I agree with RJT about bank. I have been working it for a few weeks now. Very hard to build up the bank, 3 steps forward-2.5 steps backward. I am using mini-martingale strategy and, at the same time, tracking each win or loss on an Excel spreadsheet and only starting the mini-martingale after the ratio of lost hands to won hands exceeds certain levels and also only after, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive losses when the ratios dictate. I still get burnt, but not as often as statistics dictate. It does seem that the major increases in banks is from doubles, splits and blackjacks on the higher martingale runs. The wins outnumber the losses enough to make a difference. .
I would really be interested to hear how other players are handling it. Counting is useless. With all the record keeping I am doing I am averaging about 150 hands per hour so the going is pretty slow. I am not sure I wouldn't be making more money just working the bonuses. But, I haven't checked other casinos out and not real sure where there might be a good online analysis of the best ones. Would be interested in any recommendations.
To directly answer your question. I am playing for $1 bets, very occasionally switching to $5 to recover some losses when the spreadsheet favors it. I started out with $50 (including bonus). Built that up to about $320 in 6 hours . Lost it all due to two very long strings of lost hands within 100 hands of each other.
I refined my technique playing several thousand practice rounds and then started out, all over again with a $200 bank. I have now built my bank back up to a little over $670, including my original $200 plus $20 in new money bonus and about $80 in playing bonuses. So, I am ahead about $370. I now have enough to survive 3 martingale losses in a short period of time, even with one of the losses being a double or split. Of course, my bank would be busted beyond recovery and I would have to start over. But, in my opinion, I am just hanging on by a thread.
RJT has provided me with some good information on a string I started. He is 100% correct about it is better to start with a large bank than build it up. But, I am trying to today it without risking too much of my own money so that I am forced to learn the lessons painfully instead of just losing my own money.
I have decided to do it this way because the only local Indian casinos are all 6:5 blackjacks unless you play at the over $25 table and it is a 7 hour drive to Vegas. So, I am trying to conquer Online. Plus, I am finding I can make more money, because I can play a lot more hands, online than at a table with a 6:5 blackjack.
I also limit my playing daily to keep myself fresh and the pacing seems to make more sense. I also play in increments of 10 rounds per day that win 10 units or a wipeout... and take a break and evaluate what just happened.
I would be very interested to hear other peoples thoughts and experiences. there have to be a lot of people out there who know a lot more about his than me.