Card counters are notorious for playing blackjack for hours and hours, often without eating or enjoying the amenities available at the resort. Acting like a tourist just looking for a simple good time may take the suspicion off of you. You want to blend in. Busting out your three-piece Armani suit is not what you want to do when starting your card counting career at your local casino. Leave the Italian suede at home and act like a regular Joe. Dealers are trained to shuffle the deck upon an unexplainable increase in the bet. For this reason, only up your bet in small increments and at seemingly random points in the game. This may seem counter to making money, but if you get thrown out, you'll be making zero. No, card counting isn't illegal, but it is heavily frowned upon and you can be asked to never return. This is why we had you practicing with the TV, radio, and several messy, loud-mouthed children. If you are so busy counting your lips are practically moving, it's a dead giveaway. Go ahead, get a drink, make small talk. Enjoy yourself.  Counters have a reputation for being "zoned in" to the game.  He will remain fixated on their cards while everyone else is looking at a gorgeous woman. Don't be that guy. You need to be proficient enough at counting that you can carry on a conversation.  Chat with the dealer about how their day is going.  If the pit boss comes up, chat with him, too. Many dealers know how to count cards.  A dealer that likes you will be more likely to wait before shuffling on a favorable deck and shuffle sooner on a bad one. A dealer can help you or hurt you.  Motivate the dealer to be for you. Same goes for the entire pit crew -- get them on your side, your not-so-heinous crime may slide under their radar. At any time, there are hundreds of cameras going on in the casino in addition to the eyes of the dealers, those in the pit (behind the tables), and the security staff. If they'll catch a waitress for serving a customer every 18.37 minutes, they'll definitely have the attention span to monitor you. Because of this, it's very important to be on your best behavior. If a casino suspects you're counting, they probably won't come right out and say it. They may have someone start a conversation with you to distract you, assign you a high-speed dealer, shuffle spontaneously or change the betting rules. If any of these happen, back down slowly, but immediately. When you hit a table, stay there for a spell. Why would you leave? And when you make your moves at this table, take a second to think about it. Normal blackjack players haven't spent the past three months staring at this exact set up in black and white. Everything you do needs to be nonchalant and casual. Do not jump from table to table every time the deck sours.  This will bring you to the attention of the casino personnel fast.  Make minimum bets until the deck is richer. Increase casually because you're doing well -- not because you know what's about to come.

Summary: Act like a tourist. Let your bet ride, if you need to increase the bet. Appear to be interested in other things besides the game. Tip the dealer. Know who's watching you. Do everything slow.


Studies have shown that our emotions are reinforced and perhaps even driven by our facial expressions: smiling can make you feel happy; frowning can make you feel sad.  If you're feeling down, try smiling for at least 30 seconds to see if it helps boost your mood a little. You might even try smiling in the mirror and making silly faces — you might even get yourself laughing. Redecorating can help you feel as though you're making a fresh start. You can do this even if you don't have any money, simply by rearranging your room, or giving it a thorough clean and getting rid of things you no longer need.  Cover your walls with things that inspire you — for example, pictures of places you'd like to visit, or people who inspire you or make you feel happy. Find your favourite photo of you and someone (or some people) you love. If it's not already printed out, print it and frame it, and put it in a prominent place in your home. Take some alone time once in a  while and treat yourself.  Buy yourself that book you've been wanting to read. Take a few hours to sit in a comfy chair and read it while sipping your favourite tea. Have a bath in epsom salts and put on a nice moisturizer on afterward. Have a spa day. If you feel uncomfortable in your body, you'll likely have trouble enjoying yourself. Try doing daily exercises like looking in the mirror and naming 5 things you love about yourself — not 5 things you hate.  If you can't name 5, name as many as you can. Each day try to increase the number until you can list 10 or 20 things about yourself that you like. Almost no one will love everything about themselves; just try to like as much as you can. You are beautiful in your own unique way. The popular saying, “to give is better than to receive,” is true for many people. Studies have shown that the same parts in our brain light up when giving gifts as when receiving them. Examples of good deeds:  Try volunteering for a cause you believe in, even if it's only for a few hours a month. Help a friend, relative, colleague, or neighbor with something you know they could use help with — for example, mowing the lawn, organizing their files, driving to the grocery store, packing up to move. Sometimes you need to get out of your head. Clean your house, doodle until you've filled a page, dance around to your favourite song, or sing at the top of your lungs to it. Allow yourself a few moments of distracted enjoyment as often as you can — no matter how bad you feel or how much you feel you may not deserve it.

Summary: Smile. Redecorate. Pamper yourself. Love the skin you're in. Do a good deed. Distract yourself.


Note cards are recommend since they don't crinkle or bend.   They're bound to get suspicious.
Summary: Write your notes on a piece of paper. Put your notes in your hoodie pocket. Sit behind someone so that your are obscured from the teacher's view. Try not to take too long; teachers likely notice who finishes last and especially if the student does surprisingly well given that it took them so long to complete it (for the excuse "I was being careful and taking my time" can only work so many times).