I have been learning to count off and on for a few years now. Recently I finally started to take it seriously and have gotten quite good. I am confident in my counting skills and also in my ability to figure the true count. I have started trying it out at casinos. I am starting with low money just for trial and error for a while. I am looking for advice on betting. I am starting with 1 unit and moving up to 2 when the t.c. is at +3. I move my bet up another unit at +5. The problem is that I don't seem to win much. I know the odds and I know you don't win every time just because the count is good but I seem to do better just playing basic strategy. Am I having bad luck, betting wrong, or just haven't put in my time yet. It seems to me that I will be up some units playing B.S. and when I raise my bet I may get some 19's and 20's but the dealer is pulling alot of 20's and BJ's. I am open to advice but please don't write me off as someone who thinks BJ is a quick way to riches. I know the odds and I am very good at math, I just love to play the game and I like to have an edge. It just seems the edge isn't working out in my favor.
Accepting tips and advice
- Thread starter mpnuse
- Start date
kewljason
Well-Known Member
We would need to know more details about the game you are playing. But without knowing such, I can tell you that unless you are playiung a single deck game where blackjack pays 3-2, a 1-3 betting spread most likely will not get you an edge. You probably need a bigger bet spread and to start increasing your bets sooner than +3. Please advice the details of your game. Number of decks, sufflepoint, rules and whether you are playing through all counts and I'm sure someone will be able to help you more.
I play at a couple different places that offer different games. One place I play is 4 decks, 3/2 BJ, Double any, Split Any, Dealer stays on all 17's. The other game I play is 6 decks, 3/2 BJ, Double any, Split any, dealer hits on soft 17. I am playing through all counts. Both places place the cut card about 1 deck from the end.
The first sounds like an excellent game, especially if surrender is offered. (It's still good if not). The second is also quite good, if you're sure there's really 1 deck being cut off. I'd love to know where they are (but don't post it publicly!)mpnuse said:
Your spread of 1-3 units is far too small, and I doubt it's break-even if you're playing all hands. You'll need to up it to 1-8 or more (as much as you can get away with) to expect a profit. Of course, be sure your psyche and BR are ready for the wild swings and big losses that can occur.
If you have a more modest BR, you can sit out negative counts to increase your profits and reduce variance.
Blue Efficacy
Well-Known Member
Why not the 4D?hawkeye said: