Intermediate Strategy: Updating Strategy Based on Plus/Minus Count

Introduction

With few exceptions, if you walk into a casino, you will walk out without your money. The reason for this is simple: the games are rigged. Not rigged in the cheap, made-for-television movie sense, but rigged none the less. This is because the games are based on rules that grant a statistical bias in favor of the house. It is no wonder that people often attribute any winnings to lady luck, for in the long run, you will lose. You have two choices. Either you can rely on chance or you can bend the rules in your favor.

There are two types of games that one can play in the casino, games played against other players and games played against the house. The former, including games such as the infamous Texas Hold'em, is a complex interaction between players that requires knowledge not only of probability, but also of psychology to some extent. The latter, which is the focus of this study, is simpler, in that the dealer is forced to act according to the rules of the house. But within this second branch of casino games, there is a further distinction to be made.