Just Focus on the Count

[adt_33]

I've been searching through the posts on the Counting Forums and yesterday I ran across an older post where Ken said that he often recommended that new counters should spend their first few casino trips just keeping the count, and then gradually inserting index-plays. (At least that's how I remember his post. I can't relocate it now or else I'd quote him.)

This sounded like good news to me. I find that baby steps in learning are easy to resist, although still being the best way to practice.

Now, if anyone agrees with Ken's recommendation, what would the play be like (using hi-lo)? I'm thinking a conservative spread and maybe keeping in mind only the IL 18 zero-count indices, (for starters). I'm primarily concerned with having a better edge than BS while not screwing up the first time I count at the casino. I've read the first-time horror stories on here and I'd like to avoid the mistakes first-timers encounter as much as possible.

 

[EasyRhino]

You could do multiple stages, each building on the previous.

1) Count only, and bet one extra chip when TC+1 or higher. (in other words, a trivial, flat spread)

2) Set up an underbetting ramp. One extra chip at TC +1, 2 at +2, etc, and stop at something like +4.

3) When that feels good, set up a real bet ramp. I'm not a Hi-Lo person, I don't have a particular recommendation.

4) Introduce insurance index.

5) Implement I18.

From personal experience, when I first started trying to bet proportionally, I got kind of flustered, it occupied a lot more brainpower than I would have thought. And the first time I started trying to to strategy deviations, it kind of threw me off, too.

And if you're unsure on your counting skills in a live environment, then I recommend betting microscopically until you can prove them.

 

[Sonny]

Start with perfect BS, then move on to counting. Don’t worry about indices just yet. Most of your profit will come from betting with the count, not playing departures. Make sure that you have a solid foundation before you start adding too many distractions. Like you said – baby steps.

It will take a long time and a lot of practice before you can do BS, counting and TC conversion at casino speed. Practice at home until you are pretty confident, then go to a casino and watch the games for a while. Try to stand behind the table and pretend that you are playing everyone’s hand. Most ploppies are pretty slow so you should be able to play all the hands on the table faster than they can. You’ll also notice many of their mistakes!

You’ll probably find that counting cards in a casino is much different that counting at home. Your first few trips to a casino will be very frustrating but it will give you a good idea of what to expect. Keep practicing until you can play fast enough to keep up with the game, then think about sitting down and betting actual money. By that time you will probably know more about setting up your bet spread too.

-Sonny-