New counter with a few questions.

[PentameterPete]

Hi everyone! I'm a first time poster but a long time lurker. I've been practicing my counting at home with a friend for around six months, and as I just turned 21 very recently, I'm getting ready for my first trip out into the field. I'm planning on just playing recreationally so I'm not going to be too hard on myself, but I do have a couple of questions that I would really appreciate answers to.

1. What casinos in Indiana and Illinois have good low-limit games?

2. What is the best way that I should be managing my bankroll? I currently have about $350 set aside and will be playing solely $5 tables. I'm well aware that this is substantially below where it should be, but I'm just getting started and don't have the resources to pile together a full bankroll. Knowing this, are there any betting tricks that exist to reduce my chance of losing everything at once while not sacrificing too much EV? (If it's important, I'm using Hi-Lo and have memorized all relevant index plays.)

3. One of the things I've been practicing is drinking and counting. I find that 4 shots of vodka taken over 30 minutes has little to no effect on my counting abilities. Would this be a viable cover tactic in casino, since you get the drinks for free anyway?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[paymypush]

Slow down on the booze and wong aggressively.

 

[ascension]

welcome

if you are underfunded your best bet is heavy wonging and trying to identify and play in specific conditions only...

as for the drinking thing, i've often wondered this myself if you can swing it than by all means go for it.

in my experience card counting is not one of the tasks that i perform better when under the influence haha

 

[jaygruden]

Don't drink and drive.......and don't drink and play BJ. There will be no need to BO you, because you will make mistakes and errors in judgement that will amount to -EV to the point where you will be just a ploppy who they will want to stay, drink and play. There are a lot of bad players who never drink alcohol in a casino. Also, if you want to use a "drunkard" as part of your act, you can do that without actually drinking the alcohol.

 

[Coach R]

Hi everyone! I'm a first time poster but a long time lurker. I've been practicing my counting at home with a friend for around six months, and as I just turned 21 very recently, I'm getting ready for my first trip out into the field. I'm planning on just playing recreationally so I'm not going to be too hard on myself, but I do have a couple of questions that I would really appreciate answers to.

1. What casinos in Indiana and Illinois have good low-limit games?

2. What is the best way that I should be managing my bankroll? I currently have about $350 set aside and will be playing solely $5 tables. I'm well aware that this is substantially below where it should be, but I'm just getting started and don't have the resources to pile together a full bankroll. Knowing this, are there any betting tricks that exist to reduce my chance of losing everything at once while not sacrificing too much EV? (If it's important, I'm using Hi-Lo and have memorized all relevant index plays.)

3. One of the things I've been practicing is drinking and counting. I find that 4 shots of vodka taken over 30 minutes has little to no effect on my counting abilities. Would this be a viable cover tactic in casino, since you get the drinks for free anyway?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi New-B
I am not trying to be a smart-ass or anything, but if having 4 shots of vodka every 30 minutes doesn't affect your counting, you may not be a really good counter. Most people don't think a few drinks affect their driving either. But, back to point, none of the casinos in Indiana have free drinks anyway, other that cola. I thought that too untill I tried to tip a girl with a dollar chip for a beer and was informed beers were $3.50. It's agaist some state law. Probably because patrons mostly drive home at night instead of walking down the strip or taking a taxi as in vegas.
I have been to most casinos in southern In. the best rules are at the "Horseshoe" in Jeffersonville. They pay 3-2, have $5 tables, surrender, DAS, decent pen, and I think re-splitting aces. The only bad rule is no "Grandfathering" in.The limits go up around 8:00p.m to $15, so you may need to wong in and out. I used HI-Low, with a 1-8 spead with no problem, played about 2 hrs. last time there and made about $350.00. The others on the river won't allow doubling after splitting, no surrender,not a good pen, only doubling on 10-11, and try the 6-5 at lower limits.
If you only have $350, you don't have much room for a bad run, better try back counting and getting in on a good count keeping low money out there. Goodluck!

 

[tthree]

Hi everyone! I'm a first time poster but a long time lurker. I've been practicing my counting at home with a friend for around six months, and as I just turned 21 very recently, I'm getting ready for my first trip out into the field. I'm planning on just playing recreationally so I'm not going to be too hard on myself, but I do have a couple of questions that I would really appreciate answers to.

1. What casinos in Indiana and Illinois have good low-limit games?

2. What is the best way that I should be managing my bankroll? I currently have about $350 set aside and will be playing solely $5 tables. I'm well aware that this is substantially below where it should be, but I'm just getting started and don't have the resources to pile together a full bankroll. Knowing this, are there any betting tricks that exist to reduce my chance of losing everything at once while not sacrificing too much EV? (If it's important, I'm using Hi-Lo and have memorized all relevant index plays.)

3. One of the things I've been practicing is drinking and counting. I find that 4 shots of vodka taken over 30 minutes has little to no effect on my counting abilities. Would this be a viable cover tactic in casino, since you get the drinks for free anyway?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Welcome to the boards Pete. I think PentameterPete doesn't fit your first post. You forgot a couple questions. Maybe Threepete. Threes are great.

DO NOT drink and play BJ with a small BR. You will not have the discipline required to preserve your BR while loosened up on alcohol. Why do you think they are happy to serve free drinks to gamblers in so many venues. Wonging in on a large count and flat betting while it lasts at a nice bet maybe $15 or $25, wong out as soon as it starts to get smaller. You don't have the BR for playing small advantages and ramping your bets. A very important aspect of playing with any BR but especially a small BR is picking the best games, good rules with great penetration. Your BR is very small. If you have surplus income every month that can be added to your BR your chances of going bust go down a lot. As it stands you have a very good chance of losing your whole BR. Even $25 bets are too large for your BR. The good news is if you get lucky early and double or triple it your chances are better to survive. I would want at least $1000 probably much more but I don't want to be too discouraging.

Tthree

 

[PentameterPete]

Hi New-B
I am not trying to be a smart-ass or anything, but if having 4 shots of vodka every 30 minutes doesn't affect your counting, you may not be a really good counter. Most people don't think a few drinks affect their driving either. But, back to point, none of the casinos in Indiana have free drinks anyway, other that cola. I thought that too untill I tried to tip a girl with a dollar chip for a beer and was informed beers were $3.50. It's agaist some state law. Probably because patrons mostly drive home at night instead of walking down the strip or taking a taxi as in vegas.
I have been to most casinos in southern In. the best rules are at the "Horseshoe" in Jeffersonville. They pay 3-2, have $5 tables, surrender, DAS, decent pen, and I think re-splitting aces. The only bad rule is no "Grandfathering" in.The limits go up around 8:00p.m to $15, so you may need to wong in and out. I used HI-Low, with a 1-8 spead with no problem, played about 2 hrs. last time there and made about $350.00. The others on the river won't allow doubling after splitting, no surrender,not a good pen, only doubling on 10-11, and try the 6-5 at lower limits.
If you only have $350, you don't have much room for a bad run, better try back counting and getting in on a good count keeping low money out there. Goodluck!

Oh Jesus no, I didn't mean 4 shots of vodka EVERY 30 minutes. Just a one-time thing. That would build up quite quickly, it would. Anyway, it's a moot point since I definitely won't be spending money on drinks, so I'll just go without.

Thanks for your casino information. I will try to take a trip down to the horseshoe, but by far the best casinos as far as location goes for me are the cluster in southeast indiana, right by Cincinnati. Argosy, Rising star, and the like. If I were to restrict myself just to that area, which one is the best?

 

[Coach R]

Oh Jesus no, I didn't mean 4 shots of vodka EVERY 30 minutes. Just a one-time thing. That would build up quite quickly, it would. Anyway, it's a moot point since I definitely won't be spending money on drinks, so I'll just go without.

Thanks for your casino information. I will try to take a trip down to the horseshoe, but by far the best casinos as far as location goes for me are the cluster in southeast indiana, right by Cincinnati. Argosy, Rising star, and the like. If I were to restrict myself just to that area, which one is the best?

I have been to Argosy, that is the one I mentioned with the bad rules. I have not been to the others. Horseshoe is about 1/2 west of there.