Do you find it easier to count at a table where you are the only player

BJLFS

Well-Known Member
#1
rather than a full table. I'm not talking whether you like having other players at the table or not but rather ease of counting.
 

gothic

Well-Known Member
#3
yes!

Of course! You get to spread hands when the count is really good, and wong out when it ain't. With others at the table, they eat your good cards. Since you can see the cards (+ and -) coming ahead of time, it makes sense that being alone you could get about 75% of the good cards in play by spreading to three hands when the count is high enough.

Gothic
 

Midwestern

Well-Known Member
#5
when i first started i liked playing at tables with 1 or 2 other players so that the game would slow down a bit and i could get used to counting ACCURATELY.

now that i'm better ill take heads up play ANYDAY to get the rounds in.
 

BJLFS

Well-Known Member
#6
Midwestern said:
when i first started i liked playing at tables with 1 or 2 other players so that the game would slow down a bit and i could get used to counting ACCURATELY.

now that i'm better ill take heads up play ANYDAY to get the rounds in.
I notice that as I am getting better I want a heads up with the dealer.
 
#7
Midwestern said:
when i first started i liked playing at tables with 1 or 2 other players so that the game would slow down a bit and i could get used to counting ACCURATELY.

now that i'm better ill take heads up play ANYDAY to get the rounds in.
When you play alone YOU control the pace of the game unless you have a slow dealer.
 
#8
I can't play heads up with the dealer because in Oklahoma you have a .50 ante for every bet up to $50, so I sit next to the shoe with a few people to kill my losses on the ante. But I like heads up most everywhere else.
 

bjcount

Well-Known Member
#9
BJLFS said:
rather than a full table. I'm not talking whether you like having other players at the table or not but rather ease of counting.
Machine gun dealers, heads up is the perfect way. There's usually little conversation so if you have a hard time with distractions fast dealers will force you to pay attention and if your heads up you can control the speed by slowing down your signals if need be... but why would you even consider sitting at a full table unless they're your team mates?

BJC
 
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swamper

Well-Known Member
#10
I find it a tad easier to count with multiple players at the table but I certainly like playing heads up much more than at a table with others.
 

Coyote

Well-Known Member
#11
bjcount said:
Machine gun dealers, heads up is the perfect way. There's usually little conversation so if you have a hard time with distractions fast dealers will force you to pay attention and if your heads up you can control the speed by slowing down your signals if need be... but why would you even consider sitting at a full table unless they're your team mates?

BJC
I love playing at a table with...say...SEVEN...of my close friends! ;)

Coyote
 

Gamblor

Well-Known Member
#12
Coyote said:
I love playing at a table with...say...SEVEN...of my close friends! ;)

Coyote
The only problem with heads up is the dealer (and possibly others) can very quickly ascertain your skill level. At a full table it would take them possibly hours to do so if your not being scrutinized (as is the case the vast majority of the time). At an empty table, takes less than half a shoe.

Case in point, a table just got wiped out, and the ploppies were just milling about. I sat down, played half a shoe, and the dealer told the other players they should learn from me :rolleyes: Despite the fact he didn't know BS perfectly (gave me a strange look when I hit A7 v 9).
 

bjcount

Well-Known Member
#13
Gamblor said:
The only problem with heads up is the dealer (and possibly others) can very quickly ascertain your skill level. At a full table it would take them possibly hours to do so if your not being scrutinized (as is the case the vast majority of the time). At an empty table, takes less than half a shoe.

Case in point, a table just got wiped out, and the ploppies were just milling about. I sat down, played half a shoe, and the dealer told the other players they should learn from me :rolleyes: Despite the fact he didn't know BS perfectly (gave me a strange look when I hit A7 v 9).
Playing at a full table is a waste of time and a money losing proposition unless they are your team mates and you have a plan.

If your pit crew is so smart that they can pick you up that quickly, then don't rent a seat. Play a few shoes and walk.

Less experienced or beginning players really need to run sims to see how full table playing impacts your win rate.

This is where the investment in CVData and CVCX is so valuable.

BJC
 

Gamblor

Well-Known Member
#14
bjcount said:
Playing at a full table is a waste of time and a money losing proposition unless they are your team mates and you have a plan.

If your pit crew is so smart that they can pick you up that quickly, then don't rent a seat. Play a few shoes and walk.

Less experienced or beginning players really need to run sims to see how full table playing impacts your win rate.

This is where the investment in CVData and CVCX is so valuable.

BJC
Certainly, moving about is one good idea. Yes and I think most of us are aware full tables are a waste of time, but unfortunately not all of us play at the right places or level where we can easily jump from one empty table to another. Walking and milling about too much is a waste of time too.

Just a warning, be careful sitting there like a robot rapidly going through many hands is all I'm saying.
 

Thunder

Well-Known Member
#15
Consider this scenario that I faced on my last trip. Full table with three players loaded up on alcohol bantering back and forth with the dealer and making every hand like 16 vs 10 seem like a hand in the World Series of Poker. On top of that, these ploppies would play the side bets and whenever someone won big on it, it would just encourage more of them to play the sidebets and for higher stakes. I think I got maybe 20 hands/hr at this table.

Now compare this with an open table where you go as fast as the dealer can, and you crank 140+hands an hour out. Nobody to lecture you on your play, no distractions, just mano y mano and a great feeling afterwards when you've made a killing. Of course this won't last long when all the ploppies milling about see how well you're doing and decide to join you. (Not unless you're playing $50+)

But to answer your question, for a newbie, counting at a full table is probably easier because the pace of the game is slower. If you're taking too long playing one on one, they're going to suspect something's up.
 
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