How to accurately estimate remaining decks without visualizing

[somtum]

Ok guys, I just thought of a good idea for estimating the remaining decks.

Do you ever wonder if your true count is off because you might be off on your deck estimation. Well here's something that may help without even looking at the cards.

Ok.. if your playing a 6 deck game. Have one stack of 5 chips on the table and then put another stack of 4 chips right beside it.

Now the stack of 5 chips represents 5 decks and the stack of 4 chips each represents a 1/4 of a deck.

We know that there are 13 cards in a quarter deck. So without doing any extra calculations than we already are in our head... use your 10 fingers to mark off 10 cards that are dealt then maybe make 3 motions with your feet to mark off then next 3 cards.

Now we know a quarter deck was just dealt. Remove a chip from the 1/4 stack. Now we have 5 3/4. Just repeat the process and now our deck estimation is very accurate.

 

[RJT]

A few points on this -

Firstly, unless you are intending to take your game further than just counting, estimation to a 1/4 deck is unnecessary.
Secondly, if you are going to take you game in a direction that requires estimation that accurate, you better be able to do it visually, or you're not going to win.
And lastly, rather than clogging up your brain with all this finger, feet, 1/4 pile, deck pile stuff, you'd be better off just learning to accurately assess the discard pile to a 1/4 deck visually. It's not really that hard. 10min practice a day and you'll be surprised just how accurate you can get.
No meaning to disrespect your idea here, just some advice.

RJT.

 

[jack.jackson]

Ok guys, I just thought of a good idea for estimating the remaining decks.

Do you ever wonder if your true count is off because you might be off on your deck estimation. Well here's something that may help without even looking at the cards.

Ok.. if your playing a 6 deck game. Have one stack of 5 chips on the table and then put another stack of 4 chips right beside it.

Now the stack of 5 chips represents 5 decks and the stack of 4 chips each represents a 1/4 of a deck.

We know that there are 13 cards in a quarter deck. So without doing any extra calculations than we already are in our head... use your 10 fingers to mark off 10 cards that are dealt then maybe make 3 motions with your feet to mark off then next 3 cards.

Now we know a quarter deck was just dealt. Remove a chip from the 1/4 stack. Now we have 5 3/4. Just repeat the process and now our deck estimation is very accurate.

Put Frankly, I like the Idea and yes I believe it would work. You could even use a numbered graph of some sort and let your fingers do the walkin. Still the additional mental effort of side-counting every card you see, really just wouldnt be worth it. IMO, even then, you'll still have to make the ardious calculation of dividing a RC into 5 3/4. This is the main-reason I believe counters like to estimate to the nearest full-deck. Not necessarily the reason for deck estimation. Its kinda like SC ace's. For its one thing to side-count a card, but another, to accurately use the information. Same goes for one of those Illegal counter clickers(completely worthless.)

As for myself, I like to estimate to the nearest half-decks remaining. and Insted of dividing by 5 1/2 decks, I opt to divide by =11 but double the sum.
Therefore a RC of +6 =.5x2=TC+1
This is just my personal style, and probably only do it this way because I use a Level 2 count.

Anyway, just my personal opinion. It just might work!