Whatsmytotal said:
In Stanford Wong's 'Professional Blackjack' he writes that the most important thing for a card counter after basic strategy is varying your bets according to the count. He also says that the basic strategy variations are secondary and minor. I'd like to know if I should experiment and learn card counting by first only varying my bets based on the count, and then eventually utilizing the extra advantages offered by the BS variations.
Can someone offer betting guidelines based on the count? Thanks.
I agree with Wong. But although spreading based on the count is more important than BS variations (also called "index plays") or insurance, they are also what adds risk to the game. When we take a beating, it's always because we raised our bets on good counts just like we are supposed to, and then got those good counts shoved up our butts. If practicing at home on a computer, you can learn the different skills a counter needs in any order you find convenient. But if you want to practice in a casino with real money, I'd recommend this order.
1. Learn basic strategy cold, at home, before setting foot in a casino.
2. Find a casino with favorable rules (S17, LS, RSA, DAS, as many of those rules as available), low table limits ($5 or less) and hopefully, decent comps for table game players.
3. Spend a recreational evening at the BJ table placing minimum bets and playing basic strategy. That's all. You want to make sure you don't forget BS at the table. Keep on doing this until you never forget or misplay Basic Strategy.
4. Spend another night playing BS, counting, and taking insurance when the count is right. All you have to remember is what point to take insurance at. Do this until counting is effortless and you don't catch yourself making errors.
5. Learn the index plays a few at a time and incorporate them into your play. At this point you can also start with a small spread. Maybe a 1:2 spread, and practice Wonging out (escaping bad counts by walking away from the table) too. Once you get to this point you are usually playing with a very small advantage, so consider all the education you get from here on to be free, plus comps.
Once you can do all this, you are ready to start attacking a game with a full spread up to what your bankroll can handle. The reason I give this advice in an order that seems backwards in order of importance is: if you are freezing up on Basic Strategy in a real money game (as many players do) or frequently forgetting the count, reversing the count, etc., it doesn't make any sense to go after a game with a 1:20 spread because you can lose a lot of money that way. And putting down a lot of money without knowing the index plays puts those big bets at a bigger risk and there's no reason a novice should be exposed to that when learning. Learning the game in this manner might cost you $50-$100 in EV, which is a hell of a bargain because unlike books and software it will make sure that you are able to apply your skills in the casino where it counts.
