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Hello, i’m new at the surrender rule. I’ve been thinking about some strategy that can protect me from some awful situations, and found myself playing in multihand with two hands, one just covering the other one. Can I adapt my range of surrender when i play two hands? for example, i have 13 and 20 against a 9. A surrender in 13, isn’t a good choice? because in many situations, i will be profitable. Thanks in advance.
Hi Ken,
I’m right at the beginning of my c.c career and would like to thank you for the help you have provided via these lessons, for me the most difficult part has been memorising the 41 variations -3 to + 10… I’m curious as to why you haven’t included the 10,10 vs 6 split at T.C +4 and 10,10 vs 5 split at T.C +5. Is it for camouflage motives?
Also why does the European basic strategy version (no peek) entail not splitting A,A against an A whereas the American version denotes split? I’m wondering whether I need to revise the variations for the European game
lastly are there pros and cons to CVBJ vs other programmes such as MGp’s blackjack combination analyser?
I’m no longer involved in the site here, but I occasionally drop in to reply to questions…
The GameMaster’s course did leave out the ten splits for camo reasons, and it’s generally a good idea to ignore them.
For European games, the reason that you are more conservative against dealer tens and aces is that you could still lose everything to a dealer blackjack, even after splitting or doubling. That can’t happen in the US “peek” game.
CBVJ vs MGP’s CA… CVBJ is a practice tool, while MGP’s software only generates strategy information (and only for basic strategy, not card counting.)
I am surprised at so many comments that sound so professional, but how naive so many players are. When your gambling no matter if you count cards or use whatever strategy makes you comfortable IT’S GAMBLING! The odds are against you from the start and yes you can practice and count cards all you like, but lady luck always, always wins. Very few are able to make a living gambling it’s just for fun don’t take the game or yourself so serious it’s a waste of time.
As good as you think this trainer game is and it is a good one there are still many flaws in it. I have lost more on this trainer than in real life. So take and use it for what it is worth, fun.
My best advice to those who are new to all this is to know when to walk away no matter if your winning and especially when your losing. The next time you venture to your local casino watch the people when playing you will be amazed at what you see. I see so many people sit down to play out of desperation and within minutes lose everything. If you feel desperate don’t play, you will lose and don’t take it out on the dealer it’s not their fault. The house has every right to win just like you do.
If you play long enough the chance of you losing actually becomes less likely than you getting hit by a car or dying on your way to the casino. If you have an advantage, lets say 1% and you were to play 100 thousand hands the probability of you ending up behind is probably less than 1/100,000. That’s a conservative number as well, very conservative. Doesn’t sound like gambling to me.
“YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY IF YOU PLAY AT A GAME WITH LESS THAN 65% PENETRATION.”
65% is the standard for ALL games, irregardless of the number of decks?
I know this is an old post. Ive read some of these and am curious. Through observation and the probability somehow favoring the dealer. And I don’t mean by percent alone as in the amount of decks and the hitting or standing on soft 17. I mean it’s like those casinos have a special witch doctor looming behind the scenes. The spread of cards sometimes seems astronomically improbable, such as last night where the dealer gets 4 aces in a row with kings. Now this is a reputable casino of course. I digress. So my question is. I’ve read the charts and such for increasing win percentages by using accurate basic strategy. But wait. What planet did those stats come from? If I stand on a dealers up card of 2-6 with a 14, 15, 16 for example, I almost always lose and dealer won’t bust. And he beats me with some ridiculous number either just one more or by far. So when sometimes I hit on a 13 and a 5 or 6 up card I’m of course much heckled and chastised by the players who think they know how to really play (but they all bet like random bobbleheads). And FYI off topic I despise not many things but hindsight strategists I call them.
“shoulda hit 3 rounds ago… ” I say.. “Shoulda told me what card I had then coming next and what card I have coming now.” lol But for the most part. Not trusting the dealers cards. I’ve won. My problem is too my lack of patience and maintaining and ultimately betting more than I think not commanding my brain to think of the next dealer streak. But I also play two hands as it seems more safe , until a loss streak. I’m new mostly and don’t mean to discount anything of this or any post and or anyone’s skill, knowledge and professionalism of the game. I simply just can’t get down counting because it’s just too fast (even though I play piano lightning fast) and with the HiLo numbers and running and true count, I’ll just say I couldn’t add dived and solve for X like that. Especially quick dealers. Maybe I’ll find a slow one. Lol Any additional advice at this point would be helpful. Mostly just want to bet more safely and practically. I understand your post above about the 2500. I did read it lol I’m just more asking for anyones advice on what they might use personally and what works and hasn’t worked. . Forgive the long post. Thank you all.
I currently live an hour from Tunica and was wondering if it was better to start trying to master counting hi-lo with a shoe game or hi-opt I for single/DD game?
Also, I’ve read some of “BJ for Blood” and wondered what you thought about Omega II?
20,605 hands played +6027. I should be up more but I lost some EV due to not having enough chips to double and take insurance when I was playing a 25 dollar min 1-12 spread(high for DD) since my max is $300 with that max it’s easy to bust a 1k starting bank roll that the trainer only allows.
Hi Ken,
I just received the advanced strategy cards and some (but not all) of the numbers for the 2-deck H17 game are different than I’ve seen elsewhere. I saw somewhere (I think Norm W. wrote in his forum) that you should use indexes based on the same method of true count derivation that you use for counting. I am currently using flooring and am wondering: 1) What true count method you used for arriving at these numbers and 2) Whether you think this is the reason for the differences in some but not all the numbers. Most are within one integer, but some are very different….for example, elsewhere for this game I’ve seen the index for 12 vs 6 is -3, yet you have it on the card as -6! Obviously this is a big difference and could result in one $$ won or lost so am wondering if you can clear things up. Many thanks!
First up, check the card again for the index 12v6. It is -3 on the 2DH17 card, not -6 as you mention. (In fact the cards only show indexes between -5 and +5.)
The indexes were created through a lengthy iterative process using Norm’s CVData. Some decisions are quite close, so very small differences in assumptions can create a difference of 1 or even 2 points. In those cases, it’s actually not that important, because the very fact that they are so close means the difference in EV is tiny. I believe these are the best indexes I could have created. Many hours went in to the process. I ran multiple rounds until the numbers stopped changing. (Each index actually depends on those generated downstream.)
To answer your main question…
The card indexes are generating by flooring the true count. Just to refresh everyone’s memory, floor(2.9) = 2, floor(-2.9) = -3.
Reno, nv
Petro casino
One deck
3-2 black jack
$5-$100 table
Plus royal match side game that if others are playing you might see their cards since they have to show the match.
Hello, i’m new at the surrender rule. I’ve been thinking about some strategy that can protect me from some awful situations, and found myself playing in multihand with two hands, one just covering the other one. Can I adapt my range of surrender when i play two hands? for example, i have 13 and 20 against a 9. A surrender in 13, isn’t a good choice? because in many situations, i will be profitable. Thanks in advance.
This is the best article about BJ I’ve ever read. I’m sure this will be the start of BJ for me.
Would it make any difference if I play 2hand when the count is good and back to one hand when it is bad.
Yes, that’s a useful thing to do to improve your results.
Hi Ken,
I’m right at the beginning of my c.c career and would like to thank you for the help you have provided via these lessons, for me the most difficult part has been memorising the 41 variations -3 to + 10… I’m curious as to why you haven’t included the 10,10 vs 6 split at T.C +4 and 10,10 vs 5 split at T.C +5. Is it for camouflage motives?
Also why does the European basic strategy version (no peek) entail not splitting A,A against an A whereas the American version denotes split? I’m wondering whether I need to revise the variations for the European game
lastly are there pros and cons to CVBJ vs other programmes such as MGp’s blackjack combination analyser?
I’m no longer involved in the site here, but I occasionally drop in to reply to questions…
The GameMaster’s course did leave out the ten splits for camo reasons, and it’s generally a good idea to ignore them.
For European games, the reason that you are more conservative against dealer tens and aces is that you could still lose everything to a dealer blackjack, even after splitting or doubling. That can’t happen in the US “peek” game.
CBVJ vs MGP’s CA… CVBJ is a practice tool, while MGP’s software only generates strategy information (and only for basic strategy, not card counting.)
I have followed all instructions and analyzer does not come…any suggestions
I am surprised at so many comments that sound so professional, but how naive so many players are. When your gambling no matter if you count cards or use whatever strategy makes you comfortable IT’S GAMBLING! The odds are against you from the start and yes you can practice and count cards all you like, but lady luck always, always wins. Very few are able to make a living gambling it’s just for fun don’t take the game or yourself so serious it’s a waste of time.
As good as you think this trainer game is and it is a good one there are still many flaws in it. I have lost more on this trainer than in real life. So take and use it for what it is worth, fun.
My best advice to those who are new to all this is to know when to walk away no matter if your winning and especially when your losing. The next time you venture to your local casino watch the people when playing you will be amazed at what you see. I see so many people sit down to play out of desperation and within minutes lose everything. If you feel desperate don’t play, you will lose and don’t take it out on the dealer it’s not their fault. The house has every right to win just like you do.
Well said.
If you play long enough the chance of you losing actually becomes less likely than you getting hit by a car or dying on your way to the casino. If you have an advantage, lets say 1% and you were to play 100 thousand hands the probability of you ending up behind is probably less than 1/100,000. That’s a conservative number as well, very conservative. Doesn’t sound like gambling to me.
Hi Ken,
So these variations are done according to the true count not the running count?
Thanks.
“YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY IF YOU PLAY AT A GAME WITH LESS THAN 65% PENETRATION.”
65% is the standard for ALL games, irregardless of the number of decks?
This software seems really biased. 9 out 10 of the games the TC are really low. Did anyone have the same issue? Or the software is rigged?
I know this is an old post. Ive read some of these and am curious. Through observation and the probability somehow favoring the dealer. And I don’t mean by percent alone as in the amount of decks and the hitting or standing on soft 17. I mean it’s like those casinos have a special witch doctor looming behind the scenes. The spread of cards sometimes seems astronomically improbable, such as last night where the dealer gets 4 aces in a row with kings. Now this is a reputable casino of course. I digress. So my question is. I’ve read the charts and such for increasing win percentages by using accurate basic strategy. But wait. What planet did those stats come from? If I stand on a dealers up card of 2-6 with a 14, 15, 16 for example, I almost always lose and dealer won’t bust. And he beats me with some ridiculous number either just one more or by far. So when sometimes I hit on a 13 and a 5 or 6 up card I’m of course much heckled and chastised by the players who think they know how to really play (but they all bet like random bobbleheads). And FYI off topic I despise not many things but hindsight strategists I call them.
“shoulda hit 3 rounds ago… ” I say.. “Shoulda told me what card I had then coming next and what card I have coming now.” lol But for the most part. Not trusting the dealers cards. I’ve won. My problem is too my lack of patience and maintaining and ultimately betting more than I think not commanding my brain to think of the next dealer streak. But I also play two hands as it seems more safe , until a loss streak. I’m new mostly and don’t mean to discount anything of this or any post and or anyone’s skill, knowledge and professionalism of the game. I simply just can’t get down counting because it’s just too fast (even though I play piano lightning fast) and with the HiLo numbers and running and true count, I’ll just say I couldn’t add dived and solve for X like that. Especially quick dealers. Maybe I’ll find a slow one. Lol Any additional advice at this point would be helpful. Mostly just want to bet more safely and practically. I understand your post above about the 2500. I did read it lol I’m just more asking for anyones advice on what they might use personally and what works and hasn’t worked. . Forgive the long post. Thank you all.
Benjamin CA
Thanks so much for all the help GM! You’re great!
I have 2 questions:
I currently live an hour from Tunica and was wondering if it was better to start trying to master counting hi-lo with a shoe game or hi-opt I for single/DD game?
Also, I’ve read some of “BJ for Blood” and wondered what you thought about Omega II?
Thanks for all that you do!
Where can I get a list of major tournaments in MS thanks
20,605 hands played +6027. I should be up more but I lost some EV due to not having enough chips to double and take insurance when I was playing a 25 dollar min 1-12 spread(high for DD) since my max is $300 with that max it’s easy to bust a 1k starting bank roll that the trainer only allows.
Hi Ken,
I just received the advanced strategy cards and some (but not all) of the numbers for the 2-deck H17 game are different than I’ve seen elsewhere. I saw somewhere (I think Norm W. wrote in his forum) that you should use indexes based on the same method of true count derivation that you use for counting. I am currently using flooring and am wondering: 1) What true count method you used for arriving at these numbers and 2) Whether you think this is the reason for the differences in some but not all the numbers. Most are within one integer, but some are very different….for example, elsewhere for this game I’ve seen the index for 12 vs 6 is -3, yet you have it on the card as -6! Obviously this is a big difference and could result in one $$ won or lost so am wondering if you can clear things up. Many thanks!
First up, check the card again for the index 12v6. It is -3 on the 2DH17 card, not -6 as you mention. (In fact the cards only show indexes between -5 and +5.)
The indexes were created through a lengthy iterative process using Norm’s CVData. Some decisions are quite close, so very small differences in assumptions can create a difference of 1 or even 2 points. In those cases, it’s actually not that important, because the very fact that they are so close means the difference in EV is tiny. I believe these are the best indexes I could have created. Many hours went in to the process. I ran multiple rounds until the numbers stopped changing. (Each index actually depends on those generated downstream.)
To answer your main question…
The card indexes are generating by flooring the true count. Just to refresh everyone’s memory, floor(2.9) = 2, floor(-2.9) = -3.
Reno, nv
Petro casino
One deck
3-2 black jack
$5-$100 table
Plus royal match side game that if others are playing you might see their cards since they have to show the match.