Nervous in real play

[Bluesteak]

Hey guys, long time lurker here. Ive got a slight problem.
I can do great at practicing at home or on simulators while doing some rookie counting or even AP, but anytime I actually sit down at a real time table I stiffen up and get concerned about heat. It ruins my strategy and I cant think straight.
Me being 21 brings heat by itself, any tips on how to keep cool?

 

[Lonesome Gambler]

What have you interpreted as "heat?"

 

[Friendo]

Practice until bored

How much non-casino practice do you have? Do counting and index plays come easy to you yet?

If you're nervous, I'd suggest you play some full tables where your top bet is unremarkable.

Odds are that you're not important. If you're not a high bettor for their shop, most casinos won't pay attention to anything you're doing unless you sit there for several hours, dropping your bet after the end of each good shoe.

Do you look like a nerd? If so, try to look/act like a frat boy with a rich dad who's farting around with money he doesn't have to worry about losing.

 

[HsiaoDi]

Sit at the table.... Don't bet....
Or
Play basic strategy.... Flat bet

Until you are comfortable with at least one of those condition....

 

[NAP]

Take it slow

Bluesteak, it sounds like you already have experience playing blackjack in the casino and now you're trying to add counting.

My advice would be to start with a really simple count like A-5 until you begin to feel more comfortable. Sit at a full table, chat with the dealer, laugh it up with the ploppies, and practice keeping the count. Flat bet as much as possible and then just jump up your bet to 2 units when you have the advantage. It is highly likely that absolutely no one at the table even notices or cares about your change in bet.

When you start to feel like you can play without getting nervous try upping your top bet a little more (and a little more...and so on). Once you're comfortable with modifying your bet without freaking out about it, try using a more sophisticated but still simple counting system like a level 1 unbalanced system. Keep progressing and pushing yourself to get better in live play, but it's okay to start simple and take baby steps, just don't waste away your whole bankroll while gaining the experience you need to be great!

This is pretty much the route I have taken. I'm a young guy who was a ploppie [and fortunate enough to achieve positive variance with a progression betting system] for over a year. I started out with A-5, then Speed Count, then Red-7, now I'm using Hi-Lo and working on adding more index plays (as well as an Ace side count). My heart rate still rises a bit when I get those huge + counts and start pushing in more chips but I have noticed my comfort level rise with my experience.

 

[Dyepaintball12]

If the phone rings, it's probably not about you. If the Pit Boss is glancing at your table, it's probably not about you. If the dealer yells "Check's Play", it probably doesn't matter.

Here's some tips to avoid heat:

- Under no circumstance mouth the count as you're seeing cards come out and try not to move your head to watch them come
- Be very friendly with everyone around you, including employees
- Say dumb ploppy things all the time
- Don't wear a hat brought down to your eyes and don't try to act like you know what you're doing
- Don't neatly organize every single one of your chips
- If people question your plays, just say more dumb ploppy things about the flow of the cards.

From my experience, if you're getting heat from the pit you will KNOW FOR SURE you are, but most times it comes from the sky and you're f-ed anyway.

 

[Lonesome Gambler]

- Say dumb ploppy things all the time
- If people question your plays, just say more dumb ploppy things about the flow of the cards.

I agree with most things in this post other than these. If you don't believe in voodoo, your banter will sound phony and conspicuous (unless you're a skilled actor?).

But I agree with the overall theme that you're most likely not getting heat. New players see everything as heat—a floor person standing at the table, the pit phone ringing, the floor person asking you for a player's card, etc. Unless you're betting quite a bit higher than the average player at the casino, or you're winning a large amount, you're most likely not receiving heat.

 

[Dyepaintball12]

I agree with most things in this post other than these. If you don't believe in voodoo, your banter will sound phony and conspicuous (unless you're a skilled actor?).

But I agree with the overall theme that you're most likely not getting heat. New players see everything as heat—a floor person standing at the table, the pit phone ringing, the floor person asking you for a player's card, etc. Unless you're betting quite a bit higher than the average player at the casino, or you're winning a large amount, you're most likely not receiving heat.

How do you handle people asking you why you raise or lower your bet? Or why you sometimes hit and sometimes don't? This is not logical so you need to sound like a ploppy.

 

[Lonesome Gambler]

Without going into too much detail, let's just say that I have civilians constantly questioning my play (every session). After spending so much time with weak justifications for why I play the way I do, I've learned that the best response is simply to shrug your shoulders, make a stupid grin, and say, "eh!"

Besides, using the same lines over and over again gets tiresome. I will still occasionally utter some excuse for a particular play that I've made, and I'm often aware of how phony and ridiculous it sounds. Sharp people will catch on to this.

 

[Gamblor]

There's almost always some situation at the table that you can make up some bullsh*t excuse. It doesn't have to be entirely reasonable either, just like a ploppy.

"He (the guy to my right) just took my 4! I'm standing on 16!"
"Look at all those 10's on the table!"
"I've been busting everytime I took a hit!"
Look at all those low cards that just came out!"
"Dealers on a hot streak!", "Dealers been hot all day", "Dealers busting every hand!" "Dealer's been getting two 10's every hand"
"Dealer's due for a BJ!", "Dealer had BJ twice in a row! He's on a streak!"
"We have to keep the # of players even!" "We have to change up the # of players!" "A new player just came in, I'm lowering/raising my bet!"
"Jupiter is aligned with Mercury, I surrender!"

Plus other stock answers to fall back too if you can't think of anything:

"I play by the gut!", "I have to protect my big bet!", "I have to protect my 20!"

Sometimes I just shrug my shoulders like LG if I don't feel like thinking of anything. Sometimes my response is just a strange Dostoyevsky-ian smile (or at least it seems strange to the ploppy).

 

[fwb]

Me being 21 brings heat by itself

No. From experience. This helps you.

 

[NAP]

No. From experience. This helps you.

In my experience, if I'm there with friends, yes, it can help you. If you're there solo and you show any level of competence while playing, not so much.

 

[Bluesteak]

Thanks for the reply's guys..

Ive had over 20hours of play with 18+ casinos, I just cant seem to handle the pressure of a real deal Vegas or Laughlin casino, I am somewhat paranoid so this might be a factor.

I just cant seem to find the "**** yeah" mentality I should have.
And I have many pit bosses stare with arms crossed at me plus tons of phones ringing..

 

[Lonesome Gambler]

"Pit boss" (usually just a floor person) with their arms crossed: 95% of the time not worth worrying about
Phone ringing: 99% of the time not worth worrying about.

Later down the road, these numbers may not be as accurate, but by then you'll learn how to recognize and react to heat. For a low-stakes beginner, these things are almost never heat.

 

[zengrifter]

Hey guys, long time lurker here. Ive got a slight problem.
I can do great at practicing at home or on simulators while doing some rookie counting or even AP, but anytime I actually sit down at a real time table I stiffen up and get concerned about heat. It ruins my strategy and I cant think straight.
Me being 21 brings heat by itself, any tips on how to keep cool?

Just need several hours+ to become comfortable.
And after a few back-offs you will worry less about being caught. zg

Ps - If need be, try some self-hypnosis, NLP, or positive affirmation meditation.

 

[Jack_Black]

Is your name really Bluesteak? what is that actually? or were you trying to write out "blue streak?"

 

[tthree]

Is your name really Bluesteak? what is that actually? or were you trying to write out "blue streak?"

A blue steak is all but raw. Barely sees the heat. Black and blue steak is seared to extremely high heat on each side to burn the outside but raw on the inside.

 

[Dyepaintball12]

Just keep yelling "THROW THE BOOK OUT!".

 

[silky28]

nervousness is a lot better than all out confidence in my opinion. When I started I was nervous of being caught, about my skill and of the money. After a year or so of this the only thing I worry about is my skill which I work constantly at to improve. I learned quickly not to think of chips as money and to not worry about heat. If you get backed off you get backed off. Within reason there is nothing you can do about it. But i wouldn't worry about it too much. I have been wonging for over a year with not even a second thought from the critters. My only camo plays are chip hiding and the odd ploppy remark and I think I am somewhat obvious. Sometimes players seem to be suspicious as to why I jump in and get blackjack's and 20's all the time.. I usually joke around with them while I am watching a table.

 

[Jack_Black]

A blue steak is all but raw. Barely sees the heat. Black and blue steak is seared to extremely high heat on each side to burn the outside but raw on the inside.

Now I'm more interested as to why his name is bluesteak than to the thread topic itself. OP can you answer this question? I mean, I love the hell out of strawberry shortcake, but that isnt my screen name. And it won't ever be!