System - No System, Count - No Count
I keep in my head something like negative, very negative, normal, positive, very positive. I can quickly scan the cards and determine what the current round is, and I combine that with the previous rounds to come up with an overall "count". You could say I use the "feels like" method, although I think I would be pretty close if I were to guess the count at any given point.
If I lose track or am not sure I just ride my minimum bet out until the shuffle.
One thing I use liberally is geting up from the table. In double deck games I can fairly accurately estimate the cost of countinuing - this probably sounds like pure bunk but it is true. Some times I say to myself - "It might cost $300 to ride this one out". In such a situation I usually leave though I might stay if the cards had been running particularly good (already up over $1,500).
I believe a lot of my success has to do with playing only slight house advantage situations and any player advantage situations. My "advantage" may exist purely from refusing to play negative situations. Many recognized systems have people playing through negatives. I find it ironic that they will tell people not to play 6:5 blackjack or other non favorable rules, but will have the player conitnue in play with a count which may produce a similar disadvantage.
One week I had 2 day trips which lasted less than 1/2 hour each. First one I won $1,250 in 20 minutes, on the other $2,200 in about 1/2 hour. Left the casino immediately after each of these wins.
Frequently I take a break, at $100 tables I may get up with a win as low as $150, only to come back to the same table in 1/2 hour.
I have my own cutting strategy which I won't post here because it can't be supported mathmatically, but it does seem to work for me. A 10 year old could do it - very simple.
I often leave when another player is playing foolishly. I don't believe it effects my chances of a winning or losing a hand, but i do believe it ruins my concentration.
Ocassionally I will up my bet at the bottom of my bankroll. Say I start my play with $1,000 and I get down to $200 or less I go "all-in" if the "count" is positive. I would rather take a shot at getting back to $400 than ride the bottom too long. I know this contradicts my statement that my range is $100 to $150, but I consider this a special situation.
If I need more of a blackjack "fix" and I've already won, I go and play the $10 tables where my risk of losing a $1,000 or more is pracitically nill. Basically I use the $100 tables to win and the $10 tables to relax and enjoy the game.
That's all I can think of in my playing style.
My start at the $100 tables was mostly chance. I was there with a friend who was there for his birthday. In his honor I decided to try $1000 at the $100 table - won $1,200. The next week I stopped at the $100 table on my way out of the casino (had been playing the $10 tables) - won $900. On the following trip I went right to the $100 table - won $2,300. From there I was soon over $10,000 total.
I had my total up over $14,000 before my birthday, got a little crazy on my birthday and dropped a lot. the world is unfair!
At one point I was up $18,000 and lost back-to-back $3,000 sessions. One session I lost $3,000 in under 45 minutes, never got up from table when I should have. After this I took a month off from playing and reduced my session bankroll to $2,000. When my play resumed I won 17 straight sessions and got my total back up past the $25,000 mark. Had some ups and downs since but am currently beyond this point. Reached a new high within the last week.
I'm now trying to keep my play tight in getting up from losing situations and cashing in frequently on positive ones.
One other note - I started with a bankroll of $200 three years ago. I won $300 on my first trip and have been in a positive overall poisiton ever since. Beside the one month break above I took six months off after dropping my total from $8,500 back to about $7,000 on the $10 tables. I stopped both of these times because I was not playing smart - either over confident or just sloppy.
Current total over $33,000, haven't changed anything. Better to be a dumb winner than a smart loser!
-Buzzer
I keep in my head something like negative, very negative, normal, positive, very positive. I can quickly scan the cards and determine what the current round is, and I combine that with the previous rounds to come up with an overall "count". You could say I use the "feels like" method, although I think I would be pretty close if I were to guess the count at any given point.
If I lose track or am not sure I just ride my minimum bet out until the shuffle.
One thing I use liberally is geting up from the table. In double deck games I can fairly accurately estimate the cost of countinuing - this probably sounds like pure bunk but it is true. Some times I say to myself - "It might cost $300 to ride this one out". In such a situation I usually leave though I might stay if the cards had been running particularly good (already up over $1,500).
I believe a lot of my success has to do with playing only slight house advantage situations and any player advantage situations. My "advantage" may exist purely from refusing to play negative situations. Many recognized systems have people playing through negatives. I find it ironic that they will tell people not to play 6:5 blackjack or other non favorable rules, but will have the player conitnue in play with a count which may produce a similar disadvantage.
One week I had 2 day trips which lasted less than 1/2 hour each. First one I won $1,250 in 20 minutes, on the other $2,200 in about 1/2 hour. Left the casino immediately after each of these wins.
Frequently I take a break, at $100 tables I may get up with a win as low as $150, only to come back to the same table in 1/2 hour.
I have my own cutting strategy which I won't post here because it can't be supported mathmatically, but it does seem to work for me. A 10 year old could do it - very simple.
I often leave when another player is playing foolishly. I don't believe it effects my chances of a winning or losing a hand, but i do believe it ruins my concentration.
Ocassionally I will up my bet at the bottom of my bankroll. Say I start my play with $1,000 and I get down to $200 or less I go "all-in" if the "count" is positive. I would rather take a shot at getting back to $400 than ride the bottom too long. I know this contradicts my statement that my range is $100 to $150, but I consider this a special situation.
If I need more of a blackjack "fix" and I've already won, I go and play the $10 tables where my risk of losing a $1,000 or more is pracitically nill. Basically I use the $100 tables to win and the $10 tables to relax and enjoy the game.
That's all I can think of in my playing style.
My start at the $100 tables was mostly chance. I was there with a friend who was there for his birthday. In his honor I decided to try $1000 at the $100 table - won $1,200. The next week I stopped at the $100 table on my way out of the casino (had been playing the $10 tables) - won $900. On the following trip I went right to the $100 table - won $2,300. From there I was soon over $10,000 total.
I had my total up over $14,000 before my birthday, got a little crazy on my birthday and dropped a lot. the world is unfair!
At one point I was up $18,000 and lost back-to-back $3,000 sessions. One session I lost $3,000 in under 45 minutes, never got up from table when I should have. After this I took a month off from playing and reduced my session bankroll to $2,000. When my play resumed I won 17 straight sessions and got my total back up past the $25,000 mark. Had some ups and downs since but am currently beyond this point. Reached a new high within the last week.
I'm now trying to keep my play tight in getting up from losing situations and cashing in frequently on positive ones.
One other note - I started with a bankroll of $200 three years ago. I won $300 on my first trip and have been in a positive overall poisiton ever since. Beside the one month break above I took six months off after dropping my total from $8,500 back to about $7,000 on the $10 tables. I stopped both of these times because I was not playing smart - either over confident or just sloppy.
Current total over $33,000, haven't changed anything. Better to be a dumb winner than a smart loser!
-Buzzer
