I figure I'll make one average bet per hour profit.Originally Posted by Preferrd
If you get bored after four hours, quit playing after three.
Casinos will be there tomorrow, the day after and even next month.
I figure I'll make one average bet per hour profit.
If you get bored after four hours, quit playing after three.
Casinos will be there tomorrow, the day after and even next month.
Let me die in my sleep like my Grandfather.
Not screaming in agony like his passengers.
Start by reading Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong or Modern Blackjack (free ebook by Norm on this very own website in the resource section above).. Once you get comfortable with counting and everything associated with it to be able to make money off of it, i also then suggest to pick up a copy of Blackjack Attack 3rd Edition.. Start with Hilo and learn the Ill18 and Fab4, these are the most important and profitable indexes you will need(you can always add more later if you would like to add a small gain to your overall EV). Lastly, if you get serious at this game, I also highly recommend you buy CVCX, which will allow you to basically plug in any rules or games you are playing in the casino you play at, and it will calculate almost everything for you including optimal spreads, ROR(Risk of Ruin), EV per hour, etc.
Last edited by ZenKinG; 05-14-2013 at 09:46 PM.
Hey Preferd, thought i'd get back to you because I'm more than likely going away from this forum for awhile. Let me remind you, at our level of learning, it should be important to have "fun" and "understanding" of what it means to count cards-- to gain a very slight advantage that will hold out through the long run. You aren't going to be conquering everything yet :/. Yes, there are fast plays that you will make, three or four card 16s (with 4s or 5s in your hand) you will stand on and happily win, but you can easily lose all of this back, as we both similarly learned. What i'm trying to say is, be hopeful, but not too hopeful-- many people on this forum are extremely helpful and knowledgable; many too are mostly serious and fairly secretive about a lot of advantage play, so don't even expect a hint beyond counting for the most part. As I learned, remember that you can enjoy yourself, but the casino is not your friend. You will need 3-4 weeks - 2 months to be able to count without remotely even thinking about it, or questioning your accuracy (if you're like me, this can be counter-intuitive). This has to happen, because you will need the mental capacity to make clutch index plays, not make that 1 **** up mistake, and also enjoy yourself playing BJ while counting ;]. You may just want to learn and hone your skills as opposed to putting them into play for too much-- if you're like me, it's all still a rush, and you find yourself wanting to go back every other day. Sit down, play some shoes by yourself- play some fast, some slow. Think through what you're doing, and what it means, so you KNOW what's going on when the heat of the moment arrives. A really nice part i've learned so far is, the casinos will think you're inexperienced if you're still new to this like me, so use your perplexed expression as a "hmm, should i hit or stand, omg i'm new!" while meanwhile you are running through RC --> TC, index play, ect. Also, from what i've heard, if you're playing 6 decks, learn about wonging, and don't be afraid to do it! you have no risk yet to fear! Haunt that table until the TC is right, and then jump in, play some hands, and begone! This from what i hear is what many low rollers start themselves with in the beginning. The software is http://www.qfit.com/downloads.htm Casino Verite. The product is a trial for 30 days, so please delete it after 30 days. If you want an even game with no extra advantage towards yourself (CV removes all 5s and replaces them with 6s in the demo) start a game, menu, find deck edit, and through each deck, mark a red square over three 9s, three Ts, and two 4s. This will remove the trial 5s & 6s odds to standard game, though it does affect the composition dependency of the deck, so it is possibly not going to be perfect, and could be outright wrong (I hope it isn't!). Check your TC, RC, while you're playing, make sure your settings are right, and practice! Also, if people are flocking to your table IRL once the count rises, your chances of using that high count to win are becoming diluted, so that means its time to jet from that table. I'm not advocating anything illegal, but check the pirate bay for blackjackscience, and at most, watch the first 5 minutes of math discussion and then delete it-- this may help you understand some. Frequently Asked - keep scrolling down - http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showthread.php?t=9666
As an independent developer, I have serious issues with the advice above about bypassing the "demo-ness" of the CV demo download. In his infinite generosity, Norm has made the demo fully functional (with the above exception) and what you are advocating is basically taking money out of his pocket.
For all the power and flexibility you get with the CV software, I personally think Norm is screwing himself by only charging a fraction of its worth. If youre serious about learning the game, the $100 you'll spend on CV will be one of the highest EV moves you make.
Don't gamble...ever! Stick to the counting principles and don't deviate, even if it starts to go badly. If you're making $10-$20 an hour at a $5-$100 table then you are indeed doing very well, way above expectations I would think (don't expect that to continue indefinitely). It takes a large bankroll, a lot of time and a lot of patience to make any real money at this, but that's the easy part. The hard part is being able to do this without getting caught! Counting is legal, but most casinos won't put up with anyone they suspect of counting. Here's another link that may be helpful: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blackjack-school/
Tthree, I would gladly pay for using these forums. Think what you want to think, because I wasn't trying to do that at all. People who can afford it, as well as people who can't, can see Norm's willingness and hard work and will pay for their software if they decide to continue with it and counting. Developers never seem to trust that if you let someone play with the new toy you built for awhile without training wheels, then you're inevitably going to ride off in the sun with it. Surprisingly enough, a lot of people care about supporting good business. Don't mistake me-- If you think that that is stealing money from someone's pocket, then take it off. In my opinion, editing the deck is an option given, and it doesn't do much but change a few percentage edge. If anything, take an edge away from the software instead of adding an edge to the player in the demo-- a noob might be less anxious to rush out and blow their real world money if that noob is doing great on CV.
Its not only individuals that screw developers. I had a "time bomb" in some stuff I did, that required the annual maintenance be paid or the software stopped working. I gave a company a 6 month free ride before turning them off, they still didnt catch up the bill, and had the nerve to bring in someone else to try to bypass it. The fool CALLED me and asked. I just laughed and said their problems could all be taken care of by getting their account up to date.
And this was a large professional firm with 50-60 employees and 8-10 million in annual revenues.
Exactly. It was spelled out in the agreement that their license would be renewed upon receipt of the maintenance fees. This isnt nearly as prevalent as it once was, but yes, its legal.
Read one of those software license agreements you always click "Yes I accept" on. In many cases, you dont OWN the software, but are granted a license to use it, contingent on certain conditions (i.e. install our toolbar or this "other" software along with it).
Anyway...this horse done been beat to death!!
I'd also recommend Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong. Even though I have been doing this for a while, I still consider myself a beginner and this book has really helped me with understanding all of the different ways different rules can alter the odds. Also this book talks about the hi-lo count so it may be ideal for you to get started with.
I bought Stanford Wong's "Professional Blackjack" today on my Kindle and cruised through chapters that interested me, but I was disappointed because I want more mathematical proofs behind the process. I was a math major undergrad. I fairly sure I can comprehend the subject matter, but its hard to find a systematic study of it online. Are there books that do it better than Wong's "Proffesional Blackjack"?
This is a book for practisioner not a theoretician. Earlier books by Thorpe and Griffin have more foundational math in them. Modern blackjack, whilst not math heavy, has a lot of data which is useful for real play and for understanding the game in more detail.
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