name |
message |
date |
| jetblack |
Is anyone here familiar with Stanford Wongs Books Professional BlackJack and BlackJack Secrets? I am a bit confused about the strategy numbers in BlackJack Secrets. They seem to be different to the strategy numbers in Professional BlackJack. Which numbers should i use?
BlackJack Secrets/Table 11/Decision Numbers/Dealer Stands on Soft 17 OR
Professional BlackJack/Table 9/Strategy Numbers, S17 ?
i am assuming those tables mentioned above are for the same rule variations.
|
2003-06-08 02:10:34 |
| Ernestine |
what is the easiest way to count cards and what if you sit at a table where people split the 20's |
2003-06-07 12:39:30 |
| Ron T |
Sage-I'm one who has trouble balancing a check book but dispite that I did attempt to prove the progressive system I use of 1,1,1.5,2,2.5,3,3 etc. was superior to a flat 1,1,1 etc. system. I picked a 3 hour play time with 80 hands per hour or 240 hands as a base. Using perfect basic strategy would give me a 47.5% win ratio disregarding pushes or 114 hands win out of the 240. The conclusion I came up with is that flat betting is equal to my progressive system and I'm bummed.
The figures I got were : 1 hand win = 54 times, 2 hand wins in a row equals 29 times, 3 hand wins in a row equals 15 times, 4 hand wins in a row 8 times, 5 hand wins in a row 4 times, 6 hand wins in a row 2 times, 7 hand wins in a row 1 time, and 8 hand win in a row 1 time. This gave results of 1 hand being even, 2hands -145, 3 hands -75, 4 hands even, 5 hands + 40, 6 hands +60, 7 hands +50, 8 hands +70. Total(0, -145, -75, 0, +40, +60, +50, +70) = 0 NO DIFFERENCE |
2003-06-06 20:12:36 |
| Desert Dog |
I don't count cards and never will, because I don't have the concentration, or the bankroll to bet the kind of stakes that would yield a sufficient return for such hard work. Coolhand -- Are you saying avoid CSM's because you can't count cards, or because even for recreational basic strategy play, they make things worse for the player? I've read a book that says they actually make a difference slightly in favor of the player, reducing House Advantage to 0.39% assuming other favorable rules, e.g. dealer stands on all 17's, etc. But it didn't deal with whether CSMs impact a progressive betting strategy. |
2003-06-06 17:58:05 |
| Steve |
I'd still like to know if anybody has done any simulations with them though, is the varience affected? If you use a progression do you have any inherent advantage or disadvantage playing an infinite number of the first hands out of a shoe is a good question especially if you are at a place that is using mostly CSMs. Luckily plenty of good shuffle games in MS. The 'Disadvantage' players want to know. |
2003-06-06 15:36:33 |
| coolhand |
who cares, why even bother playing at a table that has them. |
2003-06-06 13:58:47 |
| Desert Dog |
Steve - if I lose less than what I'd pay in green fees at a golf course, I figure I'm ahead. In high season here, that allows me to lose a lot. This time of year, not so much. The book's author is Ben Mezrich. All major bookstores or on Amazon. Hey everyone -- Nobody's ever taken up my original question about whether Continuous Shuffle Machines are incompatible with progressive betting. |
2003-06-06 07:26:35 |
| Steve |
Desert Dog: Your comment about 'entertainment value' limits is sage advice, and so far I've kept to those parameters, in fact my whole gambling loss total and current bankroll is about half of what I spent taking my son to Wolf Creek, CO this spring for a 5 day ski trip. The Mississippi Delta is the poorest part of the country, I see a lot of out of state cars there, but the local population has to be providing a significant income for the casinos, and I wonder if its balenced out by the employment and tax revenue benefits. And I agree that northwest Mississippi is a bad choice if you want to open up your gym or dentistry practice, pawn shops are a different matter. I will get that book, besides my growing reference library, it will have to be read behind the three other non-technical gambling books I have: Tishomingo Blues, by Elmore Leonard, The Counter, by K Blackwood, and Positively Fifth Street by J McManus. Phil, the less than 1% house advantage games are tough enough, maybe somebody with online gambling experience could comment about finding a better game than that if you can't get to a normal casino. |
2003-06-05 15:48:11 |
| Desert Dog |
Phil -- those fee per hand games just add more to what the house is already making. The special bonuses are a lure that the house only rarely has to pay out. I'd stick to the basic game.
Steve -- no kidding about most people in Casinos mainly at the machines having no business being there. Essentially, it's an extra tax on the poor and the stupid. People should only gamble what they'd spend for entertainment. Much of the crowd in the local casinos look like they're gambling with their grocery money. They obviously don't spend anything on dentists or fitness clubs. This is one of the reasons I really enjoyed the book "Bringing Down the House", even though those MIT guys weren't Robin Hood. The part about Mohegan Sun not realizing what happened to them in their very first weekend of operation was really funny. |
2003-06-05 15:09:36 |
| Phil G. |
Steve - I went back, big mistake, lost $165. The limits appear to be $300, however, they up the charge per hand. Bet $5 to $25 - $.50 charge, $25 to $100 - $1 charge, $100 to $200 - $2 charge, $200 to $300 - $3 charge. The big bonus comes on 3- 7Hearts player gets $2100+ or if the dealer gets 3- 7 hearts the players split $2100. It seems to me that this game works if you are above average lucky - hitting BJ's, or specific cards but on the average run of cards the fee to play is to high despite the rules. Does anyone have any thoughts? |
2003-06-05 14:29:06 |
| Steve |
Desert Dog: I can't fault your logic because I'm much newer at this than than you, in fact the first time I ever drew a BJ against an Ace up I took even money(he had the ten too) but after listening to some of the people with more experiance than me, on this site and others, I don't do it anymore, even if it just makes me 13.5 units vs 13 units in 13 occurances, something that would take less than 3 years not 300. Its not half a unit, its the principle, I don't have anything against casinos per se, in fact I like em, probably a little too much, but I have been heading over to the crossroads to Tunica because I have gotten hooked on this game, and being stubborn and cheap am only letting go of my money with reluctance, insurance is a casino bet and I'm just not going to let them take me down that easy. I see literally hundreds of people in the Mississippi casinos who have no business what so ever being in those buildings giving those machines their hard earned money and the casinos are soaking every bit of it up with smiles on thier faces no matter how much those poor folks need that money. I'm not after money as Ive said before, I want the challenge of giving these people a run for their money, and the first step to that is to understand the psychology they depend on and over come it. One of these days I want to be a strong player, sites like this, advise from experianced players, as well as the pep talk of this board will help me do that, and thats the spirit I was trying to convey in that post. |
2003-06-04 20:50:07 |
| Desert Dog |
Steve -- you're right that even money is just insurance in another form, and it's still only a 4/13 chance he's got that ten. It's just hard to risk a sure win when you see that dealer's ace threatening you.
Funny how the 1% house advantage with basic strategy doesn't mean every time you buy $1000 in chips, you color in $990 at the end of the session. $10 for several hours of entertainment would be a good deal. I know it's over the "long term" but does that assume a life expectancy of 300 years? |
2003-06-04 18:05:00 |
| Phil G. |
Steve - I do not know what the limits are but at $.50 a hand if you were to bet $50.00 it would be 1%. I will go back and get all of the rules, bonuses, etc. |
2003-06-04 09:22:30 |
| Newbie |
Okay, thanks steve! |
2003-06-04 08:12:52 |
| steve |
Phil, what were the house limits there? I'm no mathematician but bucking a 5% house advantage right out of the gate seems a little harsh when BS gets you a less than 1% house advantage. How high could you bet to get that 5% down to less than 1%?
Newbie, pick what makes you comfortable on the soft 18, stand or hit if you cant double, but do the same thing everytime. Like wiser folks than me have said on this site, its splitting hairs, the important thing is be consistant. Follow robot basic strategy on the other soft hands, ie hit them up to hard. |
2003-06-04 07:23:54 |
| Phil G. |
Has anyone played card clubs that charge you for each hand you play? I played a club this weekend that charged $.50 per hand to play, very favorable rules and some great bonuses i.e. $10 if you get the 2 clubs, $500 for 3 BJ's, 2 to 1 on same suit BJ, etc.. On my $10 bets I was giving up 5% but after an hour I was up $60 and out the door. I would think that an advantage player betting green chips good really do well with the loose rules. |
2003-06-03 11:42:19 |
| Newbie |
On an earlier post (5/21), we established what to do with soft 18 consisting of 3 or more cards. (If I have a 5 & 2 and draw an Ace, I should stand versus dealer 3 thru 6 because I can't double down). How about other soft hands consisting of more than 2 cards? Specifically Soft 17, Soft 16, and Soft 15. In other words, Soft 17 vs. dealer 3 thru 6? Soft 16 vs. dealer 4 thru 6? Soft 15 vs. dealer 4 thru 6? If I have a 2,2 and draw an Ace vs. dealer 5, should I stand because I can't double down? Thanks for the help! |
2003-06-03 06:35:16 |
 |
|
|
|
