About a girl.

[cocoboo]

I'm VERY interested in learning how to play CORRECTLY (counting, splitting etc)

I'm a girl and I feel so scared to ACTUALLY play in a casino for fear of
loosing any hard earned money.

Does anyone have any suggestions to bridge me over my fear?

My husband would love it if I took a seat next to him when he plays.

Does anyone have any suggestions as were were I can go (learn) so I can "feel" like a pro?

I'm open to learning, but I'm a VERY slow learner.

I feel this is THE game for me but I just want to play it right and hardly ever loose

Am I dreaming?

[rookie789]

CocoBoo,

We would all love to hardly ever lose but unfortunately the rules of Blackjack dictate we will lose over time. Even if you count cards 100% accurately and play perfect basic strategy you're advantage over the house is a small percentage margin and you need a bankroll that will allow you to raise your bet substancially when the count is in your favor. If you're not willing to raise your bet maybe 10 fold when the count dictates I would suggest you sit to your husbands right at the table, let him advise you as you learn, set a limit on how much you're willing to lose and just have fun. If winning money at blackjack was easy the game would not exist in casinos.

[Mikeaber]

Advice given in the previous post is not bad.....sit beside someone you trust and let the coach you. However, take some of the weight off of your friend first. Get a set of strategy cards and study them. Whether you count or not, knowing Basic Strategy is essential. Get a couple of decks of cards or a software simulator that lets you play against the computer as the dealer and just play. The simulators will tell you if you are getting ready to make a mistake and within a few hours of practice, you'll be making the correct plays most of the time and it will improve even more as you gain experience.

There really is no "instant" way to learn...you just have to commit and then dive in and get it done. We've all had to take that first step but learning the Strategy is paramount BEFORE you actually put money on the table.

I seem to be repeating myself don't I?

You can get the strategy cards at a this site (Look under Strategy Engine). You can practice here on this site with the strategy-trainer. I would suggest concentrating on the 6-deck game since that is the one that seems to be most popular.

Originally Posted by cocoboo

I'm VERY interested in learning how to play CORRECTLY (counting, splitting etc)

I'm a girl and I feel so scared to ACTUALLY play in a casino for fear of
loosing any hard earned money.

Does anyone have any suggestions to bridge me over my fear?

My husband would love it if I took a seat next to him when he plays.

Does anyone have any suggestions as were were I can go (learn) so I can "feel" like a pro?

I'm open to learning, but I'm a VERY slow learner.

I feel this is THE game for me but I just want to play it right and hardly ever loose

Am I dreaming?

[BAMA21]

I agree with the others. There is no easy road to learning; and there is no strategy or system that will put you in a position of being able to say with any certainty that you win "most of the time" or "hardly ever lose." I win a good bit more often than I lose, but my losses tend to be bigger than my wins. Over the long haul, I am ahead significantly; but I do still have to occasionally wake my wife in the hotel room when I come in at 3:00 AM and tell her that I dropped a thousand dollars tonight.

I'd love it if my wife would play with me, but only if she'd really enjoy it too, not just if she'd do it for me. She is incredibly smart; and actually is VERY good with numbers. She works in a technical field and had a degree in accounting and worked as a financial analyst for some time. But for some reason, when you lay two cards in front of her in a live casino setting, she freezes up and can't add them together.

I think your best bet is pretty much what the others here suggested. Try to learn basic strategy before you go, which will cut down on the house edge a good bit. Then let your huisband coach you on the finer points of the game as you play.

[colin563]

Check out http://bj21.com/gamemaster/gamemaste...icsindex.shtml
is a excellant read, you will most of things there that you will find in most of the blackjack books that are out there, with Fred Renzeys Blackjack Bluebook II being a excellant read as well, covering the stuff in-between bs and the hi lo count etc

Take care and be lucky

Cheers

Colin

[E-town-guy]

I think everyone is assuming her husband knows perfect Basic Strategy and isn't one of those people who think they know what they're doing and don't need a book or strategy card.

My advice is the same as everyone else's but show the basic strategy card to your husband and learn/work on it together. Chances are, unless he's studied the game before he'll be in for some surprises on what to do on certain hands. You can use the strategy engine to create a card for the game you play most often or purchase one that covers the most popular rules, both can be done on this website.