Hi-Lo Questions/MIT semyon dvds

[BJLover]

Hi folks,
Got a couple of questions about the hi-lo count, ive just changed from using the unbalanced red 7 to the hi-lo, loving learning the count and truecount!!!!

1] What are the best strategy changes to learn first, i know you take insurance at t/c 3, but what are the other main ones to learn first, and there t/c values???

2] Has anybody heard of the rule, stand any 3 card 16 verus a dealer 10

3] Do you deiviate from basic strategy at the t/c value or the t/c value minus the offset of 1, i.e t/c 3 for insurance or t/c 2, What am really asking is, is the offset of 1 taking off the t/c only for betting purposes???

4] when i have the advantage, is it best to spread to 2 hands with less for each bet when possible, i.e t/c 3 - offset 1 = 2 betting units, would it be better to have 2 hands of 1.5 units???

Anybody seen the 2 dvds by semyon Dukach??

 

[sagefr0g]

Hi folks,
Got a couple of questions about the hi-lo count, ive just changed from using the unbalanced red 7 to the hi-lo, loving learning the count and truecount!!!!

1] What are the best strategy changes to learn first, i know you take insurance at t/c 3, but what are the other main ones to learn first, and there t/c values???

2] Has anybody heard of the rule, stand any 3 card 16 verus a dealer 10

3] Do you deiviate from basic strategy at the t/c value or the t/c value minus the offset of 1, i.e t/c 3 for insurance or t/c 2, What am really asking is, is the offset of 1 taking off the t/c only for betting purposes???

4] when i have the advantage, is it best to spread to 2 hands with less for each bet when possible, i.e t/c 3 - offset 1 = 2 betting units, would it be better to have 2 hands of 1.5 units???

Anybody seen the 2 dvds by semyon Dukach??

i think you should first learn the illustrious 18 and fab four ..... see link:
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showpost.php?p=17136&postcount=3
if your using hi/lo you perform the depatures at the time the true count presents. (ie. forget the offset for departures)
use the offset for betting purposes.
i'm not sure the best time to spread to two hands. i like to do it at a relatively high true count such as tc=5 . but i don't know of an optimal count for two hands. you could use Sonny's Bet spreadsheet or a simulator to find the best point to spread to two hands. the total sum of your two hands can be a total of 150 to 100 of what you would have bet for one hand.
i haven't seen the dvd's .

 

[jetace]

I own both DVD's, but for a beginner I recommend just buying the basic counting DVD. The second is very advanced demands a TON of time. I've been counting for 3 years now, and I still feel I am better served by the first DVD. The second includes shuffle tracking and card sequencing. It is an interesting option for advanced play, but demands more time than I can give, plus the 2nd DVD is Extremely expensive.

But I will tell you one thing.... If I could meet anyone in the blackjack arena, I'd want to meet Semyon!

 

[BJLover]

I own both DVD's, but for a beginner I recommend just buying the basic counting DVD. The second is very advanced demands a TON of time. I've been counting for 3 years now, and I still feel I am better served by the first DVD. The second includes shuffle tracking and card sequencing. It is an interesting option for advanced play, but demands more time than I can give, plus the 2nd DVD is Extremely expensive.

But I will tell you one thing.... If I could meet anyone in the blackjack arena, I'd want to meet Semyon!

Cheers for the Illustrious 18 link, what are the fab four values???
It says to stand 16 v 10 @ T/C >0 , so anything above that T/c 1,2,3,4,5,etc i would stand??? so if the running count was positive i wolud simply stand, i.e R/C 1 / 5 decks remaining = T/c 0.2, therfore i would stand 16 v 10???? or is it better to wait till the T/C is a full 1 true above o, i.e R/C 5 / 5 decks remaining= T/c 1.

Also , with deck estimation is it ok to round to the nearest deck, i.e 1 1/4 decks played = divide by 5 decks, or 21/2 decks played, divide by 3 decks???
If so, is it better to say round down when its just over 1,2,3,4 decks played etc, and round up when its just under 2,3,4 decks played.

One more thing, when working out the offset to take off T/C to give betting units, is this the correct method;

House advantage x 2 + half a True count (0.5% /2 =0.25%)

0.64% x 2 = 1.28 + 0.25 = 1.53

Therefore i would take 1.53 (1.50) off my T/C to get my betting unit?????

Is this correct?????????

 

[sagefr0g]

Cheers for the Illustrious 18 link, what are the fab four values???

fab four for late surrender:
16v9,10,A surrender at tc>=0
15v10 surrender at tc>=0
15vA surrender at tc>= 1
15v9 surrender at tc>= 2

It says to stand 16 v 10 @ T/C >0 , so anything above that T/c 1,2,3,4,5,etc i would stand??? so if the running count was positive i wolud simply stand, i.e R/C 1 / 5 decks remaining = T/c 0.2, therfore i would stand 16 v 10???? or is it better to wait till the T/C is a full 1 true above o, i.e R/C 5 / 5 decks remaining= T/c 1.

right just for the case of 16V10 if it's at all positive (ok to go by rc in this case) then stand if the game has no lsr. 16v10 is very sensitive to the pack being either negative or positive. either way though that hand is pretty much of a crap shoot

Also , with deck estimation is it ok to round to the nearest deck, i.e 1 1/4 decks played = divide by 5 decks, or 21/2 decks played, divide by 3 decks???
If so, is it better to say round down when its just over 1,2,3,4 decks played etc, and round up when its just under 2,3,4 decks played.

here is how i handle deck estimation for hi/lo .
i try and be as accurate as i can as far as making my estimation (ie. i just happen to be pretty darn good at this)
now if the cards in the discard tray are (taking the example of six deck game) less than a one deck then i use a divisor of six.
if one deck but less than two decks i use a divisor of five.
if two decks but less than three i use a divisor of four.
if three decks but less than four i use a divisor of three.
if four decks but less than five i use a divisor of two.

hopefully QFIT will read this and critique it. there may be a better approach such as rounding down at half deck increments and rounding up over half deck increments. i'm not sure in regards to this.

One more thing, when working out the offset to take off T/C to give betting units, is this the correct method;

House advantage x 2 + half a True count (0.5% /2 =0.25%)

0.64% x 2 = 1.28 + 0.25 = 1.53
er;215
Therefore i would take 1.53 (1.50) off my T/C to get my betting unit?????

Is this correct?????????

i think you are appllying the idea put forth by Snyder in Blackbelt in Blackjack regarding figuring the true edge with hi/lo-lite. i don't apply that methodology myself.... i just bet one unit at tc <= 1 and then start ramping my bets up at tc >= 2 .

 

[BJLover]

fab four for late surrender:
16v9,10,A surrender at tc>=0
15v10 surrender at tc>=0
15vA surrender at tc>= 1
15v9 surrender at tc>= 2

right just for the case of 16V10 if it's at all positive (ok to go by rc in this case) then stand if the game has no lsr. 16v10 is very sensitive to the pack being either negative or positive. either way though that hand is pretty much of a crap shoot


here is how i handle deck estimation for hi/lo .
i try and be as accurate as i can as far as making my estimation (ie. i just happen to be pretty darn good at this)
now if the cards in the discard tray are (taking the example of six deck game) less than a one deck then i use a divisor of six.
if one deck but less than two decks i use a divisor of five.
if two decks but less than three i use a divisor of four.
if three decks but less than four i use a divisor of three.
if four decks but less than five i use a divisor of two.

hopefully QFIT will read this and critique it. there may be a better approach such as rounding down at half deck increments and rounding up over half deck increments. i'm not sure in regards to this.


i think you are appllying the idea put forth by Snyder in Blackbelt in Blackjack regarding figuring the true edge with hi/lo-lite. i don't apply that methodology myself.... i just bet one unit at tc <= 1 and then start ramping my bets up at tc >= 2 .

Cheers for the quick reply frog, i will apply the deck estimation technique you posted, when i get better at it i may try to estimate to the nearest 1/2 deck.

The equation i used for the offset calculation was from the Semyon Duckach M.I.T DVD, i was just wanting to confirm it with someone else incase i was doing it wrong. I downloaded the 2 dvds yesterday, the 1st one is really helpfull at this stage of my counting career, it explains standard deviation really well and optimal betting, all he says about deck estimation is that he used to estimate to the nearest 1/2 deck, and that it does'nt make too much difference being a bit out, its only when u get to the last 1/2 deck before the cut that you have to be accurate.
The 2nd dvd is very interesting, the advanced techniques are not as tricky as i would have though, although i obviously cant do them yet, i have a good understanding and am quite confident after i have the hi-lo count, including perfect B/S, optimal betting, camouflage down cold i will be able to master some of the techniques, its very exciting!!!!!!

Finally, ihave a rough idea about bankroll, it varies with each book i read, but the bankroll i was going to work to is; unit = bankroll/400

£10=4000/400
Using a 1-10 bet spread £10-£100

any views on this??? what method do you use to figure out bankroll????

 

[sagefr0g]

Cheers for the quick reply frog, i will apply the deck estimation technique you posted, when i get better at it i may try to estimate to the nearest 1/2 deck.

The equation i used for the offset calculation was from the Semyon Duckach M.I.T DVD, i was just wanting to confirm it with someone else incase i was doing it wrong. I downloaded the 2 dvds yesterday, the 1st one is really helpfull at this stage of my counting career, it explains standard deviation really well and optimal betting, all he says about deck estimation is that he used to estimate to the nearest 1/2 deck, and that it does'nt make too much difference being a bit out, its only when u get to the last 1/2 deck before the cut that you have to be accurate.
The 2nd dvd is very interesting, the advanced techniques are not as tricky as i would have though, although i obviously cant do them yet, i have a good understanding and am quite confident after i have the hi-lo count, including perfect B/S, optimal betting, camouflage down cold i will be able to master some of the techniques, its very exciting!!!!!!

Finally, ihave a rough idea about bankroll, it varies with each book i read, but the bankroll i was going to work to is; unit = bankroll/400

£10=4000/400
Using a 1-10 bet spread £10-£100

any views on this??? what method do you use to figure out bankroll????

i don't have those dvd's but i'll bet i shall one day in the not to distant future

i shoot for a ROR risk of ruin of circa 1% .
i like Sonny's spread sheet for estimating ROR and optimal betting. then once you find the scenerio that looks right you can run a simulation to see exactly how it works out. see link below:
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showpost.php?p=15578&postcount=6