Quit Blackjack?

[aslan]

Hi all,

well after about 2 years of playing at the $10 table at my local casino (sydney, australia) $100 buy in i decided to step it up to the $25 table with a $250 buy in .over the period of about 14 weeks i went once a week and kept a record of my nights in a book.. by week 14 i was UP about $2000....................we all know with BS alone the casino has a slight advantage so in the long run. you will never make any money from playing the BS. on a side note . counting is not possible in sydney because they put the cards back in the deck every few hands and the deck is constantly being reshuffled automatically. so the next card could be anything.

I can't believe that no one has mentioned what I am about to say. If you KNOW that "you will never make any money from playing the BS," as you say, how on earth do you justify changing from a $10 table to a $25 table? That has me completely baffled.

Is it that your "need" for a gambling "fix" has grown, so that you no longer get enough excitement from betting a measly $10? It sounds more like a death wish to me, a signal that you are a compulsive gambler and will no longer be satisfied with the excitement generated by a mere $10 bet.

If you are playing for enjoyment, the social aspect and the titillation of gambling, knowing that it is a long range losing proposition, I would suggest you play at the lowest limit table available, and drop from $10 to $5, if at all possible, rather than expose yourself to the greater risk of $25. You did say that the money you lost hurt, and was considerable in the way that you value money.

You may not be willing to admit it, but you are setting yourself up for and even bigger loss and next time and it won't necessarily be from the casino's money (I'm paraphrasing you).

Now I know this is not the advice that you wanted to hear, but it is the only advice that I feel I can give with good conscience. Gambling compulsively is a very serious vice and can grow almost imperceptibly. Please note your dissatisfaction with $10 and move to $25 with absolutely no science or mathematics to support such a decision.

I would not be so quick to listen to well wishers who paint the very picture you wanted to see when you began this thread. You need to come to grips with the fact that you are playing a losing game and approach it with serious restraint, or see yourself go the way of thousands before you who have lost meaningful money not justified by any rational desire for fun and social activity, and certainly not justified by the fact that advantage play is not available to you.

You have a blackjack table at home? Wow! What a social opportunity! Invite your friends over for a night of food, fun and blackjack! Play for quarters, or some nominal amount. Give everyone a chance to be the bank. Serve drinks, food, and play your favorite music. What a great way to satisfy your desire for a social outlet and a little bit of innocent gambling among friends. You could even play for chips with the evening's winners receiving predetermined prizes. It may even grow into a regular social event with your friends.

If this does not satisfy you, then it's not the social aspect of blackjack that you crave, at least not solely, but the gamble. Knowing you do not have the best of it, don't feed this craving of yours. It cannot have a good end, but then, you already know that. There's no shame in being a low limit player, and it is more in line with the price of entertainment. $1,400 is a bit steep for an evening's "entertainment," don't you think?

 

[Blue Efficacy]

It's all the casino's money until you go to the cage.

 

[aslan]

It's all the casino's money until you go to the cage.

In the case of mateotm, it was entirely his money, that is, unless he failed to cash in all those prior $2,000 worth of wins. As a matter of fact, I have always considered it MY money (assuming the casino pays off) the minute I win it. Confiscation of chips is a highly unlikely scenario in my modest play.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

The players in this thread probably lost their money to the casino and quit playing!:joker::whip:

Pretty impressive, resurrecting a thread after almost 5 years!

 

[aslan]

Pretty impressive, resurrecting a thread after almost 5 years!

I'll never answer a thread again without first checking the posting date. :whip:

 

[Sucker]

I make it about 4:1 that the OP did NOT quit playing BJ after all. :grin:

 

[aslan]

I make it about 4:1 that the OP did NOT quit playing BJ after all. :grin:

At least one good thing came of this thread--I finally figured out the correct translation of OP. :laugh::whip::whip::whip:

PS--Don't ask what various interpretations I have put on that abbreviation based on the particular contexts.

 

[psyduck]

At least one good thing came of this thread--I finally figured out the correct translation of OP. :laugh::whip::whip::whip:

PS--Don't ask what various interpretations I have put on that abbreviation based on the particular contexts.

Isn't it Obsessed Player?

 

[aslan]

Isn't it Obsessed Player?

:laugh::laugh:

OPs used to refer to other people's, as in cigarettes. That rendering does not fit any of the posts I've seen to date. I refuse to betray my hard earned learning of this Forum abbreviation. OTOH, I may be the Only Person in the Forum who didn't get it. :joker::laugh:

 

[Canceler]

I refuse to betray my hard earned learning of this Forum abbreviation.

To go along with the other valuable things you've learned in this thread, here's one more: Urban Dictionary is your friend!

 

[aslan]

To go along with the other valuable things you've learned in this thread, here's one more: Urban Dictionary is your friend!

Oh, I have used it before, but would not think of it for Forum type talk.

I clicked your link and there it was, just as it finally occurred to me. lol

 

[elkobar]

quiting or what ?

Hi Matteotm
I know how you feel about losing, but that is the nature of the game, win and lose; even if you play perfect strategy, the cards sometimes fall the wrong way, happens to all of us, even when playing poker;
All though he gets a bit of stick from some players, I found that after reading Walter Thomason's Twenty First Century Blackjack, and strickly following his quit loss strategy, of leaving the table when you lose 4 games in a row, this helped me achieve some discipline to my game, and I have never lost more than $50 to $80, following this rule, Discipline is the key to being successful, not only in knowing the strategy perfectly, but following it no matter what happens on the table, and knowing when to quit.
Elkobar..

 

[bigplayer]

This Whole Thread

has given me a great big F'n headache. This guy should not even be playing. He doesn't have enough money. Whatever he's doing is just gambling with an edge. He might get lucky but I'd say there is a 90% chance he busts out. Skill is not an issue...he is under-bankrolled.

The complaints in the vein of to "I've lost my $2,000 bankroll betting green units and lost it all...what am I doing wrong" are pretty naive. You played too big for your bankroll, you lost, suck it up and create another one. If you want to take a shot with a limited bankroll you have to realize it's just a shot. If you want a more guaranteed shot you'll need to find something with a bigger edge than 1%.

 

[UK-21]

. . .
All though he gets a bit of stick from some players, I found that after reading Walter Thomason's Twenty First Century Blackjack, and strickly following his quit loss strategy, of leaving the table when you lose 4 games in a row, this helped me achieve some discipline to my game, and I have never lost more than $50 to $80, following this rule, . . .

If I got up from a table after losing four games in a row, I'd hardly ever play (especially as I have a hundred mile or so round trip for an afternoon or evening at a casino). I'm interested to know what is the rational for doing this?

 

[aslan]

If I got up from a table after losing four games in a row, I'd hardly ever play (especially as I have a hundred mile or so round trip for an afternoon or evening at a casino). I'm interested to know what is the rational for doing this?

He must own a Mercedes and love to drive. But seriously, each game is just a continuation of the long run, so I don't see in theory what is to be gained. If my head were foggy I would pull up. Or if there was a prolonged drought of good cards, I might want to give it a rest. But I agree that four hands in a row would have me driving my Mercedes more than playing Blackjack and that would entirely defeat my purpose.

 

[Katweezel]

Hi Matteotm
I know how you feel about losing, but that is the nature of the game, win and lose; even if you play perfect strategy, the cards sometimes fall the wrong way, happens to all of us, even when playing poker;
All though he gets a bit of stick from some players, I found that after reading Walter Thomason's Twenty First Century Blackjack, and strickly following his quit loss strategy, of leaving the table when you lose 4 games in a row, this helped me achieve some discipline to my game, and I have never lost more than $50 to $80, following this rule, Discipline is the key to being successful, not only in knowing the strategy perfectly, but following it no matter what happens on the table, and knowing when to quit.
Elkobar..

(Re: Bold highlight above) So Walter draws the line at 4 consec losses. I wonder what stats Wally has for all of his 5th hand bets... (when he was still playing the 5th hand.) Perhaps if he'd employed a progression system at that point, or the 6th hand, who knows what would have happened? Does Wal?

 

[elkobar]

four losses.

Hi
to all respondants to the leave after 4 losses, I cannot say why 4 losses in a row was Walters answer to leaving the table, I guess it could be any amount of losses, I think it is a bit like a stop loss used in trading shares, it is just an arbitrary number to quit when you are losing.
How much money do you need to lose before you figure the game is going the wrong way?
If you are losing and you keep playing and putting more money on table, and waiting for the cards to change in your favour, you could lose your bank. I figure it is best to leave when you get some indication that the game is not in your favour.
You know when the game is good, and you know when the game is not, and I have noticed that when I was not leaving the table after 4 losses, and I stayed at the table playing, I lost more than I should have, I have noticed that it is a habit of a lot of players to just keep playing and lossing, even when the cards are obviously going against them, and they will get up and go to the money machine and get more money, and lose that as well;
It can be said that the cards may favour you in time, but I have to protect my bankroll, and it has saved me from further losses, also it give you a sense of control over your game, an emotional exit, when the game is going wrong, perhaps it is just a mental thing who knows.
Also for those who have to travel a long way to play, if you can just change tables, if you cannot then I guess you have to stay at the table and work through it.
Elkobar..

 

[HockeXpert]

The "leave the table after 4 consecutive losses" approach is suicidal in the long run. Is someone truly advocating departing even in a strong + count? The only reasons I can think of to ever leave a table are:

1. The count is at or below your pre-determined departure point.
2. Your time is up at the table based on the level of heat you are getting or a pre-determined optimal departure point based on longevity.
3. You are tired and need to stop in the interest of your b/r (an extension of #2).
4. You spot a better opportunity.
5. You run out of funds. Completely unacceptable and a sign of an under bankrolled or over betting player.
6. You have to go so bad that if you don't go to the bathroom you'll go all over the floor. Some here will argue that if the count warrants it, either be prepared in advance or go all over the floor.

If you are leaving a table because you lost x number of hands in a + EV situation, you are throwing potential winnings out the window and you are not ready to be an AP for whatever reason made you leave.

AP BJ is a business and must be "worked" like a business. Leaving a table for no good reason is analogous to a retail store owner closing down early because it has been a slow day. That owner may be missing "the big sale" they have been waiting all their life for.

HockeXpert

 

[Sucker]

How much money do you need to lose before you figure the game is going the wrong way?

One heckofalot more than 4 hands in a row!

If you are losing and you keep playing and putting more money on table, and waiting for the cards to change in your favour, you could lose your bank.

And you could also DOUBLE your BR! This is a classic case of: "Is the glass half-empty or is it half-full?

I figure it is best to leave when you get some indication that the game is not in your favour.

This is absolutely correct! But if your "indicator" is merely the fact that you've just lost 4 hands in a row; well - THAT'S what's known as "voodoo blackjack".

 

[Sucker]

And don't get me wrong - Your system WILL help to preserve your bankroll - but at the expense of DESTROYING your win rate.

The fact is; there ARE no easy answers to this game.