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Ten years ago who would have guessed we would be taking photographs with cell phones? Now it seems the iPhone is being used for something quite clever - casino Blackjack card counting.
The Australian press has caught onto this mighty fast.
Many of you have seen the film "21" about a group of Ivy League college students who learned the great art of Blackjack card counting. Back then the iPhone was yet to be invented but probably would have come in handy.
Gambling911.com's man on the scene - Greg Tingle - says it is something the Australian casinos are becoming more vigilante about.
"Blackjack Card Counter, developed by an Australian named Travis Yates, is among the most popular applications for iPhone," Tingle says. "And it can be purchased for under $10."
And it's not just Australian casinos that are keeping a close eye out for the latest iPhone app.. The State Gaming Control Board of Nevada has already warned about its usage.
This Blackjack Card Counting program can be utilized on either the Apple I-Phone or the Apple IPod touch (portable music player). Once this program is installed on the phone through the I-tunes website it can make counting cards easy. The program calculates the "True Count" and does it significantly more accurately. The card counting program uses a choice of four (4) card counting strategies. For each strategy the user presses the button that contains the face cards as they are drawn from the deck. Depending on the strategy and on the value of the card the button will either add or subtract 1 or 2 from the "Running Count". The program can utilize the following card counting methods including Hi-Low, Hi-Op I, Hi- Op II, and Omega II.
This program can be used in the "Stealth Mode". When the program is used in the "Stealth Mode" the screen of the phone will remain shut off, and as long as the user knows where the keys are located the program can be run effortlessly without detection.
Card counting involves keeping a running tally of the number of high cards compared with low cards.
When a higher balance of low cards have already been played, you have a probability advantage and so should place a bet.
Many casinos throw players out if they suspect them of counting cards but using a device to do the maths is strictly outlawed.
The iPhone application, which trains players using simulation blackjack hands, can operate in stealth mode while in a player's pocket. The gambler simply needs to know where to press the screen, depending on whether the card is valued at less than or higher than 10, and the phone will vibrate when it's time to place a bet.
Yates claims he would typically sell 10 copies of the application per day, but immediately following a profile on CNN, sales shot to 500 copies.
"I developed the app so people could practise card counting and use it with friends at home," he said.
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Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com
