Stop the numbers in my head!!
- Thread starter Dopple
- Start date
I have had this problem for almost 20 years.
It always happens when I have just stopped playing.
What I do to get the numbers out of
head is to "ZERO OUT" The numbers.
I borrow from the technique of using random
binary strings of Zeroes and Ones to "wipe a hard drive".
In a moment of rapidly visualizing and repeating to my self
a flock of these I have no idea where i am and I default to ZERO.
Problem solved.
It always happens when I have just stopped playing.
What I do to get the numbers out of
head is to "ZERO OUT" The numbers.
I borrow from the technique of using random
binary strings of Zeroes and Ones to "wipe a hard drive".
In a moment of rapidly visualizing and repeating to my self
a flock of these I have no idea where i am and I default to ZERO.
Problem solved.
I was reading an interesting thread on the BC forum about "marathon session delirium," or something to that effect, that deals with a similar phenomenon. I've noticed that after long playing hours or trips that involve lots of play, I will occasionally "cancel out" unlike pairs reflexively, eg. an old man and young man sitting near each other is neutral, since of course, +1 and -1 cancel each other out. Likewise, a salt and pepper shaker are +2, but the glass of water next to them is -1, so now we're at +1. It's on an almost subconscious level, but it still amuses me in a slightly alarming way.
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I too have posted in the past about experiencing this phenomenon. It drives me insane while at the same time cracks me up that I'll be walking down the street and start cancelling human beings or cars or billboards out 
. I geerallu need agood hour or two of unwinding before this stops. On the plus side, I know my brain does what it is has been trained to do on a suboncious and automatic/reflexive basis.
. I geerallu need agood hour or two of unwinding before this stops. On the plus side, I know my brain does what it is has been trained to do on a suboncious and automatic/reflexive basis.I'm only an occasional player, so I haven't really suffered from this phenomenon, but it does remind me of a related issue which I have encountered -
I chose to learn HiLo, mainly because I had bought a copy of Wong's Professional Blackjack, rather than for any more considered reasons. When I later discovered the existence of the Red-7 count, I toyed with the idea of switching, but it quickly became apparent that my brain was already hard-wired to ignore the 7s. It seemed foolish to try to unlearn the practice, particularly since there was a good chance I might later want to switch back, so I decided to stick with HiLo.
So does it have to be 'one count to rule them all', or are some people able to switch between different counting systems at the drop of a hat?
I chose to learn HiLo, mainly because I had bought a copy of Wong's Professional Blackjack, rather than for any more considered reasons. When I later discovered the existence of the Red-7 count, I toyed with the idea of switching, but it quickly became apparent that my brain was already hard-wired to ignore the 7s. It seemed foolish to try to unlearn the practice, particularly since there was a good chance I might later want to switch back, so I decided to stick with HiLo.
So does it have to be 'one count to rule them all', or are some people able to switch between different counting systems at the drop of a hat?
In discussions with various people here I have learned that some people, in fact most people have used different counts at different times. Some people use different counts for different games and are apparently able to switch back and forth rather easily.
That was not the case with myself. Two years ago, I decided to switch to a level 2, RPC after using hi-lo for about 4 years. I found making the switch extremely difficult. I play a good deal of blackjack per year, well over a thousand hours per year. Closer to 5000 hours of actual play over those 4 years, and you could probably double that counting all practice time. Hi-lo was so ingrained in me, that I am not ashamed to say that I had great difficulty re-training myself. I played RPC for more than a year and never did become as comfortable with it as with hi-lo. Oh I could keep the count, but it took more effort. I was not able to keep the count with a fast dealer, while watching the football game and have a conversation all at the same time as I did with hi-lo. And even a year later, sometimes when I wasn't concentration on what I was doing, I would find myself slipping back into hi-lo. So I made the decision to switch back. I know I give up a tiny bit of EV by playing hi-lo rather than a level two, but I am comfortable that I close that gap some or maybe even entirely by being able to play nearly error free and having the count be so second nature that it free's me up to take advantage of other opportunities that I couldn't before, and notice things that I otherwise wouldn't.
That was not the case with myself. Two years ago, I decided to switch to a level 2, RPC after using hi-lo for about 4 years. I found making the switch extremely difficult. I play a good deal of blackjack per year, well over a thousand hours per year. Closer to 5000 hours of actual play over those 4 years, and you could probably double that counting all practice time. Hi-lo was so ingrained in me, that I am not ashamed to say that I had great difficulty re-training myself. I played RPC for more than a year and never did become as comfortable with it as with hi-lo. Oh I could keep the count, but it took more effort. I was not able to keep the count with a fast dealer, while watching the football game and have a conversation all at the same time as I did with hi-lo. And even a year later, sometimes when I wasn't concentration on what I was doing, I would find myself slipping back into hi-lo. So I made the decision to switch back. I know I give up a tiny bit of EV by playing hi-lo rather than a level two, but I am comfortable that I close that gap some or maybe even entirely by being able to play nearly error free and having the count be so second nature that it free's me up to take advantage of other opportunities that I couldn't before, and notice things that I otherwise wouldn't.
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I have talked with some here as well whocan do it as well as watch someone from here switch within a few hours. I can count zen with my eyes closed these days ( ha!) but what this guy can do in terms of retraining his brain for counting and indices in a matter of hours, to be able to switch back and forth, jesus that's absurd. I find it incredible because it opens you up to playing different types of games on the same trip that you might not nomally play.
Evaluation and Reflection
I like to do an evaluation an critique of my playing session immediately after while those numbers are "fresh" in my mind. I have even pulled over to the side of the road to jot down notes about things on my way out of AC. A primary reason for this is to better understand effectiveness of certain situations with regard to clump tracking attempts combined what the count was doing most specifically but there are also others. I then pick it all apart "with a microscope" at my table at home, with a clipboard and a calculator by my side (since they won't let me bring my clipboard, calculator and array of charts and graphs to the blackjack table in the casino).
I feel that the closer I can evaluate and make objective observations critiquing past play, the better I will be able to hone and fine tune this to become a better player in the future. I LIKE all those numbers flowing through my brain! It turns me on...
Never switched counting methods, though. Are you fearful of making errors? Mixing things up? My count is effective enough to cover the broad spectrum and is the only one I've ever used and the one I started with from the very beginning. I wouldn't even want to think about using anything else or having to juggle.
I like to do an evaluation an critique of my playing session immediately after while those numbers are "fresh" in my mind. I have even pulled over to the side of the road to jot down notes about things on my way out of AC. A primary reason for this is to better understand effectiveness of certain situations with regard to clump tracking attempts combined what the count was doing most specifically but there are also others. I then pick it all apart "with a microscope" at my table at home, with a clipboard and a calculator by my side (since they won't let me bring my clipboard, calculator and array of charts and graphs to the blackjack table in the casino).
I feel that the closer I can evaluate and make objective observations critiquing past play, the better I will be able to hone and fine tune this to become a better player in the future. I LIKE all those numbers flowing through my brain! It turns me on...
Never switched counting methods, though. Are you fearful of making errors? Mixing things up? My count is effective enough to cover the broad spectrum and is the only one I've ever used and the one I started with from the very beginning. I wouldn't even want to think about using anything else or having to juggle.
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Guilty as charged. I use 5 different counting systems regularly, for different games and BJ variants. Plus a couple of sidecounts for sidebets. I find switching between counts to be refreshing and research into different counts enjoyable. Probably more enjoyable than profitable- if you are playing normal blackjack you can do just about anything with High-Low