Counting while talking

[jimmtech]

I went from Hi-lo to AOII and then on ZGs suggestion went to ZEN. Its going well even though speed is not yet at Hi-lo counting speed. I can follow most fast dealers ok, but would like to take it to the next level - I would like to learn to be able to talk while counting - any suggestions on learning to do this? Slow rate on CVBJ? I'm not talking about ordering a drink, or pleasantries with the dealer or others, but keeping track of the RC, and doing TC calculations and bet sizing WHILE actually maintaining a running conversation - are there those on this board who have mastered this? Where to start?

[Canceler]

I read somewhere (maybe on the BJForum site) that if you can sing a song out loud while keeping the count, you'll be ready for anything.

[EasyRhino]

It helps to try to store the count with a different part of your mind rather than the verbal part you use to talk.

Don't "tell" yourself the count in hour head, instead try to "see" it. Hell, if you play video games, imagine a little heads up display with the count on it.

That can get you past the hump of "storing" the count while talking. But actually "computing" the count can still be trickier. No particular advice for ya there.

And of course, talking about numbers like sports scores makes it extra tricky. It often helps to focus on putting the count into cold storage before you start talking, in order to retrieve it later.

[Sonny]

There's a great article about this on Snyder's website:

http://www.blackjackforumonline.com/...nting_Tips.htm

-Sonny-

[Automatic Monkey]

Originally Posted by Canceler

I read somewhere (maybe on the BJForum site) that if you can sing a song out loud while keeping the count, you'll be ready for anything.

That's funny, because I find singing even easier than talking, when counting. Probably because you already know the song, it's preprogrammed and might not interfere as much with real-time information.

[jimmtech]

Thanks Sonny - this is exactly what I was looking for! I tried picturing the running count in my head while chanting and 6 decks took almost 5 minutes instead of 2-1/2. OMG its hard - well, back to practicing!

What a thrill it would be to annoy and distract others for a change!

[callipygian]

Practice is definitely key, but one thing that wasn't mentioned is that you will actually need a greater level of practice if you want to keep up a fake persona.

Questions such as "What do you do?" and "Where are you from?" should have rehearsed and completely false answers. Pick a persona and practice with it - a lot.

Where are you from? Pick a big city that you know reasonably well. You should at least know some major landmarks. How long have you lived there? The better you know the city, the longer you have lived there. Having only lived there a few months gives you an excuse to not having seen the Met or not knowing where the Staples Center is. What do you do? Pick a profession that is roughly equal to your betting level. CFO's of midsized corporations don't play nickels, and librarians don't bet purple chips. Create little details about your life and always have a few funny stories to tell.

Ask yourself these questions and tell yourself these stories over and over again. And by over and over again, I mean hundreds of times. If you get bored with it, embellish the story and try again. Practice manouvering the conversation towards your 2-3 stock stories: "You're from Buffalo? I was just there for a power plant inspection last year. You wouldn't believe what I found in the ventilation duct ..." or "You think that's bad luck? The worst luck in my life happened right before this big meeting with the CFO ..."

If you're unimaginative, or if you're a bad liar, you can always start off by stealing your friend's persona. Think of an old friend, someone who has no connection to you and just pretend you're him. Tell the stories your friend repeats all the time; act like he would.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by jimmtech

OMG its hard - well, back to practicing!

That’s the spirit! The more you practice, the sooner you’ll get there. It’s just a matter of doing as little “thinking” as possible while counting the cards. The less you have to think about, the less distractions you will have from your conversation. Most of the cards should cancel out so you shouldn’t have to do much counting. You recently switched systems so it might take a while to get a feel for the new card values. Occasionally you will have to adjust the RC by 1 or 2, but most of the time there should be some sort of cancellation happening. If you practice before your sessions and keep everything fresh in your mind then you shouldn’t have to do much thinking for the TC conversions or bet sizes either. It should just come naturally.

Right now your talking is interrupting your thinking, which is screwing up your counting. With enough practice it will happen the other way around. Your counting will almost be on auto-pilot. Only occasionally will you have to interrupt your conversation to think, “Okay, the TC is…3. Bet two greens and a red (or whatever).” That split second of thought (okay, maybe 1-2 seconds ) is usually all it takes. The rest is just like remembering your multiplication tables – it just comes to you without any thought or calculations.

-Sonny-

[EDIT – I see callipygian beat me to the punch. As he said, have everything worked out before you go so that you don’t have to think about it.]

[mdlbj]

Perfect.. When I first started out, I would see the running count in a big white number with a neon blue outline floating in front of me...Dont know why, but it was the best way I could use to carry on a convo and not loose the count.

Originally Posted by EasyRhino

It helps to try to store the count with a different part of your mind rather than the verbal part you use to talk.

Don't "tell" yourself the count in hour head, instead try to "see" it. Hell, if you play video games, imagine a little heads up display with the count on it.

That can get you past the hump of "storing" the count while talking. But actually "computing" the count can still be trickier. No particular advice for ya there.

And of course, talking about numbers like sports scores makes it extra tricky. It often helps to focus on putting the count into cold storage before you start talking, in order to retrieve it later.

[callipygian]

Originally Posted by mdlbj

When I first started out, I would see the running count in a big white number with a neon blue outline floating in front of me

Synesthesia? Or intentional visualization?