| According to Richard Epstein (Theory of
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| | That curious bonus payout that gave
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| Gambling and Statistical Logic, Academic
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| | blackjack its name, however, has long
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| Press, 1977), blackjack became popular
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| | since disappeared. There may be some
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| during World War I, and was called
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| | casino somewhere that pays a small bonus
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| "black-jack" from the practice of paying
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| | if a player is dealt a natural 21 which
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| a bonus to a player who held an ace of
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| | includes a jack of spades or clubs, but
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| spades with a jack of spades or clubs.
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| | that is no longer a normal rule of the
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| John Scarne, (New Complete Guide to
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| | game. Today, a blackjack is simply any
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| Gambling, 1961, Simon & Schuster), puts
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| | initial two cards that consist of an ace
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| the year when this curious rule first
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| | and any ten-valued card.
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| appeared at 1912, when twenty-one tables
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| | That's when Ed Thorp dropped another
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| appeared in horse-betting parlors in
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| | bombshell. Under the auspices of their
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| Evanston, Illinois. According to Scarne,
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| | Vintage Paperback division, Random House
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| by 1919a Chicago gambling equipment
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| | published a revised and expanded edition
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| distributor was selling felt table
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| | of Beat the Dealer. And the most
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| layouts embla¬zoned with the
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| | important addition was Harvey Dubner's
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| announcement: "Blackjack Pays Odds of 3
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| | Hi-Lo counting system, which Thorp called
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| to 2." I believe Epstein's information is
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| | the Complete Point Count, with a
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| taken from Scarne, and Scarne states that
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| | computer-optimized strategy devised by
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| he discovered the origins of blackjackin
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| | Julian Braun. To the casinos'
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| America as a result of his private
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| | frustration, this was a system that could
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| discussions with old-time gamblers, not
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| | more easily be applied to multiple-deck
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| from any published texts that can be
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| | games.
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| looked up today.
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| | Thorp was keeping the casinos on the run.
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| I am skeptical of much of what Scarne has
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| | Still, the casinos' fears were mostly
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| written about blackjack, so I'll quote
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| | unfounded. The Complete Point Count was
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| from Mickey MacDougall's MacDougall on
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| | easier to use than the ten-count, but it
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| Dice and Cards (Coward-McCann, 1944, NY),
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| | was not a lot easier. It required players
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| which was published prior to any of
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| | to keep two separate counts. In addition
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| Scarne's books: "Many professionals dress
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| | to the running count of the cards' point
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| up the game by giving prizes for certain
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| | total, the player had to keep a count of
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| hands. A favorite stunt is to offer ten
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| | the exact number of cards remaining to be
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| times the size of the wager to anyone
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| | played. And in order to play his hand, he
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| holding a natural twenty-one with a black
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| | had to memorize a chart of 158 different
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| jack. This adds interest to the game, but
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| | strategy changes to be made according to
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| it also tempts a player to increase his
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| | the count.
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| stakes."
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| | Thorp also included a Simple Point Count
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| In an honestly dealt single-deck game,
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| | in this new edition of his book, but at
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| this gimmick bonus would give the player
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| | the time that strategy seemed way too
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| a substantial edge over the house,
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| | simple to most players to gain much of an
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| assuming the player knew basic strategy
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| | edge, or to be taken seriously by players
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| (an unlikely assumption). I would also
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| | who wanted to beat the game. Later, the
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| assume that a gambling house that offered
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| | power of Thorp's simpler method of
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| this bonus would be using any number of
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| | adjusting the running count, without
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| illegitimate methods to assure the house
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| | keeping a separate count of the exact
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| a healthy edge.
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| | number of cards played, would be shown.
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