My Introduction and Questions

#1
I used to play BJ a long time ago and then stopped because of losing too much money, and have recently started again. This time I am trying to do things somewhat more correctly.

My biggest problem is not knowing when to stop, walk away, take a break, etc.. I have been reading about bankrolls on this forum but unfortunately this is not the way I do things.

I have at one point turned $100 into $5K, 8k, 20k. I normally start with $500 or $1000 that I bring with me and play $50 a hand until things go well, then raise it to $100, 150, and usually up to 800-1000 a hand depending how great the cards are running.

Is it naive of me to think that I can start with $500-1000 and turn that into a $1,000 profit each day and walk away from that? Making $1,000 profit starting with $1,000 bankroll is not hard for me. Sometimes I can do it in 5 minutes, other times in a few hours. Should I just walk away after I make the $1,000 or keep playing and try to squeeze out more. This is more a question of my money management than my BJ skills.
 

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#2
whattodo said:
This is more a question of my money management than my BJ skills.
I disagree. Without skill, how do you expect to win?

whattodo said:
Is it naive of me to think that I can start with $500-1000 and turn that into a $1,000 profit each day and walk away from that?
Unless you are playing with an advantage over the house then it is naive to think that you will make a long-term profit.

-Sonny-
 
#3
I have the skill to play the game well. I don't have the money management skills which is why I am trying to come up with a method.
 

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#4
In order to manage your bankroll you need to know how much of an advantage you have and how big the swings will be. Do you know what your EV and SD are? If not, I can help you find them based on your playing and betting strategy.

-Sonny-
 
#5
No I don't. In fact I am not familiar with that terminology. I am new to reading about BJ even though I play pretty well. The only thing I cannot do is count cards (yet). Can you please PM me to discuss.

Thank you
 

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#6
Please describe your strategy and I can tell you what kind of advantage you have.

-Sonny-

P.S. - As a new member your PM privileges are not activated yet.
 
#7
I basically start at $50 a hand. If I win, I increase my bet to $75. If I lose, I usually start over at $50. I raise my bets as I am winning, and decrease them as I am losing.

Also it appears everyone has their own strategies on bankroll (e.g. onlineblackjack.org/blackjack-bankroll-management.html) - they seem to suggest much larger numbers for betting and lower bankrolls than anyone would on this forum?
 

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#8
whattodo said:
I basically start at $50 a hand. If I win, I increase my bet to $75. If I lose, I usually start over at $50. I raise my bets as I am winning, and decrease them as I am losing.
You are using a progression system similar to the Martingale system. It will not give you an advantage over the casino. Read through the sticky threads in the Voodoo Betting Strategies forum to learn more.

whattodo said:
Also it appears everyone has their own strategies on bankroll (e.g. onlineblackjack.org/blackjack-bankroll-management.html) - they seem to suggest much larger numbers for betting and lower bankrolls than anyone would on this forum?
That website is absolute garbage. The information there is not going to teach you anything worthwhile about the game. Check out the sticky links in the Card Counting forum for an introduction on how to play the game properly.

-Sonny-
 
#9
Is there a betting strategy that actually works then? Every site I have found lists a bunch of strategies and then goes on to prove that they do not work. So what works? straight betting?
 
#10
And on top of that.... regardless of how perfect you play, the house will always have an edge. Therefore, how can any system ever have a proven positive outcome over the long run? If it can't, then the best betting systems would be the ones that work short term or that you can ride out the longest?
 

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#11
You are correct that someone who only plays basic strategy will not have an advantage over the casino (unless he is taking advantage of a promotion like matchplay coupons, loss rebates, free play, payout changes, or something like that). Therefore, any betting strategy that causes him to raise his bets is only going to cause him to lose more money. You can't just get an advantage by randomly changing your bets. Acquiring the necessary skills requires a huge amount of practice and research.

Getting an advantage involves having more information than a basic strategy player would have. Things like knowing which cards have been played, knowing which cards are coming next, knowing what the dealer's holecard is, steering cards to where you want them to be, etc. The list goes on and on.

The easiest place to start is with card counting. That will give you a solid foundation and understanding of how to play properly. From there you can move on to more advanced strategies once you have some knowledge and skill under your belt. The sticky threads in the Card Counting forum will get you started with bet sizing and bankroll requirements.

-Sonny-
 
#12
whattodo said:
Is there a betting strategy that actually works then? Every site I have found lists a bunch of strategies and then goes on to prove that they do not work. So what works? straight betting?
Bet small when the house has the advantage. Bet big when you have the advantage. You need to know when you have the advantage. Try counting cards.
 
#13
Even with counting cards, house still has an advantage although not as big. You don't go through the whole deck so you can't possibly know what cards are left. I was just saying that people seem to be criticizing a progressive betting system but there is really no good one out there. Even card counting which is based on calculated still involves a lot of luck.
 
#14
whattodo said:
Even with counting cards, house still has an advantage although not as big. You don't go through the whole deck so you can't possibly know what cards are left. I was just saying that people seem to be criticizing a progressive betting system but there is really no good one out there. Even card counting which is based on calculated still involves a lot of luck.
He used the "L" word. Bad ploppy. Variance is a part of card counting but you expect to be ahead in the long run. Progressive betting independent of advantage loses money faster in the long run.
 

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#15
whattodo said:
Even with counting cards, house still has an advantage although not as big.
That's not true. Card counting can give you an advantage over the house. Usually it's in the range of 1-2%. Read the links.

whattodo said:
Even card counting which is based on calculated still involves a lot of luck.
That's true, which is why you have to play long enough to overcome the short-term luck. It's the opposite of what a gambler does. Gamblers are relying on luck to win a few times but they will lose in the end. A card counter may lose a few because of bad luck but he will win in the end.

-Sonny-
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#16
You can bet more on the hands you win and less on the hands you lose or you can learn to count, shuffle track, holecard or a few other ways.
 

21gunsalute

Well-Known Member
#18
whattodo said:
Even with counting cards, house still has an advantage although not as big. You don't go through the whole deck so you can't possibly know what cards are left. I was just saying that people seem to be criticizing a progressive betting system but there is really no good one out there. Even card counting which is based on calculated still involves a lot of luck.
You're right, it's all useless. Give it up. Nothing works, so quit arguing with yourself and quit complaining about nothing.
 

Coach R

Well-Known Member
#19
whattodo said:
Even with counting cards, house still has an advantage although not as big. You don't go through the whole deck so you can't possibly know what cards are left. I was just saying that people seem to be criticizing a progressive betting system but there is really no good one out there. Even card counting which is based on calculated still involves a lot of luck.
Counting DOES give you an advantage, untill you can master that, you will always lose in the long run. That's why they it A.P. (advantaged players)
 

MeWin$

Well-Known Member
#20
whattodo said:
Even with counting cards, house still has an advantage although not as big. You don't go through the whole deck so you can't possibly know what cards are left. I was just saying that people seem to be criticizing a progressive betting system but there is really no good one out there. Even card counting which is based on calculated still involves a lot of luck.
hehehe, ur actually not bad as a troll, are you on this forum under a different name??

I actually got a chuckle, well done :)
 
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