Measuring a "session"

[MidwestTom]

Merry Christmas All,

So going into 2015 I want to be 100% accurate with my numbers. This year it's been a mess because I started in January measuring my "session" as time spent sitting at the table and in my log I'd also mention where I played, what shift I played, and the time spent at the store. But from what I've been reading it seems as if a lot of AP's are measuring their "sessions" much differently . For example I'd log :

1/22/14 X Store +$425 4.5hours, swing shift 1500:1700

What I'm looking for Is a better way of tracking my "sessions". Should I go forward in 2015 by tracking my sessions differently ? If so what important information should I log? I'm looking to get a very close number to time spent, money gained/loss and the shift played . Would it be more accurate to track how many shoes I play and then base my win/loss on a per shoe average opposed to a "session" average ?

Please share how you measure a session wether it's per table/ per day/ per location/ or simply weekly w/l.

Essentially what I'm trying to do is create a flash report . If you don't know what that is it's basically this

1/22/14 $425 profited/ 4.5 hours/xLocation

1/22/15 Expected gain +200/ 2.25 hours/ xLocation

1/22/15 Actual gain/loss (+200)/ time spent/xLocation

1/22/15 Variance from EV

Any help is appreciated .

Thanks folks,
TOM

[Intermediate]

Normally your play at a given table would be considered a session. Record the number of decks, the rules, penetration, bet spread, and the number of rounds, and hands (if you play two spots start time) for each table. If you find it difficult to keep track of, or remember, the number of rounds, record how many other players, and how many shoes. You can estimate the number of rounds based on the number of players and the number of decks you played through. Ultimately you would use the game type, number of rounds and spots and bet spread to estimate your EV. You can think of your whole Blackjack career as "one long session" consisting of many tables worth of play.

[BlackHead]

I straight up copy Ian Anderson log in burning the tables. I think you would benefit from having a "Comments" section. I also keep detailed comments on local and Vegas casino's on my manual. Like such and such gives better pen if tipped heads up or bob the pit boss is loose with comps. Also, stuff like avoid pit next to bar "alert pit personnel". I've benefited from starting a new excel spreadsheet and new log per trip and keep a file for old logs and keep a total amount of win or loss at the cover of the folder with date. Merry Christmas.


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[bigplayer]

I measure a session from the time I begin playing to the time I end playing including time spent between tables while wonging out or taking bathroom breaks. If the dealer is finishing a shoe while you're not playing you're essentially still playing with a bet of $0. However you calculate a session you simply should be 100% consistent with it and adjust your EV estimates accordingly so that you can do valid statistical diagnostics later on.

[Bodarc]

Tom, I have an excel worksheet that I use to track my play. It may even give you some good ideas if you decide not to use it. I'll be glad to send it to you if you would like to take a look at it.

[MidwestTom]

Tom, I have an excel worksheet that I use to track my play. It may even give you some good ideas if you decide not to use it. I'll be glad to send it to you if you would like to take a look at it.

Yes, I would appreciate that. What's your email address?

[Midwest Player]

I consider one day to be a session for me. However, if I play two different casinos in one day I will make a separate session for each casino.

Since I have to travel long distances to get to a casino, I play very long sessions. My longest session in 2014 was 14.5 hours, but that is not common. However, a 10 hour session is quite common for me and my average session length for 2014 was 7.9 hours. You may wonder why my average session length is only around 8 hours when I say I often play for 10 hours in a day. That is because on day of arrival I often spend most of the day just getting to the casino and maybe can only get something like 5 or 6 hours of play in.

I do subtract time for dinner breaks from my session length but include all my bathroom breaks. I also include cash out time in session length, but this is not significant. I try to keep session length to nearest quarter of an hour.

There is an advantage to keeping long sessions. It just frees you up from having to calculate results from so many short sessions. You just have more time to play instead of counting your money and recording you results.

When I first started going to Wendover, I use to keep track of each session I played before moving on to the next casino. I found it was a big waste of precious time. I now consider the entire town of Wendover one big casino and I just count hours played and at the end of the day count my money to see if I'm ahead or behind. However, I do have some feel of how things are going throughout the day. All the rules are the same in Wendover so why not consider it one big casino.

[Bodarc]

See your inbox here Tom.

[21forme]

Tom, I have an excel worksheet that I use to track my play. It may even give you some good ideas if you decide not to use it. I'll be glad to send it to you if you would like to take a look at it.

Bodarc - I'd like a copy, please. My email is my userid at gmail. Thanks.

[Bodarc]

MidwestTom, I tried sending you a message on here but it wouldn't go through. Give me your email addy and I"ll send it to you.

I think I have sent it to everyone else who requested it. If anyone asked for it and didn't receive it, let me know.

[hitthat16]

When I first started going to Wendover, I use to keep track of each session I played before moving on to the next casino. I found it was a big waste of precious time. I now consider the entire town of Wendover one big casino and I just count hours played and at the end of the day count my money to see if I'm ahead or behind. However, I do have some feel of how things are going throughout the day. All the rules are the same in Wendover so why not consider it one big casino.

Bingo.

Although I will say, I make small notes about certain dealers and their penetration, and the demeanor of the pit bosses. Other than that, I, like you, just play my heart out and count my chips only at the end of the day.

There's no place like Wendover.

[Dieter]

1/22/14 $425 profited/ 4.5 hours/xLocation

1/22/15 Expected gain +200/ 2.25 hours/ xLocation

I track date / house / game / buy in / cash out. I also note if I'm redeeming any extra value - free chips, matchplay chips, free slot play, etc.

I cut an 8.5x11 piece of paper into 8 pieces; each little paper nicely fits in my wallet - each is slightly smaller than a money. If you're worried about the appearance of writing down your action, do it in the bathroom.

New slip of paper for every day / house. Game is typically either "2d", "6d", "vp" (often with a note on paytable & denom, or if I found unplayed multipliers on UTX).

Using a blank page means I can also add notes on whatever else I like - dealers, pit crews, house rules, table limits, etc.

[ZeeBabar]

I think EV is important to those who look at it as a job. For me, since I have a full time job, I ask myself whether I would be earning elsewhere or doing anything else that I am giving up to sit at a table and the answer is NO. I like playing BJ and if I am not at the table, I am being a couch potato reading a book or watching TV. So, as long as it is positive EV, whether it ends up $10 an hour or $200 an hour is irrelevant.

it takes time to keep such detailed records. I understand it's essential for the folks who do it full time but for those who play recreationally, it does not need to be so detailed. I would think hard about why I would need each piece of information before I start spending too much time on it.