Victor Francis: 2 deck question

[Victor Francis]

When estimating the true count in a 2 deck game is it neccesarry to count 1/2 decks for true count resolution or is whole deck good enough. This is for a casual counter playing low limit on vacation.

Thanks and Happy New Years!

[Don Schlesinger]

> When estimating the true count in a 2 deck game is it
> neccesarry to count 1/2 decks for true count
> resolution or is whole deck good enough. This is for a
> casual counter playing low limit on vacation.

For DD, I'd try for whole deck resolution with half-deck precision. So, you'd try to be dividing by 2, 1.5, 1, and, if you're very lucky, .5.

Don

[Designated Driver]

> For DD, I'd try for whole deck resolution with
> half-deck precision. So, you'd try to be dividing by
> 2, 1.5, 1, and, if you're very lucky, .5.

> Don

As an extension of my previous post on indices, I am wondering what you mean by resolution and precision.

If in DD you would divide by 2, 1.5, 1, and .5, then this would be half-deck precision? And what therefore would whole deck resolution be?

And if I can extend this down to the quarter deck, and even the SD game, how would you do this without creating problems?

What I mean here is that by calculating TC to smaller and smaller fractions of a deck you are in fact changing the "method" of the TC calculation itself as the values will no longer remain consistent.

For example, in the SD game if you calculate to the nearest whole deck, the TC will generally be larger than the RC, (when it is posiive), as you are dividing by a fraction which will make the quotient larger than itself. But, if you calculate to the nearest half deck, the TC will actually be smaller than the RC until you reach the half deck point at which it will be equal. And if you calculated to the nearest quarter deck, you would have to go even deeper still.

Lastly, I thought I had read something written either by you(in BJA3) or Arnold Snyder that the advantage for the player in SD is generally less than what is usually thought to be indicated by the TC and should therefore not be overestimated. I have been concerned about this as it somewhat relates to the above discussion on the TC method of calculation, not to mention over betting and making certain aggressive plays like doubling and splitting due to a "bloviated" or overly valued high count.

I hope this is clear and if so anticipate an interesting answer. Thanks Don, happy new year.

Desi. D.