100 hours of losing and then

[Orangechip2]

I'm finally back in the green after the last 5 weeks. This past 5 weeks has been my longest period of humdrum sessions..

win small, lose big OR min bet for 3 shoes, finally get to put some decent $ out and just loss, loss, loss.

In the past 5 weeks I lost close to 480 units. This unit loss number includes costs traveling fees as well.

side note: my travel fees are responsible for 3% of the 480 unit loss.

My biggest session loss was 224 units \14 max bets. This loss came after 3 hours of continuous play on a H17, no surrender, reserved, 6D game. I was able to get back $600 in slot free play, $200 table free play, and I also got a nice steak and lobster dinner for two. These few things helped me mentally, I suppose.

side note: Being that over 1/2 of my 5 week\90 hour consecutive losing streak came in 3 hours of play, it has been a nightmare getting in the hours to make it all try to equal out, well atleast until today.

With that said, my biggest winning session was today. I wonged into a shoe @+2, flat betting 9 units. Was a 6D game close to 5 decks remaining when i got in, 2 other people playing. I kid you not it stayed at +2 until probably 5 cards left until the cut card. The entire shoe went something like split, re-split, double, double, double, dealer bustttt. I ended up gaining 156 units . 1 wong in/out and done.

Being that I was next door to a store with the very similar rules I ventured off over there.

I was in there for about 10 minutes before getting into a game. When I finally sat down I played 8 rounds, won 41 units before wonging out and left.


So today I was in two stores for a total of close to 45 minutes and recovered a little less than half of my losses over a 90 hour losing period. I spent about 12 minutes driving total and did not tip even $1 being I was playing unrated and will probably not be returning to these stores for some time.

It is amazing to me (although it shouldn't be, being I trust the math) that I legit gained 90 hours losings back over 3 sessions. 2 of the sessions were less than 15 minutes each, that is back counting time included. The other was a heads up 5 hour camp session during the race where I was able to gain more than my hourly EV, which hasn't been happening often.

Again, in 3 hours I lost 1/2 of the 90 hour losings, which was about 225 units. On the other hand; I won a little less than 1/2 of my 90 hours of losings back in less than 45 minutes of play.

I'm assuming it is not unusual and instead is just part of sd considering in a shoe game one is prone to +/- fluctuation in br quite frequently being that big true counts last a lot longer in 6D than in 1 or 2 D game.
I Hope this will inspire anyone currently experiencing a losing streak to keep digging the hours out..

[Avincow]

9 units at TC 2? Is this hi LO? Seems kind of high to me. Isn't TC 2 somewhere in the range of 2-4 units? Maybe that's why you have big swings.

[KJ]

9 units at TC 2? Is this hi LO? Seems kind of high to me. Isn't TC 2 somewhere in the range of 2-4 units? Maybe that's why you have big swings.

Misuse of the term unit, is a frequent occurrence on this site. I've brought this up before and it comes across like I am 'nit-picking'. People frequently interchange 'unit' and 'minimum wager', which really should be two very different amounts. In most cases, you are able to figure out what the poster is referring to (this one...not as clear).

[koreancowboy]

I'm not sure what unit means.

[KJ]

I'm not sure what unit means.

In card counting, advantage play, technically, the unit should be the amount wagered once you have an certain segment of advantage, like 1/2 percent or 1 percent, which should occur somewhere between a TC of +1 and +2 (hi-lo) depending on rules. The unit should be determined by bankroll and have nothing to do with minimum wager.

But most players refer to their smallest wager as their unit and multiple from there, as that is the way many books from the 80's defined unit. The smallest wager is not the unit, it is the minimum wager or waiting bet and ideally should be a fraction of your unit.

[KJ]

Orange, chip, I do have to say in reading your post a couple times, it really is difficult to understand what amounts you are talking about. This might have been a situation where posting actual numbers instead of units, made things more clear.

I am also confused about the mention of $600 in free slot play. Assumingly, that means your play includes some machine play to generate that free slot play. Are losses from machine play included in this downswing and recovery? My partner and I, incorporate a limited amount of machine play and resulting bonuses (+EV) into our AP play in a supplementary roll, but I keep that separate when talking about any kind of downswing involving blackjack.

[Avincow]

In card counting, advantage play, technically, the unit should be the amount wagered once you have an certain segment of advantage, like 1/2 percent or 1 percent, which should occur somewhere between a TC of +1 and +2 (hi-lo) depending on rules. The unit should be determined by bankroll and have nothing to do with minimum wager.

But most players refer to their smallest wager as their unit and multiple from there, as that is the way many books from the 80's defined unit. The smallest wager is not the unit, it is the minimum wager or waiting bet and ideally should be a fraction of your unit.

i'm not sure, KJ. that seems kind of weird. so if i spread $25 - $200, I consider my unit to be $25, but you want my unit to be $50 or $75? I just want my unit to be 1 green chip, makes things easy.

[Orangechip2]

9 units at TC 2? Is this hi LO? Seems kind of high to me. Isn't TC 2 somewhere in the range of 2-4 units? Maybe that's why you have big swings.

I was wonging into a shoe game. Therefore I was not using my typical 1-16\1-20 spread, maxing out at a certain TC. Instead, I was wagering a set amount appropriate for my BR to be flat bet in a wong in situation and the TC is >+1.

[koreancowboy]

In card counting, advantage play, technically, the unit should be the amount wagered once you have an certain segment of advantage, like 1/2 percent or 1 percent, which should occur somewhere between a TC of +1 and +2 (hi-lo) depending on rules. The unit should be determined by bankroll and have nothing to do with minimum wager.

But most players refer to their smallest wager as their unit and multiple from there, as that is the way many books from the 80's defined unit. The smallest wager is not the unit, it is the minimum wager or waiting bet and ideally should be a fraction of your unit.

Oh ok, thank you.

For now, I consider my smallest wager to be my unit (for simplicity sake). On average, I'm at around 32 units per session.

[Orangechip2]

Orange, chip, I do have to say in reading your post a couple times, it really is difficult to understand what amounts you are talking about. This might have been a situation where posting actual numbers instead of units, made things more clear.

I am also confused about the mention of $600 in free slot play.

KJ

To clear a few things up. When I was referring to my consecutive losses over a 90 hour period I put my loss total into a green chip\unit perspective in the OP. I was saying of the -480 chips\units I lost over 90 hours I was able to gain a great amount back after I wonged into a game and was flat betting a set amount of chips, per my wong in ramp.

I have some history of playing slots at this particular place, but it was never for more than $1 denom. on VP. I was playing a rated game ramping it up with little cover and tipping more than normal which is what lead to the phone call from the pit.. After about 3 hours of heads up play getting crushed the floor made a call to the host and boom she told me I had free slot play & a dinner. Other than that no serious machine play being I dont visit anywhere enough to collect.

sorry if i confused anyone else by saying unit.

[KJ]

i'm not sure, KJ. that seems kind of weird. so if i spread $25 - $200, I consider my unit to be $25, but you want my unit to be $50 or $75? I just want my unit to be 1 green chip, makes things easy.

Umm, no...I don't want anything. You can call whatever amount you want your unit.

In the past, I have referred to this definition of unit as the Munchkin/bigplayer definition, because it is those two (not sure which one first) that I read describe it and learned it from. But in reality this definition is one used by many professional players and teams dating back for quite some time.

I am not advocating than anyone adopt this definition and I fully understand, that many members find it "weird" or different from what they learned in those books from the 70's and 80's, such as Wong's professional BJ, where they would often declare a unit of $10 or some nice even amount and then ramp up very methodically from $10, $20, $30, $40, $50 and so on. But that's not the way optimal wagering, which is determined by bankroll really works.

[KJ]

KJ

To clear a few things up. When I was referring to my consecutive losses over a 90 hour period I put my loss total into a green chip\unit perspective in the OP. I was saying of the -480 chips\units I lost over 90 hours I was able to gain a great amount back after I wonged into a game and was flat betting a set amount of chips, per my wong in ramp.

So, you lost $12,000 (480 x $25 unit) over that 90 hours, and in recent hours you wonged in at an advantage and flat bet $225 and won back that $12,000. Is that the simpler version, that I can understand a little easier? Congrats (I guess) on your recovery.

[Bodarc]

KJ, do you compute your betting ramp yourself or do you use CVData etc to compute it?