Thall: negative count

[Thall]

I read today that very few people still use the negative indices (due to small amount wagered). I've been playing Revere's point count / and Hi Opt I most recently, (after a long layoff) and was wondering if those on this forum who are more up to date than myself, would concur. If so does it apply to all negatives (with minumum bet) are just the big numbers.

[Parker]

> I read today that very few people still use
> the negative indices (due to small amount
> wagered). I've been playing Revere's point
> count / and Hi Opt I most recently, (after a
> long layoff) and was wondering if those on
> this forum who are more up to date than
> myself, would concur. If so does it apply to
> all negatives (with minumum bet) are just
> the big numbers.

Where'd you read that?

Most players who wong shoes don't use negative indices - because they leave the table whenever the the count goes negative.

In today's games where mediocre (or worse) penetration is the norm, I think negative indices (at least the most common ones) are a must for anyone using a play-all approach.

[Don Schlesinger]

> In today's games where mediocre (or worse)
> penetration is the norm, I think negative
> indices (at least the most common ones) are
> a must for anyone using a play-all approach.

Truth be told, Parker, they help the shoe player very little. See p. 62 of BJA3 (I've been wanting to write that for soooooo long!), where only 4 of the I18 are negative indices, and three are at the very bottom of the list.

They're obviously much more valuable to the SD player.

Don

[Flyboy]

> I read today that very few people still use
> the negative indices (due to small amount
> wagered). I've been playing Revere's point
> count / and Hi Opt I most recently, (after a
> long layoff) and was wondering if those on
> this forum who are more up to date than
> myself, would concur. If so does it apply to
> all negatives (with minumum bet) are just
> the big numbers.

It's true that you will use them less, but there's no reason not to know your negative indices, especially if you're playing single or double deck. Even late in a six deck shoe game, the TC could easily drop from +2 to -2 on the deal, and knowing strategy variation on the negative side may stop you from doubling, standing on a hard 12, or surrendering when you shouldn't.