Joe Bloe: I Quit!

[Joe Bloe]

I lost $1000 over the last two days (10 hours)! - Nearly 20% of my bankroll. I initially started with $5000, slowly worked it up to $5600, then BAM! Now I'm at $4600. After 60 hours of playing, I'm PAYING $7 an hour, instead of winning $10 - $20.

It was all about losing a handful of max bets. I've never seen so many high counts - and never lost so many! Every time I bet a black chip (twice), I lost. I played two hands at $75, split one and lost all three bets.

I lost control for the last hand I played - I lost the count, but knew it was at least +4, I put every last penny of my session bankroll on the felt - white chips, pink chips, red chips, it was pathetic. I didn't have enough cash in my pocket to cover a split, let alone a doubledown after a split. Naturally, I lost the bet.

I always thought a session bankroll of 60 units would be more than enough. I guess I was kidding myself - with a max bet of 10 units (or even a big bet of 8 units), just a split here, a double there, and a handful of losses and the whole bankroll is history. I counted on playing most of the time at 1, 2 or maybe 4 units. I guess good luck (i.e. High Counts) was more of a curse than a blessing.

It's so stupid - my billing rate is more than ten times my expected win rate at BJ - So why am doing this?!?

BJ isn't fun anymore - EV and SD are nice in theory, but it really SUCKS being on the left side of the bell curve.

[Don Schlesinger]

You seem to not have the temperament to play effectively.

What you've just described happens so frequently as to be banal. Again, read the top of p. 336 of BJA.

When else do you think you're going to lose HUGE amounts of money -- in negative counts??

Don

[bj jack]

> You seem to not have the temperament to play
> effectively.

> What you've just described happens so
> frequently as to be banal. Again, read the
> top of p. 336 of BJA.

> When else do you think you're going to lose
> HUGE amounts of money -- in negative
> counts??

> Don
quit because you will definately lose, your putting out bets when your not sure of the count. if you want to continue read a lot of bj books, and develop patience, play for 1500 hrs with out overbetting and then post back about your complaints.
Remember only a small amount of counters(1%) i think win in the long run.

[Stingray]

first of all you are only down 400$ overall.
Second maybe you are overbetting you BR of 5K.
Have a look at this statement
I lost control for the last hand I played - I lost the count, but knew it was at least +4, I put every last penny of my session bankroll on the felt - white chips, pink chips, red chips, it was pathetic. I didn't have enough cash in my pocket to cover a split, let alone a doubledown after a split. Naturally, I lost the bet.

You lost the count so you are not a good counter,then you bet everything you had which is crazy,you should alsways have eenough to see out the shoe.

After everything you read about massive fluctations that can happen to experienced counters what did you expect to happen to you.

You cant count and have no money management skills.

Stop playing now and try something less riskier like bonus hunting online.

Onland BJ is not worth it these days.

[Flyboy]

Your beating yourself up over very little. A loss of $400 after 60 hours of play is lunch money, especially if your max bet is $100. That's only four big bets. You appear well within a single standard deviation.

All you need is a gut check. If you are able to look back and admit lost control, you've got half the problem solved. You know what you need to work on. Reading between the lines, I also sense you need to learn more about RoR strategy, one of the most difficult aspects of the game (and contentious...put five APs in a room and you'll get six RoR formulas, all with sims to prove them!)

One more thing. It's tough, and I've been there, but NEVER try to guess the count once you've lost it.
You got a little scorched, but you lived to play another day. Good luck!

> I lost $1000 over the last two days (10
> hours)! - Nearly 20% of my bankroll. I
> initially started with $5000, slowly worked
> it up to $5600, then BAM! Now I'm at $4600.
> After 60 hours of playing, I'm PAYING $7 an
> hour, instead of winning $10 - $20.

> It was all about losing a handful of max
> bets. I've never seen so many high counts -
> and never lost so many! Every time I bet a
> black chip (twice), I lost. I played two
> hands at $75, split one and lost all three
> bets.

> I lost control for the last hand I played -
> I lost the count, but knew it was at least
> +4, I put every last penny of my session
> bankroll on the felt - white chips, pink
> chips, red chips, it was pathetic. I didn't
> have enough cash in my pocket to cover a
> split, let alone a doubledown after a split.
> Naturally, I lost the bet.

> I always thought a session bankroll of 60
> units would be more than enough. I guess I
> was kidding myself - with a max bet of 10
> units (or even a big bet of 8 units), just a
> split here, a double there, and a handful of
> losses and the whole bankroll is history. I
> counted on playing most of the time at 1, 2
> or maybe 4 units. I guess good luck (i.e.
> High Counts) was more of a curse than a
> blessing.

> It's so stupid - my billing rate is more
> than ten times my expected win rate at BJ -
> So why am doing this?!?

> BJ isn't fun anymore - EV and SD are nice in
> theory, but it really SUCKS being on the
> left side of the bell curve.

[Mister M]

By purchasing software such as CVBJ you will see that your experience is normal.
Control and realisation of the facts come with practice.
We would all be Billionares if it were that easy no?

[Moose]

.. so why can't you lose for days on end when you have massive advantages in your favor.

I am presently in the middle of a 40 max bet mudslide. I looked last night at how I was losing that money. Taking one card to 11 vs 6. Taking one card to 10 vs 8. Playing two hands of 9 against a 7. Taking one card to a soft 18 against a 6.

All these for max bets. All of them, losers. Each of these plays has very high EV; a doubled 11 vs 6 is worth 40% of a blackjack, for chrissakes.

Know what? I'll gladly go broke backing these massive EV bets. I can say I went down swinging.

People whine about how they hate getting knocked out of poker tournaments by crap hands, or losing big pots to garbage draws.

I love it. It means that my read on the situation was bang on, and I did indeed convince you to gamble a lot of chips when I was a big favorite. Thank you for matching my entire stack and laying me even money odds when I have massively got the best of it. Bring it on. If I lose, I'll be back tomorrow for more.

Get tough. If it hurts, and you think you're doing something wrong, remember: people win at roulette for days on end.

M.

[ET Fan]

Did you think that money was just supposed to sit there, looking pretty?

The reason we need a bankroll in the first place is as leverage against the unavoidable opposing force of variance. Even players who play with the precision of a Cray computer, constantly resizing their bets in optimal Kelly fashion, have a 50% chance of losing half of it, at some point on the road to riches. You are lucky you aren't sitting with $2,500 instead of $4,600.

You took $600 to the casino and you're surprised you tapped out? Man, I routinely bring along a third of my bankroll, and sometimes THAT'S not enough.

You're right. This game is no fun at all. Be thankful you only paid $400 to learn that valuable lesson.

ETF

[Alan]

It's no fun losing, but it happens.

I had $6000 just 2 weeks ago after a short winning streak, and then subsequently lost 2 out of 3 positive bets over the last 4 sessions - $1500 gone just like that.

I play KO preferred and I'm good at it - my software practice programs tell me so. I was max betting at 5 points past the pivot! And I still got killed nearly every time.

But it's money I wouldn't have had in the first place if I hadn't been playing, so I'm prepared to live with it, and every time I play I have to brace myself for the worst, and hope for the best.

It's a bugger.

I've found Ian Anderson's Burning the Tables book helpful in dealing psychologically with the losses. Perhaps I might have given up by now if I hadn't done my homework, bought all the software and the books and practiced like hell for 18 months. And, unfortunately, even if you play your game perfectly, it always remains a brutal game!

Is it worth it? I'll know in about 20 years - maybe.

All I can suggest is "Do your homework thoroughly, both technically and psychologically or the game will kill you."

> I lost $1000 over the last two days (10
> hours)! - Nearly 20% of my bankroll. I
> initially started with $5000, slowly worked
> it up to $5600, then BAM! Now I'm at $4600.
> After 60 hours of playing, I'm PAYING $7 an
> hour, instead of winning $10 - $20.

> It was all about losing a handful of max
> bets. I've never seen so many high counts -
> and never lost so many! Every time I bet a
> black chip (twice), I lost. I played two
> hands at $75, split one and lost all three
> bets.

> I lost control for the last hand I played -
> I lost the count, but knew it was at least
> +4, I put every last penny of my session
> bankroll on the felt - white chips, pink
> chips, red chips, it was pathetic. I didn't
> have enough cash in my pocket to cover a
> split, let alone a doubledown after a split.
> Naturally, I lost the bet.

> I always thought a session bankroll of 60
> units would be more than enough. I guess I
> was kidding myself - with a max bet of 10
> units (or even a big bet of 8 units), just a
> split here, a double there, and a handful of
> losses and the whole bankroll is history. I
> counted on playing most of the time at 1, 2
> or maybe 4 units. I guess good luck (i.e.
> High Counts) was more of a curse than a
> blessing.

> It's so stupid - my billing rate is more
> than ten times my expected win rate at BJ -
> So why am doing this?!?

> BJ isn't fun anymore - EV and SD are nice in
> theory, but it really SUCKS being on the
> left side of the bell curve.

[MV1256]

dude!!!!!!! your not the only one who has a problem with losing!!!!! i started out this year vary well.two weeks ago took a trip ta vegas' it started out well but something TURNED i lost for two days at vary positive counts. i'm just starting to learn to accept it. it happens to me to. minnesota PS. what is your session bankroll if your playing $10-$40?

[ZOD]

My bad days are pretty much like my good days. I cry when I lose those $300 double downs. I bury my head in my hands and curse the blackjack gods. I moan to the dealer and pit boss about how I always seem to lose when I bet black. And when I order another drink and buy in for more chips, they cry right along with me while marveling at my stupidity.

If I should make a remarkable comeback, often they cheer me on. And if I should lose the day (even with my pockets full of green chips), I am always welcomed back with open arms and generous comps. Like I said, my bad days are pretty much like my good days.

Act like a ploppy. Play like machine. Trust the math. Best...

ZOD

[pat]

> .. so why can't you lose for days on end
> when you have massive advantages in your
> favor.

> I am presently in the middle of a 40 max bet
> mudslide. I looked last night at how I was
> losing that money. Taking one card to 11 vs
> 6. Taking one card to 10 vs 8. Playing two
> hands of 9 against a 7. Taking one card to a
> soft 18 against a 6.

> All these for max bets. All of them, losers.
> Each of these plays has very high EV; a
> doubled 11 vs 6 is worth 40% of a blackjack,
> for chrissakes.

> Know what? I'll gladly go broke backing
> these massive EV bets. I can say I went down
> swinging.

> People whine about how they hate getting
> knocked out of poker tournaments by crap
> hands, or losing big pots to garbage draws.

> I love it. It means that my read on the
> situation was bang on, and I did indeed
> convince you to gamble a lot of chips when I
> was a big favorite. Thank you for matching
> my entire stack and laying me even money
> odds when I have massively got the best of
> it. Bring it on. If I lose, I'll be back
> tomorrow for more.

> Get tough. If it hurts, and you think you're
> doing something wrong, remember: people win
> at roulette for days on end.

> M.
what are you talking about.you are only down 400.thats nothing.everyone will lose HALF their bankroll at least once-probably 3 times times during the year.expect to be down 2500 and then tell me how you feel.i just lost about half my bankroll from jan to feb10.in the last 9 days i got it all back and a extra 50 units.thats bj for you.cant handle it-go work for ibm.

[Doc]

borderline poetic