Giving it a rest

aslan

aslan

Well-Known Member
I'm giving card counting a rest for a while. I am really tired of the roller coaster and short run high risk. I'm a short run kind of guy, so I find it very difficult to play the long run game. I want to win in the here and now, and I can't always do that with card counting. My most recent experience was having the following happen in a three day trip: Up $2,700; down $2,000; even; down $4,000; and lastly, up $1,000 (I left winning $1,000). I hate to leave when I am behind-- so much for the one continuous session concept. I also hate the prospects of losing big any given session, even though I know I will come out ahead in the long run.

I will probably continue to count, but reduce my bet spread to almost nothing. I will continue to apply indexes in decision making. The difference will be that I will be playing low limit and either flat betting or hardly raising my bet. This means I am reducing my game from a profit making one to a purely recreational one. I know I said I like to win in the short run and this will be less probable without proper bet spreading, but I don't consider small losses/wins to be losses or wins at all. The losses are reasonable payment for the fun and social aspects of the game, and the wins are temporary advances in a long run losing game. I'll also garner a few comps.

Let's see how long I'll last as a red chipper! I'm applying my trip bankroll ($5,000) to my home mortgage, and will adopt a very small bankroll approach to playing blackjack and VP-- I'm guessing, $300 to $500, an amount that I could spend on a couple of Vegas shows or a class restaurant. This will be a far cry from my last trip where I played the high roller room for the first time and even made several $1,000 bets. The extra large bets were a product of my distaste for ending a short run session loser. So I'm going out on a winning session. I wonder if any of you old timers have had any similar epiphany.
 
M

MeWin$

Well-Known Member
Say

Say it aint so!
Sleep on it, then decide.
How about a hail mary RoR of 50% and give yourself a decent chance to make serious cash?
Or take a break for a couple of months but keep your bankroll, just in case.

Good luck you regardless, though :D
 
sagefr0g

sagefr0g

Well-Known Member
aslan said:
I'm giving card counting a rest for a while. I am really tired of the roller coaster and short run high risk. I'm a short run kind of guy, so I find it very difficult to play the long run game. I want to win in the here and now, and I can't always do that with card counting. My most recent experience was having the following happen in a three day trip: Up $2,700; down $2,000; even; down $4,000; and lastly, up $1,000 (I left winning $1,000). I hate to leave when I am behind-- so much for the one continuous session concept. I also hate the prospects of losing big any given session, even though I know I will come out ahead in the long run.

I will probably continue to count, but reduce my bet spread to almost nothing. I will continue to apply indexes in decision making. The difference will be that I will be playing low limit and either flat betting or hardly raising my bet. This means I am reducing my game from a profit making one to a purely recreational one. I know I said I like to win in the short run and this will be less probable without proper bet spreading, but I don't consider small losses/wins to be losses or wins at all. The losses are reasonable payment for the fun and social aspects of the game, and the wins are temporary advances in a long run losing game. I'll also garner a few comps.

Let's see how long I'll last as a red chipper! I'm applying my trip bankroll ($5,000) to my home mortgage, and will adopt a very small bankroll approach to playing blackjack and VP-- I'm guessing, $300 to $500, an amount that I could spend on a couple of Vegas shows or a class restaurant. This will be a far cry from my last trip where I played the high roller room for the first time and even made several $1,000 bets. The extra large bets were a product of my distaste for ending a short run session loser. So I'm going out on a winning session. I wonder if any of you old timers have had any similar epiphany.
Click to expand...
welcome to my world ole buddy :)
but heck i know darn well and so do you, that it doesn't have to be a long run losing game. cripes sake i know you can overcome a friggin measly 0.60 or less house edge. (edit: i'm talking your low limit plans here)
VP?? errhhh, careful with it, use it as a tool in your AP arsenal, sorta thing.
but comps? hell yeah, and i have no doubt you'll figure some other stuff out and fine tune that as well. probably you already have but whatever i know you have a fine mind and plenty of knowledge. you the man Alsan! :)
whatever i figure you're still gonna have plenty of fun and garner plenty of loot just working the AP approach.
 
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zengrifter

zengrifter

Banned
aslan said:
I'm giving card counting a rest for a while. I am really tired of the roller coaster and short run high risk. I'm a short run kind of guy, so I find it very difficult to play the long run game. I want to win in the here and now, and I can't always do that with card counting.
Click to expand...
Thats where the PSI-power gambling comes in.
Too bad we cannot discuss it here. zg

Ps - Besides, you are too old to play for the long-run, except of course for your choice of religious embrace.
But blackjack?!?! sorry pal, there be no blackjack where you be headed.
 
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kewljason

kewljason

Well-Known Member
zengrifter said:
Ps - Besides, you are too old to play for the long-run, except of course for your choice of religious embrace.
But blackjack?!?! sorry pal, there be no blackjack where you be headed.
Click to expand...
damn Zg! with friends like you.....:laugh:
 
M

MangoJ

Well-Known Member
It seems the rollercoaster game is what it takes to be a winner on counting blackjack.

To my ears, "recreational play" is an alias for "gambling problem" - first used by the casino to justify business. Hell, those are drug dealers plain right in front of you, and you know it.
Justifying flat bets (or any other -EV game) with "recreational play" by yourself is the development of a gambling problem.

Blackjack is a so freaking boring game, who would ever play it in their free time ?
 
steiner

steiner

Member
^^ the game as such may be boring, but the math behind it is pretty cool, especially for a mathematician with interest in game theory / statistics.
 
T

Tree

Well-Known Member
I personally find it very relaxing so long as you're not paying the house too much :). I can sit at a table for an entire day sipping drinks as long as I'm not the golden goose.
 
S

Shoofly

Well-Known Member
MangoJ said:
Blackjack is a so freaking boring game, who would ever play it in their free time ?
Click to expand...
Recently, a couple of ploppies were discussing why they play the side bets
(21 + 3, Perfect Pairs, etc.), and it was because BJ is so boring. I could have answered that. Have a monster count, split a pair and double one or both of them with your max bet. That will get the adrenalin flowing.
 
T

Thunder

Well-Known Member
aslan said:
I'm giving card counting a rest for a while. I am really tired of the roller coaster and short run high risk. I'm a short run kind of guy, so I find it very difficult to play the long run game. I want to win in the here and now, and I can't always do that with card counting. My most recent experience was having the following happen in a three day trip: Up $2,700; down $2,000; even; down $4,000; and lastly, up $1,000 (I left winning $1,000). I hate to leave when I am behind-- so much for the one continuous session concept. I also hate the prospects of losing big any given session, even though I know I will come out ahead in the long run.

I will probably continue to count, but reduce my bet spread to almost nothing. I will continue to apply indexes in decision making. The difference will be that I will be playing low limit and either flat betting or hardly raising my bet. This means I am reducing my game from a profit making one to a purely recreational one. I know I said I like to win in the short run and this will be less probable without proper bet spreading, but I don't consider small losses/wins to be losses or wins at all. The losses are reasonable payment for the fun and social aspects of the game, and the wins are temporary advances in a long run losing game. I'll also garner a few comps.

Let's see how long I'll last as a red chipper! I'm applying my trip bankroll ($5,000) to my home mortgage, and will adopt a very small bankroll approach to playing blackjack and VP-- I'm guessing, $300 to $500, an amount that I could spend on a couple of Vegas shows or a class restaurant. This will be a far cry from my last trip where I played the high roller room for the first time and even made several $1,000 bets. The extra large bets were a product of my distaste for ending a short run session loser. So I'm going out on a winning session. I wonder if any of you old timers have had any similar epiphany.
Click to expand...
I hear you Aslan. The last trip I was getting murdered in the high counts so I ended up doing a marathon 16 hour session with a dinner break just to get back to even at which point I quit. IT can get stressful and boring which is why I can totally understand you taking a break. It helps sometimes to just take a break and play some other games.
 
M

Machinist

Well-Known Member
Breaks r a very important part of a well rounded AP. Good for you Aslan, being able to recognize you need a break. Some can't do that.
Regroup, rethink your position.
Hey!!!! Andif ya got nuttin happenin for a while, the Bash is a great place to get another perspective......:)

Mac
 
M

MangoJ

Well-Known Member
steiner said:
^^ the game as such may be boring, but the math behind it is pretty cool, especially for a mathematician with interest in game theory / statistics.
Click to expand...
From a mathematical point this game is also boring. It's a game with same information for all actors. And others players decisions are uncorrelated to your play, and the dealer has no freedom of decisions: you are effectively the only player of that game.
Further, this game has been already been fully solved with combinatorial analysis for almost each decision to make.
Counting systems, index tables, and bet sizes are just a "engineer" problem to find a suitable approximation to the exact (and known!) solution that is inexpencive for human play. Nothing fundamental compared to a real mathematical problem.

Poker is a far more interesting game from the mathematical side.

I'm not saying Blackjack is boring in an entertaining way. I spent just 4 month from completely zero knowledge of blackjack to a full combinatorial analysis giving EV and variance of each and every decision option. It was just for pure entertaining, a mental exercise.

Nothing is more rewarding than computing basic strategy from your own mind up to compositinal play, get EVs matching all 7 digits as published by WoO. Sure this work has already been done (and hence is boring in terms of science), but is hell of a joyride.

At least when becoming addicted to an activity, make it +EV for your life. (music, sports, or AP)
 
blackchipjim

blackchipjim

Well-Known Member
The Hiatias

All good players need one to prevent burn-out. You play to keep sharp which is an added benefit to playing for fun. Varience is of no concern considering the stakes so it does become more fun so to speak. I have experienced wild swings which doesn't help your psych much less your br. Take a blow and enjoy the ride and don't hesitate to push a big one out there once in a while.
 
aslan

aslan

Well-Known Member
zengrifter said:
Thats where the PSI-power gambling comes in.
Too bad we cannot discuss it here. zg

Ps - Besides, you are too old to play for the long-run, except of course for your choice of religious embrace.
But blackjack?!?! sorry pal, there be no blackjack where you be headed.
Click to expand...
Where I be headed, the "long run" takes on new meaning, and everyone is a winner.* But, hey, it really gets tiresome when you can't lose! I think I'll probably take up new adventures.

* Except house personnel who are recruited from the other place. :laugh:
 
creeping panther

creeping panther

Banned
Stepping back

You gents need to understand that for us guys, gals, in our 60's things may look alot different and our goals, needs, capabilities also change.

I wish Aslan the best, he will be back, probably will never leave:laugh:

CP
 
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