System worth at least $0.01?
December 26, 2008
Dear Mark: Do you
know anything about Gary Cline's (author of Beat
the Odds Blackjack) blackjack system? His
book goes against the traditional blackjack
strategy. In the book he also talks about
a method of winning and money management system.
He charges $2k for the system, and I just wanted
to check around with some gaming writers to see
if they have heard of it and if it is worth it.
Todd P.
Casino operators, Todd, don’t spend a gazillion
bucks building mega-resorts so that some “system
player,” surfing down a fat two thousand, can
come in and tar-n-feather them. The only benefit
that I can see to your spending 2K on Cline’s
system is that any casino owner alive would
happily send a limousine for you so long as you
have a certified bankroll.
So let’s go the calm and rational route, Todd.
Amazon, as of this writing, has available 17
used and new copies of his book, Beat the Odds
Blackjack, starting at $0.01.
The premise of his book, and in all probability
the basic dictum of his system, is that the
average player can win at blackjack through
understanding the percentages of every
combination of cards. As you close in on the
back cover, supposedly you’ll be able to analyze
your hands quickly, calculate the odds in a
trice, and make the right moves to maximize your
profits.
Does it work? Not sure. I haven’t read it, and
reviews on it are very limited. But I am picking
up a copy pronto for a penny.
Dear Mark: A couple of weeks ago our
newspaper carried your column about the court
cards. It prompted me to dig around and find a
book that I inherited about forty years ago
entitled Playing Cards by W. Gurney Benham.
It was published in England in 1931. It has 242
illustrations, many in color, where the knaves
(jacks) are standing and all the queens are
holding flowers. It's mostly about English
cards, but there's quite a bit about cards in
other countries, too. Everything you said
is in there, along with some alternative
versions. Also, included are many pencil
notations by an unknown previous owner who
doesn't always agree and sounds rather
authoritarian about it. Anyway, just
wanted to let you know that I always find your
answers interesting, but the playing card trivia
column was definitely a winner and prompted some
more fun reading about cards. Vernell C.
I’m glad you enjoyed the column, Vernell. The
trivia part of gambling has always been a
favorite of mine to write about, and doing so
does get its fair share of further inquires in
the mailbag.
As a kid, I was captivated by the distinguishing
motifs on playing cards, not to the point that
the composition of a deck of cards had some
religious, astronomical or metaphysical
significance, but far enough to wonder why the
King of Diamonds (the suicide king) is trying to
kill himself with an axe, the significance of
"one-eyed" cards, (Jack of Spades, Jack of
Hearts, and King of Diamonds), or the mystery of
the black queens, Argine, known as the “Flower
Queen,” although all of the queens today do hold
them, and Athena.
Ah, yes, my favorite, Athena, the queen of
spades. When I pitched cardboard, I forever
followed this “Black Lady” through the
deck, believing, erroneously mind you, that it
made many a player money (the good tippers), and
busting others (the stiffs).
Dear Mark: Is it ever advantageous to
split 5s in blackjack?
Splitting 5s is a no-no. A total of 10 is a
great hand to double down on when the dealer is
showing 2 through 9, because your two 5s have
increased the percentage of 10s in the remaining
pack. Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "My father
told me that he quit playing poker because he
liked the game too much." --A. D. Livingston,
Poker Strategy
