Card Counting Teams

There are at least a dozen different card counting systems but let's take a quick look at a relatively simple one (it's also the most popular) and it's called the high-low count. With this system, you assign a value of +1 to all 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, and 6's, while all 10's, Jacks, Queen, Kings, and Aces are assigned a value of -1. It was a huge success, and the team took the casinos for thousands. Tommy wanted to go to Vegas and try his luck there, but the other members of the team had read Stanford Wong's Blackjack in Asia and wanted to travel to Asia. Needing a new team, Tommy began teaching card-counting techniques to his friends from the golf course. The pit boss also observes play just by walking around. If he sees huge bet spreads (you start out with a 1 unit bet, and then start playing 2 hands of 4 units, or 1 hand of 8 units), he might take the discard tray and count cards backwards to see if your play correlates with the cards that have come out. 21 Movie Trailer for the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. The film stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. There is still an active MIT blackjack team. However, the glory days of card counting have certainly evolved over time with the advent of the automatic shuffler, facial recognition software, and other advances in technology. In addition, the cas.

Letter Regarding Blackjack Team Play

'Some of my ideas regarding blackjack team play:

'A major concern of most blackjack teams is being able to trust their teammates. Using people you already know well is fine; but, the problem is it takes a long time to get to know people which reduces the number of possible teammates. Then there's the possibility of the casinos recognizing the teammates through guilt by association, plus problems such as being available, etc.

'My idea for team play requires three kinds of people:

• 'Type A: There are many people who have high-paying jobs or businesses that they can't quit just to play blackjack. These people's work, vacations, etc., take them to casino areas. They would like to supplement their income playing blackjack while they are in a casino area. They have the bankroll. Though they can be card counters, it isn't necessary. Minimum requirements would be bankroll and blackjack basic strategy. They will only play for short periods (during their work-related trips/vacations).


• 'Type B: These people will be card counters who live in a casino area. They are not bums and do have small bankrolls, but cannot play high stakes with low ruin for a decent win rate. Poker players who know how to count, or could learn, are good candidates. Minimum requirements would be blackjack basic strategy and card counting knowledge and a small bankroll.


• 'Type C: These people would be middlemen to bring the other members of the blackjack team together. They would test and evaluate the prospective players. Applicants would contact the C players.

'When an A player wants to go to a casino area, he calls the appropriate C player to let him know when he is coming. The C players contact the B players, trying to find 2 to 5 players that can join the A.

Prior to playing, the C player has the A and B players meet where and work out the details. Basically, the B players will play at several nearby tables, counting and making minimum bets. When they get a good count, they signal the A player who then joins that table unless playing successfully at one of the other tables.

Because the A player finds many more advantageous situations than he could if he played alone, he will except to win considerably more. Some of this extra win is shared with the B players, allowing the Bs to make more than they otherwise could with minimal risk and exposure. The B players shouldn't expect to lose, but try to break even by leaving on very bad counts and raising their bets slightly on good counts. They should not use bet raises as signals to the A players to join the play. The B players keep their winnings and pay for their losses.

'Since there is no commingling of money, honesty, though desirable, is not essential. Also, if the casino puts the A and B players together, the A player can have an entirely new set of B players on his next trip. The players can be constantly switched around, making putting them together difficult.

Blackjack Card Counting Teams

The B players also would not get burned out since they make minimum bets and use small spreads as they are only trying to break even or win small amounts. The casino may be further reluctant to harass B players if they give them other business such as poker or video poker. The A player would not be too concerned because he will not be a full time player and will travel a lot anyway, playing a few days here and there.

'I don't know of anyone who has suggested this idea of putting strangers together on a blackjack team before without the need to commingle money, and it's associated problems.' ♠

MIT Blackjack team has been one of the most famous card counting teams in the history of blackjack though it was not alone: other such-called 'mit teams' also were popular and possible to find.

The first ever MIT Team had been formed in 1979 after MIT organized a short course on gambling which taught the students the card counting method.

The students soon formed the first team that travelled to Atlantic City to test their knowledge. Though the first team did not gain much success, with time and practice the MIT Team became famous. In their peak years as a card counting team, MIT team had won millions of dollars at casinos throughout the US and even in other countries.

The fame of the team had increased on the release of the book Bringing Down the House and later again after the movie 21 had been released. However, MIT is not the only card counting team that has existed. The concept of group play has been in practice for decades.

The followers

The first ever time that group card counting teams had been used was by Al Francesco. Al Francesco had been a noted card counter himself and was the one whose strategies had been used by MIT team. Al Francesco had his own team that had been the first of its kind to operate in a group format. His team had also been the first ever to use the Big Player concept in a group format.

Ken Uston, the legendary figure in the field of blackjack had been a part of Al Francesco's team. Another famous card counting team had been of Ken Uston himself. After he split from his original group, Ken Uston had set up his own team of card counters and had travelled to many locations in US to earn huge profits.

Edward Thorpe, the father of card counting had mostly played individually rather than in a group format. However, in the later years he was also known to have his own team of card counters and baccarat.

Several different card counting teams had also sprang up in the later years of MIT team's career. Many of the existing members of the team had split from the group to form their own teams eventually. Among the most famous of such teams had been the ones which were managed by Mike Aponte and Semyon Dukach.

Mike Aponte's team was known as the Reptiles and Semyon Dukach's team was known as the Amphibians. Both of these teams had been highly successful and had played at many casinos even outside of US winning millions of dollars in the process.

MIT Blackjack Team has been remembered by blackjack players all over the world. However, the other card counting teams have also been equally important.

Professional Card Counting Teams

MIT Books

Bringing Down the House

by Ben Mezrich

Card Counting Team

Price on Amazon: $11.21

Busting Vegas

by Ben Mezrich

Price on Amazon: $11.21

Million Dollar Blackjack

by Ken Uston

Counting Cards Blackjack

Price on Amazon: $11.21