down merely on 11 points. The media told the entire world about it, and Thorp together with his publication became known all over the world and the casinos that showed themselves to disadvantage needed to return former rules. Comprehending that under such conditions bunches card counters would be trying to win against the house, operators of gambling houses introduced two processes – shuffling after withdrawal of the trimming card and multi-packed games.
Thorp’s systems was quite hard to use in practice. However, for the computer convention in Vegas in 1963, the game would remain about the exact same degree. On a whim, the seminar organizers decided to include a Panel Session on ”Using Computers in Games of Chance and Skill.” It was only a whim of the organizers to include a section ”Using computers in games of chance and ability”. Thorp was designated as Chairman of the Panel and experts on the various casino games, including blackjack, roulette and baccarat. The room filled up and overflowed with computer gamblers. Hundreds of conference attendees were pushing and shoving to go into the room.
The crowd, obviously, were lured by Thorp. They were expecting revelations on the sport and expected using his imparted wisdom immediately after the session to create a killing at the blackjack tables.
After one or two more presentations that mostly corrected and changed Thorp’s system, Harvey Dubner was introduced. He described the tactic. Dubner kept a count of staying high cards (10,J,Q,K,A) and low cards (2,3,4,5,6) as the cards were played and split its difference by absolute cards left to play. He called the effect the High Low Ratio. His presentation was enthusiastically received by the standing room only crowd and he was given a round of applause at its decision. Here at last, many were saying, is a system which is practical, that can actually be used in real life of casino play. Thorp integrated ”high low” system to the 2nd edition of Beat the Dealer printed in 1966 and since then over 100 professional books on blackjack, team games, hidden computers, shuffle tracking and sleepless nights for casino securities all around the globe.