Simeon: Questions for Don

[Simeon]

On this evening, I most happily join your community. And I must say the setting is ideal. I'm looking out of a hospital room overlooking the casinos in downtown Reno. No, I'm not a patient, my employment takes me to Reno about three days a week. Therefore, I thought this would be the right time and place to "break the ice" and also thank you as well as all the others for the advice and asistance provided to me in the past. Anyway, let me roll up my shirt sleeves and get down to business, if I may. I have several questions I'd like to ask regarding true count conversions in single deck games.Players constantly join or leave the game prior to shuffle. When this happens, most times, I simply revert to basic startegy play until the deck is shuffled and then begin the new deck with a conversion factor which is appropriate for the number of players now seated at the table.Is this the best method to use or should I attempt to "estimate an appropriate conversion factor? How much will my method cost in terms of rate of return? Thanks again

[Sun Runner]

Thanks for joining in.

Well, this may be a new concept for me as, if I understand your question correctly, you have tied TC to not only the deck penetration but the number of players as well.

Playing SD, I have never calc'ed the TC except for off the top. At 75% I give the TC a little bump based on pen. At 50% pen, I'm almost willing to double my TC for that hand played.

I don't adjust TC for players coming or going.

Hmmm.

[Don Schlesinger]

You should be calculating TC by number of cards remaining to be dealt -- not by players at the table (and, presumably, using the 2.7 average cards per hand to estimate cards used).

Doing it my way, players coiming and going doesn't matter at all. You can ignore that.

Don

[Simeon]

Thanks Don and Sun Runner. I'm sorry, I forgot to add that I'm using the Uston APC which utilizes "fixed" conversion factors based on the specific round and the number of players playing, as given in MDBJ. Sorry about the omission, but it's my first day at "college" and your "new student" is in awe of his surroundings and especially the "faculty." Thanks again,

[Sun Runner]

> Thanks Don and Sun Runner. I'm sorry, I
> forgot to add that I'm using the Uston APC
> which utilizes "fixed" conversion
> factors based on the specific round and the
> number of players playing, as given in MDBJ.

You are on your own (with me.)



Good luck.

[Don Schlesinger]

> Thanks Don and Sun Runner. I'm sorry, I
> forgot to add that I'm using the Uston APC
> which utilizes "fixed" conversion
> factors based on the specific round and the
> number of players playing, as given in MDBJ.

Just forget about that. For the reasons you give, it simply isn't the best way to convert RC to TC.

You might either simply establish a simple way to bet from, say, 1-4 units, based on RC, or do a "true" TC conversion, dividing by number of decks remaining to be played. If the latter, then when 1/2 deck remains, for example, you divide by 1/2, which means you multiply the RC by 2. When 2/3 of a deck remains, you multiply RC by 3/2, or 1.5.

Don

[Simeon]

Thanks again, gentlemen for taking the time to answer my questions. Simeon