pm: Backcounting..

[pm]

Thanks for all the ideas, guys (especially Sun Runner). I guess all these approaches should have been obvious to me, but somehow they weren't. This was EXACTLY the kind of information I was looking for.

I appreciate that you guys took the time to give me some concrete information & ideas that are probably obvious to most other people.

[V-man]

In 3 words, 'Know Thy Casino'. BJA3 is the BJ Bible, Sun Runner recommendations are all wonderful weapons, now you need to supply ammos, no one would be able to help you further. It's now up to you. Study your casinos environments, and come up with your own strategies. In my case, in one casino easy to wong, I do 95% wong-in at +1 and wong-out at -1. In another casino where wonging is only possible when the casino is very busy, lots of people hanging around, I do a combination of wonging, 'White Rabbit' and play all. Read and re-read chapter 13 BJA3, strict wonging might make you more money per hand but the the goal is more money per hour. 'Know Thy Casino' needs a lot of practice and it's entirely up to you.

[pm]

I finally started reading "Burning the Tables in Las Vegas", and it's starting to get through my thick skull that cover is the paramount issue. Before, I was thinking that blackjack is 33% mechanics, 33% BR management, 33% cover; now I'm thinking cover is more like 90%. Mechanics is simple practice and BR management is software and an understanding of RoR; maintaining cover and an acceptable winrate is the real puzzle.

"Know thy casino", that's good advice.

[WallStRunoff]

Yep, now you get it.

Cover is the most important component of a counter's game. Maximize your take, you can still play a couple bad count hands. I sit down for hours at a time. Then I might wong a couple of tables from time to time. But staying put is often the best option. I saw a guy backcounting behind me last weekend as I won for hours. He must have bet 2 hands while I played 50 high-money hands. His chance of winning was signicantly lower than mine, let alone winning a significant portion of his bankroll. Use your head, whatever works best in the situation.

[BJ_Player2004]

I'm glad you posted this. The pointers expressed here have been helpful to me.

As for your game, perhaps you could try this: go to the casino some day and stand RIGHT behind people playing. Backcount but don't play at all that day. Just get used to counting a game you aren't playing. See how the pit and the players react to you. Think of reasons you could legitimately be there and use those for excuses in the future (looking for hot dealers, cold dealers, watching if the players "know how to play", etc). Stand next to someone else watching and observe him/her and the table. See how far you can get from the table and still backcount. Get used to not staring at the table. No reason to watch it while someone's changing money. For all pat hands against a dealer's stiff, no one will hit, so turn away then. Turn away a bit during payouts. Look like you're watching, not staring.

Once you can pull this move off comfortably, get used to stepping back into less obvious areas (not always possible -- right behind the table might be the best you ever get -- know thy casino, right?). Good luck.

[pm]

I'll probably end up doing that, in addition to any mock wonging training sessions.

I guess in the end, it's like Coug Fan said: you have to just do it, that's the only way that the subtleties of wonging a particular casino and wonging in general can become clear.