Rspeirsmlb said:
I am new to this site in regards to posting, but have read numerous postings here about counting and obviously, blackjack. I'm 19 years old and have a strong interest in blackjack, and everything about it. I'm learning to count using the the general HI/LO method. I just have some confusion about transferring the running count to the true count. I know there is some division done, but I got confused about whether you use the fraction of the number of cards that are going to be used, but haven't yet.....or the cards that are behind the separater that AREN'T going to be used? Be on the light side if I am sounding stupid.....because I haven't played a whole lot of shoe games......(Yeah, I quit using CSMs..I know, I know). A little help on this would be appreciated. Also since I'm not of age to get into most casinos.....there are only 2 in Michigan that have the age requirement of 18.....but the only shoe games are in high stakes.....($25-$5,000) (6 deck shoe, DAS, double any 2 cards, split up to 3 times, etc.).....(I only plan to play here when I acheive my counting goals and get experienced). I was wondering how I should calculate my ROR....let's say my bankroll is $10,000. Also, a question for the pros: When you play, what is your goal for the day? Do you just play until you get tired? Or do you have a set goall, let's say double your money, or lose a certain amount of units? Like I said I am an amateur trying to learn from the pros, and please excuse my lack of counting knowledge....I'm just getting started and would appreciate some help. Thanks.
For people scared of division, there are such things as
unbalanced counts out there. They have been proven effective both mathematically and in simulations. I strongly suggest a
balanced count though, because it offers a less skewed picture of whether the count is high or low.
People are often intimidated by Hi-Low and other balanced counts because of the True Count conversion. This conversion is a lot less overwhelming than most people think.
You do have to become proficient at discard tray deck estimating, but you get to round off your result to the nearest whole number of desks remaining. With a little practice, you will find it easy. For more accuracy, professionals often round the result to the nearest half or quarter deck, but you are not ready to go there yet.
The division:
Running Count divided by
Remaining Decks =
True count. Don't go into the decimals, just truncate if you want to play conservatively, or round if you want to be aggressive: Example 11/3=3 for a conservative player, 11/3=4 for an aggressive player.
A way to get around that:
With
5 decks remaining, you need a running count of:
5 for a true count of
1,
10 for a true count of
2,
15 for a true count of
3,
...see the pattern?
With
4 decks remaining, you need a running count of:
4 for a true count of
1,
8 for a true count of
2,
12 for a true count of
3,
...see the pattern?
With
3 decks remaining, you need a running count of:
3 for a true count of
1,
6 for a true count of
2,
9 for a true count of
3,
...see the pattern? You can often gage exactly where you are by comparing remaining decks to running count, without any division.
Unless you use negative indexes in your play, (a beginner shouldn't) don't bother dividing anything when the running count is negative, just bet small.
For you I am strongly recommending:
- Read a book such as Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder that describe both balanced and unbalanced systems. Based on that book make up your mind whether you want to stick with balanced or unbalanced counts.
- Learn the Basic Strategy chart custom tailored for the games a 19 year old guy in Michigan can play. Know it well. Be able to recite it in your dreams.
- Get the Casino Verite Blackjack V4 software . Practice the drills, set your game settings to mimic those at your casino and practice, practice, practice. I find that software extremely effective, and the price is a mere drop in a bucket for someone who has a $10,000 bankroll. (QFIT, do I get a commission?)
- Do not learn both balanced and unbalanced counts thinking you'll save one as Plan B. It takes practice for training your brain to instantly recognize the number 7, for example, as a neutral card in High-Low. If you simultaneously use Red7 or KO where 7 is a high card, you will need to spend more energy thinking about it, your count accuracy will suffer, and you will have less confidence in your abilities.
