Machine-like play

[Dopple]

As long as you feel good and conditions are equal I see no reason for session bankrolls unless you are trying to prolong a vacation and not run short on funds. I suppose there may be some element of "feel" to the game but I like to play like a machine with as little emotion as possible.

I have read after a losing streak of perhaps a few hours it is best to give it a break and attack again later. This is purely for emotional reasons.

Provided all other conditons are the same nothing changes be the session long or short, day or night.

 

[UK-21]

I think this depends on whether you have an earmarked bankroll set aside for playing BJ or not.

I don't. I play once a month or so for a recreational treat for a few hours, and endeavour to use my card-counting skills to obtain some "free" entertainment. As such I tend to play in a risk adverse way as a means of ensuring I don't tap out with my session "pot" of 40-50 units (although I know there is a 5-10%ish chance that this could happen).

Because some of the things I do go against the AP grain, so to speak, I seem to get more than the odd electronic banana skin lobbed in my direction - if you look in the card counting section you'll see a thread I started on not doubling but hitting certain hands at higher counts as a means of reducing variance and the risks of running out of chips.

Another thing I do, that has no mathematical logic to it at all, is to get up and walk away when I'm 30-40 units up. I know all of the arguements that as I'm playing a pos expectation game I should just keep with it, but frankly I like the glow of walking away with some of the house's money. The curry always tastes better for some reason too. So looks like I do exactly the opposite to you. But if I played like a machine I think the challenge, fun and entertainment value would go out of it. Having said that, you've probably won more than I have.

 

[StandardDeviant]

Me too Newbie

I am playing for the same reasons in general. I don't spread a widely as I should to really press my advantage - at least not all the time. This keeps me off the radar and keeps my variation down. From the sims I've run, if I spread 1:4 and wong out when necessary, I can have a slightly positive EV - at least in theory.

I don't think I can reasonably play enough hours to make much money at this, so I'm not trying (at least at the moment). It's about the challenge of learning a skill that most people think is "impossible" and applying the skill against adversity.

As I increase my bankroll, as much from saving as winning, I'll move up to larger chip sizes to improve the comps.

That's my strategy for the local casino anyway. In Vegas where it's easier to move around (and where I go less frequently), I can play harder and press my advantage when I have it.