As long as you have an edge, even if it's 0.02, it's not a bad game. While practicing, in this month, I have played 16 hours and 40 minutes and won $1035 in that bad game. I am on the positive side. There are always idiots who think that anyone who plays a game with a score under 50 are bad games.Originally Posted by Shark
I made a post ten years ago that comes to mind. It's in the AP.com archives:
Which is better, negative expectation or positive expectation?
"I don't think outside the box; I think of what I can do with the box." - Henri Matisse
I'm not aware of any universal standard for "conditions that suck*". I'm aware of many manners of comparing different game rules and conditions.
It's up to each individual to decide what combination of rules, conditions, and their bankroll makes sense toward furthering their goals.
May the cards fall in your favor.
Agree!! Though some conceited, arrogant AP's feel they know what is a bad game irrespective of the individual's situation. In my case, I play the only DD game within 100 miles of me. It's a $25 min., H17, double only 9-11, no re-splitting game with 75% penn. I have played perhaps a 100 hours of it and am winning. Spreading 1 hand of $25 to 2 hands of $125 each. I get nasty responses from these arrogant AP's, probably because they have access to better games. They KNOW it's a terrible game, that my wins are just variance and on and on.
I don't think there's really a universal standard for what makes an addict. But, if I had to make my best definition for it, it would be this:
You're an addict rather than an AP if you abandon your AP game plan. This applies in both winning and losing situations.
For example, you dig yourself a deep hold and abandon your spread in an attempt to catch up. On the other side of the coin, you start winning big and press your bets contrary to your game plan and spread.
Thanks Norm. Another point made that the advice given by well BR'ed pros to small BR players is often bad advice for their situation. the pros understand their situations very well but never really consider the troubles of an underfunded player. hey usually just advise them to save a decent BR and play like the pros do or give it a go at unnecessarily high RoR or a much lower win rate than better advice would allow or both. Like Dieter said about games the same applies to advice for small BR play.
What makes sense to the well BR'ed pro is often the worst advice for someone trying to buck the odds growing a small BR into a decent one. a decent one.
What makes me an AP and not an addict is the fact that I'm in full control from the moment I wake up to the moment I lay down to sleep. I am fully aware of my situation, what I am doing, what I am experiencing, and what my "goals" are. I know when and "how" to stop, and I make it a mental note to always reassess my situation. I think that's probably the hardest part about transforming from an addict who can count, to a full blown AP who is "self aware" of his or her situation with the ability to truly control the mental side of the game.
A good AP will be switching to a different part of his or her repertoire and not solely rely on "waiting" things out or traveling to the next location, if they "know" the conditions will soon improve. More to the point, a good AP doesn't just rely on blackjack as their source of income when conditions go awry.
On top of that, if you can't find a way to quantify "quality hours" other than some spec-sheet you've put together in some dark laboratory while patiently waiting for a game that might not ever exist, while full well knowing you could otherwise be making money by lowering those unquantifiable "quality hours" guidelines, you might actually end up being more of an addict than most. This doesn't necessarily go for you specifically T3, though you certainly give off that vibe.
At the end of the day everything will always boil down to time. If you're going to be "out there" and spend 8 hours not playing a game because its .007% below your "quality hours" guidelines, you're essentially wasting time and throwing away money that you would have otherwise been making, as I assume your "base" quality game isn't set to +.007%.
More to the point, if you and I both step foot into the casino and I'm playing a game with a net advantage of 1.08% for a zillion hands, and you never play because the game never reaches the point where your net advantage reaches 1.25%, I'll have actually made money for my time, and you'll have justified that wasted time as having "seen" but not played the hands, even though they were "sub optimal" for you.
People who have to find a means of justification for wasted time in a situation like this, are actually closer to being the addicts, than those that would spend a large chunk of time playing a sub-optimal yet profitable game with their time.
I wouldn't necessarilly say that, unless the game yielded no advantage ever. Practice is important, and even more important than simple practice, is the "real deal" scenario of playing and honing your skills. Of course, once you've got it all under wraps like it is second nature, then yes, you are probably correct.
Absolutely agree with you 100%, and one of the many reasons I detest the "holier than thou" crowd of "hit and run robots" is that they refuse to play a game because it doesn't meet their requirements, but would otherwise stand there and waste the hours away "waiting".
Ex, I agree with a lot of that giant post. You might want to stop assuming you know what I do because many members here do know what I do and you just make yourself look silly because your assumptions are always so far off. The way I look at it, I can get very predictable results at a much higher EV under certain conditions and a much lower EV with far more unpredictable results under other conditions. My problem is not getting in enough hours. It is making too much money. If I play too much and get banned to take that cut in pay at a much higher volatility I get hurt in many ways. I lose that cash cow store. That costs a boatload. I don't get to enjoy the other things that are available to do on my trip. Life is too short and the greedy get banned and never get to experience life in the exotic locations they visit. This is a beautiful country with lots to see and do. Sometimes the biggest profit from a trip is an experience rather than money.
Now if I want to choose to stay in the casino there are lots of opportunities I can check out. Most of the best are only available under the right conditions and those conditions are predictable. But if I am hitting the casino win tolerance threshold everyday what sense does it make to lose that store simply because you want even more money because you are an addict to gambling. This is a business. You will find out the casinos will eventually ban you if you are greedy and the greedier you are the quicker it happens. So you made a little extra for a little while but then you lose a ton of potential profits when you get banned. You seem to have a bean counter type take on things. Those accounting experts always fail to see the big picture and end up losing far more than what they save or make when all things are considered. That is just my opinion as one from the longevity camp. Others are in the slash and burn camp and have a totally different take on what is best for them. That is fine. We all make our choices on style of attack but if you seek longevity make sure that what you do ensures it.
simply put, if you drive, say, an hour intending to play and find the game is not to your liking and YOU LEAVE w/o playing you are likely not an addict....of course, if you just go next door and encounter the same rules, but decided, "hey, I do have an advantage (however sight)....i can practice at lower stakes" of something to that effect...you likely have a problem.
this just happened to me last week....drove nearly an hour to only to find H17 and no surrender....I didn't walk away, I RAN!!!....sans HC and ridiculous pen, you will NEVER find me at a game where I am still behind @ +1....just not worth my time....too many other great games
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks