Blackjack shuffle tracking

(Credit: acaben) 

Shuffle tracking is a non-traditional blackjack strategy which is not well known. It is a more advanced technique which can be difficult to master but will often yield very high results and large profits. Shuffle tracking is mainly applicable in multi-deck games and involves tracking groups of cards during the play of the shoe and playing and betting accordingly when those cards come into play from the new show. This technique is tricky because it demands great eyesight but it has the advantage of fooling casino staff monitoring the player – after all, the shuffle tracker could be betting or playing opposite to a straightforward card counter at times.

Card tracking is restricted when the casino uses a half-cut, or what is known inside houses as 'The Big C'. This is when the shoe is cut halfway, meaning that only half of the shoe will be played, so on an 8-deck shoe, only 4 decks will be played and thereafter shuffled. As card tracking relies on the principles of elimination, the half-cut makes it virtually impossible to eliminate or predict the remaining cards. Another exception to card tracking is the introduction of automatic shuffler machines, thereby making it impossible to track cards because the shoe is non-stop.