Robbing Las Vegas

[senorita]

Did u guys hear about that ?
6 students of MIT won millions of dollars playing in las vegas and counting the card!!!
I don't know if any of u have been to Las Vegas, but don't they use an automated mixing device for the cards ?
In this case isn't it impossible ?

[5Abi]

do you have a link to this story ?

[Munni]

It was over $400,000, not millions.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/prime...ers030915.html

A movie is going to be made about it, apparently.

[Bandoostaa]

So what...there's like a million stories about idiots robbing Vegas. In this case these are 'students from MIT'. Big whoopteedoo.

[Hum Sa Ho To Samne Aaye]

^ lol

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Munni:
It was over $400,000, not millions.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/prime...ers030915.html

A movie is going to be made about it, apparently.

That was $400,000 on one trip. They did make millions over their whole run.

[myvoice]

Re: Robbing Las Vegas

Originally posted by senorita:
Did u guys hear about that ?
6 students of MIT won millions of dollars playing in las vegas and counting the card!!!
I don't know if any of u have been to Las Vegas, but don't they use an automated mixing device for the cards ?
In this case isn't it impossible ?

In card counting, the type of mixing device is irrelevant unless the deck(s) is/are reshuffled every deal. Take the simplest case of one deck blackjack and the simplest card counting method. 52 cards with 16 cards counting as tens (K, Q, J and 10 of each suit) (about 31% of the deck is a ten count card). Assign a -1 to each ten and a +1 to each card that is not a 10. The table has 4 players plus the dealer. Assume thes cards are exposed during that first deal.
P1: 8, 7, 10 (count is +1+1-1 = +1)
P2: 3. 3. 4, 6, 8 (count is +1+1+1+1+1=+5)
P3: 7, 9, 10 (count is +1+1-1=+1)
P4: A, 4, 6 (count is +1+1+1=+3)
D: 5+7+2+5 (count is +1+1+1+1=+4)

After one deal, 18 cards have been dealt with only two 10 count cards being exposed. You now have 34 cards left in the deck for the second deal and 14 (41%) are tens. The +1/-1 counting system accounts for the favorable cards left in the deck by assigning a value of +14. (You'll just have to accept as a mathematical fact that a deck of unplayed cards that is rich in tens gives the player better odds than either a balanced deck or a deck that is rich in unplayed low value cards.) Using a card counting system, the card counter increases the size of his bet based upon the positive value assigned to the unplayed cards. The card counter bets the minimum when the deck is assigned a negative value.

Card counting systems can get quite complex as I'm sure the MIT wizards did. You can assign different values to each card. For instance, a deck that has more 9s left in it is better for the player than a deck that has more 2s in it. Card counting is not easy to do. The pace of play is really fast and if you need to use your fingers and toes to keep up or you move your lips, you will be spotted. Card counting is not unlawful...it is just unwelcome. If you do it and are caught you will be asked to leave the casino. In the old days, they'd also beat you up on your way out the door.