Basic strategy - help me understand.
- Thread starter Lasse Andersen
- Start date
- Tags basic basic strategy beginner blackjack calculate card counting expert help math strategy
Generally if you can find a heads up game you should play all due to the massive increase in rounds per hour from heads up play. If conditions are more crowded then wonging becomes more attractive.
What you should be doing now is simulating the casino environment at home. Get a shoe, a discard tray and six decks and play through shoe after shoe and make the appropriate betting and playing decisions. You should stack the decks with a +10 count at the start so that you have more experience playing 'hot' shoes because your decisions at higher counts are much more important, as you have so much more money at risk.
If you want you can record some sessions of your play and show me the video. I will point out any mistakes that you are making. You want to be able to play through 4 consecutive shoes flawlessly (no betting or playing errors) before you hit the casino.
What you should be doing now is simulating the casino environment at home. Get a shoe, a discard tray and six decks and play through shoe after shoe and make the appropriate betting and playing decisions. You should stack the decks with a +10 count at the start so that you have more experience playing 'hot' shoes because your decisions at higher counts are much more important, as you have so much more money at risk.
If you want you can record some sessions of your play and show me the video. I will point out any mistakes that you are making. You want to be able to play through 4 consecutive shoes flawlessly (no betting or playing errors) before you hit the casino.
Only issue is I havn't got anyone dealing for me. I'll try anyway. I might record it if I stop progressing! Also thanks.
How did you practice knowing how many decks left? Also if there's around 4 ½ decks left, do you go by 4 or 5?
I see how you can play it safe by saying 5, but I guess you lose some profit like that?
How did you practice knowing how many decks left? Also if there's around 4 ½ decks left, do you go by 4 or 5?
I see how you can play it safe by saying 5, but I guess you lose some profit like that?
If it's 4.5 decks, then divide by 4.5 decks.
Everyone has their own variations on what order to count the cards in. One common skill that will help you will be to learn to count 2 or mode cards at once. You find that there are often cancellations that you can recognize quickly. This will give you the flexibility to count the cards without staring at the table.
Everyone has their own variations on what order to count the cards in. One common skill that will help you will be to learn to count 2 or mode cards at once. You find that there are often cancellations that you can recognize quickly. This will give you the flexibility to count the cards without staring at the table.
"Only issue is I havn't got anyone dealing for me. "
Irrelevant. Deal to yourself. The point is to get lots of practice so that when you start hitting up a casino you are already a seasoned player. And since you won't be aware of the mistakes you make I recommend you have me review your play.
"Also if there's around 4 ½ decks left, do you go by 4 or 5"
I use half or quarter deck resolution so I would just divide by 4.5.
"Also, whenever you count, how do you approuch it? Do you start counting as soon as you get your hand and then add whatever cards come in case of hit etc.? Don't count hands before all cards are dealed etc.?"
Generally, I count card by card. Most counters recommend counting all the cards at once with a canceling out approach. I will use that if I were to first come to a table when a round was in play.
Irrelevant. Deal to yourself. The point is to get lots of practice so that when you start hitting up a casino you are already a seasoned player. And since you won't be aware of the mistakes you make I recommend you have me review your play.
"Also if there's around 4 ½ decks left, do you go by 4 or 5"
I use half or quarter deck resolution so I would just divide by 4.5.
"Also, whenever you count, how do you approuch it? Do you start counting as soon as you get your hand and then add whatever cards come in case of hit etc.? Don't count hands before all cards are dealed etc.?"
Generally, I count card by card. Most counters recommend counting all the cards at once with a canceling out approach. I will use that if I were to first come to a table when a round was in play.
I wait until all of the initial 2 cards have been dealt to everyone and then count them with a glance. That way, I can be looking at the waitress, or at the TV, or anywhere else except the table while the cards are being dealt. I then count the initial cards with a glance. Once the hands are being played, it's more natural to be looking while the cards are being dealt. After all, even the ploppies need to make sure everyone plays their hands "properly".
Is southern Germany and southern Europe any better? Portugal, Spain, France, Italy etc? (Despite it being West)
Just I never fancied eastern Europe and a American trip is a bit of a big gamble as a rookie
Ive seen some posts from way back saying that, the southern European casinos, are still good, but that dates back to 2011-2013 :/
Just I never fancied eastern Europe and a American trip is a bit of a big gamble as a rookie
Ive seen some posts from way back saying that, the southern European casinos, are still good, but that dates back to 2011-2013 :/
I've never played in Europe so I can't really answer your questions. My research indicated that Poland and the Czech Republic were two pretty good places to play but that Portugal, Spain, France and Italy were not so hot. But there might be one or two shoe games with reasonable rules within driving distance to you, even though conditions are generally worse. The green chip forums at BJ21.com have some decent information about foreign game conditions but there is a modest membership fee of around $15 a month or a quarter or whatever it is. I don't know, I let my membership lapse.
Actually, one thing you might want to consider is online blackjack. Okay, the live dealer online games are not so good. But Bet Victor has a reasonable game with a five pound minimum with two decks cut off out of eight and I believe reasonable rules. So that might be an alright place to get some practice instead of flying half way around the world. And you can back count to your heart's content because it is on the internet.
Before you go play anywhere, you should let me give you a skills test by recording several shoes of your play and letting me see the video. You should not be playing at all until you can play through 3-4 shoes with no betting or playing errors. The best thing to do is practice relentlessly until you play perfectly. Winning at gambling is not easy but it is rewarding.
Actually, one thing you might want to consider is online blackjack. Okay, the live dealer online games are not so good. But Bet Victor has a reasonable game with a five pound minimum with two decks cut off out of eight and I believe reasonable rules. So that might be an alright place to get some practice instead of flying half way around the world. And you can back count to your heart's content because it is on the internet.
Before you go play anywhere, you should let me give you a skills test by recording several shoes of your play and letting me see the video. You should not be playing at all until you can play through 3-4 shoes with no betting or playing errors. The best thing to do is practice relentlessly until you play perfectly. Winning at gambling is not easy but it is rewarding.
I will, thanks.
I just heard a lot of bad stuff about online blackjack. I will just try to practice and then eventually I can test it out - had an idea to do some 'gambling vacation' in America one day anyway
so meanwhile ill just pracice and tale my casino visits as practice. Ill try to record some the following days.
I just heard a lot of bad stuff about online blackjack. I will just try to practice and then eventually I can test it out - had an idea to do some 'gambling vacation' in America one day anyway
so meanwhile ill just pracice and tale my casino visits as practice. Ill try to record some the following days.yeah online blackjack is not great but bet victor is reliable and it is a live dealer game so it is countable. so it is one way to get experience without flying to the states or travelling to eastern europe. and you should only put a small amount of money on (dont' take any deposit bonus) and only ever bet the minimum and only bet at TC+2 or higher. this will allow you to practice, in real time, with money on the line, the totality of the counting decisions. deck estimation, true count conversion, index plays. back counting. everything. from the comfort of your living room. especially because you can't really afford any travel expenses when you are just starting out.
Meistro, I've got a question for you.
As I'm practicing I noticed the table for doubling down, -1 to +6 (Professional Blackjack, Stanford Wong) tells me to double 11 v A, in case of TC>+1 or =1, but isn't that conflicting with BS that tells me to double 11 v A (that being in case of a count of 0 aswell, I assume)
As I'm practicing I noticed the table for doubling down, -1 to +6 (Professional Blackjack, Stanford Wong) tells me to double 11 v A, in case of TC>+1 or =1, but isn't that conflicting with BS that tells me to double 11 v A (that being in case of a count of 0 aswell, I assume)
I just want to avoid the spread of a common misconception, namely that Basic Strategy playing decisions are the same as playing decisions for a true count of zero. While very close, this is technically not true. Basic Strategy decisions are correct for the first two player cards dealt off the top of the deck/shoe. There is a subtle difference in that, while the true count off the top of the deck/shoe is zero, it may no longer be zero when the first playing decision is made.
Consider the case of playing 16 vs T using HiLo (no surrender). The multi-deck index is to stand at any count greater than or equal to zero, yet Basic Strategy says to hit. How can this be? If we look at all of the possible ways to have 16 vs T with 2 player cards, we have T,6 and 9,7 (8,8 is a separate decision). Combined with the dealer's T, we can see that the count will always be negative. So the decision to hit does not contradict the index.
A similar case of 12 vs 4 using HiLo is left as an exercise.
Consider the case of playing 16 vs T using HiLo (no surrender). The multi-deck index is to stand at any count greater than or equal to zero, yet Basic Strategy says to hit. How can this be? If we look at all of the possible ways to have 16 vs T with 2 player cards, we have T,6 and 9,7 (8,8 is a separate decision). Combined with the dealer's T, we can see that the count will always be negative. So the decision to hit does not contradict the index.
A similar case of 12 vs 4 using HiLo is left as an exercise.
Thanks. !
Still working on I18! Hopefully I'll find some profitable game before perfecting it!
Also Ill tape it whenever Im good enough at it.
I got all the tables from "Professional Blackjack by Wong" - just I need to look into money management as I have no idea about what my spread, for a specific bankroll, should be and what kind of RoR it involves.
Having "Blackjack Attack" and "Professional Blackjack" by hand and a lot of forums I should be fine though
Meistro offered to review my plays though, so I feel on the right track!
The BJ counting community is surprisingly helpful
!Still working on I18
! Hopefully I'll find some profitable game before perfecting it! Also Ill tape it whenever Im good enough at it.
I got all the tables from "Professional Blackjack by Wong" - just I need to look into money management as I have no idea about what my spread, for a specific bankroll, should be and what kind of RoR it involves.
Having "Blackjack Attack" and "Professional Blackjack" by hand and a lot of forums I should be fine though
Meistro offered to review my plays though, so I feel on the right track
!The BJ counting community is surprisingly helpful