The Word  Jan/March 1999
Playing 4 Keeps
By Michael Vernon

Volume 1 Issue 1

During the past few months, some of you have reported success at the tables. However, there have been a couple of callers who have not had the results we all like. In my last letter, I wrote about table conditions. Again, I will stress the importance of playing with optimum conditions. Remember, play when the casino is least crowded. Interruptions, by ’drop ins,’ are unwanted. Be sure the other players at your table know how to play. Bring your energy up and be honest with yourself that you are ready to play. Have a battle plan and stick to it.

I was in Las Vegas a while back. I was shocked seeing so many people playing blackjack and craps and loosing because they did not know how to play the game. I was also surprised to find some casinos running tighter games. The two deck pitch games that I saw were tough. The cut and burn left only half of the cards to be dealt. “What gives?” I asked myself, “Why so tight?”

I have come to the conclusion that even with the casino boom, nation wide, there is a surplus of players. Perhaps I should restate that as a surplus of gamblers. Fewer casinos are bending over backwards to attract customers. They have little need to do so. The lure for the quick buck and the convenience of a casino in one’s back yard, have the punters beating a path to the front door.

The casino’s motto is and always has been, “Make hay while the sun shines.” According to the Wall Street Journal, January 21, 1998 page C-1, “…casinos were the best performing U.S. industry group tracked by Dow Jones, up 11.5% through January 16th”. This article supports my theory that casino business is at the boiling point. I predict that trend to continue as long as Wall Street continues with  a bull market.

I want you to understand that the game can be squeezed in subtle ways. Tighter games and tables filled with inexperienced players is not the Warrior’s way. You must play smarter not harder. You must size up the situation before committing your troops. I have walked out of the casino after five minutes, simply because there was no game. There are many great establishments out there. It is just of matter of you finding them. No worries mate.

Take the time to get a good read on the pit energy. Check out each table. On a recent outing, I saw the dealers taking it to the players at every turn. When you see a pit, that is running hot like this, run, don’t walk.

I suspect we may see a trend for tighter games and poorer conditions. “Take- a-ways”, by the casino could be more common. By “take-a-ways”, I mean rule changes on plays that we now make extra money on, i.e. doubling any two cards and doubling after splitting. Crowded tables and people waiting for the next empty seat are the casino’s dream. I am not saying that the thrill is gone. I am advising you to look for trends that can make the game a less fair to the player.

I am confident a tougher game has nothing to do with more players actually playing a system. The casinos are just taking advantage of opportunity, making hay while the sun shines.

Perceive the energy and get the information first. Then, jump in, if the water is fine. Remember that you do not have to play just because you are there. The casino never closes. Pick your time, your time will come. Be patient.

Let me know about your favorite casino. I will post it in the next letter. Perhaps a rendezvous for P.F.K. Players could be organized.

I subscribe to Chance, The Best of Gaming, magazine. It is a quarterly publication. It feels as if the publisher is connect to the gaming industry. It has ‘how to play stories’ that do tell how the game is played, but not how to win the game. I only mention it because it does cover new casinos and the ‘happening’ places. It’s $16.00 per year. The address is; Chance, P.O.Box 56570, Boulder, CO 80321.

The last bit of news is for those of you interested in dice. I have been playing craps for eight years. I taught Stuart Wilde the game. He said to me, “Dice would really be a great game if we only had a system like the cards.” I took that to be a challenge. I have been working on a dice system since Stuart said that.

This month I decided to test my system and track the results. I played ten separate sessions. I basically walked up to the table and played my system. Most of the time, I did not have optimum conditions. My intention was to test the system under any conditions in order to determine (1.) Does it produce the win? (2.) Does it protect the loss? I have decided that I am ready to present a workshop on dice. The results of my test were 7-wins, 2-pushes and 1-loss. My system depends on reading energy, playing disciplined and being present in the moment. Unlike blackjack, you must play intuitive dice. I am restricting the first workshop to only those individuals that have attended my “Playing 4 Keeps” seminar.

The workshop will be in Taos, at the White Dove office. It will be a small intimate group. The date for the workshop is March 19-22. There will be a field trip to the casinos. Please call me for the details.

See you at the tables. All the best to you,

Michael Vernon

PS The next Playing for Keeps Blackjack for Winners seminar is May 1-2 1999.