A Blackjack Dealer Reviews
"Easy Money Blackjack"
The Appeal of "Easy Money Blackjack:"
NO CARD COUNTING
NO CARD COUNTING
"Easy Money Blackjack" is a Blackjack system that walks you through the basics of the games, including some history, and provides a complete system of play for Blackjack that does NOT include Card Counting.
In case you skipped the section on Card Counting, it is a system of assigning cards values, generally +1 to -1 to get the "running count" which then must be divided against the number of decks remaining to get the "true" count. When the "count" is positive, you have a theoretical advantage and bet more -- sometimes up to 10x or more of your base bet!
So if you're playing $5 blackjack and you're called to make your max bet, you're looking at a $50+ bet. You may also need to double down or split! Make that $100 dollars!
And there's ZERO guarantee you'll win that hand -- even with a high "true" count! That's why many blackjack players that are serious carry a bankroll of 100x their max bet. A bankroll of 150x is MUCH safer to avoid "ROR" or "Risk of Ruin" (for low rollers at the $5 table, that's a MINIMUM of $5,000; with a higher level of safety at $7,500).
In theory, card counting is actually pretty simple. You don't need to be "Rain man" to do it. But in practice, it's VERY difficult unless you practice constantly. Even then, with all the casino distractions, it's easy to forget the count or miss a card. Yes, missing a SINGLE card can throw off your count.
What does all this mental work gain you? Up to a 2% advantage. Yep, that's it. For every $100 you wager, you just made a whopping $2. Oh, and again that's LONG TERM (remember, that's a minimum of 10,000+ hands). In the short term you can lose thousands of dollars even at the $5 base bet level.
That's why you have to bet A LOT to get up with card counting. That's also why you need a HUGE bankroll to count cards. At a $5 base bet, frankly, it's not even worth it...You'd make more working a minimum wage job. Seriously. And that's if you NEVER make a mistake -- and you will.
In case you skipped the section on Card Counting, it is a system of assigning cards values, generally +1 to -1 to get the "running count" which then must be divided against the number of decks remaining to get the "true" count. When the "count" is positive, you have a theoretical advantage and bet more -- sometimes up to 10x or more of your base bet!
So if you're playing $5 blackjack and you're called to make your max bet, you're looking at a $50+ bet. You may also need to double down or split! Make that $100 dollars!
And there's ZERO guarantee you'll win that hand -- even with a high "true" count! That's why many blackjack players that are serious carry a bankroll of 100x their max bet. A bankroll of 150x is MUCH safer to avoid "ROR" or "Risk of Ruin" (for low rollers at the $5 table, that's a MINIMUM of $5,000; with a higher level of safety at $7,500).
In theory, card counting is actually pretty simple. You don't need to be "Rain man" to do it. But in practice, it's VERY difficult unless you practice constantly. Even then, with all the casino distractions, it's easy to forget the count or miss a card. Yes, missing a SINGLE card can throw off your count.
What does all this mental work gain you? Up to a 2% advantage. Yep, that's it. For every $100 you wager, you just made a whopping $2. Oh, and again that's LONG TERM (remember, that's a minimum of 10,000+ hands). In the short term you can lose thousands of dollars even at the $5 base bet level.
That's why you have to bet A LOT to get up with card counting. That's also why you need a HUGE bankroll to count cards. At a $5 base bet, frankly, it's not even worth it...You'd make more working a minimum wage job. Seriously. And that's if you NEVER make a mistake -- and you will.
Laying the Foundation - Basic Strategy
The author of Easy Money Blackjack"Bill Brown" lays everything out in a complete and thoughtful manner. He claims to have been a school teacher. And from the way he's laid out his book, I believe it. It is well written, organized and easy to understand.
Even if you're a complete novice to the game, he guides your through the game so you'll be playing a much better game -- even if you don't utilize his system. And by "playing a much better game" I mean you'll be giving up less of your money to the casino gods.
After going through some of the preliminaries of the game, he gets you to the core of any winning system -- learning basic strategy. It's not as hard as you may think if you're not already using it (and you should be!). For tips on learning Basic Strategy visit our media page.
A lot of the basic strategy is common sense once you understand the Rules of Blackjack. Simply by learning basic strategy, you'll cut the casino's edge down to around +.05%, depending on the rules at the table you're playing at.
Sounds good right? You'll only be giving up less than 1% of your money playing basic strategy PERFECTLY and CONSISTENTLY. So for every $100 you play flat betting say $5 a hand, you'll only be giving up $.50. For every $1,000 you put on the felt, you'll pay $5 to the casino.
I hear Blackjack players all over the country screaming, "That's not true! I lost $300 in a few hours at a $5 table! "Basic strategy" was devised by the casinos to make themselves rich!" FALSE!
Here's the caveat, that .5% you're giving up is calculated over the LONG HAUL "FLAT" BETTING (e.g. you bet $5 EVERY hand). And when I say "long haul" I'm talking about a MINIMUM of about 10,000 hands!
ANYTHING can happen in the short term! You will have VIOLENT swings UP and DOWN in the short term! But if you stick with it, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR EMOTIONS SCREAM AT YOU WHILE PLAYING, Basic Strategy WILL save you a BUNDLE of money in the long run!
LEARN IT BY HEART! STICK TO IT! DO NOT DEVIATE FROM IT! If you're a casual player, stick to Basic Strategy and FLAT BET EVERY HAND.
Now I just told you in a forceful way to NEVER deviate from Basic Strategy, right? Well, you're going to deviate slightly from Basic Strategy in this system of play, but ONLY when you are in a "losing streak."
In "Easy Money Blackjack" that means 2 or more losing hands. And this deviation from Basic Strategy will ONLY apply at games which offer "surrender." Otherwise, you'll NEVER deviate from Basic Strategy.
The author of Easy Money Blackjack"Bill Brown" lays everything out in a complete and thoughtful manner. He claims to have been a school teacher. And from the way he's laid out his book, I believe it. It is well written, organized and easy to understand.
Even if you're a complete novice to the game, he guides your through the game so you'll be playing a much better game -- even if you don't utilize his system. And by "playing a much better game" I mean you'll be giving up less of your money to the casino gods.
After going through some of the preliminaries of the game, he gets you to the core of any winning system -- learning basic strategy. It's not as hard as you may think if you're not already using it (and you should be!). For tips on learning Basic Strategy visit our media page.
A lot of the basic strategy is common sense once you understand the Rules of Blackjack. Simply by learning basic strategy, you'll cut the casino's edge down to around +.05%, depending on the rules at the table you're playing at.
Sounds good right? You'll only be giving up less than 1% of your money playing basic strategy PERFECTLY and CONSISTENTLY. So for every $100 you play flat betting say $5 a hand, you'll only be giving up $.50. For every $1,000 you put on the felt, you'll pay $5 to the casino.
I hear Blackjack players all over the country screaming, "That's not true! I lost $300 in a few hours at a $5 table! "Basic strategy" was devised by the casinos to make themselves rich!" FALSE!
Here's the caveat, that .5% you're giving up is calculated over the LONG HAUL "FLAT" BETTING (e.g. you bet $5 EVERY hand). And when I say "long haul" I'm talking about a MINIMUM of about 10,000 hands!
ANYTHING can happen in the short term! You will have VIOLENT swings UP and DOWN in the short term! But if you stick with it, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR EMOTIONS SCREAM AT YOU WHILE PLAYING, Basic Strategy WILL save you a BUNDLE of money in the long run!
LEARN IT BY HEART! STICK TO IT! DO NOT DEVIATE FROM IT! If you're a casual player, stick to Basic Strategy and FLAT BET EVERY HAND.
Now I just told you in a forceful way to NEVER deviate from Basic Strategy, right? Well, you're going to deviate slightly from Basic Strategy in this system of play, but ONLY when you are in a "losing streak."
In "Easy Money Blackjack" that means 2 or more losing hands. And this deviation from Basic Strategy will ONLY apply at games which offer "surrender." Otherwise, you'll NEVER deviate from Basic Strategy.
Core Theory of Easy Money Blackjack
So in Bill's manual on Easy Money Blackjack he's going to talk about "streaks." We love them when we're winning, but they seem to never end when we're on the losing end of them...the dealer pulls endless small cards to make a 21 out of a 16. Somehow the dealer magically gets "Blackjack" three times in row.
It happens...but it also happens to you IF you pay attention when you're getting the "lucky breaks!" The dealer isn't up to cheat you, nor is the House. It's just the odds at play. Play long enough and you'll see everything -- I guarantee it. I've dealt HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of hands. I've seen it all.
Back to the subject at hand, streaks. It's impossible to predict when a streak is about to happen (or when it will end), but when you are WINNING you want to put MORE money down--the House's money!
Capitalizing on streaks is the heart of the system. You'll NEVER get ahead making "flat" bets on every hand. You may save yourself money, but it's a slow grind of your bankroll till you hit ZERO.
Even at a loss rate of .5% playing Basic Strategy, the casino will grind you into submission --eventually. They have a near endless supply of cash. You do not.
To WIN you MUST capitalize on winning streaks and CUT YOUR LOSSES on losing streaks.
This all leads to the next section...Money Management.
Money Management
So we've already touched on the subject of Money Management. It's a key component of surviving Blackjack. If you're strictly a "causal" player and are adverse to loss you have two options:
1. Don't Play Blackjack
2. Play Basic Strategy and Flat Bet the table minimum.
But we're guessing since you're reading this you want to go home as many nights as possible a WINNER at the Blackjack table.
We also noted that a "professional" card counter wants about 100x his max bet so his bankroll can withstand bad loosing streaks which are inevitable for any player.
Comparatively Easy Money Blackjack is easier on your wallet. But ANY system that states it can make you a winner with a $50 table buy-in is straight up lying. You've GOT to have money to back your play.
You MUST have enough of a session bankroll to NOT play SCARED and withstand "bad luck" at the table. Playing scared is how casinos make A LOT of money off players! When they should be betting BIG they bet small. Don't let this be YOU!
So in short, you'll still need a healthy bankroll to play at even a $5 table, but it's nowhere near as much as what you'd need if you were counting cards. In fact, it's less than HALF of what'd you need if you went the path of counting cards. That's great news for us "low-rollers" at the $5 tables!
Loss Limits and Win Goals
Some people are addicted to losing. It sounds crazy, but it's true. I've seen it plenty. No matter how far up they go, they want more -- and won't be content till they lose every last cent they walked in the casino with. There are safeguards to this self-destructive behavior.
Contrary to popular opinion in the card counting world, you should play with a STRICT loss limit AND Win Goal. The author talks about this and gives some brief advice and recommendations. The fact is, with this system of play, you can make A LOT of money QUICKLY. Be SMART! Take the money and RUN (don't walk) out of the casino.
"Hit and Run" tactics are the only sure-fire way to WIN at Casino games!
So we've already touched on the subject of Money Management. It's a key component of surviving Blackjack. If you're strictly a "causal" player and are adverse to loss you have two options:
1. Don't Play Blackjack
2. Play Basic Strategy and Flat Bet the table minimum.
But we're guessing since you're reading this you want to go home as many nights as possible a WINNER at the Blackjack table.
We also noted that a "professional" card counter wants about 100x his max bet so his bankroll can withstand bad loosing streaks which are inevitable for any player.
Comparatively Easy Money Blackjack is easier on your wallet. But ANY system that states it can make you a winner with a $50 table buy-in is straight up lying. You've GOT to have money to back your play.
You MUST have enough of a session bankroll to NOT play SCARED and withstand "bad luck" at the table. Playing scared is how casinos make A LOT of money off players! When they should be betting BIG they bet small. Don't let this be YOU!
So in short, you'll still need a healthy bankroll to play at even a $5 table, but it's nowhere near as much as what you'd need if you were counting cards. In fact, it's less than HALF of what'd you need if you went the path of counting cards. That's great news for us "low-rollers" at the $5 tables!
Loss Limits and Win Goals
Some people are addicted to losing. It sounds crazy, but it's true. I've seen it plenty. No matter how far up they go, they want more -- and won't be content till they lose every last cent they walked in the casino with. There are safeguards to this self-destructive behavior.
Contrary to popular opinion in the card counting world, you should play with a STRICT loss limit AND Win Goal. The author talks about this and gives some brief advice and recommendations. The fact is, with this system of play, you can make A LOT of money QUICKLY. Be SMART! Take the money and RUN (don't walk) out of the casino.
"Hit and Run" tactics are the only sure-fire way to WIN at Casino games!
Proper Betting - The Heart of Easy Money Blackjack
So, this all leads to how is Easy Money Blackjack going to make me money? It all hinges on your ability (and discipline) to capitalize on winning streaks and ride out the bad run of hands.
Countless books have been written about how to bet and beat Blackjack with betting sequences. Some are REALLY bad and promise you the keys to the cashier's box (not gonna happen, sorry). Many gambling "authorities" discount betting sequences all-together (i.e. almost all card counting books) as doomed to fail. But there IS a place for a "negative" or "up as you lose" progression.
Here's my take on betting sequences and Easy Money Blackjack's take on the matter. First, I agree you have to be a complete fool to run "negative" progression (bet more as you lose) to the bitter end nine times in a row, doubling each time. No one is that foolish and table maximums counter that sort of thing anyways. By the way that sort of doubling up is called a "Martingale."
BUT using a RESTRICTED "Martingale" can be and IS a great way to swing back into positive territory if used in short "hit-and-run" gambling ventures. I'd suggest reading "Conquer the Casinos" by Philip Koetsch if you disagree.
The other type of progression, universally accepted by gambling "gurus" is called a "positive" progression. This is where you up as you WIN. You're playing with the Houses money now! Like I said, you CANNOT be cowardly when you're winning! That's how casinos make a lot of money -- by you being afraid to "go for the kill" when you're winning!
HERE'S THE GREAT PART: Easy Money Blackjack incorporates BOTH a negative and positive progression! The positive progression help you win MORE and the negative progression helps you lose LESS! It's a great approach to blackjack that actually WORKS when you implement both stop losses and win goals!
My advice is to LIMIT your play session to 100 hands. That's roughly 1.75 to 2 hours of play at a full table. The exception to 100 hands is if you are in a winning streak -- then play until your FIRST loss of the winning streak. Then "Color Up" baby and run to the door!
So, this all leads to how is Easy Money Blackjack going to make me money? It all hinges on your ability (and discipline) to capitalize on winning streaks and ride out the bad run of hands.
Countless books have been written about how to bet and beat Blackjack with betting sequences. Some are REALLY bad and promise you the keys to the cashier's box (not gonna happen, sorry). Many gambling "authorities" discount betting sequences all-together (i.e. almost all card counting books) as doomed to fail. But there IS a place for a "negative" or "up as you lose" progression.
Here's my take on betting sequences and Easy Money Blackjack's take on the matter. First, I agree you have to be a complete fool to run "negative" progression (bet more as you lose) to the bitter end nine times in a row, doubling each time. No one is that foolish and table maximums counter that sort of thing anyways. By the way that sort of doubling up is called a "Martingale."
BUT using a RESTRICTED "Martingale" can be and IS a great way to swing back into positive territory if used in short "hit-and-run" gambling ventures. I'd suggest reading "Conquer the Casinos" by Philip Koetsch if you disagree.
The other type of progression, universally accepted by gambling "gurus" is called a "positive" progression. This is where you up as you WIN. You're playing with the Houses money now! Like I said, you CANNOT be cowardly when you're winning! That's how casinos make a lot of money -- by you being afraid to "go for the kill" when you're winning!
HERE'S THE GREAT PART: Easy Money Blackjack incorporates BOTH a negative and positive progression! The positive progression help you win MORE and the negative progression helps you lose LESS! It's a great approach to blackjack that actually WORKS when you implement both stop losses and win goals!
My advice is to LIMIT your play session to 100 hands. That's roughly 1.75 to 2 hours of play at a full table. The exception to 100 hands is if you are in a winning streak -- then play until your FIRST loss of the winning streak. Then "Color Up" baby and run to the door!
A Quick 10 Session Test Run of: Easy Money Blackjack
Blackjack Table Rules were as follows:
There was NO deviation from how I played according to the rules of Easy Money Blackjack. My win goal was 30% of my session bankroll for a session. My loss limit for any one session was a complete loss of one betting series.
Betting Unit was $5.00
Here are the results for 10 Sessions using Easy Money Blackjack:
Summary: As you can see I did LOSE two series. Just another reason why you must BACK YOUR PLAY with an APPROPRIATE BANKROLL.
In 10 rounds, I finished UP an ASTOUNDING $1,252.50 playing at the $5.00 level.
I will say there were some "hairy" and nerve wracking moments of placing large bets. I DID get lucky on some of those large last bets. This isn't for the faint of heart. But neither is Card Counting!
Blackjack Table Rules were as follows:
- Dealer HITS Soft 17
- Double After Split
- Late Surrender
- ONE hit on Split Aces
There was NO deviation from how I played according to the rules of Easy Money Blackjack. My win goal was 30% of my session bankroll for a session. My loss limit for any one session was a complete loss of one betting series.
Betting Unit was $5.00
Here are the results for 10 Sessions using Easy Money Blackjack:
- +205.00
- +207.50
- -362.50
- +210.00
- +202.50
- -192.50
- +202.50
- +290.00
- +212.50
- +277.50
Summary: As you can see I did LOSE two series. Just another reason why you must BACK YOUR PLAY with an APPROPRIATE BANKROLL.
In 10 rounds, I finished UP an ASTOUNDING $1,252.50 playing at the $5.00 level.
I will say there were some "hairy" and nerve wracking moments of placing large bets. I DID get lucky on some of those large last bets. This isn't for the faint of heart. But neither is Card Counting!
A Blackjack Dealer's Final Verdict on:
Easy Money Blackjack
Easy Money Blackjack
PROS:
CONS:
- Easy to read. Well organized. Easy to understand and put in practice.
- Thorough walk through of the game of Blackjack (or 21) for novice players (and not so novice players playing wrong).
- NO CARD COUNTING! This is huge. Card counting is NOT the only way to beat Blackjack.
- Sensible & Realistic Money Management and Bankroll requirements.
- A SUPER betting progression that incorporates both a "negative" and "positive" betting progression.
- "Table Tracking" -- that is how to "scope" out a table BEFORE you start playing. This will increase your win percentage. Card counters call this "backcounting" or "Wonging."
- Some words of advice on on-line gambling.
- "Cheat Sheets" for his basic strategy AND modified basic strategy.
- A list of casinos and their table rules on his website for Easy Money Blackjack players.
- 60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Hey, if you don't like it, get your money back. Not a lot of gambling systems offer that kind of peace of mind. Try it out online playing for free to prove it to yourself.
CONS:
- Card counters will not like his approach. But who cares?
- You won't be playing marathon sessions. Remember those win and loss goals? You MUST be strict with them to profit from this system.
- If you're just looking for "action" this may not be the system for you. Learn card counting and enjoy sitting at the table for endless hours hoping the shoe goes into "positive" territory while losing your shirt.
- The "Negative" Progression goes too far down the Well for me. I simply have modified the system to my liking and it still works GREAT!
- To get the BEST results you need to be picky about which tables you sit down to play at. Ideally you should find a Casino that offers "Surrender." Additionally having other Player friendly rules like having the dealer stand on "soft" 17s helps too!
CONCLUSION:
I like this system. I use it. I've tested it over thousands of hands using"hit-and-run" sessions and it produces a PROFIT. That being said, I've modified it to MY liking when I hit a downturn in luck.
I also LIMIT my play to around 100 hands per the advice of Philip Koetsch. In addition, I'd highly recommend LOWERING your "Win Goal" to around 25 Units or LESS using this system (unless you're on a winning streak). Nothing is stopping you from doing the same or play it "as-is."
Easy Money Blackjack works at ANY Blackjack table, but shines at tables that offer "surrender." Yes, there are still Casinos that offer "surrender." In fact once your a paid member you'll have access to the Casinos that offer this advantageous Player rule.
I don't like counting cards. Frankly its a pain in the tush and it's no guarantee. The vast majority of counters QUIT the game before they ever get up into a positive cash flow. Or they stagnate at a level for MONTHS. It's not worth the effort and kills the enjoyment of the game for me.
In the end NO system can make every session a winning session. You will have losing sessions. You WILL have bad streaks of luck! But I can whole heatedly recommend this system for DISCIPLINED players. You'll have fun using it and have more WINNING sessions that losing sessions, which is what it's all about!
I like this system. I use it. I've tested it over thousands of hands using"hit-and-run" sessions and it produces a PROFIT. That being said, I've modified it to MY liking when I hit a downturn in luck.
I also LIMIT my play to around 100 hands per the advice of Philip Koetsch. In addition, I'd highly recommend LOWERING your "Win Goal" to around 25 Units or LESS using this system (unless you're on a winning streak). Nothing is stopping you from doing the same or play it "as-is."
Easy Money Blackjack works at ANY Blackjack table, but shines at tables that offer "surrender." Yes, there are still Casinos that offer "surrender." In fact once your a paid member you'll have access to the Casinos that offer this advantageous Player rule.
I don't like counting cards. Frankly its a pain in the tush and it's no guarantee. The vast majority of counters QUIT the game before they ever get up into a positive cash flow. Or they stagnate at a level for MONTHS. It's not worth the effort and kills the enjoyment of the game for me.
In the end NO system can make every session a winning session. You will have losing sessions. You WILL have bad streaks of luck! But I can whole heatedly recommend this system for DISCIPLINED players. You'll have fun using it and have more WINNING sessions that losing sessions, which is what it's all about!
