Can I get some tips and tricks of the trade?

#1
I just resently discovered how great of a game BJ really is, and began to study it. I have basic strategy pat, and getting quicker at the count. I have never set foot into a casino in my life, however. The rules at Casino N.S. (I live in N.B., Canada) are as follows; 6 decks contiunous shuffle, DAS, double on any two cards, can split up to three times for a total of 4 hands, can only split A's once, no surrender.... Can that game be beat?

(Sorry for sounding like an amature, but thats what I am)

Thanks,

Mitch
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#3
Are you sure they use continous shuffle machines? Do you know the difference between a continous and an automatic shuffle machine?
 

Blue Efficacy

Well-Known Member
#4
Also it would be helpful to know the penetration (if they use an ASM instead of a CSM that is!), but you'd certainly have to go into the casino to find that out. Oh, and does the dealer hit soft 17?
 
#5
Yes, dealer hits soft 17's. As far as the shuffle goes, I have no idea what they use, the pen, etc. I called the casino and they didn't elaborate. Word-or-word from the casino rep. "All games are 6 decks, continous shuffle..." I dont know the difference between ASM's and CSM's.
 
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#6
Cool online "trainer"

I just started out too and I use a simple (Dead link: http://www.playblackjack.com/free-blackjack) _free blackjack_ trainer i found online. It teaches you basic strategy and lets you know if you are playing your cards correctly and why.
Good Luck!
 

moo321

Well-Known Member
#7
With a CSM, the dealer pulls the cards out of the machine and deals them. With an ASM, they are shuffled in the machine, and put in a shoe.
 
#9
That is a BAD game

You cannot get an edge. In fact that game is an insult. :mad:

Find something else to do with your money, (and time) that will give it a chance to grow.

Don't be a sucker for that game. :whip:

CP
 
#10
Mitch12 said:
I just resently discovered how great of a game BJ really is, and began to study it. I have basic strategy pat, and getting quicker at the count. I have never set foot into a casino in my life, however. The rules at Casino N.S. (I live in N.B., Canada) are as follows; 6 decks contiunous shuffle, DAS, double on any two cards, can split up to three times for a total of 4 hands, can only split A's once, no surrender.... Can that game be beat?

(Sorry for sounding like an amature, but thats what I am)

Thanks,

Mitch

Since you have never set foot in a casino you will find out it will be much tougher to count cards then sitting in front of your computer, or at your table.
 
#11
InPlay said:
Since you have never set foot in a casino you will find out it will be much tougher to count cards then sitting in front of your computer, or at your table.
Mhm, I just about figured it would be. Everybody gets their start in the same manner, however, I imagine. We all gotta start somewhere.
 

callipygian

Well-Known Member
#12
Mitch12 said:
We all gotta start somewhere.
I'd actually recommend by starting with just basic strategy. Go to a low-limit casino on off-peak hours (i.e. absolute lowest minimums possible), and get used to the feel of play flat-betting the minimum. For this part, CSM's are fine.

Once you feel comfortable with that, find an ASM or hand-shuffled shoe game and start counting cards, leaving whenever the TC hits -2. Practice your excuses for leaving the table - phone call, bathroom, drinks, dealer has bad mojo, bad feng shui, pit boss keeps blinking at you, etc.

Once you get all that down pat, start worrying about penetration and raising your bets during the good counts. Remember you CANNOT count CSM's to any meaningful degree, so you'll probably have to travel to find a better game.
 
#13
Messing up the table for the rest of the players?

I've been told that certain hits on your hand can mess the table up for the rest of the players. Can this still happen while a player is using Basic Strategy or using a Basic Strategy Card?
 

GeorgeD

Well-Known Member
#14
Franco said:
I just started out too and I use a simple (Dead link: http://www.playblackjack.com/free-blackjack) _free blackjack_ trainer i found online. It teaches you basic strategy and lets you know if you are playing your cards correctly and why.
Good Luck!
How about the trainer here http://www.blackjackinfo.com/aftergame.php

Even better invest a few bucks in your game http://www.qfit.com/ has a really nice trainer for BS and counting.
 

Canceler

Well-Known Member
#15
This is a non-issue…

RookieNM said:
I've been told that certain hits on your hand can mess the table up for the rest of the players.
Hitting your hand on the table hard enough to spill everyone’s drinks will mess up the table. But that’s probably not what you meant… :)

“Messing up the table” presumes the cards are in some kind of useful order to begin with. They’re not. How you play your hand will have an effect on the other players, BUT it’s impossible to tell in advance whether it will be a good or bad effect. And in the long run, it will all even out. You should just ignore the whole concept of messing up the cards. It’s a superstition. Play your hand however you see fit.
 
#16
Canceler said:
Hitting your hand on the table hard enough to spill everyone’s drinks will mess up the table. But that’s probably not what you meant… :)

“Messing up the table” presumes the cards are in some kind of useful order to begin with. They’re not. How you play your hand will have an effect on the other players, BUT it’s impossible to tell in advance whether it will be a good or bad effect. And in the long run, it will all even out. You should just ignore the whole concept of messing up the cards. It’s a superstition. Play your hand however you see fit.
That's one of the things I can't help doin' but what you say is true - in the online casino I joined recently the cards are left in view until the next bet is placed - it gives you an opportunity to understand whether your decision had a overall effect on the hand.

I feel that helps you make some of the Basic Strat plays that on the outside look a bit 'out of the box' daft - e.g maybe DD on a Soft 18/19 vs a 4/5/6. That's not a play to improve your total, that a play to get more money out based on a probable dealer bust.

It also shows you that on numerous occasions you couldn't have won the hand regardless of what you did e.g you hit 12 and bust with a 10, the dealer was 6,5 but if you hadn't hit he'd have drawn 21. On the flip side there are occasions as well where the cards prevent you from losing like doubling a S18 vs a dealer 6 and drawing an 10 for H18, his hole maybe a 6,7,8,9,or 10 so if you hadn't hit he'd have bust and more importantly only the same number of cards have been used so it hasn't :superstition: wrecked the rest of the shoe.
 

eps6724

Well-Known Member
#17
RookieNM said:
I've been told that certain hits on your hand can mess the table up for the rest of the players. Can this still happen while a player is using Basic Strategy or using a Basic Strategy Card?
Are you trying to win the game, or make friends? If they're willing to go halves-that is, toss you some money when they don't like your play, go for it. Other than that, remember-at the end of the day, it's YOU against the HOUSE!:grin:
 
#18
If the dealer puts the cards in a machine and then loads them into a shoe this is ASM correct? I have never seen a machine that shuffles after each and every hand.
 
#20
Yes, Casino N.S. uses CSMs

Mitch12: Was just in Casino N.S. a month ago. All BJ tables were equipped with CSMs. Place is good for practicing BS under live conditions, nothing more.
 
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