The prevailing wisdom among card counters seems to be that short hit and run sessions are the way to go. And while there are certainly many things that recommend this approach, I feel at times that this answer may be facile. In 'Blackjack Secrets' Wong advocated for the complete opposite approach, recommending a weekend 'binge' at the casino before moving on. A lot probably depends on location. If there is a high cost associated with travelling to a casino, or you have only a few stores to choose from, it may not be viable to play short sessions. You may need to camp out and put in long hours, despite the potential costs to longevity. The quality of the game also comes into play here, although it is not clear whether a really premium game should be milked or taken advantage of to the maximum before conditions change.
The main advantage of the short session is to longevity. You get in and get out before anyone really has a chance to ask about what is going on. If you have a wide variety of stores that you can cycle through you may be able to use this hit and run approach while still putting in enough volume to generate a reasonable weekly expected win. People who only count part time, either because of an actual job or because they pursue other gambling opportunities like playing poker have an advantage here. If you are playing sufficiently high stakes, then travelling frequently or constantly becomes a more attractive option.
The problem with short sessions is that it may make it harder to get in sufficient volume. If you want to make money, the formula is edge * action. The more volume, the more action, the more your expected win. Some stores are extremely tolerant and/or oblivious, and you are really just costing yourself a big opportunity by pussy-footing around with hit and run sessions.
What are your thoughts on optimal session length?
The main advantage of the short session is to longevity. You get in and get out before anyone really has a chance to ask about what is going on. If you have a wide variety of stores that you can cycle through you may be able to use this hit and run approach while still putting in enough volume to generate a reasonable weekly expected win. People who only count part time, either because of an actual job or because they pursue other gambling opportunities like playing poker have an advantage here. If you are playing sufficiently high stakes, then travelling frequently or constantly becomes a more attractive option.
The problem with short sessions is that it may make it harder to get in sufficient volume. If you want to make money, the formula is edge * action. The more volume, the more action, the more your expected win. Some stores are extremely tolerant and/or oblivious, and you are really just costing yourself a big opportunity by pussy-footing around with hit and run sessions.
What are your thoughts on optimal session length?