I was just looking up the info at the BJI sister site, Counting-Edge, and it didnt answer very many questions for me. #1, after you know the true count, what do you do with it? So what you know how hot the deck is? Do you increase your bet? Start hitting on 17s? Kinda confused. And, is their an easier way. I was using the tutor on that site, and the hands are dealt so fast that it is hard for me to ever get it right on the count. So confusing. A lot of people are mentioning books. Should I read these, or is it not worthwhile? TY
Any Faster way to learn Hi-Lo?
- Thread starter Senacchrib
- Start date
Counting cards
I would suggest if you are frustrated and confused learning to count cards, start with an unbalanced system such as KO which doesn't require converting to a "True Count". The biggest problem when counting cards is being inaccurate in your count due to casino conditions (cocktail waitresses, table conversation etc.) which may lead to making an incorrect bet. I think the KO Blackjack book can be purchased at the store on this site. Best wishes, good luck and don't give up.
I would suggest if you are frustrated and confused learning to count cards, start with an unbalanced system such as KO which doesn't require converting to a "True Count". The biggest problem when counting cards is being inaccurate in your count due to casino conditions (cocktail waitresses, table conversation etc.) which may lead to making an incorrect bet. I think the KO Blackjack book can be purchased at the store on this site. Best wishes, good luck and don't give up.
There's no short cut to card counting. You need to practice as much as possible. I started with high opt I. and with advise from Ken I swiched to Hi-Lo and it works well for me. I got the book Profesional BJ from Wong. It is boring to read but is a GREAT reference. I went through cards and dealt out hands for 8-10 hrs 4 days a week, on the 5th day I had friends come over to play, 4 of us with a dealer. I have done this for about 2-3 months non-stop and I still feel like I can learn more. Read a few books and practice is the only way to get good at it.
A 'simple introduction to card counting' article is long overdue here at BlackjackInfo. It's pretty high on my to-do list these days, so hopefully the wait won't be much longer.
Your question deserves the full explanation that such an article will provide, but in the meantime, I'll offer a shorter answer.
A positive count indicates that the remaining deck is rich in tens and Aces, which gives the player an advantage over the house. Thus, your goal is to bet more in plus counts, and as little as possible in negative counts.
Knowing the count can also help you play your hands better. However, most of the gain from card counting comes from bet sizing, not strategy changes. As a result, I recommend that players first learn to count and vary their bets while sticking to basic strategy. (Or Counter Basic Strategy, as described on one of the strategy cards in the store.)
Deciding how much to bet and when is a complex topic, and one that a number of books have been written about. I'm afraid the full explanation will have to wait. If you're wondering about a general recommendation, how's this... In a decent double deck game, you can make good money spreading 1 to 6 units. Bet 1 in negative or zero true counts. Ramp up your bets until you are putting the max bet (6 units) out at around a true count of +5. Betting units equal to the true count plus one would not be a bad approach. (For example, at true +3, you'd bet 4 units.)
Your question deserves the full explanation that such an article will provide, but in the meantime, I'll offer a shorter answer.
A positive count indicates that the remaining deck is rich in tens and Aces, which gives the player an advantage over the house. Thus, your goal is to bet more in plus counts, and as little as possible in negative counts.
Knowing the count can also help you play your hands better. However, most of the gain from card counting comes from bet sizing, not strategy changes. As a result, I recommend that players first learn to count and vary their bets while sticking to basic strategy. (Or Counter Basic Strategy, as described on one of the strategy cards in the store.)
Deciding how much to bet and when is a complex topic, and one that a number of books have been written about. I'm afraid the full explanation will have to wait. If you're wondering about a general recommendation, how's this... In a decent double deck game, you can make good money spreading 1 to 6 units. Bet 1 in negative or zero true counts. Ramp up your bets until you are putting the max bet (6 units) out at around a true count of +5. Betting units equal to the true count plus one would not be a bad approach. (For example, at true +3, you'd bet 4 units.)
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a good way to practice is to take a deck of 52 cards and count threw the deck card by card reciting the values for each individual card. go through the deck five or six times until youre comfortable that you know the values cold. then go threw it counting the cards and when you reach the end of the deck your count should be 0. if its somthing else then go threw again and again untill its 0. (makes sure all 52 cards are there) and just keep doing it untill you can do a whole deck in under 25 seconds.
this is from ken ustons - million dollar blackjack... awsome book very easy to read covers everything and i think its the only book that comes with flashcards to help you pratice!
hope that helps.
-Quinc
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Thank you very much
Your answers are very helpful.
It takes that long just to become a beginner at Card Counting? Holy Crap!
I dont have that much time each day to practice.
That was what I was doing after I posted this, because that Java Blackjack Card Counting Tutor goes way to fast for me to be accurate. Helpful tip!
Thank you very much Mr. Smith, also helpful. When is it generally accepted(inferred) that a player is good enough to step foot into a Casino to try his/her skills (lol, never possibly?). I just don't want to be too hasty and lose all my money in one night :laugh: Thank you for all your help
Your answers are very helpful.
It takes that long just to become a beginner at Card Counting? Holy Crap!
I dont have that much time each day to practice.
That was what I was doing after I posted this, because that Java Blackjack Card Counting Tutor goes way to fast for me to be accurate. Helpful tip!
Thank you very much Mr. Smith, also helpful. When is it generally accepted(inferred) that a player is good enough to step foot into a Casino to try his/her skills (lol, never possibly?). I just don't want to be too hasty and lose all my money in one night :laugh: Thank you for all your help
sorry I have a job that I can do that with so I can learn things faster like that. If I didn't have the time it would take alot longer. I don't expect many people can do that so learning would take a little longer but the time most people spend in front of TV can be used to practice during commercials.
Card counting takes dedication. You need to be willing to put in the effort and practice just like anything else. When i was working i would practice on my 10 minute breaks and during lunches, every single day. Soon as i got home i would practice 1-2 hours. Everytime I dropped a duece i would practice some more. Like rusty said, do it while watching tv, just anytime you have a chance. Before u know it, it will almost become second nature.
Like rusty11, I've got a job that leaves most of my time here (I'm at work now) free for me to do pretty much anything I please, while earning a pretty good income. So I can spend a few hours a day practicing as well.
I don't know how you can practice 'card skills' for 8-10 hours a day, I'd go mad for sure. I flick through a deck a few times (no more than 20minutes usually), then 'play' on the BS trainer from this site for a while, then I surf the net for a while. The most I've ever practiced 'card skills' for in total in one day would be 4-5 hours, with several breaks in between shorter sessions.
My personal tips for being able to count at a decent speed are:
1. Whenever you have spare time count through a deck (or multiple decks if you want) with the cards face to you, just push them across with one thumb into the other thumb/hand as you count. Don't aim for a super quick count through time like 12-15 seconds for 1 deck (I think anything around 25 seconds is ok), because this is not a contest to see who is the quickest, it is a drill that over hundreds of count-throughs will imbed in your brain the values of cards etc and it will make it almost a subconscious process for you to see a (in hi-lo) 7 as neutral, Ace as -1, or a 2 as +1 for example.
2. A variant of the above drill that I designed (yes I know lots of other people probably do it too), is to get a deck and have an empty desk/table in front of you. Just deal out 'hands' of 2, 3 and 4 cards randomly onto the table, face down until either the desk is full or you run out of cards. Then just go along and pick up the decks one by one and count them as you go. This drill is on the same principle as the first one, you get to recognise different groups of cards for their values as a whole, which speeds thing up considerably.
Hey rusty (or anyone else), have you come up with any ways to put all this free time we have at work to use to make money? I have my own laptop and internet connection, and while not all my time at work is free, I'd say about 80% is. Surely there is something that I can do to help save for the Porsche, other than learning to count cards, which doesn't have good prospects in Australia.
I don't know how you can practice 'card skills' for 8-10 hours a day, I'd go mad for sure. I flick through a deck a few times (no more than 20minutes usually), then 'play' on the BS trainer from this site for a while, then I surf the net for a while. The most I've ever practiced 'card skills' for in total in one day would be 4-5 hours, with several breaks in between shorter sessions.
My personal tips for being able to count at a decent speed are:
1. Whenever you have spare time count through a deck (or multiple decks if you want) with the cards face to you, just push them across with one thumb into the other thumb/hand as you count. Don't aim for a super quick count through time like 12-15 seconds for 1 deck (I think anything around 25 seconds is ok), because this is not a contest to see who is the quickest, it is a drill that over hundreds of count-throughs will imbed in your brain the values of cards etc and it will make it almost a subconscious process for you to see a (in hi-lo) 7 as neutral, Ace as -1, or a 2 as +1 for example.
2. A variant of the above drill that I designed (yes I know lots of other people probably do it too), is to get a deck and have an empty desk/table in front of you. Just deal out 'hands' of 2, 3 and 4 cards randomly onto the table, face down until either the desk is full or you run out of cards. Then just go along and pick up the decks one by one and count them as you go. This drill is on the same principle as the first one, you get to recognise different groups of cards for their values as a whole, which speeds thing up considerably.
Hey rusty (or anyone else), have you come up with any ways to put all this free time we have at work to use to make money? I have my own laptop and internet connection, and while not all my time at work is free, I'd say about 80% is. Surely there is something that I can do to help save for the Porsche, other than learning to count cards, which doesn't have good prospects in Australia.
Should I stop learning Hi-Lo?
Should I stop learning Hi Lo and learn Omega II?
http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/counting/OSRating.htm (Archive copy)
On that site it says thats the best.
Should I stop learning Hi Lo and learn Omega II?
http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/counting/OSRating.htm (Archive copy)
On that site it says thats the best.
Good to think about which system to learn!
As they say, a simple system used well is better than a complex system used poorly.
You might try filling out the questionnaire on this site http://www.qfit.com/blackjack-strategy.htm, and see what you get.
As they say, a simple system used well is better than a complex system used poorly.
You might try filling out the questionnaire on this site http://www.qfit.com/blackjack-strategy.htm, and see what you get.
Unless you are some sort of idit savant,the only way to win at BJ is thru practice,more practice and even more practice.
Start with the basic strategy charts. If you can't understand and memorize 98% of them within a few days,try slots.
It takes many hours to get proficent at card counting,but it is a gradual thing.An hour a day,five days a week for a few weeks will go quite far.
If you can't find an hour a day for practice,how will you find time to gamble?
I'd also say to read every book you can find on the subject. You'd be surprised what is avaiable for free at your local library.And surf every BJ site you come across. Even the worst sites have a few good pointers.
If you read only one book-I'd make it A Womans Guide to Blackjack by Angie Marshall. Although written by a woman for women,it is by far the most concise,enjoyable book I've read on the subject and her SUPs points are real easy to learn,understand and most importantly impliment.
Start with the basic strategy charts. If you can't understand and memorize 98% of them within a few days,try slots.
It takes many hours to get proficent at card counting,but it is a gradual thing.An hour a day,five days a week for a few weeks will go quite far.
If you can't find an hour a day for practice,how will you find time to gamble?
I'd also say to read every book you can find on the subject. You'd be surprised what is avaiable for free at your local library.And surf every BJ site you come across. Even the worst sites have a few good pointers.
If you read only one book-I'd make it A Womans Guide to Blackjack by Angie Marshall. Although written by a woman for women,it is by far the most concise,enjoyable book I've read on the subject and her SUPs points are real easy to learn,understand and most importantly impliment.
I understand basic strategy pretty well, and I have started Card Counting. I have been practicing about an hour or less for the last 2-3 days. LOL, people say you should get to about 25s per deck. Is it normal to get 1.25 min + or - 5 seconds for every count through, and then about a 50/50 chance of being either right, or 1 off? Because right now I think I suck at this. I am very proficient in math, but going this fast is killing me. Should I just quit now or am I on the usual schedule? Ill keep trying no matter the response here, but how long I keep trying for might be determined.