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Have you ever wondered why online casinos have become so popular in recent years? Perhaps it’s because land-based casinos have some house rules which can seem pretty unfair at times. Take blackjack, for example; although counting cards isn’t an illegal strategy, it’s banned from most (if not all casinos) because doing so increases your odds of winning.
Isn’t that what gambling is all about? Aren’t you looking to beat the odds? Great players have been using that strategy for as long as anyone can remember, yet you can get banned for life from a casino for having a good memory! If you don’t believe that’s possible, ask Ben Affleck. He’ll tell you differently!
Let’s Set the Stage
To give you the backdrop, Ben Affleck was playing blackjack at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Casino in 2014 when security officers strolled over to the table where he was seated. According to sources, they proceeded to ‘bust him’ because they said he had been counting cards. Although this isn’t an illegal move, it is forbidden in most casinos because it increases the odds of winning when you know what cards have already been played and what cards are still out there to be played. As mentioned above, while not illegal, the house doesn’t want players to improve their odds because that means the house’s odds are reduced by that much more. And, everyone knows the house doesn’t like to lose.
FAQs
Ben Was Taking a Breather with Then Wife Jen
At the time, Ben Affleck was married to Jennifer Garner who he later divorced in April of 2017. Ben was taking a break before shooting his soon to be next box office hit, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Although it didn’t debut until 2016, it was to become one of Affleck’s biggest box office successes and it was such a hit that this superstar earned superhero status with DC fans around the globe. Unfortunately, this superhero wasn’t such a hit at the Hard Rock. It should be noted that the film earned $855 million globally but critics call it a ‘wash’ because the film didn’t live up to expectations when pitting two superheroes against each other.
The Stakes Were High
Most players wouldn’t have been seated at the high-rollers table along with Ben because of the high dollar amount of each hand. It is said that Ben won $800,000 by winning three successive $20,000 hands in 2001 at the Hard Rock one night way back in 2001 and so the casino had their eye on him. They obviously didn’t like being taken for quite that much. What a source reported was that the house reasoned that Ben had an unfair advantage simply because he is such an ‘advantaged player.’ Many players can’t keep the cards mentally tallied as Affleck can and that does put him at an advantage. Many of his fans and other players wonder why having a great memory is frowned upon. They see this as the point of a game of strategy and to tell a player they can’t play a game the way it’s meant to be played is absurd.
Affleck Doesn’t Need the Money – So What’s the Point?
As of 2014 when this incident occurred at the Hard Rock in Vegas, it was estimated that Affleck’s net worth was around $75 million, but that was before his divorce from Jennifer Garner and subsequent movies whose earnings had yet to be calculated. Many gifted gamblers don’t need the money, yet play the game for the thrill of seeing if they can beat the odds. Counting cards is a strategy that reduces a player’s betting risk and again, though not illegal, is not allowed in most land-based casinos. Ben may not need the money but fans believe everyone has the right to enjoy a good game of cards, so why did so many critics make a point of making a big deal of Affleck’s already big bank roll?
It seems like an increasing number of players who enjoy a good game of poker or blackjack have been trying their hand (no pun intended) at online casinos. There are no security guards standing over your back watching whether or not you are ‘counting’ cards and so if you do happen to be gifted, it is possible to win more often. In the end, that’s why players hit the casinos and as counting cards is a strategy as old as the game itself and not illegal, it’s a shame fans and other patrons won’t be seeing Affleck at a Hard Rock blackjack table anytime soon – or ever!
