Hey guys, just joined the forum. I can count a deck down in about 20 seconds using high-low but when I get to a casino Sh** hits the fan. I lose track of the cards even if they're going slow, I have a hard time figuring out the true count and I even stumble on basic stragedy. It's like my mind shuts off when I need but at home everything flows smoothly. Any tips on how to stay focused at the casino?
How to speed up.
- Thread starter fearz
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a) stop getting drunk at the casino.
b) stop ogling the cocktail waitresses
c) in other words, stop having fun.
d) If you're not already, practice counting cards in pairs, or even triplets or quads. This will get you better at canceling cards.
e) Practice at the casino by just backcounting. Then add in backcounting, and mentally "playing the hand" of one of the players.
f) make sure you're counting in a method appropriate to the flow of the cards for your game. If player cards are face up or down, and if the dealer's upcard is first or second, will affect the optimum counting method somewhat.
g) You may not have basic strategy as memorized as it could be. There's a difference between knowing BS and having it imbued in your muscle memory. Playing a few gillion hands of computer BJ can usually help that.
b) stop ogling the cocktail waitresses
c) in other words, stop having fun.
d) If you're not already, practice counting cards in pairs, or even triplets or quads. This will get you better at canceling cards.
e) Practice at the casino by just backcounting. Then add in backcounting, and mentally "playing the hand" of one of the players.
f) make sure you're counting in a method appropriate to the flow of the cards for your game. If player cards are face up or down, and if the dealer's upcard is first or second, will affect the optimum counting method somewhat.
g) You may not have basic strategy as memorized as it could be. There's a difference between knowing BS and having it imbued in your muscle memory. Playing a few gillion hands of computer BJ can usually help that.
I especially recommend point "e)" by EasyRhino...don't just count through a deck at light-speed. Count in pairs and learn to cancel out cards in game situations. Quite a few two-card hands end up being a "0", so why bother? It's things like that which will translate counting proficiency to ease-of-use in the casino.
good luck
good luck
Don't just practice by counting down a deck of cards. Go buy 8 decks and simulate playing at the real casino. Practicing your deck estimation and TC conversions will make it a lot easier when you actually play. Don't worry about trying to move fast, just get everything right!!
Also if you are having trouble with the TC...Stop play and check to see if you correctly estimated the number of remaining decks.
Also if you are having trouble with the TC...Stop play and check to see if you correctly estimated the number of remaining decks.
all good advice so far. the points that stand out:
buy some used cards on ebay from your favorite casino. 6Decks is what i play, so that is what I bought. cost $5.
practice at home using all the methods people here mentioned.
next backcount in a casino. don't wong in, just observe the game, act natural, watch the game with interest. can you keep the count and make all the right BS moves for all the people playing? if you can't, if you fumble doing this, then when you start losing your OWN money, you will fumble worse.
buy some used cards on ebay from your favorite casino. 6Decks is what i play, so that is what I bought. cost $5.
practice at home using all the methods people here mentioned.
next backcount in a casino. don't wong in, just observe the game, act natural, watch the game with interest. can you keep the count and make all the right BS moves for all the people playing? if you can't, if you fumble doing this, then when you start losing your OWN money, you will fumble worse.
OK obviously, for you, the is no correlation between counting down a deck and counting in a casino, so I'd recommend you stop doing it. As long as you are playing BS and getting comped, you're not really losing any money sitting at the table and counting while playing a minimum bet. Once you feel like you are counting at full speed then you can add your playing indices and insurance to your game, and then you can start putting bigger bets at risk. No pressure to get good at everything right away, all at once.
Patience is virtue:
1. Everytime you practice, also practice your two-card combos.
2. When keeping a RC visualize your RC in a horizontal line. Visualize negative counts on the left and positive counts on the right. i.e -6,-5,-3,-1,(0),+1,+3,+4....etc
3. Try practicing with real cards as stated above. I recommend with two-decks to better prepare you for six-decks. Practice single and double deck FACE-UP.
4. Play all ghost hands according to the count!
5. Practice your Indexes in spare time.(watching TV,talking to your girlfriend....etc)
6. Alway/Sometimes count down the deck to verify your accuracy.
1. Everytime you practice, also practice your two-card combos.
2. When keeping a RC visualize your RC in a horizontal line. Visualize negative counts on the left and positive counts on the right. i.e -6,-5,-3,-1,(0),+1,+3,+4....etc
3. Try practicing with real cards as stated above. I recommend with two-decks to better prepare you for six-decks. Practice single and double deck FACE-UP.
4. Play all ghost hands according to the count!
5. Practice your Indexes in spare time.(watching TV,talking to your girlfriend....etc)
6. Alway/Sometimes count down the deck to verify your accuracy.
You know, that's an interesting point observation. I'd say it still takes me about a whopping 40 seconds to count down a deck, and yet it's not a problem in the casino.
And I'd like to emphasize breaking it down one building block at a time. First maintain the count... then maintain the count while playing BS, then maintain the count, play BS, and size bets, and only then even think about play variations.
And I'd like to emphasize breaking it down one building block at a time. First maintain the count... then maintain the count while playing BS, then maintain the count, play BS, and size bets, and only then even think about play variations.