I thought I would post the way I am practicing my Blackjack game, if it is helpful to someone great and if any of the seasoned AP's want to comment, add, criticize, praise or destroy it feel free 
Basic Strategy.
For a S17 game I know it cold and here is how I learned and stay up on it.
Broke the chart down into sections
Hard hands
Soft hands
Split
Surrender
Created blank print outs 1 section at a time and filled them in by hand old school style.
Have an app on the phone that shames BS errors.
I also took 2 decks and stacked them so I would continuously get dealt the section I was working on.
For the longest time I did not understand what "weak cards" were. So the dealers 5 or 6 is a milestone in my mind that helped me make decisions (make sense?)
Currently besides playing I just recite to myself the chart or scribble it down on a blank sheet of paper. I can do it perfectly while very drunk...
Counting.
Hi Low is what I am using. I was terrible at counting.
Shuffle one deck and burn a card and then flip 1 at a time and count it down. Once I was consistently able to identify the burn card, I started timing myself. I am between 25-30 seconds for one deck.
The only thing I really do while counting down is try and pair as much as possible. I never really adjust the count up and down by one. I am either canceling or adding and subtracting by 2 (is there a better way)
I use the CV software and it really helped.
Discard estimation
Took a Popsicle stick and measured one deck in the tray at a time and marked it out on the stick. I always round down. I am far better at deck estimation in real time than on the software (is this common)
Betting.
For practicing purposes I bet equal to the true count and this helps get me in the habit of constantly re calculating the TC
Index
My least favorite part.....
Using the index numbers from BJA. Learning the 10 splits but do not plan to use them. Same with a6v2 and 8v6 knowing the chart says DD but just going to hit in real play.
I have note cards and I write down the count and the changes that take place, Sometimes I fling them at my wife. I also study the index numbers in the chart no tricks just repetitive practice
To put it all together.
I have yet to sit down at a real table. I stalk and back count then I go home. I do need to work on my act, I feel that I look like an escaped mental patient instead of a curios gambler. I actually get bored because the dealers and players are so slow (is this a good or a bad thing)
I have a little table set up at home with a shoe and discard tray and some chips, and I play alone or with my wife. Try to carry on a convo, tv is always on in the background and I am occasionally forced to help her add up our hands and help with BJ 3-2 payouts. Sometimes I do a count check @ 3 decks other times I just keep playing.
I also play a lot in the CV software. The Deal speed is up pretty high i am guessing all bars but the animation bar is around 75-80% to the right. Sometimes I play a full table and sit out and try and back count the other players. Most times I just play doing a count check once or twice a shoe.
When I play I hold the RC in my head and cancel the hands as much as possible. I always wait for the second card to come out before I calculate. I dont add up the others players hands but I do my own as the software doesnt do it for me. Advice I got on these forums are calculate the count first then add your hand. Very helpful when I am dealt a low total and have to hit multiple times.
I am about 4 months into this world of BJ and this forum and some of the true AP's here which I discovered about a month ago, have been quite helpful
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Mr. Morphy
Basic Strategy.
For a S17 game I know it cold and here is how I learned and stay up on it.
Broke the chart down into sections
Hard hands
Soft hands
Split
Surrender
Created blank print outs 1 section at a time and filled them in by hand old school style.
Have an app on the phone that shames BS errors.
I also took 2 decks and stacked them so I would continuously get dealt the section I was working on.
For the longest time I did not understand what "weak cards" were. So the dealers 5 or 6 is a milestone in my mind that helped me make decisions (make sense?)
Currently besides playing I just recite to myself the chart or scribble it down on a blank sheet of paper. I can do it perfectly while very drunk...
Counting.
Hi Low is what I am using. I was terrible at counting.
Shuffle one deck and burn a card and then flip 1 at a time and count it down. Once I was consistently able to identify the burn card, I started timing myself. I am between 25-30 seconds for one deck.
The only thing I really do while counting down is try and pair as much as possible. I never really adjust the count up and down by one. I am either canceling or adding and subtracting by 2 (is there a better way)
I use the CV software and it really helped.
Discard estimation
Took a Popsicle stick and measured one deck in the tray at a time and marked it out on the stick. I always round down. I am far better at deck estimation in real time than on the software (is this common)
Betting.
For practicing purposes I bet equal to the true count and this helps get me in the habit of constantly re calculating the TC
Index
My least favorite part.....
Using the index numbers from BJA. Learning the 10 splits but do not plan to use them. Same with a6v2 and 8v6 knowing the chart says DD but just going to hit in real play.
I have note cards and I write down the count and the changes that take place, Sometimes I fling them at my wife. I also study the index numbers in the chart no tricks just repetitive practice
To put it all together.
I have yet to sit down at a real table. I stalk and back count then I go home. I do need to work on my act, I feel that I look like an escaped mental patient instead of a curios gambler. I actually get bored because the dealers and players are so slow (is this a good or a bad thing)
I have a little table set up at home with a shoe and discard tray and some chips, and I play alone or with my wife. Try to carry on a convo, tv is always on in the background and I am occasionally forced to help her add up our hands and help with BJ 3-2 payouts. Sometimes I do a count check @ 3 decks other times I just keep playing.
I also play a lot in the CV software. The Deal speed is up pretty high i am guessing all bars but the animation bar is around 75-80% to the right. Sometimes I play a full table and sit out and try and back count the other players. Most times I just play doing a count check once or twice a shoe.
When I play I hold the RC in my head and cancel the hands as much as possible. I always wait for the second card to come out before I calculate. I dont add up the others players hands but I do my own as the software doesnt do it for me. Advice I got on these forums are calculate the count first then add your hand. Very helpful when I am dealt a low total and have to hit multiple times.
I am about 4 months into this world of BJ and this forum and some of the true AP's here which I discovered about a month ago, have been quite helpful
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Mr. Morphy
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