Funny story

[Dyepaintball12]

So yesterday I was playing poker with some kids in my dorm ( I go to Michigan State University) and we started talking about Casino games and which have the best odds for the player.

I brought up counting in Blackjack when someone said Craps had the best odds, and he said that yeah but you have to be super smart to count.

I assured him you did not need to be that smart necessarily, and he then assured me that counting and memorizing every single card and its value as it came out is not easy. I agreed, and said its a good thing that you dont do that, and me and another kid told him that you assign values to cards and thats how you count.

He went on to explain that we used the simple method and not the real method, and then tried to convince us the MIT kids used the "real" method of keeping track of every card that came out of the deck. I told him he was just not right, but he started to get angry so I left it alone

[rogue1]

they're out there Sculley.

[LeonShuffle]

I've had stuff like that happen. You'd feel like a jackass saying, "Look, I'm an expert on this. I know what I'm talking about", but that's what I feel like saying.

I once had a guy I worked with telling me that counting cards only works if everyone at the table is doing it!

[ihate17]

Take this as you will, but since you are in college, I can safely guess that I have been an advantage player for more years than you have been on this earth.
So your friends believe you need to be "Rainman" or some kind of genetic freak in order to be able to effectively count cards. That also means that no matter what you might tell them of your ability at the blackjack tables, they will always take it with a grain of salt or go to the extreme of thinking you are just some kind of adicted gambler telling lies.

I come from a family that has had 3 generations of counters and 4 generations of casino employees, so within it they know that counting is real and not that hard, but outside of my very different family, I have learned to not share much. People I work with and good friends generally are told nothing by me about advantage play, they just do not want to understand or understand and draw wrong conclusions about you and your character.

The problem for many of us is that it is just part of being human that when you are really good at something you want your friends, workmates and family to know about it. You want recognition but you will probably get much more misunderstanding.

So where do we get that recognition. We sometimes get it from our peers. Stuff like the blackjack ball or on forums like this, with people who do understand. I know long term counters whose wives or husbands do not quite get it.

So let your friends think whatever they want. In actuality you do not want the world over-populated with cardcounters, it would just make it harder than it already is to find a good game.

ihate17

[Snowman75]

I think it really depends on who you are talking to. While I agree that in general its probably better just to state an opinion (eg. I believe BJ is best 'cause u can play for hours before losing your money and in the meantime have lots of fun) and forget about discussing with most people, however if you have a best friend that knows BS but nothing about counting (plus is a little smart) then I believe he will listen.

Just the other day I was having coffee with a good friend and we discussed casinos in Greece. He told me how he learned BS and on a 1st attempt went from $20 to $300. I told him he could improve by using Ace/10 count or a simple counting strategy like KISS I and he was very open and interested.

If the other person doesn't have a clue about casinos and BS then he probably won't listen, but if BS is the only game he plays then he's ready with open ears.

[sagefr0g]

Originally Posted by ihate17

Take this as you will, but since you are in college, I can safely guess that I have been an advantage player for more years than you have been on this earth.
So your friends believe you need to be "Rainman" or some kind of genetic freak in order to be able to effectively count cards. That also means that no matter what you might tell them of your ability at the blackjack tables, they will always take it with a grain of salt or go to the extreme of thinking you are just some kind of adicted gambler telling lies.

I come from a family that has had 3 generations of counters and 4 generations of casino employees, so within it they know that counting is real and not that hard, but outside of my very different family, I have learned to not share much. People I work with and good friends generally are told nothing by me about advantage play, they just do not want to understand or understand and draw wrong conclusions about you and your character.

The problem for many of us is that it is just part of being human that when you are really good at something you want your friends, workmates and family to know about it. You want recognition but you will probably get much more misunderstanding.

So where do we get that recognition. We sometimes get it from our peers. Stuff like the blackjack ball or on forums like this, with people who do understand. I know long term counters whose wives or husbands do not quite get it.

So let your friends think whatever they want. In actuality you do not want the world over-populated with cardcounters, it would just make it harder than it already is to find a good game.

ihate17

yeah you are so right. this has been exactly my experience except i don't have anyone in my family who truly understands advantage play. when i've tryed to discuss it with family and friends it's like they just don't get it. you get that sort of blank stare and the sense that they are thinking this guy is 'way out there'.
it's like you say that it is natural for people to want to discuss their intrests and for those of us who are interested in AP there are few and far between people to talk about it with. so this is a really great site in that and many other regards.

[Snowman75]

I went to a friend's house for some friendly card playing. We played Texas hold'em and then Blackjack. We drew cards to see who would be the 1st dealer and I got it It was funny 'cause it was 4 decks and we went to the end of the deck. Penetration doesn't get any better. As a dealer I made a killing as I saw really stupid plays. I tried to help them but they wouldn't list. Stand 13 vs 8, not doubling 10 vs 9 or 9 vs 6, etc. Even my collegue who was sitting next to me would not listen and he knows that I know BS better than the palm of my hand. His excuse was "We're just having fun". Its funny how people resort to this excuse. The truth is if their just having fun why are they standing on 14 vs my 8.... :D

[ScottH]

Originally Posted by Snowman75

I went to a friend's house for some friendly card playing. We played Texas hold'em and then Blackjack. We drew cards to see who would be the 1st dealer and I got it It was funny 'cause it was 4 decks and we went to the end of the deck. Penetration doesn't get any better. As a dealer I made a killing as I saw really stupid plays. I tried to help them but they wouldn't list. Stand 13 vs 8, not doubling 10 vs 9 or 9 vs 6, etc. Even my collegue who was sitting next to me would not listen and he knows that I know BS better than the palm of my hand. His excuse was "We're just having fun". Its funny how people resort to this excuse. The truth is if their just having fun why are they standing on 14 vs my 8.... :D

Hopefully you were playing for money. You would have a huge advantage as both the dealer and player in that situation.