obviously counting is easy, but mastering it is hard.
How long did it take you to count and how driven/dedicated were you to learning how to count? I would say it would take at least 4-6 months to learn how to count to point where u would say u make close to no mistakes.
how long did it take you to learn how to count?
How long it takes depends on the difficulty of the count. It took me about 3 weeks to learn to count using Hilo, another 3-4 weeks to learn true counting and 40 indices, and 3-4 weeks of game practice before going to a casino. When you first go to the casino play for low stakes until you get used to the distractions present in the casino, then raise your bets to what your bankroll will support.
I never played a Level One Count. I started with ZEN around 1984.
I spent an enormous amount of time at it each day; but it was down
100% after about 10 days. At that point I could Count Down (face up)
10 successive decks without an error, while being timed at about 30-35
seconds each (5 to 6 mins.). Counting down the decks 2 cards at a time
was faster; as was 3 at a time. At which point a deck countdown took me
20-23 seconds.
The time it takes varies enormously by individual. BTW, it really is not directly related to intelligence. It has more to do with discipline, and the particular makeup of your mind. Brains work differently.
"I don't think outside the box; I think of what I can do with the box." - Henri Matisse
Agree with Norm. We all have a different learning style and you need to know what works for you.
Example: when I was learning hilo everyone said to learn the deviations, just write 1 on each notecard and get 3-4 down each day, then move on to the next 3-4. I spent a solid week trying to get these down, and for some reason they just weren't sticking, so I went with another method.. All I did was take about 5 minutes to run through the basic strategy chart w/ deviation numbers, and I had them all down. Wasted a week of time trying to do what worked well for others, and realized that since I'm such a visual learning, I can basically see the blocks with deviation numbers in my head, which made mastering the deviations easier. Just find a way to practice everything in a way that works for your learning style and you'll pick it up quicker.
For me since I'm a full-time student, it probably took me a good 4 months before I felt comfortable playing in a casino. And you'll learn that as time passes it only gets easier.
I'm guessing that, 5 years ago, you thought you couldn't get any better, and 3 years ago you were better. M also guessing that 3 years ago, you thought you couldn't get any better, and you are better today. I'm guessing these things, because that's the way I think about my game.Originally Posted by Tarzan
I have several copies of The Theory of Blackjack, 6th ed.
16 years after that edition was published ...
I leave a copy bedside, commode-side and in my glove compartment.
I love to endlessly review and examine the EOR tables by hands, etc. etc. etc.
Do you know the E.O.R. of a 6 compared to a 7 ~ holding 14 vs. a dealer 10 ?"
The book is exceptionally cheap. Why don't you own it ? Hmmmm ?
I guess it took me about 6-8 months to get comfortable with my basic counting ability. I practice by playing various games (rule sets) and table formats on CVBJ. Probably average about 1/2 hour per day of practice, sometimes more. I'm at about 3/4 of the top speed setting on CVBJ, but I want to get to top speed eventually.
From what I've learned so far, the most successful APs are those that are ridiculously good at this primary skill; i.e., so that they can just glance at a full table of cards for a second (maybe two seconds) and have the count. That's my goal. You can then shift your focus to camo and cover etc.
Last point - I think the importance of being able to count down a deck in "xx seconds" is overrated. I see this mantra all the time in counting literature and forums. The only time I'm counting cards one at a time in live action is when people are hitting their hands, and that process really doesn't go that fast (If one has trouble keeping up with that, he definitely shouldn't be playing in live action). Counting cards one at a time is part of the game and a necessary skill, but more important is the ability to look at a full table and come up with the count by pair cancellations and combinations of formations, etc. I think that should be the counter's mantra; i.e., "I can look at a full table of cards and have the count in x.x seconds."
You are correct. Notice that I mentioned practicing counting down a shuffled deck of cards by multiple cards.
After reaching 3 cards at a time, I soon found myself randomly grabbing 4, 5, or 6 cards at a time and that
way, just 10 "grabs" constitute a full deck -- and I'd be counting down a deck in about 15 seconds.
That is how I did it.
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