What do you do for cover?

[ellenc]

I would not do that either(not reduced after a win). I play DD game, when the situation calls for reducing bet, I would color up to take a break.

[angle_sh00ter]

This one is really tough for me to do, but it doesn't happen too often because i play multi-deck shoes. with DD i'd imagine it's more important

Yes unfortunately in DD and SD it happens all too often. I'm left with the unenviable position of having to choose between not lowering my bet after a win and not increasingly bet after a loss.

I know that taking both forms of "cover" would all but decimate my edge therefore I choose to take only the former and forgoe the latter. My reasoning being that increasing my bet after a loss is at least plausible in terms of what an actual gambler might do.

[ZeeBabar]

Yes unfortunately in DD and SD it happens all too often. I'm left with the unenviable position of having to choose between not lowering my bet after a win and not increasingly bet after a loss.

I know that taking both forms of "cover" would all but decimate my edge therefore I choose to take only the former and forgoe the latter. My reasoning being that increasing my bet after a loss is at least plausible in terms of what an actual gambler might do.

If you play high stakes, perhaps. If you assume someone is watching you play every time, maybe. On the other hand, where I play, I assume surveillance is not focussed all the time on me and mostly, it's the pit that triggers it. So, I am always aware of where the pit is and how much attention I am getting. If I am sitting there with a stack of chips, playing a long session, I will eventually draw the pits attention. If the pit is standing by the table, focussed on me, I might use some cover but otherwise, I don't see the need.

[angle_sh00ter]

If you play high stakes, perhaps. If you assume someone is watching you play every time, maybe. On the other hand, where I play, I assume surveillance is not focussed all the time on me and mostly, it's the pit that triggers it. So, I am always aware of where the pit is and how much attention I am getting. If I am sitting there with a stack of chips, playing a long session, I will eventually draw the pits attention. If the pit is standing by the table, focussed on me, I might use some cover but otherwise, I don't see the need.

This is true. If there is little/no heat then no need for any cover to begin with. The strategy I outlined above was for sweatshops where the pit critters are watching every hand closely.

[jimmybond007]

Tipping a green or few red is going to be WAY too much. Keep logs of your tipping. Even small dollar tokes eat into a substantial part of your EV even at the green chip level.

[BJGenius007]

If you have full index play, you will look like a ploppy because your plays are all over the place.

[Three]

This is true. If there is little/no heat then no need for any cover to begin with. The strategy I outlined above was for sweatshops where the pit critters are watching every hand closely.

You can tell when surveillance is focused on you in particular because the Floor will ignore your table and not come when the calls from the dealer should require him to take a glance. It might not be foolproof but that is usually what happens when you are the target of surveillance. Sometimes an over apparent lack of heat can mean you are being watched from above.

[cottage cheese]

If you have full index play, you will look like a ploppy because your plays are all over the place.

I googled to try and find more indices than I18 but no luck... Anyone have a link/picture or do I need to buy one of the BJA books? Even if you can give me a handful of plays that are not tied to astronomical counts (both hi and low), that would be mighty helpful.

[cottage cheese]

Tipping a green or few red is going to be WAY too much. Keep logs of your tipping. Even small dollar tokes eat into a substantial part of your EV even at the green chip level.

I only do green if I win a few thousand at a table. It's both for cover and to alleviate my Jewish guilt. But usually, I'll just do the tipping on top of my bet during the game. Sometimes that one chip lasts four or five hands.

[Three]

Even if you can give me a handful of plays that are not tied to astronomical counts (both hi and low), that would be mighty helpful.

For adding indices beyond the I18 focus more on the positive ones than the negative ones. That is where you will have your biggest bets out. The negative ones you should probably not even be playing when they occur and would certainly have a small bet out if you were still betting.

[Optimus Prime]

I googled to try and find more indices than I18 but no luck... Anyone have a link/picture or do I need to buy one of the BJA books? Even if you can give me a handful of plays that are not tied to astronomical counts (both hi and low), that would be mighty helpful.

Professional Blackjack by Wong has a hi-low index for just about anything.

[Stealth]

Is betting structure important for a 6/8 deck shoe, or it's needed mostly for DD? What are some deviations you make? Not lowering after a win?

I keep my DD sessions very short, and always leave after showing a big bet. For 6/8 deck, my sessions are usually longer because it takes longer for the count to rise. I don't use any play departures because i don't want it to affect my EV, though i'm not a red chipper anymore so maybe it's time...

Developing a playing protocol for each type (1 deck, 2 deck, 6 deck, 8 deck) of game is essential to long term play. This includes session length as well as cover plays. Cover plays are not free but can be all or partially offset with proper design if you have a bankroll sufficient to withstand the adjustments. Most red chip players can little afford cover.

The protocol needs to be designed and validated to determine its impact on your EV and variance (RoR) as well as a judgement made about it contribution to your cover.

Playing without this level of preparation is not recommended if your long term intent is not recreational.

[angle_sh00ter]

You can tell when surveillance is focused on you in particular because the Floor will ignore your table and not come when the calls from the dealer should require him to take a glance. It might not be foolproof but that is usually what happens when you are the target of surveillance. Sometimes an over apparent lack of heat can mean you are being watched from above.

Well my cover play is designed to fool the pit and avoid being flagged to surveillance in the first place. I'm certain that if someone upstairs (who knows what he's doing) watches my play and betting closely enough he will be able to peg me as a counter regardless of any so called "cover".

I guess my last line of built in defense for the scenario you describe above is that I do cap my sessions at half an hour.