Meaning that a $100 bet wins only $120, compared to the traditional $150. While all those twirling legs keep you distracted, you’ll probably fail to notice that the casino trimmed the payouts at these tables from 3/2 to 6/5. These places are called Party Pits, and on the surface, they look like Vegas being Vegas-booze, sin, skin. Lately, casinos have sexed up their table games with bikini-clad dealers and resident pole dancers. “They may throw me out of the casino, but they’re not going to arrest me.” 2. (That’s like standing in front of an ATM that spits out twenties!) The best part? “It’s totally legal,” Zender says. 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.
