A casino that I've been playing at is offering me freebets/match plays. I usually play blackjack when I am in the casinos. My question: What positive count should I look for when putting out the match plays or free bets that generate a positive expectation? Assuming playing is using Hi-lo and KO. I was looking for a software that do this simulation for me but was unsuccessful of finding one.
If you use it to make a bet you would make anyway it only wins you extra money when you lose it. You would lose half of what you would have on a matchplay and you would lose no money on a free bet. If you are looking to win on a win you must bet it on a bet you wouldn't make anyway. Like you have a $50 bet out but bet $50 and the $25 match play instead. Now betting the match play wins 50% more than you would have won had you simply bet the $50 bet you were going to make anyway.Originally Posted by genini1
try not to use it on bj. try using it on baccarat or craps . Read james grosjean 's article for more details .if it is some non so frequent and low limit matchplay/coupon i would not worry to much about it. but if they are more valuable and frequent.......learn to use it wisely.
Thank you for that suggestion. If I were to play baccarat or craps I must have an advantage. James Grosjeans Beyond Counting is good but the truth is that it does not teach readers on how to implement those techniques describe in his book i.e. dice control. If not I am not playing.
Seriousplayer, I think you are misinterpreting some of the advice. The match play/free bet is about maximizing expectation. There is no special technique needing to be deployed in choosing the mathematically correct game to use a coupon/matchplay/freebet.
Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know.
For a free bet you maybe could use it in any game and still get positive expectation but for matchplay you will need to put a bet to match the amount. For example, if the matchplay is $25 dollars you have to put $25 dollars of your own money on the table. If you are playing a game with negative expectation using the matchplay along with your bets. The house edge will take into effect. So it does matter. In a freebet you are not using your own money.
On the free table play 3 card poker is the best. I usually get smaller amounts of free play each week so I used them to pay "taxes" in lower counts so I could play my money with a positive expectation. I came into a larger amount of free play due to a loss rebate so I wanted to maximize it so I studied Beyond Couponing.
With 3CP you put your money up for the ante and if you have K97 or higher you play your money on the play bet, if you have a worse hand use the free play. If the dealer qualifies you would have lost your money with the fold anyway. If the dealer doesn't qualify, you win the ante bet and get your free play back to use again. It is a very brilliant idea that JG wrote about in Beyond Couponing.
I had 20 free play chips and I played for almost 2 hours while getting $90 out of every $100 of free play. The average is around $70 out of every $100 which is well above BJ, Craps, or any other game besides roulette. Roulette is the best if the free play doesn't have to be used on an even money bet.
DM
Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes, by then you are a mile away and have his shoes.
Since BJ is the only table game I play, I use my MP's on BJ. Early on I would use say a $50 MP and $50 wager at the point that I would make a $100 wager, figuring I would save $50 if I lose the hand. Two problems with this. As T3 said, the coupon only has value when you lose in that situation. Almost seems like you are betting against yourself. More importantly, as the count rises, the 2 advantages are that the player receives more BJ and gets and wins more double down opportunities. MP substituted for your usual wager costs you money in both these areas, as most MP are only paid at even money, so you 'lose' the bonus portion of any blackjack payout for that amount. (If you had wagered $100 on a BJ, payout would be $150, with $50 + $50 MP, payout is $125).
Doubles and splits are also problematic. If you have a $50 wager and $50 MP, some places will let you split double for $100, while other will only do so for $50. So substituting MP for your part of your normal wager, can actually cost you EV. So now I just put my normal wager out when called for and anything I win on MP is bonus. Might not be the best mathematical use of it, but it works for me.
Free bets is an easier one for me. I like to put out me $50 free bet, when I would normally be betting $25. If I lose, I have saved myself $25, if I win, I win an 'extra' $25, so my free bet has exactly 50% value, with no variance involved.
Last edited by KJ; 04-21-2014 at 09:01 AM.
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