Counting Newbie - Need some basic advice! :D

[therealhustle]

Hello all,

I have been trawling the web and some of this site for a while now, looking into card counting.

Ill give you all a background, and what i intend to do over the coming months. Your help will all be appreciated

Currently 19, studying engineering at university.

I have started practicing, and intend to master card counting in order to make a reasonable profit from the game. I also have a colleague who i have started teaching the very basics of counting to. we will be attacking the casino as a pair.

I will give you all an update from each casino visit and keep basic logs of bankroll, wins/losses etc.

Basically, what i know so far is the simple hilo counting method where you assign +-1 to all cards apart from 789. I also understand you make larger bets when the count is good.


I have already been to the casino, which has the following rules, and will be my 'local' as such:

Dealer stands on all 17's. Double on any 9, 10, 11. 6 Deck. 5/6 decks available ( i beleive this is called about 83% penetration?) 7 players per table. European style ie dealer doesn't peek(and doesnt have her 2nd card until last player has finished his hand). Split any cards.
Table min £2. Table max £100 ( i think)


How many hands should i, or we as a group of players, be playing in order for an average to smooth out?

Can someone give me a quick breakdown of the general plan ie.

I believe i stand back and count from a newly shuffled shoe. There will be a situation where the count is +9 for a 6d game. I divide this value by 3 as there are 3 decks left giving me a 'true count' of +3. Should i triple my basic wager or more at this point?

Is the simple +- 1 count system effective enough as i am pretty good with maths etc and could use another more advanced system?

Any tips, advice etc appreciated!

Also, a question i have been asked: Why does the house have its initial advantage of X% if you are just playing for fun ie. using no strategies or counting methods?

Thanks

[therealhustle]

One more thing i forgot to ask.

We obviously use the basic strategy which i found on this site, which tells you whether to hit, stand double etc.

But what im trying to grasp is, does that strategy hold true at all times or do you sometimes go against it and make your own decisions based on the count?

Ie. What if there is a really high low count meaning there are lots of 10s left in the shoe and you have a 16, dealer showing a 7. Basic strategy says hit, which will more than likely at this point end in bust.

Then again rich in 10s means the dealer will more than likey be getting a 10 giving her 17 and beating you.

Would be great if someone will clear this up too.

thanks,

[Sonny]

Look through the Free Counting Resources on the Web to get the general idea about card counting, bet sizing, index plays, team play, managing risk, etc. The most important thing to do is make sure that you know basic strategy perfectly before you start learning card counting. Counting is useless if you don’t know basic strategy, and it will be much easier to learn if you already know how to play every hand perfectly.

On a side note, the game you mentioned is pretty terrible. It will be very difficult to get an advantage playing that game. You will need a huge bankroll to make any decent money and the swings will be enormous. It can be beat, but it will not be easy or fun.

-Sonny-

[RJT]

I get the impression that you haven't read any books on counting yet?
Before you run out to play, you need to do some research!
You need to know what sort of basic unit your bankroll will allow you to play and what your Risk of Ruin is for each level of unit. You need to know what Basic Strategy to use - yes the UK rules make a difference. You need to know the correct counts to deviate from BS on certain plays if you want to do that (no hunches allowed). You need to know how the different rules affect the initial house advantage. You need to know what range your expected results could fall in for any given time period etc etc.
If this is something you are seriously considering investing money in, be serious about it and do the homework first. The UK games are tough to beat, so you'll need everything on your side before you start.
Read a few books. I'd recommend Arnold Snyder's 'Blackbelt in Blackjack' or maybe Kevin Blackwoods 'Play Blackjack Like the Pros' but i'm sure you'll find many quality resources recommended by various posters across this board.
As to the house advantage - the house has an advantage in every game it offers. That's how they make their money. They wouldn't be able to afford the rent, wages, electricity and massive profit if they didn't ensure they had the upper hand in the games they offer. Remember the rules of the game don't all work in the player's favour. The player has the chance to bust first - and if they do they lose even if the dealer busts as well.

RJT.

[therealhustle]

Thanks for the feedback.

That cleared up a few things.

Yes i am seriously considering it, but i will need to check the various local casinos rules and ill update you soon enough, the feedback will be appreciated.

From basic intuition i take it that the greater the penetration the better chance you have of being accurate with your betting/counting?

In my first post i was asking does it matter on count whether its high or low do you still follow the BS for the table rules?

Ill order up a few books and take a bash at them... sadly its exam time just now as well though!

I'm coming to the states in august for a year so ill have some time to try out all the local casinos there :D (will just be 21 by then)

Also, what i beleive to be my local casinos rules, i was under the impression that they were not bad for counting?

cheers

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by therealhustle

From basic intuition i take it that the greater the penetration the better chance you have of being accurate with your betting/counting?

The biggest advantage of deeper penetration is that you will find more positive counts. The more opportunities you find, the more chances you have to make money.

Originally Posted by therealhustle

In my first post i was asking does it matter on count whether its high or low do you still follow the BS for the table rules?

Yes, there are many plays that will change based on the count. However, the most important factor is making proper bets. Using the count to adjust your playing is the icing on the cake.

Originally Posted by therealhustle

Also, what i beleive to be my local casinos rules, i was under the impression that they were not bad for counting?

They aren’t terrible, but they are tough to beat. The limited doubling and no dealer hole card makes it harder to get more money on the table in good situations. The penetration is good though so you might be able to find some good opportunities.

-Sonny-