MIT BP Checkout Big Player Test

M

Midwestern

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
surprisingly, the test doesnt seem that hard as described below. I didn't go to MIT, but all i can find is a brief description from an article by Mike Aponte that states the below

"The most difficult and the highest level checkout is the BP checkout. To pass the BP checkout you must play basic strategy, keep the running count and calculate the correct bet according to the count and the number of decks remaining. In addition, you have to watch your payoffs. If you are ever underpaid or ripped off, it is automatic failure. To top it off, during the last two shoes, team members harass you by forcing you to talk with them. The purpose of the harassment is to simulate some of the many casino distractions a BP has to contend with. After the BP checkout, the final phase of training begins. "

http://www.midwestgamingandtravel.com/Articles/2006/06_03_Practice%20Makes%20Perfect.htm (Archive copy)

Does anyone have information on what this test actually consisted of? just want to see if theres anything that was missed above and so i can see if i can pass it myself?
 
B

Bojack1

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
Midwestern said:
surprisingly, the test doesnt seem that hard as described below. I didn't go to MIT, but all i can find is a brief description from an article by Mike Aponte that states the below

"The most difficult and the highest level checkout is the BP checkout. To pass the BP checkout you must play basic strategy, keep the running count and calculate the correct bet according to the count and the number of decks remaining. In addition, you have to watch your payoffs. If you are ever underpaid or ripped off, it is automatic failure. To top it off, during the last two shoes, team members harass you by forcing you to talk with them. The purpose of the harassment is to simulate some of the many casino distractions a BP has to contend with. After the BP checkout, the final phase of training begins. "

http://www.midwestgamingandtravel.com/Articles/2006/06_03_Practice%20Makes%20Perfect.htm (Archive copy)

Does anyone have information on what this test actually consisted of? just want to see if theres anything that was missed above and so i can see if i can pass it myself?
Click to expand...
The test is extremely difficult. Between 5 and 10 6 deck shoes are dealt for it. It all depended at what time of their run through the years you were getting tested. You were allowed 3 mistakes. Any BS mistakes were a fail, and so were any incorrect payouts. You were given a unit size before the test and that would be what you would use for betting. You needed to estimate to the 1/4 deck. Your bet was tested by betting the TC -1 for what your bet should be. So if the TC was 2.5, your bet should be 1.5. All bets had to be within a .75 tolerance or they were wrong. So your estimation as well as your conversions had to be extremely accurate. If your count was off by 2 that would count as 2 mistakes. Same criteria for the bet. Nobody has ever passed this test the first time they took it. Not even the best of the all MIT teams that have been out there.

It should be noted that even passing this test does not mean you will be a great card counter with great success. But its still a very good barometer for trainability, dedication, and being able to trust someones skills in times of losing. There's a lot more that goes along with it, but back in the day when being funded by huge bankrolls, there was no need to worry about bankroll management and growth, that was the team managers and leaders job. For the most part, a good casino presence, and being highly skilled was all that was needed for the players.
 
R

RJT

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
Midwestern said:
surprisingly, the test doesnt seem that hard as described below. I didn't go to MIT, but all i can find is a brief description from an article by Mike Aponte that states the below

"The most difficult and the highest level checkout is the BP checkout. To pass the BP checkout you must play basic strategy, keep the running count and calculate the correct bet according to the count and the number of decks remaining. In addition, you have to watch your payoffs. If you are ever underpaid or ripped off, it is automatic failure. To top it off, during the last two shoes, team members harass you by forcing you to talk with them. The purpose of the harassment is to simulate some of the many casino distractions a BP has to contend with. After the BP checkout, the final phase of training begins. "

http://www.midwestgamingandtravel.com/Articles/2006/06_03_Practice%20Makes%20Perfect.htm (Archive copy)

Does anyone have information on what this test actually consisted of? just want to see if theres anything that was missed above and so i can see if i can pass it myself?
Click to expand...
Been there, done that. Far easier to say than to do. Once the pressure's on everything changes and estimation skills makes a huge difference. See Bojack's post.

RJT.
 
M

Midwestern

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
thanks bojack, love the insight and the detail on the post.

i definitely want to train to that level. if it was good enough for MIT.... then it's good enough for me
 
aslan

aslan

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
Bojack1 said:
The test is extremely difficult. Between 5 and 10 6 deck shoes are dealt for it. It all depended at what time of their run through the years you were getting tested. You were allowed 3 mistakes. Any BS mistakes were a fail, and so were any incorrect payouts. You were given a unit size before the test and that would be what you would use for betting. You needed to estimate to the 1/4 deck. Your bet was tested by betting the TC -1 for what your bet should be. So if the TC was 2.5, your bet should be 1.5. All bets had to be within a .75 tolerance or they were wrong. So your estimation as well as your conversions had to be extremely accurate. If your count was off by 2 that would count as 2 mistakes. Same criteria for the bet. Nobody has ever passed this test the first time they took it. Not even the best of the all MIT teams that have been out there.

It should be noted that even passing this test does not mean you will be a great card counter with great success. But its still a very good barometer for trainability, dedication, and being able to trust someones skills in times of losing. There's a lot more that goes along with it, but back in the day when being funded by huge bankrolls, there was no need to worry about bankroll management and growth, that was the team managers and leaders job. For the most part, a good casino presence, and being highly skilled was all that was needed for the players.
Click to expand...
It all sounds good. Even as a recreational player, when I green chip I get the same obstacles to counting placed in my way whether by design or by accident all the time. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. But when a team is counting on you, there is no room for failure.
 
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