Question about bet spread

[Beginning Counter]

Hi,

I'm a beginning counter and have some questions about betting. I honestly don't know how to figure it out and can't seem to get a straight answer.

I have a Vegas trip coming up. I plane to play 2 deck and 6 deck at the $5
to $10 level. I'm going mid-week and this seems realistic.My plan is to bet
as follows. This was based on some bits and pieces I have read. I am using
Hi Lo.

For 2 deck

TC <=1 - 1 unit
TC = 2 - 2 unit
TC = 3 - 4 unit
TC >= 4 - 6 unit

For 6 deck

TC <=0 - 1 unit
TC = 1 - 2 unit
TC = 2 - 4 unit
TC = 3 - 8 unit
TC >=4 - 10 unit

Firstly, does this make sense? Also, how can I figure this out? Do I need a
program? In both Knockout Blackjack and Blackjack Bluebook II there are
tables that tell you what to bet based on their count. In Professional
Blackjack he talks about Kelly betting but I'm very much a beginner and
don't have a "real" bankroll, just vacation money.

 

[Sonny]

Sounds good to me

The bet spreads you have above are fine. They are a little small, but they are fine for a beginner who wants to get some live practice. You should expect to win about 1 unit at the 2-deck games and about 0.6 units at the 6-decker. If you Wong into (and out of) the shoe game you can raise your EV to around 1.41 units per hour.

I got those numbers from Blackjack Attack by Don Schlesinger, although any good blackjack software will let you try out different bet spreads and see how they change your win rate. Also you should check out bjstats.com and play around with the charts and tables there. If you get some software you will be able to custom make charts with any betting and playing style you want. That is the best way to get an accurate idea of how much money your particular style of play will win you.

And, most importantly, keep asking questions here. There are many excellent players who can help you.

-Sonny-

P.S.- And let us know how you do on your trip!

 

[stainless steel rat]

ideas...

I'm a hi-lo user. I was using your TC=2 point to up my bet, but some playing around with CVCX showed that for my favorite 2D game on the MS coast, ramping up at TC=1 was the correct strategy. My mode of operation now is to scout the rules/pen/etc, then run the sims to see how to play at each different table/casino..

Another reason to have CVCX in your arsenal of advantage tools. This way you can answer such questions quickly, accurately, and fiddle with the parameters if you want to know how it will affect your EV.

CVCX will compute your optimal bet ramp, based on the spread you want to use. Can't live with jumping from 1 to 5 units at TC=1? Enter your custom ramp and see what it does to your EV. Etc.

I just recently changed my 2D bet jump point to +1, and a 1400 hand playing session, spreading 1-8 with reds saw my initial $1000 trip BR climb to 2265. About 3x what CVCX said I should do, but I'll take it. But buy CVCX. Then you won't have to ask anyone what is the best thing to do, you just ask your computer, which never gets tired and which is always available to handle questions.

 

[Beginning Counter]

Thanks

Thanks for all the info. A few months back I had purchase Blackjack Attack and felt that the math was over my head. But the tables in Chapter 10 turned out to be more easy to understand than I had thought.

I've been practicing with CV every day. This has been good because I set up the 2 deck game for face down and use that to practice counting the table quickly.

A full report will follow the trip!