98%: Eidetic Counting

[98%]

I've just learned from my ex-girlfriend that she is somewhat eidetic. As such, she can actually memorize and instantly recall groups of cards. For example, if I ran 20 cards by her, she could instantly tell me how many of each cards (although not in order, though that can be taught). In other words, in any given situation, she would know the exact composition of the remainder of the deck(s) after each card is dealt. It may sound absurd, but it's true, I've tested her and I'm extremely jealous.

I was considering teaching her to count but that seems pretty weak considering her freakish, Rainmanesque ability. Are there any systems which take into account exact deck composition (at least for a single deck scenario) or is there anything that attempts to approximate such a thing more closely than traditional counting (a regular count with a bunch of sidecounts perhaps)? At any given point in the game, she'll know exactly what's left in the deck, the only problem is then figuring out what the correct play is based on that knowledge.

I've perused some of my blackjack texts, including the card removal section of 'The Theory of Blackjack' and the prospect of developing some sort of strategy for this seems daunting, to say the least. Though I do have a question about this section of the book. Are the removal effects additive? To find the advantage of hitting vs. standing, could you just add together the removal effects of all the cards which had been played already?

I realize this is pretty out there, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ET Fan]

... ToB is the best source for information on this. Did you read Chapter 5 on multi-parameter counts and ultimate human capability?

Yes, the strategy EORs are additive, but they should also be scaled for penetration. Work through the examples on p. 86, and if it still isn't clear, give a holler.

Did this person play cards a LOT as a child? I have been called eidetic, but not in cards -- on the piano.

Maybe the lady should work on ace sequencing. Sorry to hear she's your ex-girlfriend. ;-)

ETF

> I've just learned from my ex-girlfriend
> that she is somewhat eidetic. As such, she
> can actually memorize and instantly recall
> groups of cards. For example, if I ran 20
> cards by her, she could instantly tell me
> how many of each cards (although not in
> order, though that can be taught). In other
> words, in any given situation, she would
> know the exact composition of the remainder
> of the deck(s) after each card is dealt. It
> may sound absurd, but it's true, I've tested
> her and I'm extremely jealous.

> I was considering teaching her to count but
> that seems pretty weak considering her
> freakish, Rainmanesque ability. Are there
> any systems which take into account exact
> deck composition (at least for a single deck
> scenario) or is there anything that attempts
> to approximate such a thing more closely
> than traditional counting (a regular count
> with a bunch of sidecounts perhaps)? At any
> given point in the game, she'll know exactly
> what's left in the deck, the only problem is
> then figuring out what the correct play is
> based on that knowledge.

> I've perused some of my blackjack texts,
> including the card removal section of 'The
> Theory of Blackjack' and the prospect of
> developing some sort of strategy for this
> seems daunting, to say the least. Though I
> do have a question about this section of the
> book. Are the removal effects additive? To
> find the advantage of hitting vs. standing,
> could you just add together the removal
> effects of all the cards which had been
> played already?

> I realize this is pretty out there, but any
> help would be greatly appreciated.

[98%]

Thanks for the tips. I'll see what I can come up with.

> Did this person play cards a LOT as a
> child? I have been called eidetic, but not
> in cards -- on the piano.

That I don't know. Her ability is not limited just to cards (she's a particularly troublesome opponent in spades, hearts and seven card stud), but to groups of things in general, particularly numbers, but possibly other mundane objects. For example, you could take her to a used car lot and, assuming she knows the identities of all the cars there, she could tell you later all of the cars that were present. For some peculiar reason, her freakishness extends to other phenomema as well. One example of such a thing would be her ability to solve differential equations. If I see a coupled, multivariable linear diffeq, I usually find the determinant of the matrix of coefficients and then use this knowledge to make appropriate variable substitutions and then go on to solve the equations. She, somehow, just does it in her head nearly instantaneously.

> Maybe the lady should work on ace
> sequencing. Sorry to hear she's your ex
> -girlfriend. ;-)

Yeah, ace sequencing is probably next on the agenda. As for the ex part...she's also a good cook and a very nice person with a ridiculously high paying job so, in other words, I am the dumbest man on earth. But, hey, that's life and at least we're still friends.

[Kyle Sever]

What is her background and what does she do (if you don't mind)?

[98%]

She's an MD.

[oneshot]

98%, why the hell have you not married this treasure???

[98%]

> 98%, why the hell have you not married this
> treasure???

Like I said before, I'm the dumbest man on earth.

[Broncosauras[sic]]

> Like I said before, I'm the dumbest man on
> earth.

Let's put that to the test...what's her phone number?

[98%]

> Let's put that to the test...what's her
> phone number?

I don't even know! Did I pass the test?

[Broncosauras[sic]]

> I don't even know! Did I pass the test?

However, I agree with others that with the low pen. nowadays you'd be better off pointing her towards tracking or ace loc.

[98%]

> However, I agree with others that with the
> low pen. nowadays you'd be better off
> pointing her towards tracking or ace loc.

This is certainly the general case, but I know of plenty of single deck games with great penetration. And by great penetration I mean 75%-98.077%. They're rare but such games definitely do exist.

[Robbie]

Do you happen to be the 98% Funky Stuff that submitted a trip report to Blackjack Forum?

Robbie

[98%]

That's me.

> Do you happen to be the 98% Funky Stuff
> that submitted a trip report to Blackjack
> Forum?