Does counting ever become virtually effortless?

[Counting_Is_Fun]

it must be for success.

huh?

[PinkChip]

It does quickly become easier with actual play. I would recommend when starting actual casino play to just worry about the running count for the first few sessions, and just play basic strategy. Once you are confident that you are not missing any cards, or dropping the count when the waitress or pit critter arrives at your table, then add deck estimation and TC. Then work on your betting ramps. Then add indices. Then add more indices. Then consider adding side-counts or going to a higher level count. Don't try and sit down and play Hi-Opt II with multiple side-counts on your first session. Work your way up and it will be easy. Try and do too much the first time and it may well be overwhelming.

I would strongly recommend to omit deck estimation and TC, side counts and "more indices". He is a novice counter (like me) and it is sufficient to use an unbalanced count like KO or REKO with no or few indices at start. Can't understand why pro or semi-pro players nowadays still insist on balanced counts with lots of indices like during the 1970s, and even recommend this to beginners, although KO has long been proven to be in a par with Hi-Lo.

He has enough problems keeping the RC and I understand why. For instance, it is for complex hands like split or soft hands tedious to keep and update the correct RC whilst checking the quickly changing player or dealer hand totals. Let alone to simultaneously have a conversation with staff or other players.

[dalehope]

A couple of suggestions to see if you are ready. One is to crank up the speed of practice play to at least 25% faster than actually occurs, so that when there are distractions you can still keep up. The other is to practice in an environment where there are distractions, such as playing music or people talking around you or a TV on.

[Freightman]

I have been training for the last 8 months or so and while I'm ready for play in the casino, I still need to be in a state of intense concentration to keep up.

For the experienced counters on here, does counting ever become second nature to where it's pretty much effortless and you can mess around, talk with other players, talk to pit boss, etc. while also keeping up with the count?

Absolutely effortless. Socialize with one part of your brain while grinding info with another part. I just made a post about being audited per se. the individuals comments on this poin5 could be added here.

[BJGenius007]

If I am winning, I feel effortless. If I am losing, I blame ASM performing clumping.

[ummagumma]

The problem comes when you get to the point you can't see license plates or anything else with numbers without counting them.

Too true. I play rummy and watch a deal of poker on TV and can never get away without counting the cards or seeing great blackjack hands right from the get go....

[CountinCanadian]

Yes it definitely does become nearly effortless. For me that happened just through training speed. I can count a deck using halves, one card at a time, in 14 seconds, two at a time in 9 seconds. Add in some training with counting three at a time to get good at cancelling groups out, and once you transition from that to a real table, keeping count feels easy, and you can talk, etc while doing it.

I also agree with the above about poker, I can't watch it without counting the cards. Also, after finishing a Bj session, numbers don't stop running through my head for a while.