Do total hands played mean ALL played to figure house edge?

[Lucoco]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and look forward to getting to know you and gaining plenty of valuable knowledge about blackjack. My first question is: When we talk about the house edge being there no matter what you do, does this count for all hands played at real casinos, at home, online, etc.? In other words, does it mean all hands played period. The main reason I ponder this is because at home, if I play as if against a dealer, varying between 1-5 other plays, different seat at table, playing as if some players use BS and some play like beginners, etc., I have a win/loss ratio of 51.1% (me) to 48.9% (dealer) over 4,000 hands played mainly using flat-bets. Out of about 150 sessions, I've been able to come out ahead in units 149 times (99.3%). However...at real casino, it's not as impressive and have lost several times when only seeking a small gain. Why is that?? I've wondered if it's because I play differently when money is on the line, changing tables, etc. I hope this isn't to rambling! But, I'd really appreciate someone explaining how and why I win much more consistently at home vs. real casino, and how house edge is calculated across a broad range of environments. Thanks!!

[Bodarc]

The main reason I ponder this is because at home, if I play as if against a dealer, varying between 1-5 other plays, different seat at table, playing as if some players use BS and some play like beginners, etc., I have a win/loss ratio of 51.1% (me) to 48.9% (dealer)

Which program are you using to practice with?

[Lucoco]

I deal real cards. 6 decks.

[Lucoco]

I chose a spot (like 1st or 3rd base or in between) and play out the other cards as if being played by others.

[Bodarc]

Lucoco, even though you probably have 80 hours playing as you do since you have to play all hands and then write down the results after each hand. 4000 hands is too small of a sample to rely on. I think you would do much better getting a computerized blackjack practice game. You should only be winning approximately 42 or so percent of your hands.

I think you should buy a few books and do some reading. Here is a good free book to start with. https://qfit.com/book/index.htm

[Dieter]

I have a win/loss ratio of 51.1% (me) to 48.9% (dealer) over 4,000 hands played

Does that ignore pushes?

[Orangechip2]

I'd really appreciate someone explaining how and why I win much more consistently at home vs. real casino, and how house edge is calculated across a broad range of environments. Thanks!!

two main reasons are small sample size and selective memory .

[Lucoco]

Yes. pushes were about 9%.

[Lucoco]

Thanks for the reply. Why would a computerized game be better that what I'm doing. The results shouldn't be any different, right?

[Lucoco]

Thanks. What is a good sample size? I don't believe it's necessarily selective memory if my results show what happened.

[Lucoco]

Anyone??

[Gronbog]

One measure of sufficient samples for real-life play is the concept of N0 (N-zero). You can read about it here:

http://www.blackjackapprenticeship.c...dvantage-play/
http://www.blackjacktheforum.com/sho...232#post143232

For simulations, one needs to simulate millions or even billions of rounds, depending on what result you're trying to obtain and to what level of accuracy.

[Dieter]

Yes. pushes were about 9%.

We usually talk about win/loss/push.

Your numbers aren't particularly far off, but 4000 hands isn't even 1 week of full time play - certainly nowhere near "the long run". Some minor deviation from expectation is entirely reasonable for that small sample size.