Core Training

Not only do the 5-8 cards have the biggest mathematical influence on the most frequent decisions of the game (in terms of depletions and surpluses), but the house simply doesn't pay as much attention to them. They can't. They already watch the tens and aces (that's five cards) to create Simple Clumps. When they create Complex Clumps, of the high-low nature, that usually involves another three or four lower-card values (making eight or nine cards). That leaves only four of the thirteen values of the deck. If they start messing with them, they'll be stacking the entire deck, and anyone who knows about it (like the readers of the CORE System) will be able to win.

Now here I am trying to explain you how to Spot a favorable deck first, look for a core imbalance. Sometimes you will first all or some of the Core cards in some kind of clump. This is why Heavy and light Cores occur. Remember, when the deck has a Heavy Core, it puts you at a strategic disadvantage. And a deck with a light Core puts you at a strategic advantage. Keep in mind that a deck with a Heavy Core at one end can turn it over with the shuffle and deal out those same cards, creating a light Core for the next hands.

When you walk up to a table, take a quick look at the cards. If you don't want to linger, try to walk up at the end of the hand, when all of the cards are being turned over. If anyone questions you, you can say that you're waiting for the shuffle. No'\v, ask yourself what you're seeing.

First, do you see a lot of tens? Did everyone just push twenty with the dealer? That's a big Ten Clump. You may hear comments like, "This is like pushing back and forth in a mud hole," or ''Win one, lose one."

Or are the tens alternating with low cards? Did most of the players already lose their hand by busting a stiff? (Their bet will be gone.) Then, did the dealer also bust? If she made her hand, are the remaining players holding two-card stiffs? Does the dealer have a ten card with a lower card, that she just hit for a standing hand? You're seeing a Complex, or high-low clump. You may hear comments like, "I knew she didn't have it! (But she made it anyway!)" Or, "Oh, no! She did it (made 20, 21) again!" or, simply, "She's too hot for me!"

Do you see any tens? If not, you may have very well just come during one of the lower clumps. The tens are probably packed together in some other part of the deck. You might hear comments like: silence, or groaning, as the dealer just took two, three or four hits to make a standing hand. Most of the players will have stiffs. There might be only one ten on the table, if that many.

All of (but not only) the above three situations could be favorable for the Core player. If you see any of the above, you should then ask yourself, Do 1 see either a lot of, or, almost no Core cards? Either case could mean the presence of a Core imbalance. And that is what we want to firs. Because a Heavy Core on one shuffle can easily turn into a light Core the next Even if you haven't had time to actually observe enough of the deck, learn to spot the trademarks of a Core imbalance. Ask yourself, "Am 1 seeing a lot of fifteens, sixteen’s, seventeen’s, and eighteens (signs of a Heavy Core)? Or am 1 seeing a lot of twelve’s, thirteen’s and fourteens (signs of a possible light Core)? Am 1 seeing lots of double downs taking bad hit (possible Heavy Core)? Or, do I see only a few double downs, which are getting good hits (possible light Core)?"

Memorize the traits listed in Table #2 and learn to spot them. Most players attribute those types of things to luck, but you, as a Core Player, can learn to see signposts in them.

Here, once again, is a simpler listing of the procedure for fading a favorable deck:

1) Determine if you're in the presence of a Balanced or a Defensive Deck.

2) If it's Defensive, what kind of clumping are they using, Simple or Complex?

3) If it's Complex, see if the lower part of the high-low scheme uses mostly Core cards or mostly lower valued cards (two, three and four). Avoid it if it uses too many 5-8 Core cards.

4) Determine if there is a Core imbalance. You don't have to see all four Core card values. A cluster of fives and sevens, or sixes and eights will do. Or, as well, a marked absence of fives, sixes, sevens and/or eights.

5) Learn the traits, as outlined in Table #2, of the Heavy and light Cores in play.

If the deck meets these criteria, then watch for just one more thing in the deck structure: Make sure that it doesn't have a Heavy Core mixed in with a strong clump of tens. A clump of tens combined with a clump of Core cards is a player-killing game!

And remember: It only takes a shuffle and/or a well placed cut to make a Core flip over and become its opposite. light to Heavy. Heavy to light.

You respond to this by changing the size of your wager. That's why we next have a chapter on betting.