Intro + a few questions. TIA

[letsdothis21]

Hello everyone, I just started counting a few weeks ago when I watched the MIT Blackjack series of videos on YouTube (found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2XjtyGEB2w ). I watched all 19 videos and they were really inspiring so I did some more research and have now watched Andy Bloch's Expert Insight DVD and both of Semyon Dukach's BJS DVD's.

As of now I do not have a huge bankroll and usually play at the $3 min table if it is open (the casino I go to usually has $3 tables but last time it was only $5). I do a Hi/Lo count and bet like so:

6 decks, H17, DAS, No Surrender, Peek

( True Count - 1 ) x Betting Unit. Is this a good way to bet?

I don't know what my "spread" should be for betting, last time I was there I was at a min $5 table and bet $60 on a couple of hands when the TC was +12, thankfully I won both hands (doubled down on one so was a huge bet for me, but my 11 turned into 21 ).

As of right now I think I am getting a good hang of the Hi/Lo count and have barely any trouble counting at my casino.

Basically what I want to learn is what should be my next step in card counting / are there any certain advanced counting techniques that are way better than Hi/Lo? I've heard that Hi/Lo is the easiest and therefore you can play more hands and make more money than by playing fewer hands with a more advanced counting technique (since counting will take longer?).

Also I usually play with a friend so we are just starting to try and be a team but I don't know what all we could do with just 2 people. Usually we just sit at one table and don't "wong" at all but maybe we should start doing that if the tables aren't always full.

Also what is Backcounting?, and is there a topic for all the lingo in this forum? (ror, SD, DD, etc.)

Basically any advance you guys have would be greatly appreciated...I've just read a ton of posts in this forum for the past 2 hours and am hooked, haha.

THANKS!

 

[avs21]

First off do you know what the penetration of the game you are playing? Are there any other games in the area with better rules?

Playing at the same table with another counter and both of you are varying your bets according to the count is not a good idea it will attract too much attention from the pit. I do not have any casino experience with team play, but many others on this forum do and can help you out with ways you can use team play with two players.

You have small bankroll ,so you probably should be wonging, It will bring down your ROR. ROR stands for risk of ruin, which means the probability of you losing your entire bankroll. Buying a book would explain it in more depth. If you post your bankroll size we will be able to tell a good betting spread and when you should wong in.

Hi-lo is a great system for 6d games especially if you eventually move onto more advanced techniques like shuffletracking. You should read some of the threads on the advanced strategies section that will explain a lot of the advanced techniques.

SD on this forum will either mean single deck or standard deviation, DD= double deck. Here is place that has a lot blackjack terms http://www.bjrnet.com/member/bjapr/A.htm

You mentioned you barely have any trouble counting at your casino. How often do you loose the count?

You should also look into buying a book or two.

 

[letsdothis21]

I usually don't lose the count at all, I start off by counting the cards as they come out of the shoe, and then if for some reason I get distracted or they deal really fast I just wait until all cards are dealt out and then I cancel and so forth.

They cut of about 1 deck, so pen = 83% if they do it exact.

There aren't any other local casinos besides this one since I am 18 (there is a casino that is closer but you need to be 21).

I've only varied my bet on my last 2 trips there but I know most of the pit bosses so I dont think I am getting any heat right now.

Also since I just started counting my bankroll is really small, last time I just started with $40 since I don't like loosing too much and came out ahead $250, but I know that if I lose my $40 I could be missing out on a good TC.

I do have money that I can use but what do you think my minimum bankroll should be? As stated before the only thing I've done similar to a bankroll is just to bring in the highest amount I want to lose.

My friend purchased a book a week ago so hopefully we'll learn something from that (forgot what it was called though, I'll update the thread when I know).

One more thing - I used the BS guide on this site and compared it with the one from the casino (I know those can be bad) and from Andy Bloch's DVD, and they were not the same (there were 2 differences although I cannot remember right now) -- so is the BS guide on this site the best one out there for my type of game?

Thanks for all the help by the way, and I'll try and look into shuffle tracking, and me and my friend are going to try and do ace and ten cuts further down the road.

 

[avs21]

The BS chart on this site will be more accurate because you can make the BS chart for the specific rules and decks of the game you are playing. You definitely are going to need to have more than $40 on you at the casino.

With a
1-10 spread no wonging using hi-lo illustrious 18
bankroll: $3,000
Min bet $3
Using the rules and penetration from your game
ROR: would be 10%
If the bankroll was 4,000 your ROR would be 5%

If you decided to only play counts 0 or greater
With a bankroll of $1,700
Your ROR would be 5%
With $3 min


The last strategy would be hard to use because you said the tables are usually full. Do you play at peak hours? or is the casino always full even in the morning and graveyard?

I generally like to play with a ROR of 5% or less. With a small bankroll playing a 6d game you are going to need to do some back counting. The book your friend bought should give you some info on money management. Sorry I wasn't able to give you a direct answer on what your bankroll should be

 

[letsdothis21]

thanks a lot for the responses, I really appreciate them.

While watching Andy Bloch's DVD he suggested your betting unit be 1/1000th of your BR - so if I play minimum $3 bets I'd need $3k.

Also, where do you get those numbers for ROR and stuff? Are you using a sim like Casino Verite? (never really knew about those until today when I saw it on the home page, haha).

And do you bring your entire BR with you when you go play? Seems like a lot of cash to have on you when you walk in the casino. And yes I usually go during peak hours (friday / saturday nights) but I will hopefully be going during the week pretty soon and can then backcount since the tables aren't too full then. Doesn't backcounting make it kind of obvious that you are a counter since they will see you just sitting back there and looking at the cards for awhile, and then hop it at an opportune time?

If anyone has a link to the positive/negative indices (illustrious 18?) that would be great.

Thanks again!

 

[Sonny]

Check out the sticky threat at the top of this forum called "Free Counting Resources On Web". It will answer a lot of your questions and give you a good understanding of the basics.

-Sonny-

 

[avs21]

I used CVCX to do the sim. I usually will bring about 25% of my bankroll to the casino. Sonny's suggestion about checking out the free counting resources is a good idea it will give you a good understanding of all the basics and then some. There are also threads on this forum that have information about techniques when you are backcounting.

Here is link to some index plays for hi-lo http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showthread.php?t=7001