Best to wait for new shoe?

[steven5210]

Sometimes at tables with 6 decks or 8 it takes a while for a new shoe. So is it a good idea to sit down and start counting? It doesn't seem like a good idea because I don't know how negative or positive the deck is before I sat down. Also the TC of -1 of loosing the hand means I have to get up, but sometimes at a small casino there's only 1 table. Is it a bad idea wait for the next shoe? Sometimes it's weird to sit at the table and not play or to stand back and watch until the next shoe. Hoping for some advice i'm kind of new. Thanks!

 

[StandardDeviant]

When the count goes negative and you want to stop playing for a bit, invent a reason for stopping or it will look wierd. Perhaps you have to go the the restroom, or take that phone call, or go grab something to eat, or find your spouse to tell him/her something, etc.

 

[sabre]

There's nothing wrong with starting to count after a shoe has already started. Just mentally take the cards in the discard tray that you didn't count, and place them behind the cut card. Do not use the uncounted cards already dealt in any true count conversion.

So if you sit at an 8 deck game with 1 deck cut off after 1 deck has already been dealt, you are effectively playing an 8 decker with 2 decks cut off for that shoe. Not ideal, but if you have no alternatives, you're better off counting/playing that worsened penetration shoe than doing nothing.

If a shoe goes hopelessly bad early on, take a walk and come back when they're shuffling the next shoe. If a shoe goes bad late ... don't be afraid to sit out the rest of the shoe while waiting at the table. Ploppies do it all the time. If anyone asks, just tell them you just aren't feeling the flow that shoe ... and would rather wait for the next one.

 

[steven5210]

Hmm so if I count the discarded cards with the cut wouldn't it be bad sitting down at a shoe that's like half played. So it's basically like playing at a shoe with bad penetration. Or should I just play minimum bets until the shuffle? Thanks for helping me out!