What is this N0 you guys speak of
N0 refers to the amount of playing it takes in order for you to have an 84% chance of being break-even or better.
Effectively at this point, your expected return for x amount of hours is roughly 1 standard deviation above a return of $0.
Example: If your EV is $10,000 and your standard deviation is $10,000 after 100 hours of play, then your N0 is 100 hours (note these figures are plucked from thin air). From memory, generally N0 for a decent straight card counting game is generally at least a few hundred hours.
Hope that makes sense?
What Matt says is basically correct but n0 is the number of rounds you must play to have EV equal to one standard deviation so the odds of still being behind at that point are the same a being more than 1 SD out in one side of a bell curve. The all important stat of SCORE is 1,000,000/n0. So minimizing n0 is the same as maximizing SCORE which means you play less rounds to reach a point where actual results approach expected results. Before that number of rounds to approach expectation is reached you are just gambling. Certainty of results increase as you have played higher multiples of n0. When results become certain enough chance becomes less of a factor in results.
Is the person who had the website "Blackjackstartup.com on this board?
Your essay on N0 was great. Luckily I saved a copy of it before you closed the website.
Play within your bankroll, pick your games with care and learn everything you can about the game. The winning will come. It has to. It's in the cards. -- Bryce Carlson
It doesn't increase N0, it decreases N0 (pronounced N-Zero). Think of it this way, when you play two hands you can increase your overall per-round action by 50% and keep the same level of risk. So instead of betting 1x$200 you're betting 2x$150 at the same level or risk. Your variance (hence Standard Deviation) stays the same, but your EV goes up by 50%. If you run a simulation using CVCX you will find your SCORE goes up by roughly 50%. Your risk stays the same, your N0 drops by roughly 1/3. Remember N0 is in ROUNDS, that means even if you play two hands it still counts as only one round.Originally Posted by CHAM
You can check this, it's known that a game with a SCORE of $50 has an N0 of 20,000 rounds. If you spread to two hands betting 50% more money keeping the risk of ruin the same your SCORE will increase to $75 and N0 will drop to 13,333 rounds. Of course you will get less rounds per shoe and fewer rounds per hour so this doesn't automatically translate into a 33% decrease in the number of hours it will take you to reach N0.
Last edited by bigplayer; 05-31-2016 at 02:38 AM.
"Think of it this way, when you play two hands you can increase your overall per-round action by 50% and keep the same level of risk."
Correct.
"So instead of betting 1x$200 you're betting 2x$150 at the same level or risk."
Correct.
"Your variance (hence Standard Deviation) stays the same, but your EV goes up" by 50%."
Bzz. Nope. Not correct. Your variance increases by the same 50% also. But, your risk of ruin, which is a function of e.v. and variance, remains the same, because e.v. is in the numerator and variance is in the denominator. Since EACH increases by 50%, overall ROR remains unchanged.
Clear?
Don
Yes Thank You to Don, Bigplayer! I did know some of this, but some things where unclear and with the help from You Guys on the board things are clearing up. So let's do a quick recap.
Playing 1X$200 has the same risk as 2X$150 but Your getting $300 on the table at the same risk as 1X$200 but variance goes up by %50. That part is crystal.
Playing 2 hands increases overall per-round action at %50 with same ROR. That part is crystal
Playing 2 hands decreases the NO (or N-Zero Thank You BigPlayer for the correct pronounced term I like that by the way) That part is crystal
Playing 2 hands will increase the Score of the game You are playing. Semi Clear? I would think it would.
N-Zero is a must factor to consider when running bet spreads on CVCX and the lower the better. (Thank You Bodarc)
Noteworthy:
You get an average of 2.7 cards per hand. Playing one hand against the dealer removes 5.4 cards.
If you play 2 hands 8.1 cards are removed.
If you bet $150 X 2 = $300 you are getting $300 into action and divided by 8.1 = $37.04 per card.
If you bet $200 on one hand you are getting your money into action divided by 5.4 =$37.04 per card
Thus the shoe's depleted cards increase by 50% but the action per card or hand or round is unchanged.
RISK is what goes down, BUT you are using up extra cards in an advantageous situation.
So ... this is a trade-off.
Playing heads-up ...
I prefer playing multiple hands for small amounts to "eat cards" in poor counts; while
"spreading vertically" with a good situation, meaning I put my money on one hand.
The above applies to heads-up play. With others at the table I employ the converse strategy.
I bet multiple hands unless the count suggests that I have no advantage, and 1 hand is superior.
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