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Read a book called ” Against the Gods”. It is a well documented book on the history of risk including casino games. One of the points that has stuck with me is………the longer you play blackjack the higher the percentage of losing comes your way. A good read.
Time is a factor in the equation. It helped me to understand why when you look on the faces of people at a blackjack table it is almost always the same.
With a large enough spread you can beat virtually any game. So yes, you could beat a 6:5 single deck game with counting. Just remember that you won’t have the edge at a 6:5 game until the true count reaches approximately +4. There are easier games to beat.
I have another question: My local casino has deep shoe penetration, and often the games are $3-$1000.
The Single deck game is usually 10-300, with BJ paying 6:5. I don’t have a large roll and would rather be aggressive in my betting, rather than grind a game for 7 dollars an hour. Does it make any sense to play the single deck and wait for larger counts and bet big, (wouldn’t the single deck count have much less variance for aggressive betting?)
I have not run any numbers on counting 6:5 games, as I can always find something much better. But off the top of my head, I can’t imagine that the 6:5 single deck would compare well at all with the deeply dealt shoe game. You dismiss a $7/hr grind, but with a small bankroll you’re going to be facing that kind of a situation regardless. Building a bank from a small start is a slow process, and not a smooth one at all.
As for the variance, it will not be much lower in the single deck, despite 6:5 cutting it a bit. (Probably from 1.15 to 1.13 or so)
In live casinos on line, one has the advantage of back counting (8 decks games).
the question is which is prefered, to back count and wait till the true count is high (say +3 or higher) and only then start betting, but then, you only play low number of hands per shoe. Or to play acroos the entire show, where you can play many more hands per shoe ?
Spliting 8s against a ten? Isnt that a sucker play? I mean your going up against the highest card a dealer can have isnt that just asking for punishment?
This hand is ugly no matter what you do, but it is definitely better to split here.
If you hit the pair of 8s against a dealer ten, you’ll lose about $5.35 on a $10 bet on average.
If you stand, you’ll average a loss of $5.37.
If you split and put another $10 bet up, the average combined loss on the two (or more!) hands is $4.75.
Basic strategy is a game of pennies. You play every hand in the way that wins the most on average, or in this case, loses the least.
Split ’em.
In live casinos on line, one has the advantage of back counting (8 decks games).
the question is which is prefered, to back count and wait till the true count is high (say +3 or higher) and only then start betting, but then, you only play small number of hands per shoe. Or to play across the entire shoe, where you can play many more hands per shoe ?
In response to all those that believe in 3rd base player effects…
Aside from it being complete rubbish, let us also not forget that focusing on Billy Nobrains’ poor decision-making and how it affected your hand also actually distracts you from your strategy, count and bet sizing.
I’m a relatively successful market trader and investor and have seen many similarities in psychology….maintaining a cool head under stress, not blaming bad luck on anything (except perhaps your own analysis), focusing on longterm results, understanding past errors, and knowing when to stop trading after a bad run.
However, two of the most important skills I’ve learnt is to always look ahead after taking a loss, and to ignore market noise.
Other than the count, disregard all other players hands. Learn to forget your losses quickly so that you’re able to immediately focus on the next round of betting.
If your unit is $10, a 1-6 spread means betting from $10 to $60. Bet $10 at negative counts, zero counts, and probably at +1 also depending on the game. At +2 start ramping up until you reach your top bet of $60 at a true count of +5. There are a couple of lessons in the school that delve deeply into how to determine an optimal bet ramp. But as long as you stick to the simple approach I just described, you’ll be fine.
BJ player.
Casino’s put out basic strategy cards because they know it will attract people to play. $1.50 for the card, $20, $40 sit at the table. Just because people have them doesn’t mean they will use them correctly. If they have a hunch or gut feeling or have seen lots of low or high cards come out, they will go with their gut and ignore the card. You just have to remember 2 things. 1. Don’t get mad. They’re only there for a bit of fun. 2 PLAY YOUR GAME. Their decision doesn’t effect your play. GL. a5teve.
Read a book called ” Against the Gods”. It is a well documented book on the history of risk including casino games. One of the points that has stuck with me is………the longer you play blackjack the higher the percentage of losing comes your way. A good read.
Time is a factor in the equation. It helped me to understand why when you look on the faces of people at a blackjack table it is almost always the same.
What about if you count? Can the deep penetration in a single deck games make up for it?
With a large enough spread you can beat virtually any game. So yes, you could beat a 6:5 single deck game with counting. Just remember that you won’t have the edge at a 6:5 game until the true count reaches approximately +4. There are easier games to beat.
Thanks….
I have another question: My local casino has deep shoe penetration, and often the games are $3-$1000.
The Single deck game is usually 10-300, with BJ paying 6:5. I don’t have a large roll and would rather be aggressive in my betting, rather than grind a game for 7 dollars an hour. Does it make any sense to play the single deck and wait for larger counts and bet big, (wouldn’t the single deck count have much less variance for aggressive betting?)
I have not run any numbers on counting 6:5 games, as I can always find something much better. But off the top of my head, I can’t imagine that the 6:5 single deck would compare well at all with the deeply dealt shoe game. You dismiss a $7/hr grind, but with a small bankroll you’re going to be facing that kind of a situation regardless. Building a bank from a small start is a slow process, and not a smooth one at all.
As for the variance, it will not be much lower in the single deck, despite 6:5 cutting it a bit. (Probably from 1.15 to 1.13 or so)
Your information is invaluable, and I am deeply grateful. And I might bug you for years to come 🙂
i dont understand the charts, please help, im a total begginer
To understand the charts, start at our Strategy Engine, and read the instructions for the strategy cards.
ohhh, thanks a lot
In live casinos on line, one has the advantage of back counting (8 decks games).
the question is which is prefered, to back count and wait till the true count is high (say +3 or higher) and only then start betting, but then, you only play low number of hands per shoe. Or to play acroos the entire show, where you can play many more hands per shoe ?
Omg thank u ?..!!
Spliting 8s against a ten? Isnt that a sucker play? I mean your going up against the highest card a dealer can have isnt that just asking for punishment?
This hand is ugly no matter what you do, but it is definitely better to split here.
If you hit the pair of 8s against a dealer ten, you’ll lose about $5.35 on a $10 bet on average.
If you stand, you’ll average a loss of $5.37.
If you split and put another $10 bet up, the average combined loss on the two (or more!) hands is $4.75.
Basic strategy is a game of pennies. You play every hand in the way that wins the most on average, or in this case, loses the least.
Split ’em.
In live casinos on line, one has the advantage of back counting (8 decks games).
the question is which is prefered, to back count and wait till the true count is high (say +3 or higher) and only then start betting, but then, you only play small number of hands per shoe. Or to play across the entire shoe, where you can play many more hands per shoe ?
Aces are auto split. And it really matter’s where u sit when another players decides to bank. Good luck
In response to all those that believe in 3rd base player effects…
Aside from it being complete rubbish, let us also not forget that focusing on Billy Nobrains’ poor decision-making and how it affected your hand also actually distracts you from your strategy, count and bet sizing.
I’m a relatively successful market trader and investor and have seen many similarities in psychology….maintaining a cool head under stress, not blaming bad luck on anything (except perhaps your own analysis), focusing on longterm results, understanding past errors, and knowing when to stop trading after a bad run.
However, two of the most important skills I’ve learnt is to always look ahead after taking a loss, and to ignore market noise.
Other than the count, disregard all other players hands. Learn to forget your losses quickly so that you’re able to immediately focus on the next round of betting.
If your unit is $10, a 1-6 spread means betting from $10 to $60. Bet $10 at negative counts, zero counts, and probably at +1 also depending on the game. At +2 start ramping up until you reach your top bet of $60 at a true count of +5. There are a couple of lessons in the school that delve deeply into how to determine an optimal bet ramp. But as long as you stick to the simple approach I just described, you’ll be fine.
1-6 spread. Does that mean 10.00 for every true count? True 2,10,true 3,20,true4,30. Is that how you do the spread? Thanx for your time
BJ player.
Casino’s put out basic strategy cards because they know it will attract people to play. $1.50 for the card, $20, $40 sit at the table. Just because people have them doesn’t mean they will use them correctly. If they have a hunch or gut feeling or have seen lots of low or high cards come out, they will go with their gut and ignore the card. You just have to remember 2 things. 1. Don’t get mad. They’re only there for a bit of fun. 2 PLAY YOUR GAME. Their decision doesn’t effect your play. GL. a5teve.