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Thread: Wetworks: Counting alone

  1. #1
    Wetworks
    Guest

    Wetworks: Counting alone

    I have been an avid poker player for years. In the last few months, I have been playing Blackjack (counting) in my local underground games. I raise and lower my bets without fear. I have been doing pretty well. My question is, can it be done in a casino alone, without a team?

  2. #2
    Parker
    Guest

    Parker: Re: Counting alone

    Can it be done? Sure. Is it easy? No, not by a long shot. Is it even a good idea? These days, probably not.

    I know of a very small number of solo pro counters. They are rugged individualists who love working alone, are willing to travel across the country on a moment's notice to find a good game, and who endure huge bankroll swings with a shrug of the shoulders.

    Their reward for being exceptionally good at what they do is to have the casinos treat them like common criminals.

    Today's AP is more likely to be diversified, with counting cards at blackjack being only one weapon in his arsenal of AP weapons.

    To be successful counting cards in today's environment will require a large bankroll. If you have the means to amass such a bankroll, you almost certainly already have found an way of making money.

  3. #3
    Wetworks
    Guest

    Wetworks: Re: Counting alone

    When you say counting is just one weapon in our arsenal, what do you mean? By diversification are you talking about ace sequencing and shuffle tracking? Or other games all together such as poker? Thanks for your input.

    W

    > Can it be done? Sure. Is it easy? No, not by a long
    > shot. Is it even a good idea? These days, probably
    > not.

    > I know of a very small number of solo pro counters.
    > They are rugged individualists who love working alone,
    > are willing to travel across the country on a moment's
    > notice to find a good game, and who endure huge
    > bankroll swings with a shrug of the shoulders.

    > Their reward for being exceptionally good at what they
    > do is to have the casinos treat them like common
    > criminals.

    > Today's AP is more likely to be diversified, with
    > counting cards at blackjack being only one weapon in
    > his arsenal of AP weapons.

    > To be successful counting cards in today's environment
    > will require a large bankroll. If you have the means
    > to amass such a bankroll, you almost certainly already
    > have found an way of making money.

  4. #4
    Parker
    Guest

    Parker: Re: Counting alone

    I mean all of that and more. The exact mix would depend on on opportunities in your part of the world, and your own skills and abilities, and how much time you are willing to devote to learning a particular AP technique.

    Poker is definitely an exploitable game - assuming that you are good at it. Unlike blackjack, live poker cannot be reduced to pure mathematics.

  5. #5
    Rob Vega
    Guest

    Rob Vega: Re: Counting alone

    I read the original post as asking, "Do successful blackjack strategies in the real world *technically* require a team, or can they be applied by a soloist?".

    The answer is that you don't need a team to conquer the casinos. You can properly raise and lower your bets, and play properly, and obtain an advantage over the casinos, alone. Parker was discussing the difficulties in the practical problems facing a solo counter - playing alone, the rollercoaster of luck can easily crush a skilled solo counter. Many advantages of team play smooth over this awful reality.

    In order to counter this problem, a solo player can diversify and/or increase his advantage. Shuffle-tracking can increase your advantage, and thereby lessen the need to take on partners (increased advantage usually lessens the rollercoaster).

    Diversification lessens your exposure to blackjack casino personnel, so your career longevity increases and you can selectively choose to play the more profitable games. Poker is an excellent diversification choice. There will always be poker, there will always be bad players, and they don't bar you for playing well. A straight job also is an excellent diversification choice, but they also sometimes bar you, so there is risk there as well, don't be fooled.

    My advice might differ from Parker's, because I read the question differently. You seem to be at the "interested recreational" stage. You should not take on a team right now, or be concerned about diversification. It's overkill and complicating. Go to your bj venue - go to Vegas! Check it all out. Lose/win some money. Read the books. Ask questions. (Get berated by arrogant forum guardians). There will come a time when bj chooses you, and it's inevitable, or you'll slip off and one day find yourself daydreaming about golf. You won't have to ask your second question, which I know is, "Can you make a living at it?". Because you'll know the answer by then, tailored to your specifications. You will also be able to determine if a team is right for you. I would suggest that at that point you might have interested friends who might join you in your grand adventure. Training and playing with 1+ extremely trusted friends is a much better prospect than hoping to get on a team with a bunch of unknowns, and trusting them with many thousands of your dollars. But this is all a worry for tomorrow. Today, practice your count, learn stuff, and go count down some real world decks.

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