Unbalanced Tens for insurance, anyone?

[SplitFives]

Thanks, Mayor, for keeping this site running.

I'm curious about something in Wong's 'Professional Blackjack'.

He discusses the Unbalanced 10's count, especially its perfect correlation with insurance decisions, and gives figures for the higher expectation that this count would generate when used as a side count with Hi-Lo.

I always figured the discussion was merely for the theoretical interest, since I have plenty to do with keeping one running count at the tables.

But then I got to thinking about why he would mention using such a side count in the first place.

So I'll ask: Does anybody actually do this? I'm sure 2-person teams would prosper this way, but what about solo players?

 

[Rob McGarvey]

"Thanks, Mayor, for keeping this site running.

Hear ye, hear ye!

"I'm curious about something in Wong's 'Professional Blackjack'. He discusses the Unbalanced 10's count, especially its perfect correlation with insurance decisions, and gives figures for the higher expectation that this count would generate when used as a side count with Hi-Lo.

which page??

"I always figured the discussion was merely for the theoretical interest, since I have plenty to do with keeping one running count at the tables. But then I got to thinking about why he would mention using such a side count in the first place. So I'll ask: Does anybody actually do this? I'm sure 2-person teams would prosper this way, but what about solo players?

It depends on the solo players abilities. I am sure there are people that can keep track of many different inter-related concepts at the table, but most of us are doing well by keeping a count, remembering indices, and our eyes on any grouping of Aces or 10s that we may be able to follow through the shuffle. I know of a team that has one woman using the 10 count, the male using the Hi Low count, and the other two women are just keying cards. That's a lot of brain power on one table. W1 tries to sit at 3rd, and when she takes insurance they all do. W2 signals W1 when to black up and W3 signals M1 when to black up, and M1 tells them all by his bet what to play based on the count. I'm sure 3rd base is signaled when to stand and hit based on what the key carders were telling her. They look like well to do people out gambling. He owns a business and his wife sits beside him, and the other two women work for them, office help from the table talk. Wonder if they are hiring? ;> It's a great way to team play and know what the money is doing at all times. If you can hide a blacky from the eye in the sky, you can also hide it from the team if you are capable of getting your mind around that.

 

[The Mayor]

Yes.

Thanks for your kind remarks about this site.

I have definitely heard of people keeping side counts for insurance, but only on behalf of a BP at the table. If 3 people at the table are playing correlated units and strategy deviations (insurance is a strategy deviation), you bet they will last about half-a-heartbeat into a high count. Let the BP get really drunk, have a guy signal bet size, another signal strategy deviations. Done.

--Mayor