Grisly Dreams
Well-Known Member
Hello, all. I've been lurking for a while, and had a question.
I started learning a few months back. Started with Renzey's book, then Carlson's. I finally settled on learning Wong's Hi-Lo (just the Catch 20/Fab 4 for now), flipping through decks of cards and playing CVBJ.
Friday night, I went to a "casino night" thrown by some organization affiliated with my wife's work, getting my first live practice since a couple months earlier playing basic strategy against a CSM at Hollywood Park Casino (where the rules are not really blackjack at all).
They were dealing single deck, and with no heat, I was free to spread my bets with wild abandon. I nearly doubled my phony money in a couple hours, and won a TV with the raffle tickets purchased thereby.
Single deck is super fun, especially when nobody cares what you're betting. I felt like Ed Thorp or something.
Next morning, I fired up CVBJ and actually played double deck for once. Within a couple of hours of double deck, I had recouped days' worth of losses from six-deck shoes. The opportunities to make a move just come along a lot more frequently.
So, I think I like pitch games a lot more than shoes. As one might tell from my name, I'm okay not making much money doing this, because big spreads make me nervous anyway.
I'm wondering whether, since I just have more fun playing pitch games, I should ditch the Hi-Lo, and learn Hi-Opt I, before learning some more sophisticated count later on. I just don't know whether, in the modern era, there even ARE enough single- and double-deck games to even think of playing with a side count.
I started learning a few months back. Started with Renzey's book, then Carlson's. I finally settled on learning Wong's Hi-Lo (just the Catch 20/Fab 4 for now), flipping through decks of cards and playing CVBJ.
Friday night, I went to a "casino night" thrown by some organization affiliated with my wife's work, getting my first live practice since a couple months earlier playing basic strategy against a CSM at Hollywood Park Casino (where the rules are not really blackjack at all).
They were dealing single deck, and with no heat, I was free to spread my bets with wild abandon. I nearly doubled my phony money in a couple hours, and won a TV with the raffle tickets purchased thereby.
Single deck is super fun, especially when nobody cares what you're betting. I felt like Ed Thorp or something.
Next morning, I fired up CVBJ and actually played double deck for once. Within a couple of hours of double deck, I had recouped days' worth of losses from six-deck shoes. The opportunities to make a move just come along a lot more frequently.
So, I think I like pitch games a lot more than shoes. As one might tell from my name, I'm okay not making much money doing this, because big spreads make me nervous anyway.
I'm wondering whether, since I just have more fun playing pitch games, I should ditch the Hi-Lo, and learn Hi-Opt I, before learning some more sophisticated count later on. I just don't know whether, in the modern era, there even ARE enough single- and double-deck games to even think of playing with a side count.
