Advice for Newbie

Hello,
I've been practicing religiously with Casino Verite. I've got Basic Strategy down. I'm counting using REKO and I'm feeling quite comfortable. I've got CV setup to simulate the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. 6 deck Hit S17 no surrender. $5.00 min bet. I ramp my bets up to $100.00.

I play for hours, making the minimum bet. I go up a $100 down $100, just playing basic strategy I pretty much stay even. On the rare occasions that I get a positive count and I start raising my bet I start losing!! Seems like I win more often on the negative count than positive but I'm only betting the minimum.

Also, if the count immediately goes very negative(-30 or so) is this a signal to walk away(reshuffle) or just play through it?

Looking to feel more confident before I go start risking real money.

Thanks

does anyone try to get +EV at such a game? Perhaps your perceived bad luck is rather just that you never get out of negative expectation?

Even a positive count is no guarantee you will win. This is why you hear more of BJ "teams" than lone wolfs, you simply need to play so many hands.

As a note, -30 seems like a very, very high count, with six decks that means at most you could have a true count of -5. Actually it would be even better since if and only if the first 30 were low cards the true count would be -5.5. Not to sound like a jagoff, but have you checked that your count is right and you are not missing shuffles?

Quote: AZDuffman

Even a positive count is no guarantee you will win. This is why you hear more of BJ "teams" than lone wolfs, you simply need to play so many hands.

It is still not all about playing so many hands.

The truth is all in the bankroll and the bet size related to the bankroll.

I would bet 5 cents that 99.999% of all BJ wanna-be card counters are under-funded and are over betting their too small bankrolls.

They have no clue on proper bet to bankroll size, even when a few math gurus, like Alan Krigman for example, offers free information on how to lower one's risk of ruin with bet sizing. The wanna-beeeeees just think that by learning to count they are off to wealth and fame.

Oh, I also forgot, any casino can spot a card counter from a few tables away. Try to get past that fact.

Anyone care to win 5 cents???

The Initial Count in REKO is -20. I don't increase my bet until I get to a Running Count of -3. Many times from the first hand the count starts going more negative than towards zero. Not sure what you mean about -30 being high. Also, I don't calculate True Count, REKO is an unbalanced system.

I'm not looking to get rich, I just want to occassionally go to the tables and not get reamed. Not sure what the hostility is about. Apparently if someone is trying to learn something new they are a "wannabe"?

I'll see what I can find on the net about this Krigman fellow.

Thanks.

MaChWi you don't sound like a wannabe to me, nor a newbie, but rather a serious guy who is doing the right things to learn a tough skill like card counting. Sounds like you are doing everything right and I applaud your effort. Unfortunately no matter how high the count you can't take the gamble out of gambling. No doubt you are trying to make the best bet, good for you. In high counts unfortunately you aren't the only one playing and the dealer is probably beating you with 20s and BJs as often as you are beating him and doesn't it feel like you always lose right when you up your bet. Hang in there!

Quote: MaChWi

Hello,
I've been practicing religiously with Casino Verite. I've got Basic Strategy down. I'm counting using REKO and I'm feeling quite comfortable. I've got CV setup to simulate the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. 6 deck Hit S17 no surrender. $5.00 min bet. I ramp my bets up to $100.00.

I play for hours, making the minimum bet. I go up a $100 down $100, just playing basic strategy I pretty much stay even. On the rare occasions that I get a positive count and I start raising my bet I start losing!! Seems like I win more often on the negative count than positive but I'm only betting the minimum.

Also, if the count immediately goes very negative(-30 or so) is this a signal to walk away(reshuffle) or just play through it?

Looking to feel more confident before I go start risking real money.

Thanks

Casino Verite is top notch software.

I have been to Chumash Casino a few times. They watch the card counters.
I also doubt they will let you get away making $5 to $100 bets. Those are not that big of bets but CA Indian Casinos do not put up with anything that can hurt their bottom line.
They will tell you just keep on flat betting or not to play at all and there goes your plan.
You will have to learn cover betting and only play short sessions. But, Most casinos can spot a counter. They watch all the cards too much.

Do not be fooled by short term play. If you truly have an advantage, play as much and as often as you can. You want the volatility because it is what increases your edge, only lots of hands so your edge can work in your favor.
Counting does not make you win more hands, only when you win at higher counts your average win increases and that is where you can gain a slight edge over the casino.

Yes, also bankroll and bet size MUST be considered.
some good reading one can start here.
BJ bet size
krigman is fun to read and seems to know his stuff
Enjoy!

Gentlemen, thank you so much! I really appreciate your assistance and courtesy.

I recently cashed in a gold coin I've had lying around for awhile, got $1850.00 for it. I'm thinking of using this for a bankroll. I see on some websites that you should have a bankroll of $10,000.00! I don't have that kind of money to gamble with!

Just want to have some fun, maybe make a few bucks. I've always been a "puzzle" kind of person and this seems to scratch that itch. Hopefully stave off the Alzheimer's!!

Thanks again, I'll let you know how I do.

So check me on this. After reading the link you gave me from Krigman based on the 2% scenario.

I have $1850 X 2%=$37 as a min. bet right? And then increases of $55.50 and $74.00? At this rate I have a 85% chance of still having money after 4 hours of play?

Maybe easier bets would be $25, $40 and $50? Or maybe $60?

Feedback please.

Thank you.