My first outing was never meant to be. I had just started learning KO, but was not ready. I went to Reno and incurred a substantial loss (for me) using BS. I plunged into KO in an attempt to recoup my money and lo and behold, it worked! And even more surprising, I was able to keep the RC most of the time (except for when they threw a couple of extraordinarily fast dealers at me).
On my second outing, which was to AC, I was versed in KO Rookie and I did pretty well. This trip taught me to sit in position four or five (I prefer five) where I can count the two rounds of the deal before the dealer gets to my hand. I always wait until both rounds are dealt and then quickly figure the RC, which is easy because most combinations cancel each other out (the obvious 10/5, A/4, etc. and the two separate canceling hands Q/J, 5/6, etc. or 9/A, 8/4, etc.).
On my third and last outing I actually played for thirteen hours off and on over a 16-hour period. I didn't employ the full 10X spread because my bankroll was only $5,000 (the book says I need 100 times my max bet). Also, I'm still queasy about the prospect of being spotted and asked to leave. So I played $10-$50, and when they raised the minimum to $15, I played $15-$50 until late in the wee hours when they again opened up a $10 table. I only made $1,300, but hey! who's complaining! Of course, had I been playing 10$-$100 I would have made $2,600.
I learned to carry on conversations with the dealer and other players while still maintaining the count. This ability should get better and better the more I play, although I don't intentionally start a conversation unless I think I need to better camo my play.
I also learned that if I miss a card or two to just count it as the worst case scenario, say, a minus one or minus two, depending on the situation. In that way even though I might miss the exact point at which to start betting higher, at least I know I'm at the Key Count or higher when I do.
Lastly, I found out you have to be careful how you camo yourself. I wore a Mets hat and you wouldn't believe how many people started talking to me about the Mets--everyone figured I was from NYC and an avid fan. In fact, I didn't know a single player's name or have any idea how they were doing. This created a few difficult situations, but I somehow managed to let them do most the talking--they were so happy to meet a fellow fan in AC!
I had read that a good camo of one's play was to gradually increase the bet as the count goes higher over the Key Count. I think this is a good idea. I also sometimes played two separate hands which I reasoned gave me more opportunities to hit good hands and BJ's and also to bet more without it being so conspicuous. Is this a good ploy?
I can't wait to go back. As I told a friend, "I'm going to keep returning (to the casinos) until they learn how to beat me!"
On my second outing, which was to AC, I was versed in KO Rookie and I did pretty well. This trip taught me to sit in position four or five (I prefer five) where I can count the two rounds of the deal before the dealer gets to my hand. I always wait until both rounds are dealt and then quickly figure the RC, which is easy because most combinations cancel each other out (the obvious 10/5, A/4, etc. and the two separate canceling hands Q/J, 5/6, etc. or 9/A, 8/4, etc.).
On my third and last outing I actually played for thirteen hours off and on over a 16-hour period. I didn't employ the full 10X spread because my bankroll was only $5,000 (the book says I need 100 times my max bet). Also, I'm still queasy about the prospect of being spotted and asked to leave. So I played $10-$50, and when they raised the minimum to $15, I played $15-$50 until late in the wee hours when they again opened up a $10 table. I only made $1,300, but hey! who's complaining! Of course, had I been playing 10$-$100 I would have made $2,600.
I learned to carry on conversations with the dealer and other players while still maintaining the count. This ability should get better and better the more I play, although I don't intentionally start a conversation unless I think I need to better camo my play.
I also learned that if I miss a card or two to just count it as the worst case scenario, say, a minus one or minus two, depending on the situation. In that way even though I might miss the exact point at which to start betting higher, at least I know I'm at the Key Count or higher when I do.
Lastly, I found out you have to be careful how you camo yourself. I wore a Mets hat and you wouldn't believe how many people started talking to me about the Mets--everyone figured I was from NYC and an avid fan. In fact, I didn't know a single player's name or have any idea how they were doing. This created a few difficult situations, but I somehow managed to let them do most the talking--they were so happy to meet a fellow fan in AC!
I had read that a good camo of one's play was to gradually increase the bet as the count goes higher over the Key Count. I think this is a good idea. I also sometimes played two separate hands which I reasoned gave me more opportunities to hit good hands and BJ's and also to bet more without it being so conspicuous. Is this a good ploy?
I can't wait to go back. As I told a friend, "I'm going to keep returning (to the casinos) until they learn how to beat me!"
