Csm Blackjack Europe
The reason the CSM causes the house edge to go down ever so slightly is because of a phenomenon known as the “cut card effect,” which slightly increases the probability of getting tens and blackjack when a CSM is used. Now before you rush out and play blackjack on a table that uses a CSM, pay attention to the rest of the story.
- Csm blackjack with double on 9-11. And surrender except A. Dealer stays soft 17. If you lose close to 700$ you get 10% and if you are close to management they will give you 15% if you lose 3500$.
- Currently in Portugal and the last time I was here, all the casinos I visited were CSM dealt and I believe most countries in Europe are the same way. I believe i heard some games in the UK are non-csm? If anyone knows let me kmow.
- The shuffler was a continuous shuffling machine (known as a CSM). What the pit boss was saying was almost correct. It’s true that CSMs don’t increase the house edge. (Actually, the house edge decreases slightly with a CSM due to the absence of the “cut card effect” but that’s a story for another time.) However, what the pit boss.
- I have found that the CSM machines in Europe, like other shuffles, demonstrate card repeating phenomenon, if you have a loaded table, with all the players adhering to basic strategy. Take Amsterdam cCasino for example I made a killing there. They have about 20 tables all of them packed, and most of the players consistently employ basic strategy.
Las Vegas gets most of the attention as a card-counting destination. After all, it offers far more casinos than any other place in the world.
Atlantic City also draws a fair share of card counters. It doesn’t feature the same quality blackjack rules as Vegas across the board, but it still has some beatable games.
Europe, on the other hand, doesn’t carry much clout as a card counting hotspot. This is strange when considering the numerous casinos across the continent.
Csm Blackjack European
So, can you even count cards and win profits in Europe? Below, I’ll discuss more on European blackjack games and if it’s possible to make money on them.
Common European Blackjack Rules
For the most part, European blackjack games aren’t that much different from those featured in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Plenty of similarities exist between its blackjack tables and others, including the following:
- The dealer stands on soft 17.
- You can double down after splitting (DAS).
- Shoes typically feature six or eight decks.
- No re-splitting aces.
- Payouts for natural blackjacks can be 3:2 or 6:5. The latter increases the house edge by 1.39%.
The differences between Europe and elsewhere begin with double-down restrictions. Most European casinos only let you double down on a total ranging from 9 to 11. Other locations, meanwhile, typically allow you to double down on any total.
Additionally, Europe prevents you from splitting 10-value hands when they’re pairs. You can split a pair of jacks, for example, but not K-10.
Double-down and splitting restrictions aren’t completely uncommon in other gambling destination. But Europe differs vastly from anywhere else when it comes to their split-aces rule.
Assuming you split aces and receive a 10, your hand will only be counted as 21 and not a natural blackjack. Every other gambling hotspot counts the same hand as a natural.
How Does European Blackjack Differ From Games Elsewhere?
The rules described above lead to a 0.57% house advantage as long as 3:2 natural payouts and six decks are in play. This house advantage is slightly worse than what you’ll see with Vegas Strip and Atlantic City rules.
Here’s a breakdown of specific rule differences which make the European house edge higher:
- No natural on split aces. You receive a 1:1 payout, rather than 3:2 or 6:5.
- You can only split 10-value cards when they’re pairs.
- You can only double down on 9 through 11.
Any casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City can offer worse rules and a higher house edge than what’s seen above. After all, more casinos across the world are moving towards 6:5 blackjack payouts.
On average, though, Europe gives you a lower chance to win versus Vegas or Atlantic City. Therefore, you need to find the best possible rules in Europe and/or spread your bets larger when counting cards.
Bet spreading refers to the distance between a table’s minimum bet and your highest wager. You want to bet the table minimum when the count is negative and the odds are against you.
Meanwhile, you increase your bet when the count becomes positive and you have an advantage. The worst European rules force you to spread higher to make counting worth your while.
For instance, you may normally spread from $10 to $80 with good rules (i.e. 1-8 spread). But you’ll want to consider a 1-12 or 1-15 spread in Europe.
The downside, though, is that casinos can more easily identify you as a counter when you have a bigger spread. Therefore, you really want to work on camouflaging your skills before heading to Europe.
What You Need to Watch out for When Counting Cards in Europe
As I’ll cover later, some European countries offer beatable tables. But even in the best spots, you should take the following points into account before booking a plane ticket.
Continuous Shuffling Machines
The biggest enemy of card counters in Europe, as well as elsewhere, is a continuous shuffling machine (CSM). A CSM renders card counting impossible by reducing the amount of deck penetration.
The latter term refers to how far the dealer goes into a shoe before shuffling. Assuming they deal four out of six decks, for example, they’re allowing 66% deck penetration.
You need at least 70% penetration to make profits with any consistency. After all, your plus +3 count is more reliable at 60% to 70% of the way through a deck versus 40 to 50%.
Unfortunately, CSMs are becoming more common across Europe. Belgium, Denmark, Monte Carlo, Switzerland, and much of Germany feature rampant CSMs.
You simply can’t win any money in locations that predominantly use these machines. Therefore, you should leave such places off your travel schedule.
Low Deck Penetration
Most European countries aren’t gambling hotspots. Instead, they’re simply nations that happen to have casinos as a form of entertainment
You shouldn’t go to Bulgaria, for example, and expect to find a Vegas-like selection of casinos and blackjack tables. Most of the nations here only have smaller gambling venues.
As a result, they need to make more money from each table to earn enough revenue. Going further, these casinos establish bad rules at their tables to boost profits.
Assuming you can’t find enough information about a European country’s or city’s blackjack scene, then you’re best off avoiding it.
Trigger-Happy Pit Bosses
European countries that are known for gambling usually offer generous rules (Monte Carlo, Monaco). On the same note, though, they don’t want professional gamblers taking advantage of these great odds.
Pit bosses in such locations will pay much more attention for advantage gamblers. They’re also faster to act than in the average casino destination.
If you’re counting cards or using a high bet spread, you can expect plenty of heat in Europe. Again, you definitely want to work on your camouflaging abilities before making the trip.
Do European Casinos Offer Favorable Card Counting Conditions?
Europe is no different than any other gambling destination when it comes to blackjack. Its casinos have also introduced worse rules to increase their advantage.
However, Europe is a large continent with many different countries. Advantage play conditions in one nation might be totally different from the next.
I haven’t been to every single country in the continent. Therefore, I can’t say with 100% confidence which European nation is the absolute best with regard to counting.
However, I have been to some European countries and done extensive research on others to determine where the best games are. Here are my most recent notes on the matter.
- Poland has shoe games (not CSM) with quality rules and great deck penetration (up to 83% in some cases).
- The Czech Republic used to be similar to Poland in terms of its quality games and deck penetration. However, it has introduced more CSMs lately.
- France and Italy have some shoe games with decent rules.
- Germany is mostly comprised of CSMs, but has the occasional quality game here and there.
- Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Monte Carlo (Monaco), and Switzerland have totally gone the CSM route.
Tips for Counting Cards in Europe
The best piece of advice for counting in Europe is to research wherever you’re going ahead of time. You want to learn much about the blackjack scene of whatever nation or city you’re considering.
Plenty of articles and forum posts cover European card counting, but they’re of little use when dating back to 2012.
The blackjack scene has changed greatly across Europe over the past several years. So, you want to know exactly what to expect in terms of CSMs and rules before departing.
Csm Blackjack
The most obvious tip is that you need to brush up on your counting skills. You first want to learn a system and master it. The Hi-Lo is a basic card counting strategy that you can learn quickly and still gain a solid edge over casinos.
You should also spend plenty of time practicing your skills. Online trainers and even dealing cards to yourself at home are decent ways to hone your abilities.
Conclusion
Las Vegas still rates as the number one place to count cards (if you’re not banned everywhere). However, Europe also features some decent spots scattered across its 3.9 million square miles.
You can undoubtedly count cards and win profits on this continent. However, you really need to know where the money is at before booking a trip anywhere.
After all, the last thing you want to do is buy a plane ticket only to find CSMs or bad rules everywhere. Research is definitely your friend when it comes to this matter.
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PLAYING CONDITIONS IN SEVERAL EUROPEAN CASINOS
by Michele Guzzinati
Michele Guzzinati is a skilled blackjack player and BJI subscriber who lives in Italy. She has visited and played in several European casinos and reports on their playing conditions as a guide for BJI readers.
Note: Standard International Blackjack Rules mentioned in this report include: blackjack pays 3:2, insurance pays 2:1, dealer stands on soft 17, double down on any two cards, double down after splitting, split up to two times (when you split aces you get only one card and if it is a ten it is considered 21, not blackjack), no surrender, 'Even Money' is offered, No-Hole Card rule, and a six-deck game.
In European casinos, you may usually bet from 10 or 20 euros up to a maximum of 500 euros. In non-Euro countries, you may bet from 50 up to 2500 SEK in Sweden; from 500 up to 2,000,000 HUF in Hungary; and from 5 up to 250 £ in England.
ITALY
Casino Cà Vendramin (Venice)
Three blackjack tables, all equipped with Continuous Shuffling Machines (CSM). Standard international rules: six deck shoes, dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3:2, insurance pays 2:1, double on any two cards, double after splitting, split up to two times. Customers have to pay an entry fee of 10 euros (ca. $11 US) and they are given a coin to spend at the slot machines or at the tables. Men are required to wear a jacket. Built in 1638, it is considered the most ancient casino in the world (however, I don't know if this is true).
Casino Cà Noghera (Venice)
Five or six blackjack tables, one without CSM. The playing conditions are the same of the other Venice casino. No jacket required. On some occasions, one or two tables are opened to their best customers, who can bet from 50 to 200 euros ($56 to $226 US)
Casino Campione (Campione d'Italia)
Locate in Switzerland, but under the state of Italy. They have three blackjack tables, all without CSM, standard international rules. Free entry.
Editor's Note: This was the very first International casino I visited to play blackjack...
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