Take heart, losing is wonderful...

[Blitzkrieg]

How can I think that losing is wonderful? Well, for all the reasons that I already said (all this is assuming though that you are playing correctly).

My family does not have a single investor in them. They are too afraid to invest anything in the stock market for example because they got burned during the 2008 financial crisis. Of course, they did not diversify well and started chasing some hot stock long after the hype was priced in. Some in my family just spend their incomes foolishly and others save. Problem is, they can't save enough for retirement.

You have to have the guts to get back up again and invest. It's scary to get knocked on your ass then get up again. It's not easy. In fact, it was not in my nature to be an investor. I had to relentlessly train myself to see the world in a different way than my father does (think Rich Dad, Poor Dad (only I don't have a rich dad!))
For me, the mastering of fear is a goal to which we should all aspire. If I can take a beating and keep on ticking, then I have prospered in life in a way that is much more important than dollar signs.

Ok, but I still do not think losing is wonderful even though I know the possibilities do exist when the cash hits the felt.

I think your wrong to say that your family doesn't have a single investor within the family tree. If they or you have a 401K or IRA account they are investors whether they realize it or not. Besides there are other types of investment vehicles besides for paper investments such as stocks, options, mutual funds, and bonds. If they got burned during the meltdown of 2008-2009 because they might have thought that stocks just go up, just remember that their is someone else on the other side of that investment/bet who is making money hand over fist when people are panicking. Think Mark Cuban.

[Blitzkrieg]

I am in disagreement with both of these comments.

First, "getting even" is an emotional desire and can cloud judgement. You may "want" to get even with that casino, but the cards there do not remember what happened to you last time and variance can sway in their favor just as much as before. If you say this comment to yourself as a motivation to psyche you up for the big game so that you can remain optimistic, then so be it. However, if you are saying this as an expectation to win the next time that you play there, then playing may take an emotional toll on you and you will likely be vastly disappointed.

As to your other comment, how can you not worry about the pit? You shouldn't be so worried that you play in such a way that eliminates your EV, but you should be concerned about the one thing that you can't control.

I approach investing by looking at what I CAN'T control and develop a strategy from there. In the stock market for example, I know that I don't have control over which direction the market is going to go. I can study numbers and tell you what is likely a good company, but I can not calculate human madness. The only thing that I have control over in the stock market is how much I risk. Therefore, I use strategies based upon that. In card counting, I know that in mathematical terms, I have already won the game because I have done my due diligence through relentless practicing (Sun Tzu: Every battle is won before it is ever fought). I have 100 index plays memorized and play like a robot. However, I can NOT control humans (i.e. the pit). This is my worry. How can I do what I do and get away with it? They can end my upward trajectory in a millisecond.

Thanks for voicing your opinion. Losing at BJ doesn't ware on me emotionally, I know the risks involved and if I do lose I try to keep the loss at an absolute minimum. Getting even for me means that I'm going to go back to the casinos to give them some action and I'm going to win, and then I'm going to leave with the win. It is motivational and I don't let a loss slow me down from what I'm going to do.

As far as not being concerned with the pit... I'm not worried about those lifers in those suits, the dealers, and the pit bosses. Like I said I don't play scared or worried about what could happen. If I played looking over my shoulder that would affect my game in a negative way and I'm not going to do that. Next, I'm not playing at stakes high enough in BJ to warrant such action, but even playing at low stakes I've found out at that some casinos don't want my action. The last two times I went out and played I endured some of the nastiest comments the pit has ever said to me while the game was in motion and they were not joking around. Normally I would have said some nasty things right back to them but I knew if I did, it would have been the last time I would have been allowed in these particular casinos. I didn't step too hard on their toes, it's knowing how hard you can push them around in their own house and leave with a smile on your face.

[stopgambling]

Blitz ,if you can Pm me some of those comments if you feel comfortable ,just real curious as to the comments i get ? i can totally understand if you dont want to as well.

[Three]

I'd cut off my big toe for a +30 RC in a 6 deck game !! The best I've seen is +22 and believe it or not it ended -12, the swing was crazy and I actually lost money on the shoe as a whole .

I keep a level 2 count and a level 3 count simultaneously. i guess the level 2 should get to twice your level 1 and the level 3 to around 3 times. The level 2 count hits 40 on occasion but doesn't break 50 a lot and the level 3 count hits 40 some of the time and breaks 50 rarely. Recently it almost hit 60. I thought I must have made a mistake but at the shuffle it was down to around 13 if memory serves. The level 2 count hit -40 in the same run but made positive by the shuffle. It was pretty much all supermax bet territory but I was hitting some hands like a wild man. While the betting count (combined count) indicated a nice advantage 1.25% early to 1.67% at the shuffle using the linear approach but the 2d application indicated a huge advantage of 2.23% early to 1.95% at the shuffle for the bizarre deck composition. This was 8 deck. I lost my arse for a little while but made a tidy profit on the shoe. It could have been so much better. At least it turned around. Betting supermax and losing for several decks of play really sucks.

[NotEnoughHeat]

I keep a level 2 count and a level 3 count simultaneously

Out of curiosity, what roles do the level 2 count and level 3 count fill respectively? I've heard of people use side counts for playing strategy or insurance, but this is the first I've heard of someone using two simultaneous counts. To me a lvl 2 count is already daunting on its own, but doing it w/ a lvl 3 count at the same time sounds impressive.

[Three]

One is for playing decisions and the other for adding to the first to get a BC of 1.0 while recognizing unusual deck compositions that add or subtract from the combined count's 1.0 BC assessment for a more accurate betting with bigger bets out than the 1.0 BC can deliver.

[Blitzkrieg]

Blitz ,if you can Pm me some of those comments if you feel comfortable ,just real curious as to the comments i get ? i can totally understand if you dont want to as well.

I don't want to quote the schmuck but I'll just say that they were rude and out of line by any measure! That industry lifer can see the writing on the wall and he easily turned to whining, crying, and b!tching when they had to pay out. These casinos need to learn how to treat their customers better and learn how to respect players better. This particular house doesn't seem to want my action so maybe I need to force the issue by going back even more.

[MidwestTom]

I keep a level 2 count and a level 3 count simultaneously. i guess the level 2 should get to twice your level 1 and the level 3 to around 3 times. The level 2 count hits 40 on occasion but doesn't break 50 a lot and the level 3 count hits 40 some of the time and breaks 50 rarely. Recently it almost hit 60. I thought I must have made a mistake but at the shuffle it was down to around 13 if memory serves. The level 2 count hit -40 in the same run but made positive by the shuffle. It was pretty much all supermax bet territory but I was hitting some hands like a wild man. While the betting count (combined count) indicated a nice advantage 1.25% early to 1.67% at the shuffle using the linear approach but the 2d application indicated a huge advantage of 2.23% early to 1.95% at the shuffle for the bizarre deck composition. This was 8 deck. I lost my arse for a little while but made a tidy profit on the shoe. It could have been so much better. At least it turned around. Betting supermax and losing for several decks of play really sucks.

You use Level 2 & 3 counts on 6D ? If so, that's impressive. I learned Hi-Lo and then picked up Hi-Lo-Lo pretty easy but have only used it a few times this year. Mainly because I don't play much DD

[Three]

You use Level 2 & 3 counts on 6D ? If so, that's impressive.

most call it a waste of time. If you can do it for 2 decks every time you can continue for 6 and 8 decks. The ones that don't either think its a waste of time or can't do it accurately every time. Probably the vast majority are the former.

[hitthat16]

I don't care what anyone says, but switching from hi-lo to zen was the best thing I've done for my game.

[Bodarc]

For the last 3 trips totaling approx 18 hours I have watched the dealer hit 20 or blackjack on every big bet I have made while I sit there happy as a lark with my 16. This is so wonderful I can hardly stand it. I feel like tap dancing. I hope it never stops!

[marriedputter]

This is so wonderful I can hardly stand it. I feel like tap dancing. I hope it never stops!

Well, nobody puts baby in a corner.

[Blitzkrieg]

For the last 3 trips totaling approx 18 hours I have watched the dealer hit 20 or blackjack on every big bet I have made while I sit there happy as a lark with my 16. This is so wonderful I can hardly stand it. I feel like tap dancing. I hope it never stops!

Was it all in one casino or did you spread your action around?