"Hi, I have mastered basic strategy"
And you know it without thinking. I mean you can recite it like your favorite song while driving. When playing the decision is a reaction not a thought.
"and am getting good at keeping a hi-lo count"
Can you convert to the true count; can you estimate the amount of decks left in the shoe; do you know any strategy diversion indices; do you know how much to bet per your bankroll; and per the count.
"can count down a deck in about 30 seconds, sometimes less)."
Can you count one card at a time; then two cards at a time; then three cards at a time; the pros say you must count down a deck in less than 25-22 seconds; I count 75 decks a night;
I count down one deck, one card at a time, twenty five times, average time is 12 secs. My best is 10 secs.
I count down one deck, twenty five times, two cards at a time, average time 13 secs. My best is 11 secs.
I count down one deck, Twenty five times, three cards at a time, average time is 11 secs, best time 9 secs.
This gives you card recognition. A tool that will develop into table scanning.
"I need some advice on how to implement my count at Foxwoods. It has 8D, DAS, DA2, LS, S17, which gives house odds of about 0.36%, I believe."
You should Wong at the least. If you do sit and play start at the beggining of a shoe and walk when the TC goes -1. Per the Mayor Two hands at a +two TC.(this may be different with Late Surrender). I love surrender it has cut edge of of losing big bets! Other wise your bet strategy is the same as you would bet normally according to your bankroll constraints and your risk strategy. Late surrender is great! S17 is good too. Surrendar 16 at 9,10,A. Unless you know the indices for surrendar (blackjack attack 2 Don schlesinger's Illustriuos 18 and the fab four.) Surrender is excellent when you have a high TC and a big bet out and you get a stiff.
"The penetration is usually around 2 decks (that is 75 percent, right? Isn't that decent?)"
Two decks cut off Sucks. Wong WOng WONg WONG! I know it is a madhouse there! Save your funds and go to vegas for a long weekend. The 5 hour flight sux but its worth it.
"What betting and playing strategies should I learn?"
READ READ READ: Blackjack secrets, Stanford Wong; Beyond Counting, Jean Grosjean; Million Dollar Blackjack, Ken Uston; If you are mathmaticaly knowledgeable BJ ATTACK TWO, Don Schlesinger. There is a lot more and a great list is on the left of your screen at the bottom.
" Anyone have experience at Foxwoods? Pit bosses: give heat, are oblivious, or somewhere in between? Thanks for any thoughts and comments!"
I have never been there but the information I have been given by other counters,CBJN/BJ21.com, Trackjack/Nachts AP.COM, this site, etc. is that it is crowded, huge, and sweaty.
Learning how to do this thing is tedious but it can be done. The tools you need to impliment card counting are easy to learn but you have to practice. Dont fret at my post please. You can do this. You need to focus and you need discipline.
I remember when I started learning how to fight. I was at the dojo for three months and a green belt who was the class jerk always picked on me. So I decided to spar him. Well he kicked my butt. Afterwards I practiced practiced practiced. He went to college. When he returned he thought he was still the king. He challenged me in front of the whole school including all the Sensei. I knocked him out first round. I was disciplined for not using controll.
I won because I trained my ass off. I had focus and to use a common fad term I had ZEN. I was big headed after that. Later the sensei had me fight a girl who was two years younger and a brown belt. Whew my jaw still hurts. I'm still learning, to play Blackjack too! LTC
