Those BJ Gods are testing you
blackchipjim said:
You read, you study, practice and put into practice under live conditions what you have learned about blackjack. Then reality rears it's ugly head and you lose your arse time and time again. The cards are there, just not yours and hardly make your hands or doubles or splits. The end result is a sound thrashing at any table you play and you have to wonder if the bj gods are taking it out on you. You sit across the table from two numbskulls that don't have a clue and you sit third sinking lower and lower in your seat. They bet high in negative counts and play about as screwy a game as it gets and they still kick butt. I read and play the game for the love of it but sometimes a person has to wonder if they have a heart for it after this bad of a session. blackchip jim:cry:
You know all the math. You know that with a 1+% edge you can easily still lose. You have read all about variance and standard deviation. Still when that session from hell pops its ugly head out, you are being challenged and tested besides losing a chunk of bankroll. Will you fade away? Will you fail to spread enough in a great count, fearing a repeat performance, or will you steam and overbet trying to get your money back? These are the challenges that the blackjack gods have given to you.
Unfortunately, no matter how long you play and no matter how good your game is, these situations will periodically return and test you again.
I mentioned a recent session in another thread, worth repeating in part here.
I know the shuffle card will come out in a well penetrated game with a very high count. There are two other players and I put two max bets out on the table. Player 1 gets blackjack, player 2 gets blackjack, I get a 17 and 19 which both lose to a dealer 20. I knew the right cards were coming out, but I can not tell just in what configuration they will hit each spot, so I lost this time. Why did I not get blackjack? Why did I not get the 20 and the dealer get the 17? Why, why, why? Inside, you seeth but take your loss with the understanding that it is negative variance and experience tells you that your time will come. Outside, if the shuffle card has not come out and the count is still very high, I will be a compulsive steaming maniac to the observer. If the shuffle card has come out and I want to play the next shoe, I will be the wounded guy getting himself under control and trying not to bet too much right away. If I do not want to play: Then I am still the almost wild steamer, I take a ton of cash from my hand, get ready to put it on the felt and say, "No, I got to take a break before I dump it all," and leave the table shaking my head, perhaps talking to myself.
In other words, as long as you are paying you might as well earn longevity by convincing a few people that you are some kind of compulsive steamer who at times does try to control himself when down but often does not succeed.
I know a couple of these kind of sessions have earned me a reputation that it took one casino many years of occassional play and almost 6 figures of profit, before they figured out that they were better off asking me to no longer play there. So believe it or not, it can be an opportunity.
ihate17
:grin: 
