apocalypse-110314You’ll survive!

Blackjack experts will be in the best position to survive the impending nuclear apocalypse/robot uprising/environmental catastrophe. We’ll tell you why, and give you some tips on how you can survive yourself.

It seems that many among us are convinced that we live in dark times; that the near future holds nothing but impending doom for humankind. Whether it be caused by climate change, nuclear war or the rise of the machines, the apocalypse is close at hand. If and when that does happen, and the remaining of us are left to scour the shattered landscape for whatever resources we can find, we will all wish that we had been blackjack strategy experts.

The strategy factor

Some mistake blackjack for a game of luck. Rather, it’s a game of strategy, with success relying on the player’s ability to assess the situation at hand and make the most logical decision. What do you do when you are holding a 16 and the dealer shows a 9? Do you split a ten? When do you take a risk and hit, and when do you stay? When you do you cut your losses and surrender?

In a bleak future world of scarcity, radioactive dangers and lawlessness you and your companions can’t afford to make strategic mistakes. Entering the wrong building, approaching the wrong group of people or taking a right instead of a left at the fork in the road could be deadly. Playing blackjack is a great to learn how to make strategic decisions using logical reasoning. If you can act accordingly in countless blackjack situations, your ability to act strategically should be sufficient to navigate your new life as one of the remaining few.

How to bargain with the cannibals/evil robot overlords

Playing blackjack is a great way to learn casino table manners. This will come in handy when you encounter marauding bands of cannibals which are sure to be roaming the post-apocalyptic world. They are easy to offend, so you must approach them with etiquette and grace. Carry yourself with confidence, making it clear that you won’t accept being anyone’s lunch or concubine. But be polite and careful not to provoke anyone.

You must make your presence felt when walking into a casino and sitting down to the blackjack table. The croupier and other players should recognize that you are a man of authority, someone to be respected. At the same time, behaving recklessly or arrogantly may provoke hostility in those around you, and you may not last long. The parallel between the blackjack table and the (I can’t believe I’m actually writing these words) cannibal table is obvious.

In an alternate scenario the machines rise up and become the masters of the earth, forcing the surviving humans to live underground. When they venture to the surface they must negotiate with the robot overlords. This requires an even more deft touch than dealing with the cannibals, because robots are much smarter.

Visual recognition and memory

You post-apocalyptic adventures will largely consist of wandering around an uncharted landscape searching for food. Because you won’t have maps or books to convey information, you’ll have to work off of memory. Recognizing a certain tree formation or bombed-out building will tell you where a cache of food is hidden. Remembering where the streets lead at an intersection will tell you where to go to avoid the cannibals, mutated half-human, half-lizard beasts or evil robot overlords.

This is where blackjack comes in. Learning how to use a card counting system is an excellent way to develop visual recognition skills. The counter must mentally catalogue every card which is dealt. There is no time to use verbal techniques.

Let’s walk through an example. The croupier deals a six. Without taking the time to consider the actual card you must immediately recognize it and apply its corresponding number (in this case +1). The next card is a Jack. Using visual recognition your brain should automatically convert that Jack into a -1. You must do this continually without missing cards or making mistakes. If you can count cards effectively you can surely navigate the perilous post-apocalyptic world.

apocalypse-2-110314The end? Who said it’s the end?

Concentration

In this dark future danger lurks round every corner. You can never let your guard down. While sleeping someone must be on watch at all times. While traveling you must scan the surrounding landscape in all directions. Dozing off or daydreaming for a moment could mean death for you and your companions. What is a great way to develop nerves of steel? Card counting, once again.

A counter must keep a tally of every card dealt to every player at the table, recognizing each card without losing the previous count. Most importantly, they must do this without making it obvious that they are counting. This means holding conversations with the other players and interacting with the croupier in a natural way. Counting experts recommend training in highly distracting environments. For example, counting through decks while listening to extremely loud music or conversing with friends on complex topics like politics or philosophy. The more you can do without losing focus on the task at hand, the more successful you will be.