Hi All,
So after getting my questions down, I realized I wrote a novel. So here are my basic questions, but please read below for context if you would be so kind. Thanks!
1) With an $800 bank roll, probable 1-10 bet spread, single-level system, and a goal of not losing all my money before my 3 day-trip is over, should I limit myself to $3 games or would $5 games be okay?
2) Is a 1-10 bet spread suitable? Or would you recommend trying to stretch it?
3) How trustworthy is the site: http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey/?sort=min&dir=asc
4) Should I go with HiLo, HiOpI with no Ace side count, or some other single-level system?
5) If I decide on HiLo, should I limit myself to shoe games, or would it still be better to use HiLo for pitch games even though it was not designed for them?
6) Any suggestions for specific Vegas casinos? I will have a car, and I am willing to drive anywhere in the area. Feel free to private message me on this one if you want to protect information.
I have an upcoming Vegas trip (1.5 months away), but I have been going in circles trying to figure out which system to use and what type of game to seek out. It seems like all of the different variables (system, shoe vs pitch, penetrance, $3 vs $5 minimums, bet spread, etc.) are all interrelated. . .hence the going in circles.
(My previous experience with blackjack/card counting is that I read my friend's copy of World's Greatest Blackjack book on a whim on the flight to Vegas over spring break, practiced the Hi Op I in a $1 minimum (Sahara before it closed), 1-5 bet spread, 6 deck H17 game, 6-5 payout and absolutely loved it. By the end, I felt that I had nailed down basic strategy and the running count, was solid on the true count, had just started to memorize and apply the indices, and could not handle the Ace side count for the life of me. And I only lost $15 over 12 hours of playing!)
I have done extensive internet research and am waiting for Blackbelt in Blackjack to arrive in the mail, but here is where I'm at:
1) I will have an $800 bankroll for 3 days. My main goal for the trip is to not lose it all while having a blast in the process (but ideally win some money). With a likely 1-10 bet spread (please critique), should I only stick to the few $3 minimum games that are available or is it okay to try the $5 minimum games, too? I tried chugging some numbers on QFIT's risk of ruin calculator for no goal and time constraint, and I roughly worked it out to be about %10 for $5 minimum game. This was surprisingly low to me. This calculator didn't ask about bet spread, so it might not be accurate? That would be an awesome ROR % for my purposes though.
2) I had decided to perfect the Zen count due to its flexibility over shoe and pitch games and solid BE and PE; however, after going through a deck one card at a time over 50 trials over a few days, my average was settling down to about 40-42 seconds. I know deck speed is not everything, but I decided the system was too overwhelming considering my speed with HiOpI was more like 25 seconds and that I am not an aspiring professional.) So I decided to scrap it and choose a single-level system with no side counts. I have pretty much narrowed it down to Hi Lo or HiOpI with no SC (open to other suggestions). It seems like HiLo is superior in shoe games and HiOpI is superior in pitch games even without the Ace side count. Now, the choice seems to hinge on whether or not I should only do $3 minimum games based on my limited bankroll since the $3 games are almost exclusively shoe, while the $5 games have a mix of shoe and pitch. This is based off of http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey/?sort=min&dir=asc. Is that a trustworthy reference? Now you can see why my thought process was getting complicated. I am leaning toward HiLo because HiOpI would basically limit me to pitch games. But again, this depends on whether my bankroll is adequate for $5 games.
3) Another thing, say I decide on HiLo. Based on the premises that pitch games are advantageous to shoe games but also that HiLo is optimized for shoe games, should I limit myself exclusively to shoe games? Or would it be better to play pitch games even though HiLo is not ideal for them?
So after getting my questions down, I realized I wrote a novel. So here are my basic questions, but please read below for context if you would be so kind. Thanks!
1) With an $800 bank roll, probable 1-10 bet spread, single-level system, and a goal of not losing all my money before my 3 day-trip is over, should I limit myself to $3 games or would $5 games be okay?
2) Is a 1-10 bet spread suitable? Or would you recommend trying to stretch it?
3) How trustworthy is the site: http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey/?sort=min&dir=asc
4) Should I go with HiLo, HiOpI with no Ace side count, or some other single-level system?
5) If I decide on HiLo, should I limit myself to shoe games, or would it still be better to use HiLo for pitch games even though it was not designed for them?
6) Any suggestions for specific Vegas casinos? I will have a car, and I am willing to drive anywhere in the area. Feel free to private message me on this one if you want to protect information.
I have an upcoming Vegas trip (1.5 months away), but I have been going in circles trying to figure out which system to use and what type of game to seek out. It seems like all of the different variables (system, shoe vs pitch, penetrance, $3 vs $5 minimums, bet spread, etc.) are all interrelated. . .hence the going in circles.
(My previous experience with blackjack/card counting is that I read my friend's copy of World's Greatest Blackjack book on a whim on the flight to Vegas over spring break, practiced the Hi Op I in a $1 minimum (Sahara before it closed), 1-5 bet spread, 6 deck H17 game, 6-5 payout and absolutely loved it. By the end, I felt that I had nailed down basic strategy and the running count, was solid on the true count, had just started to memorize and apply the indices, and could not handle the Ace side count for the life of me. And I only lost $15 over 12 hours of playing!)
I have done extensive internet research and am waiting for Blackbelt in Blackjack to arrive in the mail, but here is where I'm at:
1) I will have an $800 bankroll for 3 days. My main goal for the trip is to not lose it all while having a blast in the process (but ideally win some money). With a likely 1-10 bet spread (please critique), should I only stick to the few $3 minimum games that are available or is it okay to try the $5 minimum games, too? I tried chugging some numbers on QFIT's risk of ruin calculator for no goal and time constraint, and I roughly worked it out to be about %10 for $5 minimum game. This was surprisingly low to me. This calculator didn't ask about bet spread, so it might not be accurate? That would be an awesome ROR % for my purposes though.
2) I had decided to perfect the Zen count due to its flexibility over shoe and pitch games and solid BE and PE; however, after going through a deck one card at a time over 50 trials over a few days, my average was settling down to about 40-42 seconds. I know deck speed is not everything, but I decided the system was too overwhelming considering my speed with HiOpI was more like 25 seconds and that I am not an aspiring professional.) So I decided to scrap it and choose a single-level system with no side counts. I have pretty much narrowed it down to Hi Lo or HiOpI with no SC (open to other suggestions). It seems like HiLo is superior in shoe games and HiOpI is superior in pitch games even without the Ace side count. Now, the choice seems to hinge on whether or not I should only do $3 minimum games based on my limited bankroll since the $3 games are almost exclusively shoe, while the $5 games have a mix of shoe and pitch. This is based off of http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey/?sort=min&dir=asc. Is that a trustworthy reference? Now you can see why my thought process was getting complicated. I am leaning toward HiLo because HiOpI would basically limit me to pitch games. But again, this depends on whether my bankroll is adequate for $5 games.
3) Another thing, say I decide on HiLo. Based on the premises that pitch games are advantageous to shoe games but also that HiLo is optimized for shoe games, should I limit myself exclusively to shoe games? Or would it be better to play pitch games even though HiLo is not ideal for them?
I spend the majority of my time spreading green to black, but 2 days a month I run all around town on bonus runs. (matchplay's, winchips and various other coupons) Often I am only playing red to green at many of these locations as that is the level of the bonueses, but the bonuses help bring my EV up close to my normal expectation and it's actually kind of fun. I like taking advantage of everything the casino's are willing to give. Also for those two days, I am spreading myself around, and not burning out my usual joints and adding a little variety while stilll earning close to my regular rate. 