Autoground: Hmmm... a mental question

[Autoground]

It's happened to me a couple of times. I'll be in the middle of a shoe and at the end of a hand I'm certain that the RC is +3, or what have you. Then as the cards are being dealt I am mentally distracted -- I talk with the waittress, laugh at a joke, or perhaps I'm tired and my mind simply wanders off -- these distractions occur while I'm still eyeballing the cards as they're being dealt.

So, when I come out of my conversation or reverie, I discover that my count is modified, that without my having focused on it, I've been keeping the RC. This worries me because i don't know whether or not to trust it.

In a couple instances I'm able to do a real quick recount of all the cards starting from +3 (or what have you), but other times I am not so quick on the draw (pun?).

My question assumes that this does happen to other people: when this happens have you ever recounted and found your count-while-distracted to be grossly off? In situations where you can't recount really quickly do you trust the count that your brain has passively upkept?

thanks a bunch, and, in passing, what does *NM* mean?

[email protected]

[Ouchez]

> It's happened to me a couple of times. I'll
> be in the middle of a shoe and at the end of
> a hand I'm certain that the RC is +3, or
> what have you. Then as the cards are being
> dealt I am mentally distracted -- I talk
> with the waittress, laugh at a joke, or
> perhaps I'm tired and my mind simply wanders
> off -- these distractions occur while I'm
> still eyeballing the cards as they're being
> dealt.

> So, when I come out of my conversation or
> reverie, I discover that my count is
> modified, that without my having focused on
> it, I've been keeping the RC. This worries
> me because i don't know whether or not to
> trust it.

> In a couple instances I'm able to do a real
> quick recount of all the cards starting from
> +3 (or what have you), but other times I am
> not so quick on the draw (pun?).

> My question assumes that this does happen to
> other people: when this happens have you
> ever recounted and found your
> count-while-distracted to be grossly off? In
> situations where you can't recount really
> quickly do you trust the count that your
> brain has passively upkept?

> thanks a bunch, and, in passing, what does
> *NM* mean?

> [email protected]

of course this happens to all of us. I either play perfect basic strategy for the rest of the rounds or go to the bathroom.

As you get more experience this will happen less and less.

"We caught em' nappin Boyz!"
Ouchez
6-25-76

[MrPill]

> In a couple instances I'm able to do a real
> quick recount of all the cards starting from
> +3 (or what have you), but other times I am
> not so quick on the draw (pun?).

Autoground,

If you are sure of your starting count before this hand and do not have time to "recount" the current hand when you have stopped day dreaming. Then you can start the next hand at this same count. You've only just decreased the penetration of the deal, but the count is still valid.

Or as Ouchez suggests, get up and head for the bathroom and take a break and clear your head.

Pill

[Parker]

> It's happened to me a couple of times. I'll
> be in the middle of a shoe and at the end of
> a hand I'm certain that the RC is +3, or
> what have you. Then as the cards are being
> dealt I am mentally distracted -- I talk
> with the waittress, laugh at a joke, or
> perhaps I'm tired and my mind simply wanders
> off -- these distractions occur while I'm
> still eyeballing the cards as they're being
> dealt.

> So, when I come out of my conversation or
> reverie, I discover that my count is
> modified, that without my having focused on
> it, I've been keeping the RC. This worries
> me because i don't know whether or not to
> trust it.

Well, the goal is to reduce counting to a near-subconscious level. However, you have to know that you're doing it right!

> In a couple instances I'm able to do a real
> quick recount of all the cards starting from
> +3 (or what have you), but other times I am
> not so quick on the draw (pun?).

As others have mentioned, if you're not sure of the count it is best to play it safe and drop back to a minimum bet and basic strategy for the remainder of the shoe or, better yet, find an excuse to leave the table until the shuffle.

> My question assumes that this does happen to
> other people: when this happens have you
> ever recounted and found your
> count-while-distracted to be grossly off? In
> situations where you can't recount really
> quickly do you trust the count that your
> brain has passively upkept?

You need a way of testing yourself. If you have Casino Verite, you can count while playing the radio, watching TV, talking to friends (or all of these at once) and see if you are still accurately maintaining the count.

An alternative might be to hit a casino (preferably one you don't normally frequent) along with a counter friend, after you have worked out a way to signal the running count back and forth.

> thanks a bunch, and, in passing, what does
> *NM* mean?

"No Message" The message board software automatically apends this to the subject line of any post made with nothing in the message box.

While useful for the occasional quick one-liner, this practice is generally discouraged.

[Autoground]

> As others have mentioned, if you're not sure
> of the count it is best to play it safe and
> drop back to a minimum bet and basic
> strategy for the remainder of the shoe or,
> better yet, find an excuse to leave the
> table until the shuffle.

So none of you masters trusts a passively acquired count?

> An alternative might be to hit a casino
> (preferably one you don't normally frequent)
> along with a counter friend, after you have
> worked out a way to signal the running count
> back and forth.

How to acquire such a friend still eludes me. You pretty much have to train them yourselves, right?

[Parker]

> So none of you masters trusts a passively
> acquired count?

As Ronald Reagan once said, "Trust, but verify." You have to find some way of verifying that you're not making errors before you start relying on it.

> How to acquire such a friend still eludes
> me. You pretty much have to train them
> yourselves, right?

Not necessarily. Just keep playing in Las Vegas, and posting to forums such as this one, and eventually you will meet other counters. Don't expect this to happen overnight (counters are a notoriously paranoid bunch), but eventually it will happen.

Just remember: Never try to initiate contact with someone you believe to be a counter inside a casino or on casino property (this includes restaurants, bars, parking garages, etc.). If they don't seem interested in talking to you, don't press the issue.