You gotta have the guts!

blackchipjim

Well-Known Member
I thought I post the empircal answer to any newcomer to the game. I was playing the other day at my favorite hangout and having a good time kicking some butt. The begining of the day was great but the afternoon session was a bit of text book play. I was heads up with the dealer and winning fast and furious. People woulld come and go from different shoes just long enough to screw me up. The last shoe was the acid test. The count climbed but I was getting killed. I stayed even though the fact was getting killed. The count was high and my money low, the dealer told me to quit now. I reached into my wallet and pulled a wad out and procceded to the slaughter. My wife walked away not bearing to see the bloodshed. The words ringing in my ears" You have to have the guts for this game" and so it was. I banged out the big bets and recovered most of my loss. If anyone does anything different in the face of adversity recheck you guts level. blackchipjim
 

mjbballar23

Well-Known Member
blackchipjim said:
I thought I post the empircal answer to any newcomer to the game. I was playing the other day at my favorite hangout and having a good time kicking some butt. The begining of the day was great but the afternoon session was a bit of text book play. I was heads up with the dealer and winning fast and furious. People woulld come and go from different shoes just long enough to screw me up. The last shoe was the acid test. The count climbed but I was getting killed. I stayed even though the fact was getting killed. The count was high and my money low, the dealer told me to quit now. I reached into my wallet and pulled a wad out and procceded to the slaughter. My wife walked away not bearing to see the bloodshed. The words ringing in my ears" You have to have the guts for this game" and so it was. I banged out the big bets and recovered most of my loss. If anyone does anything different in the face of adversity recheck you guts level. blackchipjim
Excellent lesson. This is something every new counter must overcome and thrive on.
 

runningaces

Well-Known Member
If you don't do what you did Jim then you shouldn't even play the game. You sit and wait for those opportunities, if you don't have the " BALLS" then don't play.

I had a similar situation a few months ago, I was in 1,000.00, count was very high in a DD game, I was spreaded to 2 spots, got hammered and felted, dug into my pocket and threw out 1k more, bet 500 x 2 spots and won both, there were 2 other spots being played by other players ( 4 spots total) I could see there would be 1 more hand dealt b4 shuffle, the count increased actually I stacked them to 1k per spot and won including a BJ on one of them. I was backed off after that hand but went from down $1,000.00 to up $2,500.00 in 2 hands. I was willing to lose $2,000.00 to get my chips in "good" and that is what your post is all about. And by the way I've lost in these situations before too, so for the newbies Jim's post is right, if you don't have the guts you aren't going to succeed.
 

checkmugged

Active Member
I agree as long as beind down big and *taking your wad out of your pocket* wasn't seriously risking a large portion of your bankroll.

Checkmugged
 

mjbballar23

Well-Known Member
checkmugged said:
I agree as long as beind down big and *taking your wad out of your pocket* wasn't seriously risking a large portion of your bankroll.

Checkmugged
In that case you would be overbetting your bankroll, which is also a concept that every new counter must understand.
 

la_dee_daa

Well-Known Member
winning is the easy part its losing that is the hard part... you have to learn how to lose to hold up in counting and blackjack...

2 more weeks and il have time to get back into blackjack :) yahhh
 

Kasi

Well-Known Member
mjbballar23 said:
In that case you would be overbetting your bankroll, which is also a concept that every new counter must understand.
Well I sort of took Jim's post to maybe mean he bet the bigs bet when called for and didn't chicken out by betting any differently in any count just because he was behind at the time. But maybe not.

But I'd say that runningaces was really just steaming trying to cover a loss that probably ocurred over time in just one hand. Or two.

Anybody actually think he would have made the same bets based on the count if he had been ahead alot?

Unless his max bet was always $1000/hd spread to 2 hands for that session.

Even sounds like he maybe had no more money to double or split.

I can't imagine an AP player being disturbed about a loss of a half max bet in a session if that was his plan ahead of time.

Guts? What's that mean - only the bravest win? Cowards lose?

So I'd hope newbies would learn to maybe not bet their roll with only guts too often lol.
 

runningaces

Well-Known Member
Yes I overbet due to steaming but the count was like plus 10 in DD with maybe 40 cards left, and yes I had alot more money in my pocket. I know that the more experienced players on here wouldn't have made that overbet. But consider this: #1 If I lose that bet it isn't going to kill my pocket #2 I am NOT a full time player, I did this for fun, I din't have a specific dollar amount in my bankroll for this, I know it's wrong over the long haul. #3 I am too greedy, when the count gets that high I really fire away, again totally wrong, it should be dependant on your bankroll, so for you newbs pay no attention to me, I guess I'm just a loose cannon :)
 

standard toaster

Well-Known Member
mjbballar23 said:
Excellent lesson. This is something every new counter must overcome and thrive on.
my first time i had a running count of 31 a true of 10.6... and i just kept losing and losing cut card came and still was down that was my lesson lol but i keep going back :) only 19 but got guts from all the poker and knowing its still the right thing to do and will work in the end. only money anyway right?
 

Kasi

Well-Known Member
runningaces said:
Yes I overbet due to steaming but the count was like plus 10 in DD with maybe 40 cards left, and yes I had alot more money in my pocket. I know that the more experienced players on here wouldn't have made that overbet. But consider this: #1 If I lose that bet it isn't going to kill my pocket #2 I am NOT a full time player, I did this for fun, I din't have a specific dollar amount in my bankroll for this, I know it's wrong over the long haul. #3 I am too greedy, when the count gets that high I really fire away, again totally wrong, it should be dependant on your bankroll, so for you newbs pay no attention to me, I guess I'm just a loose cannon :)
I'm sure we're all loose cannons from time to time :)

Didn't mean to pick on you or anything - I just recognized the perhaps "too big" bet in positive counts, usually to make up some ground like you, since I do that too.

Hey, at least we do it in + counts so we can feel even more cursed when we lose since we know we're supposed to have won lol.
 

Kasi

Well-Known Member
la_dee_daa said:
2 more weeks and il have time to get back into blackjack :) yahhh
Does that mean you'll play some $3 BJ with me sometime at Mountaineer lol? Is that where u played?

How about me and Wise Frog in case I scared you lol.

OK - me, my wife and Wise Frog if that was too scary lol.

Heck, maybe a bunch of us near there should meet sometime. That'd be a trip lol. Golfnut? Jim Penn?
 

sagefr0g

Well-Known Member
Kasi said:
Does that mean you'll play some $3 BJ with me sometime at Mountaineer lol? Is that where u played?

How about me and Wise Frog in case I scared you lol.

OK - me, my wife and Wise Frog if that was too scary lol.

Heck, maybe a bunch of us near there should meet sometime. That'd be a trip lol. Golfnut? Jim Penn?
hell yeah a counter's convention with a few voodooians for camo. lol
 

sagefr0g

Well-Known Member
Kasi said:
Like you could handle the pretty girl at 3rd! :grin:
yeah i could be lookin......i mean lookin like a real counter instead of well you know lookin :rolleyes:
hell the joint ought to give us all free rooms considerin the bundle they gonna make on us!
where's wvbjplayer he'd increase our odds tremendously.
one thing though. my wife is from West Virginia. so she'd love it. but would she have to wear shoes?
i mean heck it is west virginny lol.
 

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blackchipjim

Well-Known Member
clarification

I by no means would ever advocate a person overbetting your bankroll. I was just trying to bring a point up to new aps that there is a point in some games you play when the going gets tough. I have played many a game when the count has risen but the cards are falling my way. It's a little tough to lose hand after hand and still stand your ground. I'm sure plenty of us here can tell the story of getting your head lopped off in a single game. Anyone whose has played this game with any regularity can attest to having that blank stare. blackchipjim
 

eandre

Well-Known Member
Use "steaming or on tilt" as a great cover during the high counts. Pit supervision think I'm always chasing my loses even when they are asking the dealer, "Where did all the black chips go? " I'm quick to tell them about the old asian lady who rat holed them!
 

la_dee_daa

Well-Known Member
Kasi said:
Does that mean you'll play some $3 BJ with me sometime at Mountaineer lol? Is that where u played?

How about me and Wise Frog in case I scared you lol.

OK - me, my wife and Wise Frog if that was too scary lol.

Heck, maybe a bunch of us near there should meet sometime. That'd be a trip lol. Golfnut? Jim Penn?
a good ol card counting trip sounds fun, il bring my golf clubs along to.

Mountaineer West Virginia?? i live all the way tucked up in BC that would be a pretty long drive.
 

Richard Pugh

Active Member
There's a fine line between guts and doh!! Fortunately tonight the guts paid off.

Started at £376 with a target of £400 for the session - 10-20 hands should do it I thought betting a £5unit.

Anyway I'm online so I can't count (even if I knew how) so it's all a bit sketchy.

Bankroll begins heading south as dealer starts turning stiffs into 21s with remarkable ease and pushing my BJs. My loss limit heads out the window and all my DDs are going wrong - 450,425,350,275,225,200,150,100 - double or quits hail mary - 200,175 ,150,175, 95,60,40,30,20,40,60,hail mary, 120, 150, 175, 200, 250, 275, 250, 300, 320, 340, 300, 310, 320, 350, 375, 385, 400

I tell you what the adrenaline was pumping - not the most disciplined session but we got there by hook or by crook.

Tomorrows target is £425 let's hope the ride isn't as bumpy.
 
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