Well, I have my first 2 counting experiences in the bag and here is my story.
I decided to start with KISS III and felt ok about my ability to keep a decent count. I couldn't count down a deck in 25 sec but I really didn't think that was a much a requirement as was being indicated. I usually did it in about 40 sec btw.
This brings me to my first observation. I NEVER had any trouble keeping the count if I was in a spot other than 1st base. At 1st base I think the 25 sec might have been needed but otherwise I was totally fine. Remembering what the count was during breaks or forced conversation however was occasionally a problem.
My first trip was on a cruise ship during the fall. At first I could only find a CSM and I was highly disappointed, but decided to just play BS and try to have fun. I had brought about double my normal pre AP bankroll but much less than I should have according to "the book".
I made one or two mistakes with either BS (or inattention) that cost me a little bit, but in general it was just a bad run that took nearly 1/3 of my BR for the trip. Then I noticed a couple of tables in the corner that had no CSM. They were 8d, H17, 3/2, dd anytime. IIRC, the min was $25 (vs $10 at the always full CSM tables), and I started with that. Soon I was losing again and hoping for the count to go higher before I blew through my available cash. Finally it went rapidly to very positive (+ low 30s !). I threw out a few big bets (100-150) and lost them all. In fact my last hand was a Q,K against a 6. He turned over a 5 and drew a 10 to beat me. I stormed out as mad as I have been in ages.
My initial observation was that I should be wonging in more but there really wasn't much of an opportunity to do that since the non CSM tables were in an area with no foot traffic and few players.
I had no trouble keeping up with the count, even head to head, but keeping it while chattting was sometimes frustrating and several times I lost the count.
My final day I took what little cash I had and tried one last time. I had a decent run and made back some of what I had lost previously and decided to call it quits.
Fast forward a couple of months to a trip to Vegas right before Christmas. I had not practiced even one minute since the cruise and as a result took only a grand to gamble with.
I started at Ceasars and held my own for a couple of hours at a $25 min table where the counts never really got too favorable. When they switched to a $50 min I played about 15 min and lost a few hundred bucks before calling it quits.
The following day everyone was at MGM Grand and I played at a $15 min table for an hour or so while they ate at Puck's. Again, I would get up a little then down a little but finally got some big counts. I started upping the spread to about 2 units at +22ish and then 3 units at +24. I lost almost every hand and the count kept rising into the lower 30s again. I put out about $75-100 per hand (below what I should have but I was low on cash and running scared). Again, the cards were just horrible and I lost several hundred before throwing in the towel. I told my friends my story and went to find a cashier to cash in my $100 in chips that I had left and was saving for another casino. My friend sat down and won something like 5 of 7 hands before I got back and rounded up everyone to head to the show at NY-NY. ( I guess I should have stayed !). After the show I sat at a $25 table at NY-NY and started counting even though I knew $100 probably wouldn't last under anything good developed. Instead I was up a bit when the count again got very positive. I put out $75 and won. Then $100 and won. Then $125 and lost. Then $100 and doubled and won. Then $125 and split twice before winning !. Finally I lost a $200 bet and called it a night, cashing in $700 on an initial $100 in chips. That put me back about even for the trip.
The following day I had a few minutes at Tropicana and decided to try a quick couple of hundred. I counted but didn't expect to get any decent counts in that short a period of time. I was playing more for fun while hoping for good luck. Instead I lost about 10 out of 12 hands and left $200 lighter in the wallet.
This brings up another observation. It really is important to have patience and to wait for a decent count before getting in. Just quickly jumping in never gives you a chance to get an advantage and can just lower a bankroll that was already too low to begin with.
Throughout the first days I was slightly nervous but never felt like I was drawing any kind of heat at all. I did however completely avoid wonging in anywhere because I was worried that standing around and suddenly jumping in and betting big or jumping bets would draw attention.
My final day in town I decided to try one last session at Ceasars very early in the morning. I sat down and bet the min per hand while chatting with the PB and dealer. I was doing ok and basically treading water when the count started getting good. I upped my bet and drew a 21. The dealer made a comment about getting more attention if my luck kept up like that after rasing my bets but I laughed it off since it didn't directly allude to counting. In fact, it didn't make sense to me since you would be less likely to draw to a21 with a high count than with a normal count, right?.
I kept increasing my bet as the count rose and hit several in a row. The dealer made some comment again like "the count must be good again huh?". I looked at him and said "what do you mean?. Did I miscount that last hand. I thought it was a 16 that I hit. Was it a 17?". He smiled and said "good answer". The pit boss never showed any interest in me at all but I was really getting nervous. I lost a couple of big bets then the shoe ended.
To start the next shoe a new dealer came in. I put out a couple of bigger bets to start the shoe in case they were watching me and actually won them. So, I upped the bets again and won some more. Finally I upped the stacks again just like I would if the count were really high even though I knew it wasn't since we were at the beginning of the shoe (and just like I had at a +27 the previous shoe). I won a couple, then lost a few, and stopped and cashed out.
I came home with more money than I left with, along with the hope that I wasn't targeted and put into some data base after they reviewed tapes once I had left.
So, overall, I am fairly happy so far but I realize I have a long way to go. I still make some very minor mistakes concerning BS (like soft double downs, and some of the splits where I think I might get off my 1 number).
I also have a hard time chatting and keeping track of the count. I guess that improves with practice but I find it hard. I also find that I prefer not to sit at 1st base. I like waiting for all the cards to be dealt and then I take each hand as a couplet (either -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2). I find this much easier than individually counting each card, plus it gives me a chance to look around for friends, the drink girl etc and pretend I'm not paying attention. The problem then is at first base I don't have time to count everything before the dealer wants an answer on my hand. When I was forced to sit at 1st base I switched to counting every card and still kept a good count (I think). I just found it harder and had to pay closer attention.
The other thing I have noticed is that it is hard to mentally make myself bet big when I am already down and angry about losing money. I start doubting that I am playing correctly and am afraid to throw as much money into the mix as I should. Plus I am worried that doing that would really draw attention to myself.
I think my biggest problem is that I find working alone harder than I think working with a partner would be. I would love to flat bet and have a partner come in and bet big until I signal him to leave. I would also love to come up with a way to inconspicously backcount and then wong in, especially during slow times at the tables when I don't know anyone.
My final observation is that I don't know the indices. I remember the insurance number but the rest were sort of done by seat of the pants figuring. In other words, when I have a 16 against a 10 I know that at even slightly neg counts I should take a hit, while at slightly pos counts I should hit. I take it one step farther and on a 15 vs a 10 I will sit or hit at numbers that are 2 or 3 either side of the 16 vs 10 number. I need to get the numbers down more exactly but that will just take practice.
In additon to getting more comfortable with counting and talking, wonging, ramping up bets, etc, I need to work on the acting part of things. I was very happing with my demeanor with the PBs and dealers, but I need to fine tune when to get in and out, what tables to play, etc.
Comments are welcomed
I decided to start with KISS III and felt ok about my ability to keep a decent count. I couldn't count down a deck in 25 sec but I really didn't think that was a much a requirement as was being indicated. I usually did it in about 40 sec btw.
This brings me to my first observation. I NEVER had any trouble keeping the count if I was in a spot other than 1st base. At 1st base I think the 25 sec might have been needed but otherwise I was totally fine. Remembering what the count was during breaks or forced conversation however was occasionally a problem.
My first trip was on a cruise ship during the fall. At first I could only find a CSM and I was highly disappointed, but decided to just play BS and try to have fun. I had brought about double my normal pre AP bankroll but much less than I should have according to "the book".
I made one or two mistakes with either BS (or inattention) that cost me a little bit, but in general it was just a bad run that took nearly 1/3 of my BR for the trip. Then I noticed a couple of tables in the corner that had no CSM. They were 8d, H17, 3/2, dd anytime. IIRC, the min was $25 (vs $10 at the always full CSM tables), and I started with that. Soon I was losing again and hoping for the count to go higher before I blew through my available cash. Finally it went rapidly to very positive (+ low 30s !). I threw out a few big bets (100-150) and lost them all. In fact my last hand was a Q,K against a 6. He turned over a 5 and drew a 10 to beat me. I stormed out as mad as I have been in ages.
My initial observation was that I should be wonging in more but there really wasn't much of an opportunity to do that since the non CSM tables were in an area with no foot traffic and few players.
I had no trouble keeping up with the count, even head to head, but keeping it while chattting was sometimes frustrating and several times I lost the count.
My final day I took what little cash I had and tried one last time. I had a decent run and made back some of what I had lost previously and decided to call it quits.
Fast forward a couple of months to a trip to Vegas right before Christmas. I had not practiced even one minute since the cruise and as a result took only a grand to gamble with.
I started at Ceasars and held my own for a couple of hours at a $25 min table where the counts never really got too favorable. When they switched to a $50 min I played about 15 min and lost a few hundred bucks before calling it quits.
The following day everyone was at MGM Grand and I played at a $15 min table for an hour or so while they ate at Puck's. Again, I would get up a little then down a little but finally got some big counts. I started upping the spread to about 2 units at +22ish and then 3 units at +24. I lost almost every hand and the count kept rising into the lower 30s again. I put out about $75-100 per hand (below what I should have but I was low on cash and running scared). Again, the cards were just horrible and I lost several hundred before throwing in the towel. I told my friends my story and went to find a cashier to cash in my $100 in chips that I had left and was saving for another casino. My friend sat down and won something like 5 of 7 hands before I got back and rounded up everyone to head to the show at NY-NY. ( I guess I should have stayed !). After the show I sat at a $25 table at NY-NY and started counting even though I knew $100 probably wouldn't last under anything good developed. Instead I was up a bit when the count again got very positive. I put out $75 and won. Then $100 and won. Then $125 and lost. Then $100 and doubled and won. Then $125 and split twice before winning !. Finally I lost a $200 bet and called it a night, cashing in $700 on an initial $100 in chips. That put me back about even for the trip.
The following day I had a few minutes at Tropicana and decided to try a quick couple of hundred. I counted but didn't expect to get any decent counts in that short a period of time. I was playing more for fun while hoping for good luck. Instead I lost about 10 out of 12 hands and left $200 lighter in the wallet.
This brings up another observation. It really is important to have patience and to wait for a decent count before getting in. Just quickly jumping in never gives you a chance to get an advantage and can just lower a bankroll that was already too low to begin with.
Throughout the first days I was slightly nervous but never felt like I was drawing any kind of heat at all. I did however completely avoid wonging in anywhere because I was worried that standing around and suddenly jumping in and betting big or jumping bets would draw attention.
My final day in town I decided to try one last session at Ceasars very early in the morning. I sat down and bet the min per hand while chatting with the PB and dealer. I was doing ok and basically treading water when the count started getting good. I upped my bet and drew a 21. The dealer made a comment about getting more attention if my luck kept up like that after rasing my bets but I laughed it off since it didn't directly allude to counting. In fact, it didn't make sense to me since you would be less likely to draw to a21 with a high count than with a normal count, right?.
I kept increasing my bet as the count rose and hit several in a row. The dealer made some comment again like "the count must be good again huh?". I looked at him and said "what do you mean?. Did I miscount that last hand. I thought it was a 16 that I hit. Was it a 17?". He smiled and said "good answer". The pit boss never showed any interest in me at all but I was really getting nervous. I lost a couple of big bets then the shoe ended.
To start the next shoe a new dealer came in. I put out a couple of bigger bets to start the shoe in case they were watching me and actually won them. So, I upped the bets again and won some more. Finally I upped the stacks again just like I would if the count were really high even though I knew it wasn't since we were at the beginning of the shoe (and just like I had at a +27 the previous shoe). I won a couple, then lost a few, and stopped and cashed out.
I came home with more money than I left with, along with the hope that I wasn't targeted and put into some data base after they reviewed tapes once I had left.
So, overall, I am fairly happy so far but I realize I have a long way to go. I still make some very minor mistakes concerning BS (like soft double downs, and some of the splits where I think I might get off my 1 number).
I also have a hard time chatting and keeping track of the count. I guess that improves with practice but I find it hard. I also find that I prefer not to sit at 1st base. I like waiting for all the cards to be dealt and then I take each hand as a couplet (either -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2). I find this much easier than individually counting each card, plus it gives me a chance to look around for friends, the drink girl etc and pretend I'm not paying attention. The problem then is at first base I don't have time to count everything before the dealer wants an answer on my hand. When I was forced to sit at 1st base I switched to counting every card and still kept a good count (I think). I just found it harder and had to pay closer attention.
The other thing I have noticed is that it is hard to mentally make myself bet big when I am already down and angry about losing money. I start doubting that I am playing correctly and am afraid to throw as much money into the mix as I should. Plus I am worried that doing that would really draw attention to myself.
I think my biggest problem is that I find working alone harder than I think working with a partner would be. I would love to flat bet and have a partner come in and bet big until I signal him to leave. I would also love to come up with a way to inconspicously backcount and then wong in, especially during slow times at the tables when I don't know anyone.
My final observation is that I don't know the indices. I remember the insurance number but the rest were sort of done by seat of the pants figuring. In other words, when I have a 16 against a 10 I know that at even slightly neg counts I should take a hit, while at slightly pos counts I should hit. I take it one step farther and on a 15 vs a 10 I will sit or hit at numbers that are 2 or 3 either side of the 16 vs 10 number. I need to get the numbers down more exactly but that will just take practice.
In additon to getting more comfortable with counting and talking, wonging, ramping up bets, etc, I need to work on the acting part of things. I was very happing with my demeanor with the PBs and dealers, but I need to fine tune when to get in and out, what tables to play, etc.
Comments are welcomed
