Basic Strategy

[BlackjackWichita]

Does anyone out there play just BS with good consistent success. If so how, win max and loss max with betting style appreciated. Comments?

[rookie789]

Blackjack is a negative expectation game even when playing perfect basic strategy not considering comps and coupons which may or may not level the field to an extent. The odds are in the casinos favor even if you use BS which is not to say you may have a winning session or sessions but over the long haul the house will win.

Using a counting system accurately can give you a slight advantage with a positive expectation but you must be prepared to have a large bankroll and the fortitude to increase your bet multi-fold with the count in your favor even though the dealer may catch the 2 face cards or blackjack instead of you.

Utilizing basic strategy is a good way for a recreational player to limit losses, extend playing sessions and occasionaly come home and brag about their winnings. I suggest you purchase one or more books available at blackjackinfo.com's store, I'm sure if you email Ken Smith he would be happy to recommend the book or books most appropriate.

[newyorkbear]

I expect I'll catch some flak for this,and know anyone can make any claim on a website, but using near perfect BS with adjustments for some of the "fab 18"and a generous amount of match play,free play and promo chips,I have had fairly good success since 2001.Counting the comps I've recieved,I am quite successful.
I used to use a slight positive progressive betting system,recently have used Oscars Grind(walking away from negative decks).
My last trip to Vegas I tried the OPP card counting method. It's quite easy to use,depending on the dealer.
My main problems with hi-lo was that-1)I found it mentally fatigueing after about two hours,2)could not both socialize and count, and 3)playing in AC at $15 tables,I didn't have the proper BR to be jumping my bets 5 or more times when the count was good.
Rather than making bi-weeky trips to AC,now I'm doing Vegas every eight weeks or so,so I'm planning on getting back into counting on the much better double deck games out there.

[zengrifter]

Originally Posted by newyorkbear

Counting the comps I've recieved,I am quite successful.

Including the comps makes it a posi-EV game... BUT lets not delude the heathen here - to answer Wichita's question - BS will NOT win the money in the longhaul REGARDLESS of betting system/progression... FOGGITABOUT IT! zg

[johntks]

Since you ask, I will tell you a little about my playing record. During these past 1 year I have been playing in the cruise ship here in Asia. It is strickly Basic Strategy as they use the CSM equipment. I believe the CSM is used now in just about everywhere in the world outside the U.S.
According to my player's card I have about 600 points which would mean that I have played B.J. for about 600 hours. Now to put this into perspective this would be about 150 sessions of about 4 hours each session. Quite alot of B.J. experience right? Well this is actually a casino ship and my record shows I have been on 34 cruise trips.
You must think I have spend alot of money on the cruise alone. Well no, actually it is almost free using the points accumulated on the players card. The comps work out to be an incredible 10%. This is described in one of the first few messages in Ken's new message baord in April 2005.
Now for the meat of your question. At the present time I am up overall by a few hundred dollars. The way I play I have not won or lost more than a few hundred dollars per cruise. /There were only 1 or 2 occasions when my overall lost or won was more than 1 thousand dollars.
You can say I am not your average gambler. No, I am not a gambler, period. I don,t expect to win. I expect to lose. I try to protect my BR by flat betting, playing only in very crowded tables and playing almost perfect B.S. I think I may be the only person in the world who goes to the casino with the expectation of losing. Ifnot for the comps from the casino I would not be playing B.J. or playingin any casino, period.
Now your bit about advice on betting style which I would normally shy away from. My 2 cents worth is always to have a stop loss limit, say, about 10 bets. If you lose that within a short time say 15-20 minutes than play at another table. Conversely if your pile of chips has increased by 10 bets, you may increase your bet size.

[newyorkbear]

Originally Posted by zengrifter

Including the comps makes it a posi-EV game... BUT lets not delude the heathen here - to answer Wichita's question - BS will NOT win the money in the longhaul REGARDLESS of betting system/progression... FOGGITABOUT IT! zg

BS,over the long run,should not produce a long term winner.SHOULD NOT. This I can agree on.But just as the casinos are supposed to keep about 3 or 4% of the money cycled thru the table and keeps double or triple that,I am sure there are folks that are successful longterm using BS.
I'm not trying to push any agenda but does anyone here really believe that each and every BS player who plays several thousand hands a year will be a longterm loser?
I believe the average player will,but a few will be big winners,a few more will be small winners,most will be small losers, and a few will be big losers,no?
Someone ,on another forum,claimed that 1 in 1,000 BS players will show a profit over a lifetime of playing.
Does anyone have any statistics to disprove or support this statement?

[zengrifter]

Originally Posted by newyorkbear

I believe the average player will,but a few will be big winners,a few more will be small winners,most will be small losers, and a few will be big losers,no? Someone ,on another forum,claimed that 1 in 1,000 BS players will show a profit over a lifetime of playing.

I agree with the above. And that properly milking the COMP system while playing BS can make the overal game a posi-EV. zg

[BlackjackWichita]

Thanks for your replies !

[newyorkbear]

Originally Posted by zengrifter

I agree with the above. And that properly milking the COMP system while playing BS can make the overal game a posi-EV. zg

Just to clarify-Which statement do you agree with?
The first part states that there will be some winners or the second that says that only 1 in 1,000 will win.

[zengrifter]

There will be some winners, its a bell-curve sort of thing. zg