Am I Ready To Hit The Casino?

M

Meistro

Well-Known Member
A question that comes up frequently by newer counters is "Am I ready to hit the casino?" Obviously card counting is a fun and exciting subject, and there is a natural tendency to want to rush out and employ this strategy to start winning at gambling. However the bankrolls of many an aspiring card counter have been sacrificed at the altar of hubris. Your edge as a counter is very thin and it does not take many mistakes until it evaporates.

One of the most important things you can do if you want to be a professional or semi-professional blackjack player is practice. Luckily counting cards is an activity that you can just as easily practice at home as in the casino. All you have to do is obtain six decks of cards, a discard tray and a shoe. From here you will need about 60 to 100 hours of practice before you are able to play flawlessly. It is helpful, but not necessary, if you can get someone to deal to you, as this will allow you to focus on counting, playing your hand and making betting decisions. You can also instruct them to make errors so that you can practice correcting dealer errors that are not to your benefit.

Do not rush out to the casino half cocked without sufficient practice! This a surefire way to lose your bankroll. But after this practice how will you know when you are ready to hit the casino? What you really need is a skills test. A skills test is when someone observes you play several shoes. If you do not make any mistakes during those shoes, then you pass. If you do make any mistakes you fail. Today I am pleased to offer blackjackinfo.com members complimentary skills tests. All you have to do is upload a video of you playing a shoe or two and I will count it down and let you know if you are making any mistakes in your playing or betting decisions.

Good luck at the tables.
 
S

Splittingten's

Banned
How many shoes exactly and what criteria are you using to determine the accuracy of someones play? By that I mean are you just going to be using the illustrious 18 and fab 4? What I'm trying to say is what qualifies as a mistake? There are many mistakes in blackjack that can be made that aren't edge destroying, like not doubling 8 against a dealer 4 at whatever that TC for the deviation may be.
I might give it a try when I figure out how to upload videos. Thank you
 
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M

Meistro

Well-Known Member
Splittingten's said:
How many shoes exactly and what criteria are you using to determine the accuracy of someones play? By that I mean are you just going to be using the illustrious 18 and fab 4? What I'm trying to say is what qualifies as a mistake? There are many mistakes in blackjack that can be made that aren't edge destroying, like not doubling 8 against a dealer 4 at whatever that TC for the deviation may be.
I might give it a try when I figure out how to upload videos. Thank you
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8 v 4 is a double at +5

A player should be able to play through at least two shoes without making any counting, betting or playing errors. So a betting error would be betting anything other than the predetermined bet schedule for the true count. It might mean betting too much or betting too little. A playing error could be a basic strategy mistake or a failure to employ an index play. Obviously knowledge of every esoteric index play is not required before you hit the casino but it is important to have memorized the top 20 or so deviations from basic strategy.
 
S

Splittingten's

Banned
While I have you here : 8 vs 5 double at 3 ?8 vs 6 at 1?
9 vs 7 at 3 ?
12 vs 14 at 0???
14 vs 10 surrender at 5?
These are a few I have had on my mind lately. Espcially 12 vs 4 because 12 vs 4 hitting at 0 is so on natural for me.
 
KewlJ

KewlJ

Well-Known Member
Mistakes?!?

I stand on ALL 16 vs 10's.
I stand ALL 12 vs 2,3
I double ALL 8 vs 6
I double ALL 9 vs 2
I double ALL 11 vs Ace
I double ALL A8 vs 5,6
I stand ALL 12 vs 4 (rather than hitting at negative)
I double all 9 vs 3 rather than hitting at zero, negative)

and, this is probably the biggest stretch... I insure nearly all BJ's and 20's. (all insurance at +3)

Are these mistakes? Not in my mind. I subscribe to an expanded version of counters basic strategy. Because I exit negative counts aggressively, opting for the next table or next casino rather than play negative counts, much of the time these plays are the correct plays and the times they aren't it is usually a TC just below the index, so the cost is minimal.

In exchange for this minimal cost, I have eliminated or minimized one of the methods used to evaluate card counters....index plays and in particular, playing hands differently at different times. I mean yes, this is second to spread in identifying card counters, but if you can all but eliminate this second identifying characteristic at minimal cost, you greatly increase longevity.

Insurance and 16 vs 10 are really the big two. These hands occur so frequently that it is relatively easy for pit/surveillance to see you playing them differently, so I have taken that tool away from them. You would be surprised what a little counters basic strategy and avoid splitting 10's can do for your longevity, so you might think about adding a few "mistakes". ;)
 
KewlJ

KewlJ

Well-Known Member
Those that know me and my postings over the years have probably heard me say one of my favorite lines, "you are chasing pennies when you should be chasing dollars". I often say this during the count discussions, as there are bigger things....bigger prizes to focus on. The above is an expansion of that blackjack philosophy. My own expanded version of counters basic strategy costs pennies, but the rewards, increased longevity results in dollars....many, many dollars. :)
 
M

Meistro

Well-Known Member
I don't see why you would willing choose to make an inferior play and do not recommend this practice to anyone. Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
 
Z

ZeeBabar

Banned
KewlJ said:
Those that know me and my postings over the years have probably heard me say one of my favorite lines, "you are chasing pennies when you should be chasing dollars". I often say this during the count discussions, as there are bigger things....bigger prizes to focus on. The above is an expansion of that blackjack philosophy. My own expanded version of counters basic strategy costs pennies, but the rewards, increased longevity results in dollars....many, many dollars. :)
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For those of us not in Law Vegas, with casinos 30 miles apart, often with only one pit and 1-2 6 deck tables most of the week, you just can't step away when count goes negative. So, we do have to chase pennies and risk exposure. These is where we have to employ an act. Goday, I had $200 on each hand, count is TC4, Iinsure against BJ, win insurance bet. The count has dropped to TC1 for the next hand and the dealer has another Ace up, I now have two hands of $50 each, both with 15. I ponder over the insurance call, tell dealer "you can't have two BJ's in a row. Shit, I am going to lose these $50 on each hand, don't want to lose another $50" and I pass. Dealers did not have a BJ.
 
KewlJ

KewlJ

Well-Known Member
Meistro said:
I don't see why you would willing choose to make an inferior play
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I know my communication skills leave something to be desired, as it is not one of my strengths, but really, I though I just explained it pretty clearly. :rolleyes:

Meistro said:
Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
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Uh huh....you are chasing pennies. o_O To each his own.
 
KewlJ

KewlJ

Well-Known Member
ZeeBabar said:
For those of us not in Law Vegas, with casinos 30 miles apart, often with only one pit and 1-2 6 deck tables most of the week, you just can't step away when count goes negative. So, we do have to chase pennies and risk exposure.
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I am aware my circumstances are different than most players, with many games in close proximity. I specifically relocated for these circumstances and have tailored my game to these circumstances. When I share my experiences, and tidbits of what I do and how I play, I am not recommending or suggesting anyone adopt any of my game plan. I am just sharing things I do and that have worked for me, in the circumstances I have chosen. If others decide some of this fits their circumstances and they can benefit...great! If these thing won't work because of individual circumstances (or goals), that's fine too. o_O
 
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M

Meistro

Well-Known Member
I guess this just illustrates how there are different and contrasting approaches in how to maximize your winnings at a casino, whether it be a focus on cover, the length of your sessions or just your over all game plan in general. Obviously anything we can do to make the game protection staff's job more difficult should be explored! In Colombia I employed some extreme betting cover, as the games there were so lucrative I felt my continued existence was worth protecting. The Medellin S17 games actually have a modest player advantage off the top, and the table max was fairly low, so I would sometimes start with a table max wager, a sort of multi deck depth charging if you would.
 
2

21forme

Well-Known Member
KJ - I understand exactly what you're doing, and I think you developed a very clever set of adjustments for your circumstances. And the proof is in how long you've been playing that sweaty town.

I think I've now met my quota for the rest of the year for complimenting you ;)
 
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KewlJ

KewlJ

Well-Known Member
21forme said:
KJ - I understand exactly what you're doing, and I think you developed a very clever set of adjustments for your circumstances. And the proof is in how long you've been playing that sweaty town.
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That is correct, 21forme, I have developed a game plan to best take advantage of my circumstances. Isn't that what everyone should do? :rolleyes:

Every so often I read, someone wondering "how KJ does it, how he plays Vegas so regularly without being banned everywhere?" Especially when someone posts a trip report to Vegas that didn't go so well 'heat-wise'. So I try to share bits and pieces...tidbits here and there, (without laying out the entire game plan in one post), in the hopes that others may consider if some of these ideas and approaches would benefit them.

Everything I do, everything I have learned has been taken from other players, other members of various sites that shared their approaches. To me that's what the forums are about.

21forme said:
I think I've now met my quota for the rest of the year for complimenting you ;)
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I have confidence it won't be too long before you have something critical to say. :p
 
J.G.Araby

J.G.Araby

New Member
If you play at mid-high levels, KewlJ's method will definitely help you stick around longer (think modified Andersen).

KewlJ do you also play rated??
 
KewlJ

KewlJ

Well-Known Member
J.G.Araby said:
KewlJ do you also play rated??
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I do not with the except of one small casino, in North vegas. We play rated on their CSM and they send weekly MP and free bet coupons that makes the exercise +Ev. Plus we like their coffee shop. :)

There is absolutely no reason to play rated in vegas. Besides that you don't want to make it easy for them to identify you, no casino gives much, if anything, in comps/points for blackjack play. There is zero incentive to play rated.

Besides I have some other tricks that I do as far as entering the game (no buy-in or very small buy-in), at minimal attention. Sometimes I can enter and exit (no color up) without ever having interacted with pit folks. :cool:
 
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