Noob, playing BS

[_shed_]

Hello everyone. I'm shed.

I've got down perfect basic strategy and am playing a casino in London with these rules:

4 decks
£5 min stake
no surrender
dealer stands S17
DAS
Split to 4 hands
Double on any hand
BJ pays 3 to 2

I have won £258 playing perfect BS with no counting. My bankroll is £100. That's over 4 visits in the past week.

I don't know what my point is actually! Just want to introduce myself to the forum and compare with others who are playing BS and no counting.

About my swings: The lowest I have dropped is half the bankroll but I just see this as a swing and keep playing and over these four sessions have always managed to take it back to even and then start making profit.

I just think that my luck is not going to hold out this long and that in order to be profitable in the long run I will have to learn to count.

The thing about getting 'noticed' by casinos I never thought was an issue. I'm very new to blackjack and casinos in general. But I am already recognised by the dealers and the regulars at the table as a perfect BS player. This woman was moaning to the dealer that I had "made her lose £600" and the dealer responded by saying in a rather sarcastic tone that I'm playing basic strategy. Is this a bad thing that I'm noticed playing BS? I certainly feel disliked by the other players because I'm playing BS.

 

[Harman]

congrats on your win, hope the luck keeps up. Don't worry about the other players, winning is all that should matter..

 

[Blue Efficacy]

Hello everyone. I'm shed.

I've got down perfect basic strategy and am playing a casino in London with these rules:

4 decks
£5 min stake
no surrender
dealer stands S17
DAS
Split to 4 hands
Double on any hand
BJ pays 3 to 2

I have won £258 playing perfect BS with no counting. My bankroll is £100. That's over 4 visits in the past week.

I don't know what my point is actually! Just want to introduce myself to the forum and compare with others who are playing BS and no counting.

About my swings: The lowest I have dropped is half the bankroll but I just see this as a swing and keep playing and over these four sessions have always managed to take it back to even and then start making profit.

I just think that my luck is not going to hold out this long and that in order to be profitable in the long run I will have to learn to count.

The thing about getting 'noticed' by casinos I never thought was an issue. I'm very new to blackjack and casinos in general. But I am already recognised by the dealers and the regulars at the table as a perfect BS player. This woman was moaning to the dealer that I had "made her lose £600" and the dealer responded by saying in a rather sarcastic tone that I'm playing basic strategy. Is this a bad thing that I'm noticed playing BS? I certainly feel disliked by the other players because I'm playing BS.

Of course the dealer will notice that you're making the right BS plays (if they know BS that is!)

I wouldn't worry one bit.

 

[ihate17]

Some concern perhaps

There are very few people who take the time to master BS and do not learn how to count. A sharpe pit knows this (but most are not that smart) and will watch you a little more carefully.
The point here is that for many it is harder to learn BS than a simple counting system but mastering the counting system with indices is harder to do. Once BS is learned you realize that BS is still a losing game that can not overcome the house edge. It becomes a pretty natural next step to learn how to count and since a few pits may attention to you anyway, you might as well learn how to win while getting that attention.

ihate17

 

[EasyRhino]

I just think that my luck is not going to hold out this long

Don't worry, it won't. In a fairly early outing, I lost $100 flat betting $5 in one shoe of a 6 deck game.

Congratulation on nailing BS, though. Where you are, if the dealer gets a blackjack, do you lose extra if you have split or doubled any bets?

 

[Girl21]

Also new BS player

Hi Shed

I am also a new BS player. But, I haven't had enough time to learn it perfectly yet. I think if I have a few hours in the next couple days, I'll have it down. There are only a few hands that occasionally trip me up right now. I am hitting my first casino in Vegas in about 2 weeks. I know counting is the direction I should head in, I just haven't had the chance to learn yet.

How long did it take you to master BS? What methods did you use to memorize every play? Have you used the stategy coach on this site?

Congrats on mastering BS and on your wins. Hope your luck holds up.

Oh, and screw those other players who make comments about your play. Just do your thing. They probably wouldn't know BS if it bit them in the arse.

 

[Blue Efficacy]

I've known many many people who've learned BS but don't count. In my experience I would have to disagree when he said that most BS players move to counting.

 

[mjbballar23]

I've known many many people who've learned BS but don't count. In my experience I would have to disagree when he said that most BS players move to counting.

I think what were trying to get at is that many people think they have learned perfect basic stragey but they memorize the wrong basic strategy for the game they are playing. Therefore there are very few people that know perfect basic strategy for the game they are playing but dont count

 

[Jack_of_Tirades]

I've known many many people who've learned BS but don't count. In my experience I would have to disagree when he said that most BS players move to counting.

That's true--what's perplexing though is that any player who is a proficient at BS is wholly capable of keeping the count. For some inexplicable reason there's some mythical roadblock that keeps some decent BS players from adopting a counting strategy--it's like their personal Everest--never to be scaled--but since they already have a handle on BS keeping the count would open up their game quite a lot.

 

[EasyRhino]

I think it's a slightly different part of the brain that learns BS than learns counting. BS is largely memorization, while counting is more manipulation.

 

[Blue Efficacy]

A lot of people seem to be afraid of the idea of counting. Although practicing is a lot of work, so their concerns may be justified. Doesn't take too long to memorize a BS chart, on the other hand.

 

[Harman]

It's not just that, some people think if they are counting they are going to be arrested or beaten up, thanks to good old 21 The Movie :flame:

 

[_shed_]

Congratulation on nailing BS, though. Where you are, if the dealer gets a blackjack, do you lose extra if you have split or doubled any bets?

Hi Rhino,

yep, if dealer gets BJ, I lose all doubles and splits.

In London I think all games are European. So the dealer doesn't have a hole card.

 

[_shed_]

Hi Shed

I am also a new BS player. But, I haven't had enough time to learn it perfectly yet. I think if I have a few hours in the next couple days, I'll have it down. There are only a few hands that occasionally trip me up right now. I am hitting my first casino in Vegas in about 2 weeks. I know counting is the direction I should head in, I just haven't had the chance to learn yet.

How long did it take you to master BS? What methods did you use to memorize every play? Have you used the stategy coach on this site?

Congrats on mastering BS and on your wins. Hope your luck holds up.

Oh, and screw those other players who make comments about your play. Just do your thing. They probably wouldn't know BS if it bit them in the arse.

Hi Girl 21,

it didn't take me long at all. It's just a memorisation thing and I have a good memory. So maybe 2 hours solid in total. Because it doesn't take long to learn, I'm amazed at the number of people who play blackjack solely on what their gut tells them. These are what you guys call 'ploppies', right? Also, the gambling superstitions that you hear other players talking about, e.g. "i'm gonna move from this spot cos it's unlucky."

I figured it would be easier to write out each play from the matrix and learn that:

Hard hands
<= 8, hit
9, double if 3 - 6 else hit
10, double if 2-9, else hit

Soft hands
A2/A3, double if 5 or 6, else hit

Pairs
2/3/7, split if 2-7 else hit

to practise I used the strategy drill from the sticky link on this board, as I found the strategy engine on the mainpage too slow.

I think that getting BS down is a lot easier than mastering counting. Rhino is right in that it uses a different part of the brain. I do agree though that anyone of average intelligence can nail it, with enough practise.

 

[chichow]

Hi Rhino,

yep, if dealer gets BJ, I lose all doubles and splits.

In London I think all games are European. So the dealer doesn't have a hole card.

I thought London switched over and the dealer now has a hole card and rules are pretty much like Vegas

 

[jimpenn]

BJ Winner - You must live for the game.

Of course Basic Strategy is the starting point, and a counting system is essential to have a chance. The most important attribute is you must hate to lose. Every minute of your day must be devoted to improving your game with the intention of killing the casino. Without MOTIVATION 24/7 you can forget about achieving your goal at beating blackjack.

 

[Cplcam]

Basic Strategy without counting

What I advise people about Basic Strategy without counting ......

Keep at the minum table bet if the dealer is winning more hands than you.

Raise your bet if you are winning more hands than the dealer because the count is probably on your side.

Learn it BS but be aware there are some times Basic Strategy tells you to Hit/Spit/Double on a hand but the gain on some 1st two cards is only a half a percent. Example of one of the worst ones...6 deck shoe / double on any first two cards / dealer hits soft 17..... BS has you double A,7 againest a dealers 2 because standing gives you 0.11311 vs doubling 0.11626 a diff. of
.0031% in your favor. Now if you increased your mimum $5 to $20 do you want to risk doubling and losing $40 of your $100 bankroll for a making .0031% more in the long run?

I put a copy of a large Basic Strategy in the bathroom when I first started.

 

[Harman]

Every minute of your day must be devoted to improving your game with the intention of killing the casino. Without MOTIVATION 24/7 you can forget about achieving your goal at beating blackjack.

Wow! Are you a virgin? :grin:

 

[mdlbj]

I use to do 1/4 deck conversions with every free moment I had. In the shower, eating lunch etc. He is right, it is a very focused and at times frustrating skill to learn and apply.

 

[GeorgeD]

What I advise people about Basic Strategy without counting ......

Keep at the minum table bet if the dealer is winning more hands than you.

Raise your bet if you are winning more hands than the dealer because the count is probably on your side.

I suppose that makes some sense, but it's still a guess if you should raise your bet.

Even if you winning more hands is an indication of the count being good, chances are by the time you've noticed it, the count has probably dropped.

More to the point: the fact that you've won a few more hands doesn't tell you anything about the probability of winning future hands.