Some questions I have...

#1
Hi!

I have been teaching my self counting and blackjack for around 3 weeks now, I really love the math that goes into it. I have never been to a casino as I turned 21 last year.
I have taught my self basic strategy and how to count so far but through out my time learning the essentials I have found my self asking questions about certain things I cant find the answers to online.

(Im sorry in advance if any of these questions are stupid)
Below are some of the questions I cant find answers too online:

1. What tables should I be looking to play at? I know that bj should be 3:2 and PEN should be good but I am not sure what other rules I should be looking out for.

2. How do i know how far a dealer will penetrate a deck when I go to sit at a table?

3. How will I know if a table is S17 or H17?

4. How do I find the true count joining a game thats already in progress?

5. (This one may seem stupid) Do I only use basic strategy once then stand per hand? i.e if I am dealt hard 11 and the dealer has 10, I chose to double down but then Im dealt a 5 and left with hard 16. Do I choose to Hit because I now have 16 vs 10 or do i Stand because I already made one play from basic strategy?

6. Im not very familiar with spreads as its a little confusing to me, from what i think a spread is its a change in betting amount when the count gets higher or lower.

6. I am currently learning the follow: Basic Strategy, Counting & TC Conversion, 18 deviations, discard tray visual skills, bankroll managment, bettings skills, and the games I should be looking for.

Thank you for taking the time to read my questions!
D.
 

DSchles

Well-Known Member
#2
"I have been teaching my self counting and blackjack for around 3 weeks now, I really love the math that goes into it. I have never been to a casino as I turned 21 last year.
"I have taught my self basic strategy and how to count so far but through out my time learning the essentials I have found my self asking questions about certain things I cant find the answers to online.

"(I'm sorry in advance if any of these questions are stupid)."

No questions are stupid. Sometimes, answers are, though! :)

"Below are some of the questions I can't find answers to online:

"1. What tables should I be looking to play at? I know that bj should be 3:2 and PEN should be good but I am not sure what other rules I should be looking out for."

Best rules: S17 (dealer stands on all 17s); DAS (you may double after splitting a pair); SPL3 (you may split pairs three times to make four hands); LS (late surrender); RSA (you may resplit aces -- still get only one card to each ace though).

"2. How do i know how far a dealer will penetrate a deck when I go to sit at a table?"

Wait till the end of the shoe and watch him insert the stop card. Or glance at where that card is in the shoe already in progress. (This is harder to do because the cards are on a bias and not squared away.)

"3. How will I know if a table is S17 or H17?"

It will be written on the felt or on a small placard on the table. If it isn't (rare), ask the dealer.

"4. How do I find the true count joining a game that's already in progress?"

You look at the cards in the discard tray and mentally "add them back" to the shoe, behind the stop card, as if you were just beginning, with a somewhat poorer cut. Of course, it's not a good idea to do this, because the pentration is effectively worsened.

"5. (This one may seem stupid) Do I only use basic strategy once then stand per hand? i.e if I am dealt hard 11 and the dealer has 10, I chose to double down but then Im dealt a 5 and left with hard 16. Do I choose to Hit because I now have 16 vs 10 or do i Stand because I already made one play from basic strategy?"

Yours is a poor exmaple, because, as you know, if you double, you have a right to only one card, so you can't hit again. A better example might be, say, 12 vs. 10, where you hit and get a 3, for 15. You now apply BS again, for 15 vs. 10, and hit again.

"6. I'm not very familiar with spreads as its a little confusing to me, from what i think a spread is it's a change in betting amount when the count gets higher or lower."

Consider the ratio of your highest bet amount to your lowest bet amount. That's your spread. If your lowest bet is $10 and your highest is $100, then your spread is 10:1, or, more commonly, 1:10.

"6. I am currently learning the follow: Basic Strategy, Counting & TC Conversion, 18 deviations, discard tray visual skills, bankroll management, betting skills, and the games I should be looking for."

That's an ambitious program. Go slowly and don't try to do all of them at once! Good luck to you!

"Thank you for taking the time to read my questions!"

You're welcome. Write back with more.

Don
 
#3
DSchles said:
"I have been teaching my self counting and blackjack for around 3 weeks now, I really love the math that goes into it. I have never been to a casino as I turned 21 last year.
"I have taught my self basic strategy and how to count so far but through out my time learning the essentials I have found my self asking questions about certain things I cant find the answers to online.

"(I'm sorry in advance if any of these questions are stupid)."

No questions are stupid. Sometimes, answers are, though! :)

"Below are some of the questions I can't find answers to online:

"1. What tables should I be looking to play at? I know that bj should be 3:2 and PEN should be good but I am not sure what other rules I should be looking out for."

Best rules: S17 (dealer stands on all 17s); DAS (you may double after splitting a pair); SPL3 (you may split pairs three times to make four hands); LS (late surrender); RSA (you may resplit aces -- still get only one card to each ace though).

"2. How do i know how far a dealer will penetrate a deck when I go to sit at a table?"

Wait till the end of the shoe and watch him insert the stop card. Or glance at where that card is in the shoe already in progress. (This is harder to do because the cards are on a bias and not squared away.)

"3. How will I know if a table is S17 or H17?"

It will be written on the felt or on a small placard on the table. If it isn't (rare), ask the dealer.

"4. How do I find the true count joining a game that's already in progress?"

You look at the cards in the discard tray and mentally "add them back" to the shoe, behind the stop card, as if you were just beginning, with a somewhat poorer cut. Of course, it's not a good idea to do this, because the pentration is effectively worsened.

"5. (This one may seem stupid) Do I only use basic strategy once then stand per hand? i.e if I am dealt hard 11 and the dealer has 10, I chose to double down but then Im dealt a 5 and left with hard 16. Do I choose to Hit because I now have 16 vs 10 or do i Stand because I already made one play from basic strategy?"

Yours is a poor exmaple, because, as you know, if you double, you have a right to only one card, so you can't hit again. A better example might be, say, 12 vs. 10, where you hit and get a 3, for 15. You now apply BS again, for 15 vs. 10, and hit again.

"6. I'm not very familiar with spreads as its a little confusing to me, from what i think a spread is it's a change in betting amount when the count gets higher or lower."

Consider the ratio of your highest bet amount to your lowest bet amount. That's your spread. If your lowest bet is $10 and your highest is $100, then your spread is 10:1, or, more commonly, 1:10.

"6. I am currently learning the follow: Basic Strategy, Counting & TC Conversion, 18 deviations, discard tray visual skills, bankroll management, betting skills, and the games I should be looking for."

That's an ambitious program. Go slowly and don't try to do all of them at once! Good luck to you!

"Thank you for taking the time to read my questions!"

You're welcome. Write back with more.

Don
Don,

Thank you very much for the long and detailed responses. I really appreciate that you took the time to answer each question. Im just on the start of my journey but from your responses I have learned a-lot.

I will most likely write back with more questions when they come to mind.

Thank you again,
D.
 

johndoe

Well-Known Member
#4
Steely said:
Don,

Thank you very much for the long and detailed responses. I really appreciate that you took the time to answer each question. Im just on the start of my journey but from your responses I have learned a-lot.

I will most likely write back with more questions when they come to mind.

Thank you again,
D.
Also, go buy Don's book! (Blackjack Attack). Read it carefully and be sure you understand it.
 
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