Don, any advice on how to get out of a slump? I was doing pretty well for a while and now it seems every game I touch I lose. Even when I am playing tight with my bets. Every right hit is wrong and every bet is too much or too little. I was in a shoe game last night where the count got as high as -15 with about 80% penetration and still a ton of face cards. These extremes keep popping up.
Is there something I can do to get out of this down turn?
Thanks for your help.
Buddy Lee
> Don, any advice on how to get out of a
> slump? I was doing pretty well for a while
> and now it seems every game I touch I lose.
> Even when I am playing tight with my bets.
> Every right hit is wrong and every bet is
> too much or too little. I was in a shoe game
> last night where the count got as high as
> -15 with about 80% penetration and still a
> ton of face cards. These extremes keep
> popping up.
> Is there something I can do to get out of
> this down turn?
The short and simple answer, Buddy, is "keep playing"! Assuming you're not making any egregious errors, you're simply experienceing the kinds of swings, due to standard deviation, we all go through.
I suggest you reread the section on standard deviation in BJA (Chapter 2). We've all been there, and the luck will turn back again, just as surely as it turned against you.
Hang in there!
Don
Not Don but where is what I do. I have to constantly remind myself of these same issues.
> I was doing pretty well for a while
> and now it seems every game I touch I lose.
> Even when I am playing tight with my bets.
I am not sure what you mean by "tight." You should always bet to the count, your bankroll and ror that is comfortable for you. Bet this way regardless if you are losing. I used to "pull back" my bets whenever I went on a losing streak. That is the wrong way to play. The only chance you have to win is to bet properly.
> Every right hit is wrong and every bet is
> too much or too little I was in a shoe game
> last night where the count got as high as
> -15 with about 80% penetration and still a
> ton of face cards. These extremes keep
> popping up.
Why are you still in the game at a -15. If you use HiLo you should leave at a TC of -1.
> Is there something I can do to get out of
> this down turn?
Yea. Keep playing. After I am in a downturn I take a little break (maybe only an hour or overnight) to evualate my play. I verify my betting strategy and playing strategy. Then I practice counting and TC conversion. Using CV, Smart Cards or some other computer aided program is a tremendious help.
Then get back to the tables. Verify that the table conditions are good. Do not play in a bad game.
One great idea is to learn that a count of -15 means you are playing at a relatively big disadvantage and there are not "a ton of face cards" left in the deck.
From the comments of the original poster, I assume the reference to a -15 count was a typo, and he meant to say +15. I certainly hope so.
The others are correct. No way should you be playing in a -15 situation.
> I think you've forgot to divide by the number of decks left, a true count of 15 is very rare. Learn to use the simulation indices on page 195 Blackjack Attack by Don Schlesinger (I don't split the tens). Page 20 works well for betting if you stick to it. The positive true counts in the six deck shoes sometimes take hours to come along it takes a lot of patience.
Is there something you can do to get out of a down turn. It takes thousands of hours to acheive what your looking for. Learn to count/bet accurately and don't play when your tired.
Big Don
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don, any advice on how to get out of a
> slump? I was doing pretty well for a while
> and now it seems every game I touch I lose.
> Even when I am playing tight with my bets.
> Every right hit is wrong and every bet is
> too much or too little. I was in a shoe game
> last night where the count got as high as
> -15 with about 80% penetration and still a
> ton of face cards. These extremes keep
> popping up.
> Is there something I can do to get out of
> this down turn?
> Thanks for your help.
> Buddy Lee
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