Some do's & dont's

[matt21]

in recent weeks i have had the chance to observe several counters in their play. I have actually only talked with one of these, but from their playing style it was obvious that they were counters (does it take one to know one? lol)

IMHO i did think these people made several mistakes and i thought i list them here as a tip for people looking to learn:

1. Sitting next to a counter and wonging in and wonging out for several consecutive shoes - this is extremely bad since your betting will most likely strongly correlate with the original counter's betting ramp - and is much more likley to draw heat. Secondly the original counter will get extremely pissed for eating through all the negative cards just so that you can start betting during positive counts. You should particularly avoid this if the original counter is (physically) bigger than you.
2. Dont overbet. bet within your bankroll or will quickly go bust. if you dont have a big bankroll then you cant bet big. tough but true.
3. You need to keep a log of your results - it's not enough just to keep a rough thought of how you are performing over days, weeks, months.
4. dont let negative variance impact your objectivity. if you continue betting high when the count has already gone down then you are simply chasing and gambling.
5. develop an understanding of your expected win rate, your standard deviation, your ROR - it appears that many people dont actually know a good game from a bad game, nor understand the impact of number of players at the table or number of hands played per hour.
6. if a group of you are going to count together then dont all count at the same table since you are significantly increasing your ROR. A few weeks ago i saw two buddies playing together for hours on end and they were getting wiped out because the dealer was running hot. it will be better for you to play at seperate tables or at different times.
7. dont break into another counter's game. that's just damn rude.

[creeping panther]

Originally Posted by matt21

in recent weeks i have had the chance to observe several counters in their play. I have actually only talked with one of these, but from their playing style it was obvious that they were counters (does it take one to know one? lol)

IMHO i did think these people made several mistakes and i thought i list them here as a tip for people looking to learn:

1. Sitting next to a counter and wonging in and wonging out for several consecutive shoes - this is extremely bad since your betting will most likely strongly correlate with the original counter's betting ramp - and is much more likley to draw heat. Secondly the original counter will get extremely pissed for eating through all the negative cards just so that you can start betting during positive counts. You should particularly avoid this if the original counter is (physically) bigger than you.
2. Dont overbet. bet within your bankroll or will quickly go bust. if you dont have a big bankroll then you cant bet big. tough but true.
3. You need to keep a log of your results - it's not enough just to keep a rough thought of how you are performing over days, weeks, months.
4. dont let negative variance impact your objectivity. if you continue betting high when the count has already gone down then you are simply chasing and gambling.
5. develop an understanding of your expected win rate, your standard deviation, your ROR - it appears that many people dont actually know a good game from a bad game, nor understand the impact of number of players at the table or number of hands played per hour.
6. if a group of you are going to count together then dont all count at the same table since you are significantly increasing your ROR. A few weeks ago i saw two buddies playing together for hours on end and they were getting wiped out because the dealer was running hot. it will be better for you to play at seperate tables or at different times.
7. dont break into another counter's game. that's just damn rude.

Matt,
Great post as usual.

You win the POM! Come to the "BASH" and pick up your $100.

All excellent points.

Hope all is well.

CP

[matt21]

Originally Posted by creeping panther

Matt,
Great post as usual.

You win the POM! Come to the "BASH" and pick up your $100.

Hi CP!
Thanks for your comment.
What's POM?
And will i seriously get $100 if i come to the bash?

[shadroch]

POM is CPs award for Post of the Month, something he seems to give out on a daily basis.

[creeping panther]

Originally Posted by shadroch

POM is CPs award for Post of the Month, something he seems to give out on a daily basis.

, so soon you will get yours

There are just so many great posts here that sometimes there are more than one a month!

Wong should have that problem.

CP

[creeping panther]

Originally Posted by matt21

Hi CP!
Thanks for your comment.
What's POM?
And will i seriously get $100 if i come to the bash?

If you make the BASH you will be officially inducted into the MMOA and be bestowed upon, forthwith and forever more, all rights and priviledges of the MMOA BJ Brotherhood, and in some cases Sisterhood, or in the case of both the "BJ Hood", with special clothing and the secret coat of arms.

And now, if after all of that you still want the $100, I'll spring for it!

CP

[blackchipjim]

That was a good post with alot good points that all us should put in our mental files if we don't already. I consider some aps slobs when it comes to busting a table or drawing heat. I can't count how many times a wonger is backcounting only to have me slid another bet out to block his entrance. It's just rude and inconsiderate to jump into a game that you know has a ap at it already. The conunters I know and they know me and we stay away from each other and the tables that the other guy is working. It's comical at times when a guy was about to sit down and pulls away when he recognizes the other. I guess it wouldn't matter if you are a stranger to the casino and just visiting on a junket. blackchipjim