Trying to make a living counting cards and its driving me nuts so far.

I'm playing that demo BJ game where 5's turn into 6's. I've branched out into learning Spanish 21 too, but I think a real table would be more indicative of real rules.
For both BJ & Sp21 I've played a total of 14,242 hands; 43.98% hands won, 48.13% hands lost; 7.89% hands tied; $1,441,160 total bet; $14,000 won; 0.97% win rate. Average bet of $101. I've got over $5,000 in player error cost but that's because when I play Spanish 21 and use a different BS strategy than from regular BJ, it adds up the total on so many hands where I hit on a 12 or 13 instead of stand, etc.

It took me less than 150 hands to win $10,000, and I did that twice awhile ago.

Quote: ChumpChange

...I've played a total of 14,242 hands; 43.98% hands won, 48.13% hands lost; 7.89% hands tied; $1,441,160 total bet; $14,000 won; 0.97% win rate. Average bet of $101.

So many of you keep much more detailed records than I do. I'm happy to know my net result for a session, but I only play against one set of rules, and always at a low-limit ($10-$15) tables. I've experienced wide swings over time, but I always figure that it's the same game, I play the same way all the time, and so knowing anything beyond net result is needless detail. I can tell you how I did for a year, for a single month, or for each and every day (a "session" to me is one day long), but other than remembering a few specific events like a really good win or loss on one hand, who knows.

Besides, who counts number of hands, and can recall wins, losses, pushes? What does this tell you that improves your play? After 15,000 hands, what kind of streak do you have to have to move the percentages more than a fraction of one percent?

I respect those who keep detailed records - I have bank statements going back more years than I will ever need, so I'm not being sarcastic.

I have as an article of faith that the math is always going to work out in my favor, oh so slightly, over time, and my level of recordkeeping convinces me of that.

How does the extra level of detail help? Do you play at so many different spots that you rank the alternatives, and have a preference such that you pass by a "bad" game looking for a better one?

And specifically. "14,242 hands?" Really? For sure? You know for each shoe how many you played, won, lost, and pushed? Impressive.

To pattern your game so its in line with casino tolerance.

If you are at a $10-$15 table min. And not spreading wildly. Fantom is right. It doesn't really matter. Sims will indicate if your on the right track.

Thank you