30 minute play time limit

I am a newbie, been playing BJ casually for about a year (maybe went about 50 times total), and try to play the Basic Strategy consistently.

I don't have much time to play but do usually have about 30 minutes to spare a couple of times per week during my lunch hour to play at a local casino. I play for fun, and am by no means a serious player. So, how's this for a voodoo strategy (forgive me if this type of "strategy" has been discussed ad nauseum already):

I play the Basic Strategy, my bet would be $10 consistently, and my bankroll is $200. Since my play time is limited, I play until either (a) I am up $50 or (b) the 30 minutes is up. I tried it today, and left after 10 minutes as I was up $50 at that point.

Does this strategy gives me some sort of advantage that I wouldn't otherwise have by not having a "get up and leave after X minutes" rule?

Would I increase my odds of success if I decreased/increased my bankroll?

Basic strategy is designed to help you lose less. Even using perfect BS, which few people do, , you are playing a negative game. Why would increasing or decreasing your BR change that? Or timing your play?

Because you are not playing with an advantage, any strategy that gets you to play less will make you more successful, since you'll lose less money.

So reduce the time you're playing, and your win limit, as far as you can, ideally to zero.

Doing any different, you're paying the casino for your fun, so do whatever maximizes your entertainment while minimizing the amount you're actually playing.

Thanks Shadroch and johndoe for your quick and sensible answers. I guess I'll bet the minimum from now on and continue to play on the basis that I'm paying for the entertainment, without any voodoo delusions

wonging

Hey gantz, if you learn to count and wong in with limited time that you have you would profit greatly from it.

Thanks blackchipjim, but unfortunately where I live all the casinos are all CSMs. I don't think I have the patience to learn how to count, let alone learn how to count well enough to beat a CSM

Why bother to play at all then? I disagree. If he's winning he should keep on playing. I don't see where going to a casino and not playing is any fun at all, but to each his own I guess.

And good entertainment it shall be, with perfect BS and strict betting and time limits, you'll leave a winner a significant minority of the time.

Even though you are at a disadvantage, if you want to play for entertainment purposes, it is cheap fun. With basic strategy, depending on the rules, the house edge should be less than 0.5%. That means that betting $10 per hand, you will lose an average of $5 every hundred hands. If you play 30 minutes at a full table, you might play 30 hands per session. That means your average loss per session will be just $1.50. If you continue to go to the casino 50 times per year, you only expect to pay them $75 for your year of weekly entertainment. If you are leaving when you get a $50 win, you will play fewer hands overall and your expected loss will be even smaller.

Why bother? Good question! As he's playing purely for entertainment, he should play the minimum possible, and at lowest stakes possible, for whatever entertainment value is derived.

Whether he's winning or not at any given time is, of course, irrelevant. He's not playing a winning (or winnable) game.

I've been playing basic strategy only, no counting, since Aug 09, my bankroll started at 5 grand. I play $50 hands, till I win $200.00, then I walk. Some days I've had to play for 6+ hrs, then some days I've played 4 hands.
I'm building my bankroll, til I can make $500.00 bets, and walk at $2000.00.
Now playing 4-5 days a week, I don't know too many people who can't live off $1000.00 take home cash a week.
Play what makes you comfortable, and what your bankroll can sustain.
Most of all don't get greedy, casinos love greedy players.

Hi I try to do more less same as you,, could you please tell me or send a private message, what was your maximum down point?Did you always leave as a winner? Do you change tables?, best regards, Eugene

Hi, Yes I always leave a winner. I try to stay at the same table, if need be, with a run of bad cards, I'll play a second hand, sit out a few hands, and lower my bets for a while,

Right, just playing BS...I was born at night, but not last night.:joker:

Yes, only BJ, I don't play any other tables, ever!
I love BJ, and I'm only there for the money, once I win I'm out of the casino, until the next day.
And yes only basic strategy. First you have to have a bankroll that can sustain some loosing time at the table.
And it take a great amount of discipline to only bet the max amount your bankroll can cover in the long run.
along with afew other self thoughtout views of how I should play the game, for me, it's working out great.

With all respect and courtesy, I've seen gamblers just like you countless times. So please don't take this as a jab, but as a helpful warning.

The worst possible thing that can happen to you is that you start out running lucky -- as you undoubtedly have. It leads you to believe that winning at gambling is just a matter of money management. Eventually though, the hammer falls, but because of past successes, you won't figure out that you're playing a losing game until you've lost several times your initial winnings.

You're not the first person trying to cross that bridge that way. Multitudes have preceeded you -- and they're all in the water. Please take heed!

Thanks for your reply, that's the exact reason I joined this site. is to learn from others, and apply that wisdom to my game.
Trust me I am not delusional, I know I will have loses. However I plan on minimizing them by applying stict playing discipline.
I guess my main point was, that you have the right to leave the table whenever you want. I always leave a winner, so far.
Don't get greedy, set win stop limits, according to your bankroll, the bigger your bankroll, the more you can bet, the more you can win, and lose if your not a disciplined player. ( i know i will still lose from time to time)
I really don't want to start preaching here. I know I don't know all there is to succeed at this profession, but you can't just apply bj statistics and mathamatics. You also have to apply common sense, and some smart business decisions.

A smart business decision like analyzing your game before you play and realizing that the math alone tells you that you will lose your money no matter when you stop or start.

Think of the game as one long infinite blackjack shoe. You can come in and out of it as many times as you want whenever you want, but if the house has an edge on you, you will lose. No betting scheme will get around that, unless you're betting big when you have an advantage on them.

It would seam to me your a looser at this game.
Alot of negitivity in your reply, blinds you from seeing the fact that I admit I will have loses, You can't accept the fact that maybe I have more common sense than you. To walk away a winner more times than a looser. (because of greed) which I don't have! Maybe you have an overabondance of greed. Cause from what I've seen and heard, thats the main downfall of most players, counters or non.
And as far as card counting goes, I'm not ruling that out from my future play, however it seams to me from what I hear from counters is that by having an "advantage" over the house means you know what the dealers holdcard is and you know what the next card will be, get a grip.
Tell you what, when I have a lose of 1% of my onhand bankroll for the day, I send you my nut cup.

Wow, are you ever ignorant. AT least by "staying within your bankroll" you will be able to play for a bit longer than if you bet more, and get a bit more entertainment value out of your money.
What he is trying to say is that instead of going 5 times per week and winning 200 dollars each time, why don't you just go 1 time and win 1000 dollars? Oh I know, because by going and trying to win 200 each time, you can live in your wonderland for longer, thinking that you have the casino by the balls. So 1000 dollars a day is maybe too greedy. Too bad its the exact same as going 5 different times and trying to win 1000 total. The cards don't know what day it is! Before you play every sinlge hand, you are betting money with a negative expectation. Sooner or later if you play long enough, you will lose. This is how the casinos make money. So keep doing what your doing, so that I can maybe come and take your money back from the casino someday using legitimate and proven advantage playing techniques.