International Blackjack

[seriousplayer]

Every card counter should only play in casinos that offer the best blackjack conditions. Sometime those fantastic games might not be in the United States or sometimes your company might send you oversea for work. The financial return playing in foreign casinos may be great but I am afraid of playing blackjack in foreign casinos because I might not return alive. There are greater risk when choose to play blackjack in a foreign country. The risk of getting rob could be higher and the chances of getting cheated also increases. Unlike in the USA a lot of casinos don't have gaming commission. Using your brain to beat the casinos in the USA is not a crime but sometimes people who work for the casinos in the foreign country might not see it that way. As an AP I don't want to take chances especially in blackjack and in life. At this time I am not worrying too much of the expense to travel to the foreign country.

Could someone with experience please give me some pointers on how I show take on foreign casinos. What are the element of risk for serious players who take on foreign casinos? I am considering foreign areas like Europe (France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland).

Thank You in advance

[UK-21]

Every card counter should only play in casinos that offer the best blackjack conditions. Sometime those fantastic games might not be in the United States or sometimes your company might send you oversea for work. The financial return playing in foreign casinos may be great but I am afraid of playing blackjack in foreign casinos because I might not return alive. There are greater risk when choose to play blackjack in a foreign country. The risk of getting rob could be higher and the chances of getting cheated also increases. Unlike in the USA a lot of casinos don't have gaming commission. Using your brain to beat the casinos in the USA is not a crime but sometimes people who work for the casinos in the foreign country might not see it that way. As an AP I don't want to take chances especially in blackjack and in life. At this time I am not worrying too much of the expense to travel to the foreign country.

Could someone with experience please give me some pointers on how I show take on foreign casinos. What are the element of risk for serious players who take on foreign casinos? I am considering foreign areas like Europe (France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland).

Thank You in advance

I don't think you'll have too many problems in the countries you mention - at worst you'll be politely refused service, and at best the bigger problem will be to find exploitable shoe dealt games (most of Germany and most of the UK are now CSM games and frankly aren't worth the flight to play BJ). Going East, to places like Bulgaria's black sea resorts, Northern Cyprus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Baltic States, I think that if you're a winning player and are clocked as a counter you may experience some extreme heat, of the type that only exists in times gone past in Vegas. Just my opinion, having not played in these places but corresponded with people who have.

I think you're right to be concerned about playing in places that don't have such an established regulatory infrastructure behind the gambling industry. I'm sure that even in some EU member states, card-counting could get you arrested for cheating.

[seriousplayer]

I don't think you'll have too many problems in the countries you mention - at worst you'll be politely refused service, and at best the bigger problem will be to find exploitable shoe dealt games (most of Germany and most of the UK are now CSM games and frankly aren't worth the flight to play BJ).

My employer is sending me oversea for work in those areas. So I figure I'll do double duty and exploit casinos there as well.

[BlackJackAgain]

How to "take on" the casinos ?

Well, you could begin by worrying a little less.

Asides from Monte Carlo, I cannot recall a single case of anyone being arrested for counting cards. The countries you mentioned are plain vanilla western countries, a good deal safer than many gaming areas in the US. Just use common sense (try not to cash out X,000 and walk down dark alleys). Note that casinos in these countries are tightly regulated.

However, most of the places you mentioned are close to 100% CSM, with the exception of a few select locations, some closely guarded secrets and some will half-shoe you after a couple of hours (followed by dealing 2/6, 1/6...)

If you plan to travel to Cambodia, Kazakhstan, TRNC etc, the answers to your questions would be more involved, but it does not sound like you are going there...

Every card counter should only play in casinos that offer the best blackjack conditions. Sometime those fantastic games might not be in the United States or sometimes your company might send you oversea for work. The financial return playing in foreign casinos may be great but I am afraid of playing blackjack in foreign casinos because I might not return alive. There are greater risk when choose to play blackjack in a foreign country. The risk of getting rob could be higher and the chances of getting cheated also increases. Unlike in the USA a lot of casinos don't have gaming commission. Using your brain to beat the casinos in the USA is not a crime but sometimes people who work for the casinos in the foreign country might not see it that way. As an AP I don't want to take chances especially in blackjack and in life. At this time I am not worrying too much of the expense to travel to the foreign country.

Could someone with experience please give me some pointers on how I show take on foreign casinos. What are the element of risk for serious players who take on foreign casinos? I am considering foreign areas like Europe (France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland).

Thank You in advance

[ZenMaster_Flash]

"France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland"

A "serious player" wouldn't attempt to play in these venues.

[DatabaseGuy]

Continental Europe is all no hole card. Britain offers US rules but there are other issues you don't want to deal with. European casinos are otherwise bizarre. People dress up. Fancy!

[seriousplayer]

A "serious player" wouldn't attempt to play in these venues.

I never played oversea before the primary place I've play is in the USA. How do I know they offer good games or not? This is why I ask. However, my primary purpose to go to those places is because my company sent me there for work. My secondary purpose is see if the blackjack games are worth playing. Why not scout the games while you are in the area?

[ZenMaster_Flash]

"Why not scout the games while you are in the area?"

Go ahead and scout the games. A waste of time; as what we have told you is so.

You'll certainly not find anything that you'd want to play, if you are a "serious player."

[DatabaseGuy]

As for scouting, try to look at the foreign BJ forums. Google translate if needed. Some casinos are CSM only. It would be sad to drive through the French country for hours (although it is quite pretty) and find out it is full CSM.

[BlackJackAgain]

If you are already there, then yes, of course, you MUST scout. It is unlikely you will find anything playable, but you never know...

There is an added benefit to this - in marked contrast to most North American casinos (that I have visited), which are in urban dumps, many european casinos are in breathtaking locations. Some of the casinos I have visited in Belgium, Switzerland and France are located in some of the most beautiful places I have ever been to (sorry, all four below have been CSM for a couple of years now).

Bonus points for identifying any of these (WITHOUT reverse image search)

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Go ahead and scout the games. A waste of time; as what we have told you is so.

You'll certainly not find anything that you'd want to play, if you are a "serious player."

[Bigdaddy]

If you are already there, then yes, of course, you MUST scout. It is unlikely you will find anything playable, but you never know...

There is an added benefit to this - in marked contrast to most North American casinos (that I have visited), which are in urban dumps, many european casinos are in breathtaking locations. Some of the casinos I have visited in Belgium, Switzerland and France are located in some of the most beautiful places I have ever been to (sorry, all four below have been CSM for a couple of years now).

Bonus points for identifying any of these (WITHOUT reverse image search)

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C.jpg

Wow, those are beautiful spots. I'll take my chances on a vacation. Take the wife with me. While she gets ready for dinner (5:00 - 7:00 pm), I go down to the casino and play the bullshit 8-deck, 50% pen game. Bet the minimum for shits and giggles and if the count just happens to go to +3 or 4, blast it for all it's worth...

[Marvin]

If you are already there, then yes, of course, you MUST scout. It is unlikely you will find anything playable, but you never know...

There is an added benefit to this - in marked contrast to most North American casinos (that I have visited), which are in urban dumps, many european casinos are in breathtaking locations. Some of the casinos I have visited in Belgium, Switzerland and France are located in some of the most beautiful places I have ever been to (sorry, all four below have been CSM for a couple of years now).

Bonus points for identifying any of these (WITHOUT reverse image search)

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Great pictures...

[Marvin]

Asking for such info on a public forum won't get you much. If you could post in the subscriber area or receive PMs, you may have better luck.