Automatic Monkey -- Duly noted. You raise a good point that somebody who has taken the painfully meticulous steps to learn a full fledged counting system is more likely to implement it in a careful and professional way. In future posts, I will stress the critical importance of execution, discipline and uncertainty for recreational blackjack players who are about to step over the line into advantage play. In the Ace/10 chapter of Bluebook, those three perils are graphically cautioned. But in the next printing, I think it would be a good idea to also remind the Ace/10 rookie that it's not how good you can play -- but how good you do play that matters. Thanks for your input.
Help for a newbie to counting
- Thread starter person1125
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yeah, i definately want to second AM on that post. a friend of mine was doing the hi/low, but he was dividing by the number of decks that were used (ie say an 8 deck game had 2 decks cut out and 2 decks were already dealt, he would divide by 4, instead of 6, for the TC). now one mistake like this and your entire system goes out the window and you are just another gambler. except even worse, cause you don't even know it.
thats why i too stress a better count like the hi/low as opposed to the A/5. there are a number of tiny mistakes a person (who doesn't really understand why and how counting works, but simply goes with what others are saying) can make. any one of these mistakes will compromise the 0.25% edge. not to mention any BS mistakes, or mis/dropped counts could compromise your edge.
using a count like the hi/low forces one to have a thorough knowledge of the game by making learning it relatively difficult. it also provides a bigger player advantage which leaves room for some player error.
thats why i too stress a better count like the hi/low as opposed to the A/5. there are a number of tiny mistakes a person (who doesn't really understand why and how counting works, but simply goes with what others are saying) can make. any one of these mistakes will compromise the 0.25% edge. not to mention any BS mistakes, or mis/dropped counts could compromise your edge.
using a count like the hi/low forces one to have a thorough knowledge of the game by making learning it relatively difficult. it also provides a bigger player advantage which leaves room for some player error.
To All -- I just read the "Beyond Basic Strategy" website mentioned in SageFrog's post. Never knew it was there. Not really sure how it got there. But it does in part contain some exerpts from Blackjack Bluebook II.
I just want to say that those exerpts are close, but not perfectly replicated from the book -- and other parts are interspersed that are not part of Bluebook at all. I take particular exception the part that recommends Insurance for a non-counting player.
Just a blanket heads up.
I just want to say that those exerpts are close, but not perfectly replicated from the book -- and other parts are interspersed that are not part of Bluebook at all. I take particular exception the part that recommends Insurance for a non-counting player.
Just a blanket heads up.
I think some of that beyond basic stratedgy stuff is fair bit off.
Like he says take insurance if 4 players don't have 10's etc. This is very wrong. It needs to be at or lower than 12 tens out per 52 cards. That would mean if you weren't counting on any particular hand there would have to be 24 non ten cards out, not 9 or 10. Maybe he was talking about 2 decks left or something...
Like he says take insurance if 4 players don't have 10's etc. This is very wrong. It needs to be at or lower than 12 tens out per 52 cards. That would mean if you weren't counting on any particular hand there would have to be 24 non ten cards out, not 9 or 10. Maybe he was talking about 2 decks left or something...
EasyRhino
Well-Known Member
I like to think of myself as a strong proponent of lazy playin. That's why I learned the KO count, which is one of the easier ones out there.
And I have not attempted, or studied in detail, any of the "easier" counts (ace/10, ace/5, OPP, speed count). However, I have difficulty guessing how someone could learn one of the easy counts, and not have a problem learning, say, KO or Red 7 (I'll throw in KISS, although I know the least about it, Mr. Renzey).
And if someone does have difficulty becoming proficient at one of these counts, they're probably going to have trouble becoming proficient at other things, like basic strategy, or avoiding the roulette wheel.
And I have not attempted, or studied in detail, any of the "easier" counts (ace/10, ace/5, OPP, speed count). However, I have difficulty guessing how someone could learn one of the easy counts, and not have a problem learning, say, KO or Red 7 (I'll throw in KISS, although I know the least about it, Mr. Renzey).
And if someone does have difficulty becoming proficient at one of these counts, they're probably going to have trouble becoming proficient at other things, like basic strategy, or avoiding the roulette wheel.
point taken easyrino, after looking at some of the links to info on ace/10,ace/5, front counts. It makes more sense for me to just stick with red 7's. (thats what I started with). After rereading some of snyders book, althou I'm not capable of hi/lo with true count conversion, I'll just stick with the unbalanced system. At the rate that I play, I'll know when my ap becomes second nature, and will try a balanced system. thanks for your input, guys