How to get better penetration on the shoe game!

[Cardcounter]

If you notice that the dealer cuts off a lot of cards in the shoe game you could tell the dealer boy you really cut the deck thick. You could say to them do you mind cutting it deeper so you don't have to shuffle so often? Making a few commets requesting the dealer to put the cut card farther back could help you get better penetration. I had a customer ask me that and I knew she was not an advantage player so I obliged and cut the deck deeper!
On shoe games I usually cut the deck pretty thick because I don't think it effects the average player to get really good penetration.

 

[EasyRhino]

You know, you bring up a good point in that shallow penetration would probably help your average civilian, just because it would slow down the speed of the game.

However, how many people actually ask you for a deeper cut? If it's only one or two people, wouldn't that be a warning flag to see if they were counting?

Also, do you hand-shuffle or have an ASM? My hunch would be that ASM dealers would be more likely to cut the deck thick, just because reshuffling is so fast. While a pain-in-the-ass manual shuffle might inspire a lazier dealer to give better pen. But I haven't seen much of a correlation in practice.

 

[Jeff25]

When I have the cut card I will cut off 1 deck or less and announce "Thin to Win"

 

[LeonShuffle]

When I have the cut card I will cut off 1 deck or less and announce "Thin to Win"

That's not the same thing at all.

 

[zengrifter]

If you notice that the dealer cuts off a lot of cards in the shoe game you could tell the dealer boy you really cut the deck thick. You could say to them do you mind cutting it deeper so you don't have to shuffle so often? Making a few commets requesting the dealer to put the cut card farther back could help you get better penetration.

Here's how its done (from Zengrifter Interview page-18):

What are some of the ploys you use to induce the dealers to give you better penetration?

Inducing better penetration is a subtle art and should be attempted only if you’re really confident that you can get away with it without alienating the dealer or having her rat you out to the pit. Such techniques are useless in those casinos that use a notch on the shoe or discard rack to standardize the cut, but many blackjack games still leave room for dealer-discretionary penetration.

One trick I use is borrowed from Ian Anderson’s Burning the Tables in Las Vegas: In double deck games I tell the dealer that “today is my brother’s 29th birthday, so please place the shuffle card 29 cards from the bottom”. In shoe games, “my brother” is 46, so I ask that the card be placed 46 cards from the bottom, “for luck,” I add. I place a toke bet out as I insert the cut card and demonstrate the penetration I desire, and proclaim, “Let’s make some money.” If the dealer balks, I add conspiratorially, “Just get as close as you can.”

Often times all it takes is to ask in an innocent, unabashed way. Occasionally a dealer is only too happy to place the cut card deeper. “Mums the word,” I quip with a wink.
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[Jeff25]

That's not the same thing at all.

Sure it is.

Im my experience, "Thin to Win" has influneced many dealers to put the cut card further back. I will sometimes say it right before the dealer puts in the card. If the pen improves ill act excited and make some comment about how the shoe will be a good one and the table will make some money. If the pen doesn't improve ill let off a sigh and leave after the shoe is finished.