The strategy is called “card holing,” and it can give you a 6 to 9 percent edge over the house. Zender once made a living exploiting this, keeping a notebook of 35 weak dealers from 16 different casinos. So save your energy, Zender advises instead keep an eye out for the sloppy blackjack dealer who will accidentally flash the face-down card. If you happen to be one of them, you might nab a 1.5 percent advantage. Zender estimates there are fewer than 100 professional blackjack card counters in the world. The former professional card counter, dealer, and casino floor manager shares his secrets-and explains why the best paying machine is always the ATM.
Bill Zender is the ultimate gambling insider.
