Newbie questions...

[Quaker639]

The wealth of knowledge on this site is quite amazing...
I am new to this all... I have been reading this site off and on for the past few months. I have also researched card counting on a couple of other webpages.

I am entering college this year and I'm looking into making card counting part of my life.

One question of mine is what courses in school should I take to help benefit me in card counting... I know math classes but what specific ones.

Also what CC system(s) should I take up...what are your favorite/best ones that once I learn will be the most benefical.

What books are the best for these systems? I know there are the suggested books on this page but which ones are best for the system(s) I should take up?

Any good websites or other computer things I should purchase/read?

Besides gambling what jobs do you all have?

Hope these questions aren't too ignorant/boring

thanks for all the help...
peace

 

[KennilworthKid]

What systems to use

Well, I am no expert but I will tell you what I have done. I am a recreational player only, I play in Vegas about 3 to 4 times a year. I play mostly for the challenge of winning, although earning some money is nice.

I know both hi-lo and AOII. I am happy with knowing these, as I use hi-lo for shoe games and AOII for 1&2 deck games. Your learning them depends upon you time availability. As a college student, I am not sure how much you will have of that.

Hi-Lo is perhaps the most commonly used system, although Knockout is a comer in this area (it is suppose to be simpler). In simulations by Don Schlessinger, Hi-Lo slightly outperforms Knockout in the games tested (see Chapter 11 of Blackjack Attack 2nd editiion). Hi-Lo & knockout are good if you will spend a long time in a game, such as shoe ones. Betting strategy is most important in shoe games, and these systems have high efficienty ratings with betting strategy while being simple.

I use AOII in hand held games. I took it up as it is one of the most powerful 2 level systems for playing strategy, which plays a larger roll in winning play in the two and one deck games than in the shoe games. It is more difficult to use but in simulations by Schlessinger, it has one of the best win rates. I would also consider Hi-Opt II, as it is even more powerful, and just about as complicated. The problem with Hi-Opt II was that I could not find a book on it, while Blackjack for Blood by B Carlson, which is the AOII book, is available.

A tip, read books for all the systems, as they contain information that will help you regardless of the systems you choose. In addition to the books mentioned above, I have read Beat the Dealer by Thorp, Theroy of Blackjack by Griffin, Blackjack as a Business by Revere, Professional Blackjack by Wong, and Worlds Greatest Blackjack Book by Humble.

Also, there is an on-line course, the link to it is at BJ21.com, that will take you through learning Hi-Lo...and it is free!!

Good luck.

 

[Abraham de Moivre]

College Courses

Check your math department. They should have a course called PROBABILITY.
Also look for STATISTICS. Those two subjects are the closest match with direct applications to blackjack.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Other courses to take

I'd recommend some form of quantitative psychology. Your mind is your best ally and your worst enemy at the table, and understanding how we perceive things and how conditions can change that perception is useful. Also how mental abilities change with time, age, fatigue, alcohol, etc.

Finance and banking- understanding what investing in a blackjack bankroll means compared to other forms of investing, the time value of money, risk, tax effects.

Computer programming- learn to write routines to run and test your theoretical predictions and apply them to other games.

Sociology- you have to play the people you meet in the casino, as well as the cards. Other players, bystanders, waitresses, dealers, other advantage players, pit personnel, surveillance and security, casino management. You will need to use (*not* abuse) all of these people in your card counting career and sociology might help understand the human interaction between all of them.