Intro:I'm new to this board...

JonathanR

New Member
Hello. Never been on this web site before. I was as heavy blackjack player as you could be in New England, where the nearest games are 8 decks with a three deck cutoff and non-random shuffle. Because I found the games too tough to beat, and the trips to Nevada too infrequent, I've been focusing on poker for the last year or two, but I'm back with a question.

Has anyone else here read "Bringing Down The House"? It seems to be doing tremendous business in the bookstores, and it was a fascinating read, but as a book trained counter reading Uston and Snyder (and using the Zen count with moderate success), I was astonished. They seemed to have no regard for the game they played, little concern for the number of decks, less concern for penetration, no concept that their action would draw heat, and no concern that their longevity would be compromised if they didn't lay off when the heat was on.

I live in Boston, I have friends at MIT, and I might even be able to get in touch with one or two of these guys through connections. I've never done team play, and I'd love to spend some more time focusing on serious, beatable BJ, but I can't help but wonder whether this book should scare me away from thinking about that, or whether my late 1980's-early 1990's knowledge is out of date and the way this MIT team was purportedly doing business is actually workable. I'd love some feedback.
 
My take on MIT *LINK*

You would be making a big mistake changing your BJ career to emulate the MIT book. While their team was extremely successful, I feel the book is highly embellished and does not present a very authentic portrayal of card counting.

You should stick to the books you mentioned as people like Wong, Uston, Schlesinger or the Mayor here will give you the unvarnished truth.

BTW, this is also my first post here!
 

wong out

Well-Known Member
Re: My take on MIT

Welcome back to the game! Two words of advice; dont play 3 decks cut out of 8 and the non-random shuffle bias theories has been pretty thoroughly debunked over the past 10 years. Thats not to say that you can't find exploitable shufflees out there....

wong out
 

JonathanR

New Member
Re: My take on MIT

I know that the games offered in the Ct. Indian reservations are not particularly beatable...that's the main reason that I switched to poker. They have excellent poker rooms that are comfortable and well protected. Now I count to keep myself occupied when I have a deck of cards in my hand, as well as more intensely before a Vegas trip...but those are only happening every other year or so(job, girlfriend, other hobbies, you know the drill). As a result, I feel like my blackjack knowledge is rather antiquated. I haven't read a new book on the subject that wasn't a story in years...no new counts after the first Zen count, no practical tips on shuffle tracking or other new techniques. Any comprehensive suggestions on how to re-connect with the game? I'd be happy to hear from you, the Mayor, or any of the other working counters on this board for advice.
 

Rob McGarvey

Well-Known Member
Re: My take on MIT

Zen is still a great count and there really isn't anything new under the sun at a brick and mortar joint. vs 8 decks, wong in at +2TC and bet .5% BR, +3 1% +4 1.5% etc. You know the drill. Get your indices down. You must have the BR to keep you in the game. If you are playing poker, then you are used to putting out big bets, unless you are playing 2/4 Hold'em. You could learn to track, something I got used to when using Hi Opt II's Ace density BE plays.

The big news is online, but that story is sounding like a broken record coming from me. Actually, the broken record IS the old way of playing BJ. Online it is all MP3, DVD, RNG now. Some people like the Old Testament Blackjack play. I prefer doing it the New Testament way, where you are guaranteed to win. There is life after the death of Brick and Mortar blackjack!! I go play OT blackjack when my wife gets a free room for playing nickel slots at our local Indian casino, but that's about it. She'll lose $40 at the most, we get a free room, sauna, pool, steam room for the entire family, a free meal coupie, and then I go table travelin' looking for pos EV plays for a few hours just to stay sharp.
 

wong out

Well-Known Member
Re: My take on MIT

Jonathon:

What are your goals wrt to 21? How much time/yr do you want to play? What levels do you plan to play at? The Zen Count is fine. How to re-connect with the game is a tough ? to answer without some basic idea of where you would like to take your game.'

wong out
 
Re: Kevin - I Enjoyed Your Book *LINK*

Thank you Sammy. Always great to hear from people who enjoyed the story. Appreciate you taking the time to post.
 
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