Syph: Counting, spreading, and Chapter 10...

[Syph]

Hey!

Having trouble with the girlfriend so I started playing with numbers.

Am I correct in assuming that the betting spreads found in Chapter 10 (from BJA) where based on a gain-per-TC-point of .517%?

If so, can an optimal betting spread be generated for any count simply by dividing the bet by .517 and multiplying by the alternate count`s gain-per-TC-point (found by dividing the inner product by the sum of the squares of your respected count) to arrive at the optimal bet for that TC?

Good lord, I don`t believe I just posted that.

Hmm...let me try again. If I`m using the RPC, dividing by half decks, can I simply add .04% to all the optimal bet spreads from Chapter 10 and be happy?

Thanks for the feedback!

Cheers!
Syph

(p.s. Norm, if you`re out there, I have a standing bet with my imaginary friend. I say that with full indexes, Uston`s +/- count will edge out Hi-Lo over a wide range of games due to the increased gain from the better Pe. He says I`m crazy, I say he`s nuts...who`s right?)

[Norm Wattenberger]

> (p.s. Norm, if you`re out there, I have a
> standing bet with my imaginary friend. I say
> that with full indexes, Uston`s +/- count
> will edge out Hi-Lo over a wide range of
> games due to the increased gain from the
> better Pe. He says I`m crazy, I say he`s
> nuts...who`s right?)

Don't think I ever simmed Uston +/-. I entered the 150-200 indexes many years ago for CVBJ and gave them to Uston's publisher - and he lost them. I don't feel like doing it again:-) (If anyone has them I'd appreciate a copy.) Surely I would expect it to edge out Hi-Lo in single-deck. But which Hi-Lo? Remember the old Pro-BJ appendices had their own hundreds of Hi-Lo indexes. Hi-Lo has still got to win in shoes.

[Don Schlesinger]

Simple answer: it depends!

One count reckons the deuce and not the seven. One reckons the seven and not the deuce. One is better for BC, the other is better for PE.

Which of those two metrics is more important when playing BJ? All together now: it depends!

Play shoes with wide spreads? It's a no-brainer for BC. Play SD, with a million indices and virtually no spread? Jump on the PE!

Play something in between? Do the sims and decide, on a case by case basis.

That's all there is to it.

Don

[Don Schlesinger]

> Am I correct in assuming that the betting
> spreads found in Chapter 10 (from BJA) were
> based on a gain-per-TC-point of .517%?

No, they were based on whatever the ACTUAL gain per true count happened to be. That, in turn, depends on which true count we're at, and how many indices we use. Note how, when insurance kicks in, at +3, that particular true count becomes worth MORE than .517? For example, in Table 10.10, for the 4.5/6, s17, das game, as we go from +3 to +4, the edge goes from 1.40 to 2.00, for a gain of 0.60.

> If so, can an optimal betting spread be
> generated for any count simply by dividing
> the bet by .517 and multiplying by the
> alternate count`s gain-per-TC-point (found
> by dividing the inner product by the sum of
> the squares of your respected count) to
> arrive at the optimal bet for that TC?

Short answer: no! :-) Optimal bet depends also on variance and min-max bet constraints.

> Good lord, I don`t believe I just posted
> that.

Am impressed! :-)

> Hmm...let me try again. If I`m using the
> RPC, dividing by half decks, can I simply
> add .04% to all the optimal bet spreads from
> Chapter 10 and be happy?

You might be happy, but you won't necessarily be correct. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss! :-) Much better to get CV or BJRm and sim the correct bets.

> (p.s. Norm, if you`re out there, I have a
> standing bet with my imaginary friend. I say
> that with full indexes, Uston`s +/- count
> will edge out Hi-Lo over a wide range of
> games due to the increased gain from the
> better Pe. He says I`m crazy, I say he`s
> nuts...who`s right?)

See below. You tell us the games, we'll tell you who wins!

Don

[Syph]

Thanks!

I got interested in the Uston +/- after reading Cant`s Blackjack Therapy.

For anyone interested, his online book has a full set of indices (160+) for the Uston +/-, Zen (original), and the Victor APC.

I believe it can be found at here...

http://www.bjrnet.com/archive/BlackjackTherapy.htm

Cheers!
Syph

[Syph]

After I posted this, I floated over to bjmath.com and after about an hour I realized I know about as much about blackjack as I do about women.



Thank you for the detailed response Don. I think I`ll stick with Hi-Lo and your fine book until I can get some software...

(and a computer.)



Cheers!
Syph