Archive for June, 2009
Blackjack – Four+ Decks On A Fixed Bank Part2
If you use a true edge adjustment, remember when adjusting your running count that the new calculation is based on unseen cards. If you enter a 6-deck game in progress after counting only one round, you must keep aware of the fact that you have seen and counted very few cards. There may be half a deck or more already in the discard pile, but do not make your true edge adjustments by estimating that you have seen all the discards unless you have actually seen them.
The rules are very important to card counters in shoe games. Surrender is worth about a quarter of a percent to a counter who is using a large spread, and double after splits is worth just a bit less. With both of these rules in place, your count strategy will be worth almost half a percent more, and that's a huge difference.
A card counter recently asked me if he could beat shoe games without table-hopping if he used a 1 to 12 spread. This may sound like a simple question, but the answer is quite complicated. How many decks? What's the penetration? What are the rules? Let's look at the player advantages (in percentage) from John Auston's "World's Greatest Blackjack Simulation" report for the Red Seven Count, using a 1 to 12 spread in both 6 and 8-deck games, with three different (but common) levels of penetration, and three different rule sets: dealer hits soft 17 (H17); dealer stands on soft 17 (S-17); and dealer stands on soft 17 plus late surrender (S-17-LS).
H17 S-17 S-17-LS
6 Decks, 67% Penetration 0.39 0.71 0.99
6 Decks, 75% Penetration 0.79 1.16 1.53
6 Decks, 83% Penetration 1.31 1.68 2.07
8 Decks, 69% Penetration -0.04 0.27 0.50
8 Decks, 75% Penetration 0.18 0.49 0.76
8 Decks, 81% Penetration 0.44 0.77 1.10
So, despite the fact that in all cases the player is using the same 1 to 12 betting spread in all of these games, with the same counting system, his expectation ranges from -0.04% (8 decks, with 5 1/2 decks dealt) to 2.07% (6 decks, with 5 decks dealt)! Notice how important all three variables— number of decks, penetration, and rules—are to the expectation. This is why many pros use computer simulation software themselves to test games and betting approaches. If you don't have a computer to run your own simulations, there are now books available (such as Auston's) that contain nothing but hundreds of charts of simulation data, comparing different games and table conditions. (In Chapter Fourteen, I will display some of the data from reports I have written.) If you intend to put any serious amount of money into this game, you have to invest a bit in your education.
Classic Video Poker Multi Video PokerOnline Casinos Natürlich gibt es auch normale Online Casino Spiele wie Roulette...
Tags: blackjack, card counters, online casino
Blackjack – Four+ Decks On A Fixed Bank
For all shoe games, determine your high bet by dividing your bankroll by 150. When you play against four or more decks, frequent table-hopping is generally a good idea, as you want to leave the table on negative counts. This technique is often called "Wonging" by card counters, after blackjack author Stanford Wong, who popularized this playing style. Wonging means simply refusing to play against negative situations. When your count indicates that the house has any significant edge, you leave the table to find a better game. On the first couple of rounds after a shuffle, you may tolerate a low negative running-count, but after the first half-deck or so is in the discard tray, stay only if the count is neutral or positive. If you are in a large casino and there are many open tables, do not play against any negative running count.
Your best approach to table-hopping is to keep your eyes open as you walk through the blackjack pits. Look for dealers who are shuffling, finishing a shuffle, or just beginning a new deal (with very few cards in the discard tray). When you spot a crowded table with an open betting spot or two, and the felt gets covered with low (plus) cards, get as accurate a count as you can, and get a bet onto any open spaces. If you are using the Red Seven Count, seek tables with running counts at, or close to, your pivot. In 6 and 8-deck games, you will rarely hit your pivot in one round of play, but if the count goes beyond the halfway point, either watch the next round, or get a small waiting bet on the table. The Red Seven Count is particularly powerful for this playing style—its betting efficiency is high, and all of its variations from basic strategy are plus-count variations. If you use a true edge adjustment, you should seek out tables where your true count indicates that you have the advantage. This will depend on the number of decks, rules, and so on.
When table-hopping, you will sometimes walk for long periods without placing a bet, sometimes playing only one hand before the count goes down again. For this reason, it's best to cover two (or more) betting spots when you find the right situation.
Your table-hopping must also appear natural or you will be recognized as a card counter. You cannot stand behind a table and count round after round, jumping in only when the count goes up—it's too obvious. You must appear casual. Table-hopping is probably easiest to pull off when you are with a companion of the opposite sex. While searching for good tables, you can act like you're more interested in each other, wandering around like lovers at a carnival.
In Atlantic City, many casinos prevent table-hopping by prohibiting mid-shoe entry, and others may restrict bets to the table minimum for any player who enters a game after the first round from a shuffle. These rules are specifically designed to foil Wonging. In casinos where such rules are enforced, the only way to table-hop is to enter games right after the shuffle, stay if the count goes up, and leave if it goes down, in search of another newly shuffled shoe. No card counting strategy can significantly beat a six- or eight-deck game if less than 65% of the cards are dealt out, unless you are allowed to hop. Even with table-hopping, less than 65% penetration will provide little profit potential for card counters.
When table-hopping, you may either use a betting spread or flat bet. Flat-betting will work only if you wait until you have a decided edge before entering a game. Otherwise, you must spread your bets, at least 1 to 4 units, and often higher. For camouflage, you may want to only raise your bet after a win, by parlaying. If you attempt to raise after a loss, you must appear to be chasing your losses, as a compulsive gambler might. To pull this off, you may have to make comments about "feeling a winning streak coming up," or "ending a losing streak." Many of the most successful card counters are those who can convince the casinos that they are die-hard gamblers. Some of these players even use phenomenal betting spreads, sometimes 1 to 40 units and more.
Online Blackjack Card Counting Play at awesamecasino.comCasino en Linea - Juegos casino Gran Casino
Tags: blackjack, card counters, online casino