Single Deck Problem - Hi-Lo

[data]

First of all, first post!
Second of all, hi, data here. I've always liked blackjack, used to be just a family type game you would play on long trips, ect...

After reading Bringing Down The House, I wanted to look more into card-counting. My first day I memorized basic strategy, and could play it almost perfectly when I was playing 5 or 6 hands against my brother [with a 6 deck shoe]. Eventually I decided I should learn card-counting, nothing to advanced as because I am still to young to gamble at a casino, so I did some research on the hi-lo, and practiced, and practiced it, and got pretty well at it.

But when it came to playing a single deck game, I found that the count never went passed +2 or 3, making it very difficult to know when to raise and lower my bets.


Any advice? If I am not being clear enough, let me know and I will try to explain a bit more.

Thanks,
-data

 

[moo321]

Um, the count varies much more in single deck games than shoe games...

 

[data]

I guess I have some bad mojo then
Edit:
Here are my results after going through the deck:

1st Game:
-2
-3
-2
-3
-2
-1
0

2nd Game: this is the game I won the most in.
+4
+3
+2
+1
0

3rd Game:
+2
+3
+2
+1
0

 

[Kasi]

First of all, first post!....Any advice?

Welcome aboard!

No relation to Star Trek's Data I assume lol.

Well, like moo said, the true count varies alot in single-deck.

With Hi-Lo, just keep in mind you divide Running Count by number of decks remaining to get True Count.

So, in single deck a RC of +3 with a half-deck remaining is a TC+6 (3/.5).

But, halfway thru 6 decks, a RC of +3 is only a TC +1 (3/3).

Hope that helps a little lol.

 

[data]

Welcome aboard!

No relation to Star Trek's Data I assume lol.

Well, like moo said, the true count varies alot in single-deck.

With Hi-Lo, just keep in mind you divide Running Count by number of decks remaining to get True Count.

So, in single deck a RC of +3 with a half-deck remaining is a TC+6 (3/.5).

But, halfway thru 6 decks, a RC of +3 is only a TC +1 (3/3).

Hope that helps a little lol.

Makes so much more sense, thank you for that post!
-data
P.S. NOT from Star Trek lol

 

[Kasi]

P.S. NOT from Star Trek lol

That's too bad - he would have made for a good card-counter lol.

Glad it helped lol.

 

[data]

Just played another quick round with my brother, I noticed that I should wait until at least half the deck was already out until I started changing my bets, but into the 2nd round, I was still around +1 RC, so I waited until next round, and I estimated there was about .25% of the deck left, and I had a RC of +3, which made the TC +12, I had a 9 and a 2 that round, I figured a High card would help me, and next card gave me a 21.

 

[Sonny]

Just played another quick round with my brother, I noticed that I should wait until at least half the deck was already out until I started changing my bets, but into the 2nd round, I was still around +1 RC, so I waited until next round, and I estimated there was about .25% of the deck left, and I had a RC of +3, which made the TC +12, I had a 9 and a 2 that round, I figured a High card would help me, and next card gave me a 21.

Depending on the rules of the game you might have an advantage at a +1 RC so you can start raising your bets then. A typical bet spread for SD might look like this:

0 = 1 unit
+1= 2 units
+2= 3 units
+3= 4 units
+4= Whatever you can get away with

There is more information about betting techniques in the Free Resources thread above.

-Sonny-

 

[data]

Depending on the rules of the game you might have an advantage at a +1 RC so you can start raising your bets then. A typical bet spread for SD might look like this:

0 = 1 unit
+1= 2 units
+2= 3 units
+3= 4 units
+4= Whatever you can get away with

There is more information about betting techniques in the Free Resources thread above.

-Sonny-

I just read almost that exact paragraph at this link:
http://www.gamemasteronline.com/Archive/Blackjack/SingleDeckPlay-P3.shtml (Archive copy)

Something I got confused on though was

Start each deck with 2 units bet and when the count goes DOWN, raise your bet. The dealer will shuffle and Voila!, the bad deck is gone.

Can somebody explain?
-data

 

[Sonny]

Something I got confused on though was

Start each deck with 2 units bet and when the count goes DOWN, raise your bet. The dealer will shuffle and Voila!, the bad deck is gone.

Can somebody explain?

That’s an old trick to beat certain dealers who shuffle the deck when you raise your bet. Sometimes a dealer will assume that you are counting cards and they will shuffle every time you raise your bet. In that case you can just raise your bet every time there is a negative count and they will shuffle it away. Then you will only be playing in positive/neutral counts.

That's pretty rare though.

-Sonny-

 

[jack.jackson]

That's too bad - he would have made for a good card-counter lol.

Glad it helped lol.

There was an episode from The Next Generation, named the Foriegn Investor. Where a guy at the table ask's Data(Brent Spiner) if he was a Card Counter? Data Replies: Why would one need to count cards, when the cards remain at a constant value?