Beginner needing advice

T

Trones

New Member
Hey everyone,
Im new to the game of blackjack, went to vegas a few times and really want to learn to win at this game. I have basic strategy down, but not bs including the count. I have about 3 to 4 hours a day for between 6 months to a year to dedicate to learning everything i can about blackjack, the only problem is i wont be able to actually sit down at tables and do it for real.
So far ive read...
-Winning blackjack for the serious player by Edwin Silberstang
-The Worlds Greatest Blackjack book by Humble and Cooper

The only counting system ive practiced using so far is HI-OPT 1 3-6 is -1 10's are +1 everything else zero

Honestly im just looking to do this as kinda like a weekend thing, little side career to help pay for school, i do however want to be as best prepared as i can when i do hit the tables.

A few questions:
-Which counting system is the best?
-Shuffle tracking, is it worth learning, and are there any other skills i should learn
-What are some good ways to practice counting, memorizing BS, and any other skills i might need?
-Any math classes i should take or books i should read to further my understanding of statistics?

What resources are out there for this stuff? I have probably 10 books so far, but it seems that books may further my knowledge, but they dont actually help with my in-game skills.
In the few times i went to vegas i noticed that its alot easier to keep the count in single and double deck games, than it is in the 4 6 and 8 ones. Does anybody have tips for those larger deck games?
I guess im just looking to learn more about beating the actual game, rather than dealer/pit boss interaction, table selection, etc. Im sure those things are important, but not until i have a solid game.
Any advice is appreciated greatly.
Thanks,
Trones
 
Last edited:
G

gamblingghost

Well-Known Member
Bankroll

This is one thing you never mention. This is of paramount importance if you
want to play consistently. This is the one thing waaay to many players don't take seriously. You can be the best counter in the world and without a proper
bankroll you are doomed to failure. It is critical to success.
Read Pro BJ by Wong.
 
FLASH1296

FLASH1296

Well-Known Member
As a rookie Card Counter who can best be described as a recreational player,
planning to play as a tourist, Humble's book, while very aged, is good enough for you.

Winning Blackjack for the Serious Player by Edwin Silberstang is utterly worthless

If I were you I would buy a used copy of Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder.

(Dead link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=378&item=110680995036)

We will all suggest using different Basic Strategy Departure Indices than the author originally published
IF / WHEN you progress to the ZEN Count. I can provide those.
 
Mladonna

Mladonna

Member
FLASH1296 said:
As a rookie Card Counter who can best be described as a recreational player,
planning to play as a tourist, Humble's book, while very aged, is good enough for you.

Winning Blackjack for the Serious Player by Edwin Silberstang is utterly worthless

If I were you I would buy a used copy of Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder.

(Dead link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=378&item=110680995036)

We will all suggest using different Basic Strategy Departure Indices than the author originally published
IF / WHEN you progress to the ZEN Count. I can provide those.
Click to expand...

actualy flash im interested into moving to zen from HiLo and need some indices if you can give me a shortcut where i can find them thanks .
 
M

Midwestern

Well-Known Member
Read blackjack attack for a good Advanced level understanding of the game.

Definitely familiarize yourself with the concepts of standard deviation, normal distribution, and risk of ruin. Understanding this was my biggest help in understanding how to size my bets for long run longevity as well as profit.

Good luck!
 
Mladonna

Mladonna

Member
iv been on this forum for over 3 months now . there is so much to read that i dont know what to post..i dont wanna missinform and dont wanna look stupid in others eyes :grin:
 
Friendo

Friendo

Well-Known Member
Learning from this Forum

Go to "Blackjack - General". Read every thread that looks remotely interesting on the first page. At the bottom, click the ">" to continue back in time.

Do the same in the "Blackjack - Card Counting" subforum.

This will not take you as long as you might think. I have read the last 65+ pages of threads in those two forums.

If you notice posters who seem particularly useful, use the search function to read all of their posts.

If you're a member of Green Chip on bj21.com, you should read everything by DD' and maybe MathProf over there, plus the postings of a few others.
 
Coyote

Coyote

Well-Known Member
Mladonna said:
iv been on this forum for over 3 months now . there is so much to read that i dont know what to post..i dont wanna missinform and dont wanna look stupid in others eyes :grin:
Click to expand...
Just one more! You can tell us all hello, shove it, whatever! Or...just smile! :grin:

Coyote
 
Coyote

Coyote

Well-Known Member
Trones said:
Hey everyone,
Im new to the game of blackjack, went to vegas a few times and really want to learn to win at this game. I have basic strategy down, but not bs including the count. I have about 3 to 4 hours a day for between 6 months to a year to dedicate to learning everything i can about blackjack, the only problem is i wont be able to actually sit down at tables and do it for real.
So far ive read...
-Winning blackjack for the serious player by Edwin Silberstang
-The Worlds Greatest Blackjack book by Humble and Cooper

The only counting system ive practiced using so far is HI-OPT 1 3-6 is -1 10's are +1 everything else zero

Honestly im just looking to do this as kinda like a weekend thing, little side career to help pay for school, i do however want to be as best prepared as i can when i do hit the tables.

A few questions:
-Which counting system is the best?
-Shuffle tracking, is it worth learning, and are there any other skills i should learn
-What are some good ways to practice counting, memorizing BS, and any other skills i might need?
-Any math classes i should take or books i should read to further my understanding of statistics?

What resources are out there for this stuff? I have probably 10 books so far, but it seems that books may further my knowledge, but they dont actually help with my in-game skills.
In the few times i went to vegas i noticed that its alot easier to keep the count in single and double deck games, than it is in the 4 6 and 8 ones. Does anybody have tips for those larger deck games?
I guess im just looking to learn more about beating the actual game, rather than dealer/pit boss interaction, table selection, etc. Im sure those things are important, but not until i have a solid game.
Any advice is appreciated greatly.
Thanks,
Thomas
Click to expand...
Trones, edit this post and remove your name! :eek:

There is a TONE of info on this site so just search through the forums for a topic.

Best of variance to you!

Coyote
 
M

Midwestern

Well-Known Member
Coyote said:
Trones, edit this post and remove your name! :eek:

There is a TONE of info on this site so just search through the forums for a topic.

Best of variance to you!

Coyote
Click to expand...
There is also a ton of info. :grin:
 
T

tthree

Banned
What count to use

What counting system is the best is a complicated question. What is best for you depends on your ability. Hiopt I is a very strong level 1 count but needs a side count of aces to be most effective. Bet sizing is one of the most important considerations in blackjack. Ace density must be a part of that.

If you find you cant keep a side count, which is not that hard with a little practice. Hilo is a good count for beginners.

If true count conversions are a problem KO is probably a good starting point.

If you can tackle all the challenges and rise to any level required of you, Hiopt II with an ace side count is my top choice.
 
T

Trones

New Member
Alright thanks everyone, i have just one more thing i forgot to mention. Im trying to figure out the best way to count, like should i count cards as they come out, or after all the cards are out or what, it seems to me like its easier to just take a glance after everything has been dealt, because at least with hi-opt 1 u can just cancel stuff out, for example 3 10's and 7 3-6's = -4rather than going 0 -1 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 0 1 2 3 2... and so on and so forth. But i also will sometimes forget which cards ive counted, like when somebody hits like 3 times and so does the next person. And then people bust and the dealer takes the cards.
Also it seems like the less people there are the easier it is, well obviosly b/c there are less cards.
So basically just does anybody have any tips or tricks to counting?

And also i read that there are an average 2.5 cards per player per hand, and that i should learn to count half-decks. Is that valid information or not?

Lastly i was watching a video about cut tracking, and the guy said to start learning the size of a deck, but at least to the casinos ive been in, for the 6 and 8 deck shoes they required that u cut at least 2 decks in.

I guess theres just alot of information out there having to do with this game, i guess im just looking for some guidance on what i should focus on, whats correct, and whats bogus.
Sorry im longwinded, and i go on and on about stuff, i guess thats just my personality.
 
T

tthree

Banned
What I do not to say it is the best

I wait until all the hands are dealt the first 2 cards and do a quick count using card cancellation at a glance. Then I count card by card as the hands are played. Ive heard the 2.5 cards per hand average as well. If you cannt make a good estimate of the number of decks in the discard tray another method might be better for you. If the count is negative it should favor fewer average cards per hand than if it is positive. Generalizations are likely to produce errors. Maybe someone has done some sims to see how accurate the estimation is likely to be.
 
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