How to use Ace Side Count in Spanish 21?

[duanedibley]

How to use an Ace Side Count for playing purposes in Spanish 21?

I am assuming it will be most useful for doubling 9, 10, and 11.

My tag for the Ace is -2, and my tag for Tens is -1. As I understand it, the Ten tag is the only relevant one here. So for doubling 9 or 10 I should calculate the excess number of Aces remaining, multiply by 1, add this to my running count, and recompute the true count for the playing decision.

Example: 4 decks out of 6 have been dealt and the RC is +10. I have seen 14 Aces, which means there are two excess Aces remaining (since I would expect to have seen 16 after 4 decks). I am looking at 10 vs a dealer Ten. My index for doubling is +6. My true count unadjusted is +5, so I would normally not double. But I add 2 for the excess Aces to my RC to get +12, and now my TC for this decision is +6, so here I would double using the extra info from my Ace Side Count.

And for doubling 11 I should do the same except subtract from my running count (since doubling 11 with excess Aces remaining is less desirable).

Am I on the right track?

 

[FLASH1296]

Yes, your suppositions are correct as stated.

There are other hands (Splits, Soft Doubles, and Hard 9)) where Surplus / Deficient Aces are significant.

The actual value varies by hand matchup, but using +/- 1 as an adjustment will be adequate.

 

[jack.jackson]

How to use an Ace Side Count for playing purposes in Spanish 21?

I am assuming it will be most useful for doubling 9, 10, and 11.

My tag for the Ace is -2, and my tag for Tens is -1. As I understand it, the Ten tag is the only relevant one here. So for doubling 9 or 10 I should calculate the excess number of Aces remaining, multiply by 1, add this to my running count, and recompute the true count for the playing decision.

Example: 4 decks out of 6 have been dealt and the RC is +10. I have seen 14 Aces, which means there are two excess Aces remaining (since I would expect to have seen 16 after 4 decks). I am looking at 10 vs a dealer Ten. My index for doubling is +6. My true count unadjusted is +5, so I would normally not double. But I add 2 for the excess Aces to my RC to get +12, and now my TC for this decision is +6, so here I would double using the extra info from my Ace Side Count.

And for doubling 11 I should do the same except subtract from my running count (since doubling 11 with excess Aces remaining is less desirable).

Am I on the right track?

Can I ask what count your using? Also, a couple of other hands that are worth mentioning for Ace params, are 12,13v6(esp S17)insurance, A8,A9 and splitting tens.

Unfortunately the Multi-param index generator at Bjmath is no longer active, but you could probably multiply by 2, even if your using a level 1 count for the hands you listed above. Multiply by 1 for insurance however.

Found it>multi-param index generator.http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/tcindex/tcindex.htm (Archive copy)

 

[duanedibley]

Can I ask what count your using?

I was using Hi-Lo with Ace = -2 at the time I wrote this. I moved up to a level-3 count after that and forgot about trying to side count aces, but now that you remind me maybe I can squeeze even more EV out of this game (since EV is about all I've been getting out of it).

 

[jack.jackson]

I was using Hi-Lo with Ace = -2 at the time I wrote this. I moved up to a level-3 count after that and forgot about trying to side count aces, but now that you remind me maybe I can squeeze even more EV out of this game (since EV is about all I've been getting out of it).

I guess that depends on how capable you are of executing this is. And whether or not your using all this brain energy, to acheive the highest gain possible.

Now I have to ask, is for one, why were/are you SC Aces, when the Ace is already Ace-reckoned? This can be hazardous to your playing. And secondly, if your already using a L3 count i definetly wouldnt worry about SC Aces, esp, if its Ace-reckoned.

 

[duanedibley]

Now I have to ask, is for one, why were/are you SC Aces, when the Ace is already Ace-reckoned? This can be hazardous to your playing. And secondly, if your already using a L3 count i definetly wouldnt worry about SC Aces, esp, if its Ace-reckoned.

I never did get around to using an ASC for any playing decisions. I was just wondering how much it would help since I noticed I could keep it easily.

I don't see how it would hazardous if used correctly, but I agree that it's probably not worth the trouble.

 

[FLASH1296]

The fewer the number of decks the more valuable it is to side-count Aces (and Sevens).

It is of rather limited value if playing against more than 4 decks; but I wouldn't play a pitch game without side-counting.