kcchiefsfan1982 said:
I have a $5,000 bank roll...my bet spread is $10-$100 (although truly since I have $5 tables where I live, it is $5-$100)
True +1 $10
True +2 $30
True +3 $50
True +4 $100
Right now, I am only up $1400 after 450 hours
But, for my first 200 hours, i did not have a good bet spread. I learned that later after I bought a simulator. I was only raising my bet $10 per each true count lol!! Not betting nearly enough. Oh well, everybody is new once!
There is an aspect of this spread/ramp that I like very much. It is the jump from $50 to $100 for TC+3 to TC+4. Based on the rest of the spread this is not going to be 'optimal', but if you have software as you say, you should already know that. Too many players are afraid to move very far away from what software says is "optimal". Almost any "optimal spread/ramp" will be far too uniform, meaning easy to detect and that more than offsets any benefit from playing optimal. If a players bankroll allows RoR-wise, they should move at least somewhat away from optimal and uniformity.
I have 3 hard fast rules that I incorporate into any bet spread and ramp.
1.) minimum wager is just that....minimum wager. It is not some sort of "unit" to be raised and lowered by. The minimum wager should be a fraction of what you are raising and lowering bets by.
2.) Max bet MUST be placed by a TC+4 for shoe game. To wait any longer, means you are not getting the full benefit of max bet as the frequencies will occur too infrequent to be all that beneficial. To take advantage of any extraordinary high counts, which happen pretty rarely in a shoe game, I employ a "supermax" bet at very high and ultra rare high true counts. But this isn't even necessary. This is a bonus type thing. It is very rare.
3.) Get away from uniformity. Way too easy to spot.
**4.) there is also consideration to monetary thresholds. I have talked about this before and am not going to get into it again here, but there are certain thresholds that draw more attention, like $500, $1000 ($100 for lower limit). Don't max at these thresholds. It is best to stay just below which ever one applies. If you are going to play through one, make it worthwhile and go well above.
I'll give an example. Suppose after consulting software and rounding you have a bet spread ramp that looks like this.
Minimum wager $50
TC+1 $100
TC+2 $200
TC+3 $300
TC+4 $400
conservative 1-8 spread. WAY to uniform.
So if software and my bankroll were pointing me towards a spread/ramp like this I would change up to something like this.
Min bet $50
TC 0 $75 ** more in a moment
TC+1 $125
TC+2 $200
TC+4 $400
Ok let's start with the TC 0 wager. This came from Zengrifter (Xengrifter of this site). For years he talked about spreading both ways. For years I though he was nuts (still do regarding many things) . But there is some value in spreading both ways. First, NOT all 0 count wagers need to be at that $75 level. Just the first couple after the shuffle until you start to determine where the count is going. If it is not going anywhere or goes negative, revert back to the minimum wager, especially after a loss. But if the count starts going positive keep playing this slightly higher wager. This might allow you to get into your spread and show what appears to be an even smaller spread $75-$400 (slightly more than 1-5).
Now if the count drops and you drop back to $50, you are showing nothing, having played both $50 and $75 bets. No significants. In order for pit/surveillance to see your entire spread, the count will have had to go negative and then positive all the way to max bet (+4)
in the same shoe.
This happens but not all that regularly.
The $125 wager @ TC+1 helps break up the uniformity.
All jumps in bet will allow for me to make that jump from chips in my betting circle after a winning wager.
Starting @75 and betting $200 through TC+3 (no increase at TC+3) means I have shown less than a 1-3 spread through TC+3. Drawn ZERO attention until I get to my max bet (TC+4) and once I place this max bet I am exiting at the next shuffle.
Now once I place that max bet of $400, at a TC+4, I am playing that max bet all the ways back down to the TC of +2, right through the TC of +3. I may even play that max bet down to a TC of +1.5 or so. My bankroll allows me to do this and I have already hit that exit trigger, so I am exiting anyway.
A lot to digest here I know. The key points are Max bet by TC+4. Break the uniformity patterns. And spread both ways at least a little bit. At higher amounts I am probably starting out betting 2x minimum rather than 1.5 x, because you are only doing this for a couple rounds until you see where count is going, the cost is not that much. Like I said, I have picked up things from so many people in this community over the years....this is Zengrifters contribution to the KJ experience.
