Here are all the comments posted on the site, with the most recent discussions listed first.
To participate in any of these discussions, you can reply on the article page.
Do this Hi-Lo indexes apply with the European blackjack rules??
(no peek, dealer stands at soft 17, double any 2 cards, double after splits, no surrender, 4/6/8 decks)
Yes, the index numbers will be fine for a European no-peek game, with one adjustment: Ignore any index that has you doubling or splitting against a dealer ten or Ace.
Read a book called ” Against the Gods”. It is a well documented book on the history of risk including casino games. One of the points that has stuck with me is………the longer you play blackjack the higher the percentage of losing comes your way. A good read.
Time is a factor in the equation. It helped me to understand why when you look on the faces of people at a blackjack table it is almost always the same.
With a large enough spread you can beat virtually any game. So yes, you could beat a 6:5 single deck game with counting. Just remember that you won’t have the edge at a 6:5 game until the true count reaches approximately +4. There are easier games to beat.
I have another question: My local casino has deep shoe penetration, and often the games are $3-$1000.
The Single deck game is usually 10-300, with BJ paying 6:5. I don’t have a large roll and would rather be aggressive in my betting, rather than grind a game for 7 dollars an hour. Does it make any sense to play the single deck and wait for larger counts and bet big, (wouldn’t the single deck count have much less variance for aggressive betting?)
I have not run any numbers on counting 6:5 games, as I can always find something much better. But off the top of my head, I can’t imagine that the 6:5 single deck would compare well at all with the deeply dealt shoe game. You dismiss a $7/hr grind, but with a small bankroll you’re going to be facing that kind of a situation regardless. Building a bank from a small start is a slow process, and not a smooth one at all.
As for the variance, it will not be much lower in the single deck, despite 6:5 cutting it a bit. (Probably from 1.15 to 1.13 or so)
In response to all those that believe in 3rd base player effects…
Aside from it being complete rubbish, let us also not forget that focusing on Billy Nobrains’ poor decision-making and how it affected your hand also actually distracts you from your strategy, count and bet sizing.
I’m a relatively successful market trader and investor and have seen many similarities in psychology….maintaining a cool head under stress, not blaming bad luck on anything (except perhaps your own analysis), focusing on longterm results, understanding past errors, and knowing when to stop trading after a bad run.
However, two of the most important skills I’ve learnt is to always look ahead after taking a loss, and to ignore market noise.
Other than the count, disregard all other players hands. Learn to forget your losses quickly so that you’re able to immediately focus on the next round of betting.
If your unit is $10, a 1-6 spread means betting from $10 to $60. Bet $10 at negative counts, zero counts, and probably at +1 also depending on the game. At +2 start ramping up until you reach your top bet of $60 at a true count of +5. There are a couple of lessons in the school that delve deeply into how to determine an optimal bet ramp. But as long as you stick to the simple approach I just described, you’ll be fine.
BJ player.
Casino’s put out basic strategy cards because they know it will attract people to play. $1.50 for the card, $20, $40 sit at the table. Just because people have them doesn’t mean they will use them correctly. If they have a hunch or gut feeling or have seen lots of low or high cards come out, they will go with their gut and ignore the card. You just have to remember 2 things. 1. Don’t get mad. They’re only there for a bit of fun. 2 PLAY YOUR GAME. Their decision doesn’t effect your play. GL. a5teve.
This is silly. the same stupid moves those players make can easily benefit you. You just pay more attention to when these players hurt you then when they help you.
I played in North Cyprus the last fortnight and the pros considered the Rocks to the best place to play. It is a fair game with a notch in the shoe to give a decent penetration. 75% even. There are 2 hand shuffle tables at $10 minimum and $25 minimum. These go up during the weekends to a $25 minimum.
If you play here you will be eligible to eat at the restaurant which has a very very decent buffet. The downside is the smoking but in North Cyprus this is the norm. Its worse in the Rocks because of its low ceilings. There are a lot of junkets that come here and the casino are playing to the tune. Counters are easily identified. The table maximum on the $10 table is $200 but its easily over come with a horizontal spread.
Do this Hi-Lo indexes apply with the European blackjack rules??
(no peek, dealer stands at soft 17, double any 2 cards, double after splits, no surrender, 4/6/8 decks)
Yes, the index numbers will be fine for a European no-peek game, with one adjustment: Ignore any index that has you doubling or splitting against a dealer ten or Ace.
In blackjack if you are dealt 5 cards under 21 do you automatically win the hand?
No. The “5-card Charlie” rule is not part of normal casino blackjack.
Read a book called ” Against the Gods”. It is a well documented book on the history of risk including casino games. One of the points that has stuck with me is………the longer you play blackjack the higher the percentage of losing comes your way. A good read.
Time is a factor in the equation. It helped me to understand why when you look on the faces of people at a blackjack table it is almost always the same.
What about if you count? Can the deep penetration in a single deck games make up for it?
With a large enough spread you can beat virtually any game. So yes, you could beat a 6:5 single deck game with counting. Just remember that you won’t have the edge at a 6:5 game until the true count reaches approximately +4. There are easier games to beat.
Thanks….
I have another question: My local casino has deep shoe penetration, and often the games are $3-$1000.
The Single deck game is usually 10-300, with BJ paying 6:5. I don’t have a large roll and would rather be aggressive in my betting, rather than grind a game for 7 dollars an hour. Does it make any sense to play the single deck and wait for larger counts and bet big, (wouldn’t the single deck count have much less variance for aggressive betting?)
I have not run any numbers on counting 6:5 games, as I can always find something much better. But off the top of my head, I can’t imagine that the 6:5 single deck would compare well at all with the deeply dealt shoe game. You dismiss a $7/hr grind, but with a small bankroll you’re going to be facing that kind of a situation regardless. Building a bank from a small start is a slow process, and not a smooth one at all.
As for the variance, it will not be much lower in the single deck, despite 6:5 cutting it a bit. (Probably from 1.15 to 1.13 or so)
Your information is invaluable, and I am deeply grateful. And I might bug you for years to come 🙂
i dont understand the charts, please help, im a total begginer
To understand the charts, start at our Moteur de stratégie, and read the instructions for the strategy cards.
ohhh, thanks a lot
In response to all those that believe in 3rd base player effects…
Aside from it being complete rubbish, let us also not forget that focusing on Billy Nobrains’ poor decision-making and how it affected your hand also actually distracts you from your strategy, count and bet sizing.
I’m a relatively successful market trader and investor and have seen many similarities in psychology….maintaining a cool head under stress, not blaming bad luck on anything (except perhaps your own analysis), focusing on longterm results, understanding past errors, and knowing when to stop trading after a bad run.
However, two of the most important skills I’ve learnt is to always look ahead after taking a loss, and to ignore market noise.
Other than the count, disregard all other players hands. Learn to forget your losses quickly so that you’re able to immediately focus on the next round of betting.
If your unit is $10, a 1-6 spread means betting from $10 to $60. Bet $10 at negative counts, zero counts, and probably at +1 also depending on the game. At +2 start ramping up until you reach your top bet of $60 at a true count of +5. There are a couple of lessons in the school that delve deeply into how to determine an optimal bet ramp. But as long as you stick to the simple approach I just described, you’ll be fine.
1-6 spread. Does that mean 10.00 for every true count? True 2,10,true 3,20,true4,30. Is that how you do the spread? Thanx for your time
BJ player.
Casino’s put out basic strategy cards because they know it will attract people to play. $1.50 for the card, $20, $40 sit at the table. Just because people have them doesn’t mean they will use them correctly. If they have a hunch or gut feeling or have seen lots of low or high cards come out, they will go with their gut and ignore the card. You just have to remember 2 things. 1. Don’t get mad. They’re only there for a bit of fun. 2 PLAY YOUR GAME. Their decision doesn’t effect your play. GL. a5teve.
This is silly. the same stupid moves those players make can easily benefit you. You just pay more attention to when these players hurt you then when they help you.
I hate people who complain about them.
I played in North Cyprus the last fortnight and the pros considered the Rocks to the best place to play. It is a fair game with a notch in the shoe to give a decent penetration. 75% even. There are 2 hand shuffle tables at $10 minimum and $25 minimum. These go up during the weekends to a $25 minimum.
If you play here you will be eligible to eat at the restaurant which has a very very decent buffet. The downside is the smoking but in North Cyprus this is the norm. Its worse in the Rocks because of its low ceilings. There are a lot of junkets that come here and the casino are playing to the tune. Counters are easily identified. The table maximum on the $10 table is $200 but its easily over come with a horizontal spread.