Me and a Friend - one Count one plays

[funguy123us]

I am new to BJ, so please excuse me if my question is stupid or crazy.

Me and Friend of mine are going to Vegas for the first time. We have played BJ before but never serious (I have lost most of the time). Recently I have been learning to Count.

Since we are new at this can we both go to the table and only one of us is playing while other is just counting? So when the count is high, he can alert me?

Again, sorry if this is really stupid question.

 

[paddywhack]

I am new to BJ, so please excuse me if my question is stupid or crazy.

Me and Friend of mine are going to Vegas for the first time. We have played BJ before but never serious (I have lost most of the time). Recently I have been learning to Count.

Since we are new at this can we both go to the table and only one of us is playing while other is just counting? So when the count is high, he can alert me?

Again, sorry if this is really stupid question.

Not a stupid question. Have the counter stand behind you, leaning on your chair or something, and give you a tap on the back as a signal. Or figure out a conversational code that you could use. Lots of spouses, friends, or whomever hang around the table so as long as your signals are not "obvious" to the pit or the eye you should be fine.

Good luck and good cards.


paddy

 

[shadroch]

I doubt your friend will be able to do this very long if you are betting much.
A non-player hanging around is not a big deal, but a newbie trying to non-chantly count and signal will most likely bring attention to himself.
I'd go with verbal signals, not taps or anything physical. The eye in the sky can pick up patterns, it can't pick up audio signals.

 

[funguy123us]

Not a stupid question. Have the counter stand behind you, leaning on your chair or something, and give you a tap on the back as a signal. Or figure out a conversational code that you could use. Lots of spouses, friends, or whomever hang around the table so as long as your signals are not "obvious" to the pit or the eye you should be fine.

Good luck and good cards.


paddy

Thanks. One more question. we are both trilingual (3 language and they are rare language). Can we just talk in the language that most wouldn't understand? or is that a red flag?

I doubt your friend will be able to do this very long if you are betting much.
A non-player hanging around is not a big deal, but a newbie trying to non-chantly count and signal will most likely bring attention to himself.
I'd go with verbal signals, not taps or anything physical. The eye in the sky can pick up patterns, it can't pick up audio signals.

Why do you think a friend won't be able to do this for very long? Like I mentioned above, If we use verbal (different language)?

Of course we will be playing minimum amounts at the table most of the time :laugh:

 

[FLASH1296]

I have seen low stakes amateur players barred for speaking a foreign language (ot discernible by the pit.) at the table.

That makes the pit very uneasy, and for good reason !

Here is why — A small group can collude against the house by delegating counting tasks and randomly having only one or two players betting properly at high counts. Those tasks could include computing ¼ deck True Count bet ramping; keeping a perfect Insurance count; side-counting Aces and Sevens, etc. etc.

If the players can surreptitiously communicate, the house would have no defense, short of 86'ing the entire bunch of rascals.

 

[NightStalker]

that's very rare

I have seen low stakes amateur players barred for speaking a foreign language (ot discernible by the pit.) at the table.

That makes the pit very uneasy, and for good reason !

Here is why — A small group can collude against the house by delegating counting tasks and randomly having only one or two players betting properly at high counts. Those tasks could include computing ¼ deck True Count bet ramping; keeping a perfect Insurance count; side-counting Aces and Sevens, etc. etc.

If the players can surreptitiously communicate, the house would have no defense, short of 86'ing the entire bunch of rascals.

Majority of the time I see asian-plops talking among themselves in their own language after every round.. I highly doubt that casino wants to bar those asian plops.. Blackjack table doesn't say "English only"

 

[FLASH1296]

The asian players adequately demonstrate their "ploppiness" at first opportunity.

Exceptions exist, but they are fairly uncommon.

The product of multiple ignorance is that of exponential ignorance.

 

[shadroch]

Why do you think a friend won't be able to do this for very long? Like I mentioned above, If we use verbal (different language)?

Of course we will be playing minimum amounts at the table most of the time :laugh:[/QUOTE]


Because I have real life experiance and you guys don't. Go try it for yourselves. Keeping a count is not easy, at first. Standing there, trying to count while trying to look like you aren't counting is much harder. Trying to do this and communicate the count to a player is a recipe for disaster. Throw in the use of another language......

 

[paddywhack]

I have seen low stakes amateur players barred for speaking a foreign language (ot discernible by the pit.) at the table.

That makes the pit very uneasy, and for good reason !

Here is why — A small group can collude against the house by delegating counting tasks and randomly having only one or two players betting properly at high counts. Those tasks could include computing ¼ deck True Count bet ramping; keeping a perfect Insurance count; side-counting Aces and Sevens, etc. etc.

If the players can surreptitiously communicate, the house would have no defense, short of 86'ing the entire bunch of rascals.

I too have seen this. Sometimes the pit could care less but your mileage may vary.

 

[aslan]

Why do you think a friend won't be able to do this for very long? Like I mentioned above, If we use verbal (different language)?

Of course we will be playing minimum amounts at the table most of the time :laugh:

Because I have real life experiance and you guys don't. Go try it for yourselves. Keeping a count is not easy, at first. Standing there, trying to count while trying to look like you aren't counting is much harder. Trying to do this and communicate the count to a player is a recipe for disaster. Throw in the use of another language......[/QUOTE]
I agree. It's a bit much for a newbie. Easier for an experienced counter to signal a newbie when to bet big maybe?

 

[funguy123us]

Thanks all for your replies.

I hope I didn't cause this thread to go side track (with language stuff...).

Anyway getting back to my original question. Sounds like it would be better for me do both (playing and count)? I am sure it's harder then it sounds, I have been practicing and it gets tough when there are more players at the table. I am planning to go to local casino for practice run and let you all know how it goes.

Any other final advise for me to do this any other way? BTW, my Vegas trip 3 months away.

 

[Blue Efficacy]

I have seen casinos that only allow English to be spoken at the tables.

A great way to make some of their best customers feel less welcome.

 

[aslan]

I have seen casinos that only allow English to be spoken at the tables.

A great way to make some of their best customers feel less welcome.

Counting cards in any language is discouraged, although difficult to detect.

Hey, I traveled to Vegas with a hip hop guy two weeks ago and I didn't understand a thing he was saying. Presumably he was speaking English. It was really whack, but on the other hand, he was really vicious at it, yo, and makes this policy of English only seem a bit schwag if you ask me. All languages should be welcome--then all will be dank. Yo, bro. How would you like it if one of your boys got barred?

 

[ooter]

That's how my friend and I did it for our first time ever counting cards. He stood behind me and whispered the count while I calculated the proper bet. We were playing on a terrible/unbeatable $3 table (6:5, no DAS, DD only 11,10, etc.), and to make matters worse, we had the entire thing reversed (raising bets when the count went low, and vice-versa).