Ben Affleck Booted from Hard Rock for counting cards

**Tiny Pixie** · May 3rd, 2014, 08:01 AM

So not only is the house supposed to win but you're supposed to play dumb, no count cards, and lose your money even faster? That doesn't seem like a fun game

**Geest** · May 3rd, 2014, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by McJag

I think they were gunning for him. Bet he had been winning too much...

Rumour has it, last time he walked away with 80 grand... Eta: 800, better read the article posted here first before replying...

**KrisNine** · May 3rd, 2014, 02:57 PM

If you've got it together enough to count cards and win, then you deserve to win. I suck at cards, so I say, go Ben!

**Beeyotch** · May 3rd, 2014, 07:23 PM

This is part of why I've never really liked him, he gives off a smarmy vibe, like gambling and strippers are vices that he'll never be able to give up even if he tried.

**Air Quotes** · May 4th, 2014, 02:08 AM

I wonder how Jennifer was enjoying all this romance.

**deenz** · May 4th, 2014, 11:08 AM

Vegas just screams romantic getaway to me..

**sputnik** · May 4th, 2014, 11:22 AM

^^^^
vegas is probably the last place on earth i'd want to visit, i just don't understand the appeal. it just seems tacky and trashy and if on top of that you're not a gambler well then what's the point?
that said, i did win about 30$ yesterday betting on the kentucky derby at a dive bar yesterday.

**KrisNine** · May 4th, 2014, 11:27 AM

Vegas isn't my thing either, but I usually have a good time there. I haven't been in years. We used to go with a friend that was a big time gambler. If I stuck with him, I could win pretty big. Especially at craps. I won a few hundred dollars just doing what he did (although smaller bets). I also like that the drinks are free. Prety decent drinks, too. Great bloody mary's. Served with plenty of Tomolives

Also, the restaurants are really good and the spa's are great, too. I like it for a weekend, max.

**rollo** · May 4th, 2014, 11:32 AM

Vegas is fun. There's tons of things to do besides gambling. Having said that, I wouldn't go there for romance.

**gas_chick** · May 5th, 2014, 08:27 AM

I loved Vegas and I only gambled like 5 minutes. Plenty of other things to do there. I kind of love that Ben Affleck is swarmy. He's been getting extra hot to me lately.

**Lobelia** · May 5th, 2014, 08:32 AM

I think it's kind of badass to be able to say you've been banned from a casino for counting cards. I wish I could say that.

**sluce** · May 5th, 2014, 10:32 AM

But you areable to say you were banned for flashing people in the lobby. I think that is so much cooler.

**MsDark** · May 5th, 2014, 10:34 AM

I have trouble buying this story. If he was really doing that he's smarter than I gave him credit for. I think he just got lucky.

**Lobelia** · May 5th, 2014, 10:35 AM

When I flash, people beg me to stay not insist that I leave

**sjankis630** · May 5th, 2014, 06:47 PM

Was he moving his lips while he counted or something?

He was probably employing some version of the Hi - low method of counting cards popularized back in the 60s by its inventor, Edward O Thorpe. The method basically assigns a +1 to all low cards 2-6 and a -1 to all cards 10-Ace. all the middle cards are neutral and don't count either way.
The player "counts" the deck by rapidly tracking all of the cards played on an ongoing basis. (10-1(count -1), Q-1 (count -2), J-1 (count -3) etc. They don't memorize the cards played, they just keep a tally (which still takes a bunch of practice - which it sounds like Ben gets regularly.
The higher the count (positive + numbers) the better the odds are for the player. Since the house has to hit up to 17 when the count is positive (more face cards in the deck) there is a slight increasing chance of the dealer busting or the player getting 20 or blackjack. Again, you are not memorizing cards, but it still ain't easy. When Thorpe first created the system, casinos used a single deck, now they use multiple.
I expect that they knew he was counting because he was adjusting his bet based on the count.