BLACKBELT IN BLACKJACK, 3rd ED. (2005), BY ARNOLD SNYDER
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1: Introduction to the 2005 Edition of Blackbelt in Blackjack

SECTION ONE: EARNING YOUR WHITE BELT

2: The Great Blackjack Hoax

A Card Counter Is Born

Why Blackjack Is So Popular

The Great Blackjack Myth

The Future of Blackjack

Blackjack As a Sport

3: How to Play Casino Blackjack

The table

The Deal

"Hard" Hands and "Soft" Hands

The Play of the Hands

Insurance

Hitting

Standing

Busting

Doubling Down

Splitting pairs

Surrender

No Hole Card

Multi-Action

The Dealer’s Hand

4: Basic Strategy

Why Basic Strategy Works

Chart 1: Generic Basic Strategy

Using the Basic Strategy Chart

Order of Decisions

How to Practice Basic Strategy

Simplified Basic Strategy

5: The Red Seven Count

Balanced vs. Unbalanced

Counting Systems

Unbalanced Systems

The Red Seven Count

The Red Seven Point Values

How to Practice Counting

The Starting Count

The Red Seven Betting Strategy

The Red Seven Playing Strategy

The Advanced Red Seven Count

Chart 2: The Advanced Red Seven

How to Read the Strategy Charts

The Advanced Red Seven "True Edge"

Make a Fraction

6: The Hi-Lo Lite Count

The Hi-Lo Lite Point Values

The Hi-Lo Lite Playing Strategy

Chart 3: The Generic Hi-Lo Lite

7: True Count

True Count by Division

The "True Index" Method

The "True Shoe" Method

Estimating the Remaining Decks

8: The Zen Count

The Zen Count Point Values

The Zen Count Playing Strategy

Chart 3: The Generic Zen Strategy

9: Phony Systems

The Martingale: Progression to Depression

Shuffle-Bored, Anyone?

The "No Need To Count" System

The "Overdue" System

Big Secrets

Psychic Gamblers

10: Problem Gambling

11: Table Conditions

Counting Is Not Enough

The Number of Decks in Play

The Rules

The Number of Players at the Table

The Depth of the Deal (Penetration)

The Snyder Profit Index

Pseudo-Blackjack games

A Fisheye View of Game Selection

East Meets West

12: How Much Money Do I Need?

Risk of Ruin

Kelly Betting

The Profit Formula

Allowing for Normal Fluctuation

Your Bankroll

Bet-Sizing for a Weekend (1,000 Hands)

Bet-Sizing for a Month (10,000 Hands)

So, How Much Money Do You Need

Fixed Bankroll Strategies

Single-Deck Betting Strategies

Two-Deck Strategies

Four-or-More-Deck Games

In Conclusion

13: Special Rules

Side Bets

Over/Under

Royal Match

Super Sevens

Lucky Ladies

"Bonus" Blackjack Variations

The Pseudo-Blackjack Variations

Double Exposure

SuperFun 21

Spanish 21

No-Bust Blackjack

Player-Banked Blackjack

Summary

SECTION TWO: EARNING YOUR GREEN BELT

14: Professional Betting Strategies

Starting From Scratch

Fixed vs. Replenishable Bank

Methods of Decreasing Flux

Watch Out for Scams

Play with a Bigger Edge

Table-Hopping

How to Read the Chart

Always Play at the Same bet Level

Avoid the Full-Kelly Roller Coaster

Play Multiple Hands

How to Read the Betting Charts

Chart 4: Half-Kelly 10K Starting bank — Downswing

Chart 5: Half-Kelly 10K Starting bank — Upswing

Chart 6: [A Camouflaged Chart]

15: The Unencountered Counter

Depth- Charging

One-Deck Wonging

Opposition betting

Idiot Camouflage

Two-Bit Deceptions

Hit/Stand Camouflage

Double-Down Camouflage

Pair-Split Camouflage

Insurance Camouflage

Cost-Free Camouflage

Heat Radar

Surviving Surveillance

The Cameras

The Computers

The Protection Services

Interview with a Las Vegas Surveillance Agent

16: Card Counting and the Law

Is It Legal to Think in Casinos?

Do You Have to Show Your ID?

Is Fake ID Illegal?

Can They "Back-Room" You?

Can They Confiscate or Refuse to Cash Your Chips?

Is It Legal to Use a Computer in a Casino?

Are Laws Different in Indian Reservation Casinos?

SECTION THREE: EARNING YOUR BLACK BELT

17: Team Play

Accounting

The Team handbook

Every Man For Himself Teams

Two-Person Teams

Big Player (BP)/Spotter teams

The Gorilla BP

The Risk Remains

How the Successful Big Teams Do It

On Team Investment Deals

Limited Joint-Bank Partnerships

Polygraph Testing

Some General team Guidelines

18: Shuffle Tracking

The Necessary Tools

Exercise #1: Cutting a Standing Stack

Exercise #2: Cutting a Lying Stack

Exercise #3: Estimating the Discard stack

Exercise #4: Card Counting

Describing Shuffles

Terminology

How Much Can You See?

Other Shuffle Actions

Cutoff Tracking

Best Counting Systems

Estimating Your Advantage

19: Secrets of the Pros

Versatility

You Don’t Know Me

House Phone Hang-Ups

Shift Change vanishing Act

Going South

Toking Guidelines

General Tokes

Specific Tokes

Hole Card Play

Illegal Hole-Card Strategies

Legal Hole-Card Strategies

Marked Card Play

Flashed Card Play

The Danger of Hole Card Play

Dealers Who Cheat

Cheating by Any Other Name

High-Tech Surveillance

Traveling With Cash

Cash Transaction Reports

Suspicious Activity reports

Comps

Special promotions

Playing Blackjack on the Internet

And Finally...

APPENDIX

Comprehensive Basic Strategy

Comprehensive Hi-Lo Lite Strategy

Comprehensive Zen Count Strategy

Recommended Source Materials

INDEX TO CHARTS, TABLES, AND LISTS

Generic Basic Strategy for Any Number of Decks

Simplified Basic Strategy

Red Seven Starting Counts

Simplified Red Seven Betting

Advanced Red Seven Strategy

Generic Hi-Lo Lite Strategy

Generic Zen Count Strategy

Deck Advantages

Rule Effects

Hands Per Hour

Snyder Profit Index

S.P.I. Charts for Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City

Profit Formula

Replenishable Bank Bets

Single Deck by Number of Players

6 Decks 75% Dealt Betting Strategies

Half-Kelly, 10K Downswing

Half-Kelly, 10K Upswing

Depth Charging with the Zen Count

6-Deck Card Numbers

Comprehensive Basic Strategy

Comprehensive Hi-Lo Lite Strategy

Comprehensive Zen Count Strategy

Recommended Source Materials