What is so important about 25 seconds...

[blackjack avenger]

starting somewhere

30 for one card at a time and I think 15 seconds for fanning a deck. Then 2 & 3 card combinations. Each of these drills need to be done for 10 straight decks. Also, one could place cards on a table and practice scanning. Finally, all drills could be done while being distracted. Thirty seconds is just a convenient number, a more applicable number would be 26. These are just suggestions, the idea is to make practice hard and overlearn for preparing for the distracting casino environment.

Just tag recognition of the A and then 5 would be the place to start and then add cards with competency. Once one is competent with card recognition of a full deck then they can start counting.

Whether you flip or fan the cards one must start with card tag recognition before one can count. Then the above earlier post would apply.

Shortcuts are possible, it's only money.

The quick flip and count is valuable because often one only gets
a quick flash of a card.

After the above then one can start live casino practice.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

The point is that when you are counting down a deck, 100% of your attention is on the cards. When you are in a casino, your mind is occupied and annoyed by many things. You need to practice at a far higher rate than the cards appear in a casino.

To me it's a mute point. You can control the speed of the game. Please don't come back with the argument you are losing EV by the number of hands played per hour. It's fine if you want to impress someone but other wise useless.

 

[Friendo]

Just tag recognition of the A and then 5 would be the place to start and then add cards with competency.

Reminds me of the Koch method for learning Morse code: don't bother memorizing the alphabet at a slow (5WPM) pace. Just pick two letters, run drills at 35 words per minute until you have no problem hearing them. When smooth, add a third letter. Boring, but you know the entire alphabet at high speed when you're done.

 

[Lonesome Gambler]

Please don't come back with the argument you are losing EV by the number of hands played per hour.

Explain why this is not an extremely valid, important point. And again, the point is not necessarily game speed, it's that among the myriad distractions present in the casino, your playing strategy and counting ability should not be taking up valuable mental energy.

 

[Jack_Black]

To me it's a mute point. You can control the speed of the game. Please don't come back with the argument you are losing EV by the number of hands played per hour. It's fine if you want to impress someone but other wise useless.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Losing EV is useless?

 

[tthree]

To me it's a mute point.

Don't worry I won't say anything about it.

 

[Midnght Cow]

don't worry i won't say anything about it.

ha!

 

[paddywhack]

What is so important about 25 seconds...

It's more than 20 and less than 30. Works for me. :laugh:

I've also never "speed timed" counting down a deck.

 

[shadroch]

The point is that when you are counting down a deck, 100% of your attention is on the cards. When you are in a casino, your mind is occupied and annoyed by many things. You need to practice at a far higher rate than the cards appear in a casino.

Big John Tate used to ask why he had to run at 430AM. He figured that running at 800AM was just as good. He said he'd never be fighting anyone at 430Am so why train then. I wonder if he's figured it out yet.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Explain why this is not an extremely valid, important point. And again, the point is not necessarily game speed, it's that among the myriad distractions present in the casino, your playing strategy and counting ability should not be taking up valuable mental energy.

The are other things that will make you lose hands per hour. People coming and going. People paying for drinks. People playing perfect pairs. The dealer waiting for the PB to verify the PP. Once the table waited for almost 2 minutes to verify a hand of PP. If you ever played on a table with PP you will see the is the biggest slow down of the game.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Losing EV is useless?

There are to many other variables that slow down the game other then your ability to count a deck in 20 seconds vs 30 seconds. Get your computer out and figure it out. Also factor in the other distractions. Think about it. When is the last time you were playing a single deck heads ups against the dealer in warp speed. Consider warp speed less then 20 seconds.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Don't worry I won't say anything about it.

Please join in as you always have something to say. I respect your opinion.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Big John Tate used to ask why he had to run at 430AM. He figured that running at 800AM was just as good. He said he'd never be fighting anyone at 430Am so why train then. I wonder if he's figured it out yet.

Poor analogy. No comparison at all.

 

[tthree]

Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy, oh yeah speed

It is all about accuracy. Being fast is great as long as you are still accurate. I recently switched counts. I am about 33 seconds on average but hit 25 sometimes. In the casino I feel a little more speed would be better but I slow it down a little in a casino to ensure no mistakes. If I hadn't started training with an online tool that will only give you your time if you are perfect. I would be clueless about my time. time is not the important thing. When you play in a casino you can tell if you could benefit from more speed.

http://www.blackjack-drills.com/ct/

With the above trainer you can input your own tags if your count is not preprogrammed. Click custom and enter each cards point value in the tag chart.

 

[Jack_Black]

There are to many other variables that slow down the game other then your ability to count a deck in 20 seconds vs 30 seconds. Get your computer out and figure it out. Also factor in the other distractions. Think about it. When is the last time you were playing a single deck heads ups against the dealer in warp speed. Consider warp speed less then 20 seconds.

"Eye of the tiger," pfffff. You should change your screen name to "Eye of Mr. Magoo."

wtf are you talking about "less than 20 seconds?" a fast dealer can deal up to 360 hands/hr heads up.

Others on the thread have pointed out that the whole reason to count a deck down in under 30 seconds IS BECAUSE OF THE OTHER DISTRACTIONS. HERE, I'LL TYPE IN CAPS FOR THE REST OF THE POST SINCE YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE SEEING IT. 30 SECONDS IS USED AS A BASE TO DETERMINE ONE'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE COUNT WHILE BEING DISTRACTED IN THE CASINO ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU CAN COUNT IT DOWN IN UNDER 30, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE COUNT, CONVERSE WITH OTHERS, STARE AT THE HOT WAITRESS, WATCH WHAT THE PC'S ARE DOING, TAKE A SIP OF YOUR DRINK, AND ADD YOUR HAND TOTAL VS DEALER TOTAL.

 

[shadroch]

Poor analogy. No comparison at all.

As usual, you are sadly mistaken. Both cases are all about not having the proper discipline to succeed.

 

[Lowrider]

In and of itself, counting down a deck is useless, but better than nothing I suppose.

I use an iPad counting app the randomly distributes cards in different sample sets...I find it to be much more like the way you'll see cards spread at a casino. I also have a BJ sim app that among other things keeps the count for you so you can practice in near ideal casino conditions.

Holding a deck and staring down the cards is not very practical at all.

I try and watch TV at the sa,e time I'm using my ipad counting apps which is akin to the distractions in the casino.

SPEED IS EXTREMELY OVERRATED. Accuracy with good camo is the surest way to obtain a proper count.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

To each his own cup of tea. To me it does not matter. I keep count perfectly with all the distractions going on so I must be under 30 seconds. I guess it's all right if you are trying to impress someone or are a act in a circus side show. If you are doing all you say you are slowing the game down. Maybe you should keep your head straight down at the table and never move it would maybe knock off a few seconds. It's all about the accuracy. Give me that all the time rather then warp speed. That's my take.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

As usual, you are sadly mistaken. Both cases are all about not having the proper discipline to succeed.

Please explain the correlation between real speed in a live casino vs simulated speed on a machine and accuracy.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

As usual, you are sadly mistaken. Both cases are all about not having the proper discipline to succeed.

Discipline isn't what it takes to succeed. It has to be properly applied discipline. Will standing around flagellating myself like a medieval monk make me a successful AP? How about running, weightlifting?

Running in the dark is an excellent example of misapplied discipline, that you discover after stepping in a chuckhole and spending a couple of months in a cast.