lazy friends

mica

Active Member
#1
howdy

I often play with a friend that knows I count. my friend has played BJ a lot longer than me...but is a recreational player who never made much money until he started increasing his bets when he sees me increase mine.

I don't mind him making money ...but it bothers me a little that he has no interest in contributing some energy that would benefit us both. I suggested that he keep track of aces....he managed that with the use if his chips...UNTIL he "needed" to use chips from the "ace" stack!

other pros and cons: I am female..sitting w
a male
keeps predatory males away...cons: this guy likes to talk a lot... sometimes to the point of distracting me from good counting..

I wish I could meet AP's that I could count on!

btw....not really looking for a solution here...just venting a little and wondering if others have had similar experiences?

mica
 

FLASH1296

Well-Known Member
#2

If he raises his bets in concert with yours you are making it easy for the pit to decide that they have no need for your business.

Also, do NOT keep a stack of chips to track anything — a poor idea.
 

mica

Active Member
#3
thanks!

busted again! I continue to reveal how new I am and how much I need to learn about this business.

not using chips to count aces or anything seems an obvious no no in hind site!

at least they weren't my chips!

also hadn't thought about the possible detriment to
me of friend raising bet when I do...security cameras could easily see that he looks at my bet before placing his chips in the circle.

I am learning so much here...I hope I can be a mentor to others in the future.....there is so much more than counting cards involved in this business!

thanks lots!
 

LovinItAll

Well-Known Member
#4
FLASH1296 said:

If he raises his bets in concert with yours you are making it easy for the pit to decide that they have no need for your business.

This is an interesting point, and one that I've thought about quite a bit. When I frequented a very small number of casinos, I would invariably see the same players on the same nights (the weekend/twice a month player, etc.). If a table had 4+ players, VERY OFTEN half or more of the players were increasing their bets at the same time. Many [Edit: ..seemed to be increasng their bets because others were increasing their bets, but they...] were not increasing their bets with a large enough spread to gain an advantage over the house, though. I've never seen anyone backed off for this, but I'm sure it must happen.

@Flash: You're right of course, but if her friend is just a recreational player who would rather not lose and is satisfied with playing break-even BJ, he can manipulate his bets along with her with a smaller spread and I think they'll be okay. I posted about this in another thread, as I have a friend who is the same way - he doesn't want to play a losing game, but he doesn't care anything about maximizing EV at the BJ table.
 

yesiamred

Well-Known Member
#5
not using chips to count aces or anything seems an obvious no no in hind site!

Mica, Try using your feet to count aces...yes, even 6-8 decks...various positions indicate the count.
I never, ever ever play with a friend, I always travel and play alone. ..this is money we're talking about.
There is so much information on this forum...search, read, ask and practice. Best of luck to you
 

mica

Active Member
#6
short legs!

using feet to keep track of aces is a great idea! ....unless you r 5"3 and your feet dont reach the ground on a BJ stool! the "handicap accessible" table would work but most people are betting really small there and my play might get more attention than wanted. really hope I haven't offended any handicapped players ....certainly not intended...,and the low bets at that table might just be the norm in my area..

i welcome other suggestions for ways to remember side counts....it is an area I need help and practice in.

thx
 

FLASH1296

Well-Known Member
#8

I have always used the alphabet — appending letters sequentially to the count.

You need to learn that D, H, L, etc. are the 4th, 8th, 12th, etc. ACES.

Naturally, there are four Aces per deck; and surplus/deficit aces per deck is what you are measuring.

This lets you fairly easily incorporate an Ace Side-Count.
 

mica

Active Member
#9
A,B,C's are a great idea for tracking aces. thx!

FLASH1296 said:

I have always used the alphabet — appending letters sequentially to the count.

You need to learn that D, H, L, etc. are the 4th, 8th, 12th, etc. ACES.

Naturally, there are four Aces per deck; and surplus/deficit aces per deck is what you are measuring.

This lets you fairly easily incorporate an Ace Side-Count.
sounds like a great plan...i will start practicing in the morning
 

Midwestern

Well-Known Member
#11
21forme said:
If you are 5'3, you should scout for flashing dealers. I'd love to be 5'3 at times :grin:
some more advice for you mica since you're a newbie: this does NOT mean that you flash the dealer and hope they mess up.

we want the HOLE CARDS to be exposed, not anything else.
 

Dyepaintball12

Well-Known Member
#12
Him raising his bets along with you is going to greatly increase his variance. Card Counting works because you play a lot of hours to hit the long run, but if he is only playing a little he may be in for some rough times.
 

mica

Active Member
#14
Lol!!

Midwestern said:
some more advice for you mica since you're a newbie: this does NOT mean that you flash the dealer and hope they mess up.

we want the HOLE CARDS to be exposed, not anything else.
I love u guys! not only smart....but funny too!

thx

mica
 
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