How can I get better at keeping the count the entire shoe?

[p8ntballsk8r]

Well since in 5 trips playing, only playing 5 or 6 hours i'm up 150 units using my version of knockout. Only problem is, I rarely can keep the count through the entire shoe. Somewhere between 2 and 4 decks of play I lose the count through distraction, not being fast enough, or getting angry.

What are some good ways to practise so I can maintain the count all the way through a 6d shoe? The game is 6d H17 DOA DAS. If I ever lose the count, I estimate what i think it should be or go back to the IRC and try to continue from there. Other times I just go by what the previous hand indicaties... ie: tons and tons of low cards (if i were counting this hand alone would be between +13 and +17) so then i throw out the black chip, or a big bet that my BR can support at the time.

all suggestions / criticism welcome

 

[zengrifter]

Practice with QFIT software! zg

 

[bluewhale]

Well since in 5 trips playing, only playing 5 or 6 hours i'm up 150 units using my version of knockout. Only problem is, I rarely can keep the count through the entire shoe. Somewhere between 2 and 4 decks of play I lose the count through distraction, not being fast enough, or getting angry.

What are some good ways to practise so I can maintain the count all the way through a 6d shoe? The game is 6d H17 DOA DAS. If I ever lose the count, I estimate what i think it should be or go back to the IRC and try to continue from there. Other times I just go by what the previous hand indicaties... ie: tons and tons of low cards (if i were counting this hand alone would be between +13 and +17) so then i throw out the black chip, or a big bet that my BR can support at the time.

all suggestions / criticism welcome

what are good ways to practice? theres one, and that is to practice. thats it. good luck.
if your serious about this you'll do it, if you wanna continue playing a maybe break even game, then just continue what you're doing.
you shld be able to get the count through the 6 decks 3 times in a row, no mistake, thats when you're ready.
you'll actually be surprised what you can do in 2 days. i've heard ppl say mastering counting takes years and all. but being able to do what you wanna do, which is BS + KO, can be learned in a week, maybe less. from where you are now, i think if you practice non-stop for two days, you'll be there bro. and trust me, from someone who just went through it, once you can count, you wont forget it, ever. so take a couple days, practice like a maniac, make sure you're perfect, and thats all there is to it. :whip:
btw: when i say practice i mean you need someone actually dealing to you. if that can't be done, software is your next best choice.

 

[EasyRhino]

For the record, your winnings are much much luckier than expected earnings from any sort of counting. So... congratulations! And please brace yourself for losses that come the other way.

If your problem is speed, then there are two ways to deal with it. One is to keep on counting down decks until you get crazy fast. The other is to figure out a way to get in the rhythm of a shoe game to where you can count more efficiently. Many of the folks round here count the pair of each players' hand as the second card is dealt, making sure to cancel out hi/lo combos, this is pretty quick.

If your problem is distraction, then I have two suggestions. One is to try to visualize the numeral of the count, not just verbalize it. It's a bit more resilient to forgetting. Second, if you know something is coming up that will be distraction (you're about to order a drink or talk about a football score or something), take a fraction of a second to "park" the count in your head, so you can retrieve it when you need to come back to it. I sometimes find myself doing this in regular play if I start to get tired.

Other folks advice practicing in the most distracting environment possible. Also, knowing basic strategy totally autonomously helps, because you don't need to use any brainpower for it. Solution there is playing a shitload of hands.

If the problem is anger... well, I don't know. If it's a real problem, then you want to carefully evaluate if you should even be gambling. I get pissy when I'm on a losing streak, but that usually tightens up my game. My big problem is euphoria if the count skyrockets and I go on a winning streak.

Which brings us to the tactical question of what to do when you lose the count. There are several options.

1) If you simply miss a card, or even a few cards, you can probably just keep your old count and continue without dramatic impact. If you want to be pessimistic, then maybe assume that card hurt the count.

2) When I miss a bunch (like five hands), but the count was positive beforehand, then I'll make a best-gues estimate as to how much the count may have dropped, and fudge the math in a conservative direction, and lose counting.

3) If you completely lose it (or worse, if you have the situation where you can't remember if the running count is +11 or -11) then you probably need to start min-betting, or just get out of the shoe. And since getting out of the shoe will allow you to go to another table and backcount, that might be the best idea.

 

[ChefJJ]

I use my chips to keep track of the count. Use a couple of separate piles, one to represent 5, and the other to represent 1. For example, if the count is 7, I have 1 chip representing 5 (perhaps a green) and 2 representing 1 (perhaps a couple of reds).

That's what I do, it doesn't work for everyone, and I certainly don't keep them in the same spot every shoe. Switch it up so it's not so obvious, and make changes to the piles as you make your bets...that way it looks like it's all part of keeping track of your cash.

Like Bluewhale said, practice at home though...deal to 7 people, make your bets, and try to remember however you can.

Good luck.