charlie_t_jr: Am I Spinning My Wheels?

[charlie_t_jr]

I'll try to keep this short, but I may have jumped in with both feet and now in over my head.

Need Advice....

I started playing BS blackjack and bought the KO book in May. Since then I've added BJA, PBJ, Ken Ustons MDBJ, and others. In June I started counting, playing mostly DD games in Tunica(H17, DA2, DAS) penetration horrible at times to acceptable. Since June I've gone about every other weekend. Day trips and some weekend stays.
I'm working off a 3-4K bankroll betting red ofcourse...spreading 1-8 at $10 tables and play the $5 when I can.

The thing is I don't actually have the 3-4K, I've estimated my monthly BJ "allowance" over 6-8months. So each trip I have a small limited amount that I take...I've had mixed results...been up and down...had winning sessions, but I've yet to leave with any winnings.
But I've had a great time and feel I'm learning a lot. I guess I've been lucky that I've never lost more than 16 units($80) in a weekend...until last Saturday. Don in BJA talks about a 30 unit session, and I usually have at least 2 sessions with me($300). Last Saturday lost that with such blinding speed, I was sure the dealers were cheating. Well, got home. Got out BJA, went over the numbers and assured myself of the Math and Swings of blackjack.

I've said all this to ask...should I stop playing blackjack until I have a bigger bankroll actually in my pocket, so a negative swing won't end my weekend play? Mathematically speaking, does it matter if I play 10 sessions in 3 days, or 3 months?

Am I spinning my wheels taking $300 to the casino or is it just going to take me longer to see results?

Thanks in advance for responses
Charlie_t_jr

[Brick]

Since your top bet is $80,, a $300 session bank is too small. You can easily be wiped out after a few shoes. I would at least carry $500 at the table. Maybe Don means 30 units at each table as oppossed to a 30 unit session bankroll. This makes more sense.

At least you have estimated your Bj allowance on modest terms of 3-4K,some self proclaimed pros recommend using a lifetime allowance (which can easily lead to 100K)and bet huge from the start. This is not a brilliant thing to do.

[Magician]

i believe it's OK to size your bets to a bankroll based on future income, provided that you are prepared to lose the whole amount and you don't mind waiting to earn more money if you run out between sessions. Some may disagree with this.

The only problem with a small trip bankroll is if you run out of money in the middle of a hot shoe, or worse in the middle of a hand where you need to split or double. I think with only $300 and an $80 max bet you are going to run into this situation fairly often. I would at least double that amount, preferably more.

> penetration horrible at times to acceptable

Don't play when penetration is horrible. You will be doing your bankroll a favour.

[SOTSOG]

As long as you are playing in games you know are bad, or with horrible penetration, then you will get the results you have been getting.

Reread all those books you got, I bet every one of them says something about NOT PLAYING BAD GAMES.

Until you become disciplined to seek out the better games, and not play at all, if all you can find are bad games, then I don't think you should be considering moving up a notch in bankroll.

[Sonny]

> Maybe Don means 30 units at each table as
> oppossed to a 30 unit session bankroll. This
> makes more sense.

That does make more sense. Also, don't forget that Don is Wonging! This means that his fluctuations will be smaller.

-Sonny-

[charlie_t_jr]

> As long as you are playing in games you know
> are bad, or with horrible penetration, then
> you will get the results you have been
> getting.

> Reread all those books you got, I bet every
> one of them says something about NOT PLAYING
> BAD GAMES.

> Until you become disciplined to seek out the
> better games, and not play at all, if all
> you can find are bad games, then I don't
> think you should be considering moving up a
> notch in bankroll.

Thanks for all the responses...really appreciate it...by the way I was really kind of relating the conditions penetration at the table...not necessarily the conditions I play in...BJA has been a real eye opener...Thanks again for the posts. By the way I'm staying at home this weekend, to practice and read...and let my meager bankroll grow.

Thanks again everyone.

[Dreamer]

why not play the $5 min DD at Fit and the $10 SD games at H_S, G_S and the Grnd

Spread 5-30 at the DD and 10-30 at the SD.
Even with this spread you want to bring at least $900 (30 max bets) to give yourself a reasonable shot of surviving the swings.

Your best bet is to miss a trip or two and take the money you would have spent and wait until you have enough to take a half decent hail mary shot.
If you have a nice positive flux to start out with you may have a real shot at building a real bankroll.

Nothing substitutes a real bankroll.

BJ is like investing, you do better the more capital you have to invest.

D.

> I'll try to keep this short, but I may have
> jumped in with both feet and now in over my
> head.

> Need Advice....

> I started playing BS blackjack and bought
> the KO book in May. Since then I've added
> BJA, PBJ, Ken Ustons MDBJ, and others. In
> June I started counting, playing mostly DD
> games in Tunica(H17, DA2, DAS) penetration
> horrible at times to acceptable. Since June
> I've gone about every other weekend. Day
> trips and some weekend stays.
> I'm working off a 3-4K bankroll betting red
> ofcourse...spreading 1-8 at $10 tables and
> play the $5 when I can.

> The thing is I don't actually have the 3-4K,
> I've estimated my monthly BJ
> "allowance" over 6-8months. So
> each trip I have a small limited amount that
> I take...I've had mixed results...been up
> and down...had winning sessions, but I've
> yet to leave with any winnings.
> But I've had a great time and feel I'm
> learning a lot. I guess I've been lucky that
> I've never lost more than 16 units($80) in a
> weekend...until last Saturday. Don in BJA
> talks about a 30 unit session, and I usually
> have at least 2 sessions with me($300). Last
> Saturday lost that with such blinding speed,
> I was sure the dealers were cheating. Well,
> got home. Got out BJA, went over the numbers
> and assured myself of the Math and Swings of
> blackjack.

> I've said all this to ask...should I stop
> playing blackjack until I have a bigger
> bankroll actually in my pocket, so a
> negative swing won't end my weekend play?
> Mathematically speaking, does it matter if I
> play 10 sessions in 3 days, or 3 months?

> Am I spinning my wheels taking $300 to the
> casino or is it just going to take me longer
> to see results?

> Thanks in advance for responses
> Charlie_t_jr

[charlie_t_jr]

> why not play the $5 min DD at Fit and the
> $10 SD games at H_S, G_S and the Grnd

> Spread 5-30 at the DD and 10-30 at the SD.
> Even with this spread you want to bring at
> least $900 (30 max bets) to give yourself a
> reasonable shot of surviving the swings.

> Your best bet is to miss a trip or two and
> take the money you would have spent and wait
> until you have enough to take a half decent
> hail mary shot.
> If you have a nice positive flux to start
> out with you may have a real shot at
> building a real bankroll.

> Nothing substitutes a real bankroll.

> BJ is like investing, you do better the more
> capital you have to invest.

> D.

Actually I do play at Fitz when conditions are right. Was there one weekend and got what it looked to my untrained eye 75%+, last time hardley acceptable 60-65%. Thanks for the bankroll advice D.

C

[Dreamer]

65% is an OK game but you must get away from bad counts and slow (crowded) tables.
Wong out as much as possible.

If you only had say $500 as a trip bankroll then playing this game 5-20 and wonging out/in as much as possible is your best bet for not going broke.
Depending on penetration/speed and your tactics you may get a long term winrate in the 5-$10 per hour range.

D.

> Actually I do play at Fitz when conditions
> are right. Was there one weekend and got
> what it looked to my untrained eye 75%+,
> last time hardley acceptable 60-65%. Thanks
> for the bankroll advice D.

> C

[Max Headroom]

The game you are describing is pretty much what I play, even with horrible penetration of 50% the game is still beatable, but it can take a loooooonnnnnnngggggg time before you realize a profit. Don't be surprised if you're not ahead after 20,000 or 30,000 hands. If you play accurately you will win eventually however.
Good Luck.