----------Poker----------
Today was very good, considering my tiny bankroll only allows me single tabling.

Bank Roll:32$(+8)

Finished in the money in a Freeroll, and mainly destroyed a shorthanded game NL4. I luckboxed once, but mainly i outplayed the kids and their pennies. However so far i like Full rings better, because in short handed games the variation is greater, and with my limited amount i can barely deal with variation. But on the other hand shorthanded games at low stakes are much less skilled...


----------Counting----------

As i said previously, i will hit the casino next wednesday. For now, i will continue to elaborate on Blackjack in general. This post i will explain what is Card counting and how it works.

First of all, the system i will explain is known as the HIGH-LOW counting system. The first thing any count system will display is the value it gives to cards. For HI-lo, they are

2(+1), 3(+1), 4(+1), 5(+1), 6(+1), 7(0), 8(0), 9(0), 10 (-1), A(-1)

As you see each card come out of the shoe(you must start to count right after the deck was shuffled, obviously), you remember its value and add it up(or remove) to the count, which is usually called: The Running count.

Let us say that you hold 2(+1),7(0),10(-1).
The player next to you holds 4(+1),6(+1),5(+1).
You both stand and the dealer turns his card, showing 7(0),10(-1).
He stands according to casino rules. So the Running count would be +2. Now the higher the count is, the better it is for the player. So next hand you are more likely to hit 20 or 21. Quite simple so far right? Thats almost all of it.

One last thing one needs to do is to divide the Running Count by the number of decks left in the Blackjack shoe. Why? Because having a Running Count of +2 means 2 more tens likely to be distributed to players(since dealer gives cards to players before himself). However 2 more ''tens'' in a pack of 200-300 cards dosent mean much. However 2 more ten in a single deck means a lot more. So one needs to follow his running count and divide it by the number of decks to get THE TRUE COUNT. The true count is what makes you bet or leave. Anytime the Truecount is under 1, you should leave the table, that is if you play the typical 6 deck blackjack.

A question one may ask himself is - how do i know how much decks are left. To be honest, my casino leaves it wide open so i can just look and i have a fair idea. You can also look at the discard pile to get an idea of it. If absolutely everything is hidden just take in mind the following ratio -
In average, players will use 3 cards.

(Number of Players x 3) multiplied by the number of hands played since the beginning of the shoe = number of cards played.

However from what iv seen, the discard pile or shoe is visible enough for you to get a good idea of the number of decks.

The next question is, what do i do with the True count? Well, the higher the better. The safest is obviously, to card count behind the table, wait until the True count hits +2 or more, start betting, and if it hits under +2, leave and go the next table. Of course this requires patience, but it is the safest and best way to bring down the house.

Each True Count usually adds +0.5% to the player, therefor hitting when you have +2 turns the edge in your favor, if you play perfect basic strategy.

To finish, i gotta say that you do not need to be a genious to card count, neither does it have to take a long time to learn. In a week of training(3-4 hours a day), i learned how to count and i got benefits when i hit my casino. I have to say that there is a lot more to counting then this, but for now i will stop there because i believe that is big enough(especially for a blog on a poker site!)

Next post i will go over what are the best(and worst) rules of blackjack(very important).


Edit: BTW grot, a 6 deck is beatable, how easy it is depends largely on the rules though.


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----------Blackjack and Counting----------
It seems there is some interesting on Blackjack and card counting. I have to start that im no expert, but i studied the subject quite a lot in the past days so i can give info on how to start and so.

First thing to learn is not the counting, but basic strategy. It's how you play your hands. Any serious Blackjack player should know this cold before hitting the table.




This is how every hand should be played if playing the typical 6 deck Blackjack game. However, on a single or double deck game, the strategy changes. However, those are less popular(because they are actually much better for the players). One should learn it cold, and not deviate from it for no reason, as in the long run it will be better. However only using basic strategy will not get you winning in most cases, but it will simply make the odds more in your favor.

As for how card counting affects how you play, it depends largely on how you count the cards.Myself, i use a rather simple count system, thus not changing how i play basic strategy no matter what. Just stick to it until you learn more advanced counts(i will explain Counting in my next post.)

As for myself, i will be hitting the casino next wednesday, hopefully i will bring down the house again.
----------Poker-----------

Well i just learned that half my stack was an unlocked bonus(im a n00b.) And i just dont see how i can unlock that bonus in time so... Even though i made some cash today, i just realised that my BR is not so high lol...

Bankroll : 24$(+2)





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My echeck canceled, thus bringing my PP account to 0(didnt lose any money either though). I reload by using Neteller/visa, which worked but i reloaded with less. So far,

BR: 72$(+8)

Now i have to play NL.4, and grind my way up. Should be fun.

So far i had barely no action, playing tight following grot's advices, exception for this single hand

http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/156876

His response cracked me up badly '' HOW CAN U CALL''. For me it was so obvious he didnt have an ace. His response was priceless.

-----------------Counting-----------------

Even though this site is about poker, i will use this blog to store my Blackjack counting situation. Two weeks ago i spoke with a friend about casino's which got me interested again in card counting. I knew how it works but i had actually never practiced.

I decided to give it a shot, learning the blackjack basic strategy by heart(how to play ur hands) is the first thing, which i rapidly learned in 2 days. The basic strategy is essential, and without it counting is nothing. Using Basic strategy, the house usually has a .60% edge over me. However, with successful card counting i can make the edge to 1%-2% in my favor.

Card counting works on the basis that certain cards are good for u and some are bad. You assign minus values to cards u want(because when u see them played, it gives u less chance to catch those cards later on, thus we give them negative values when we see them). We give cards we dont want positive values, because when we see them, its likely that were not going to get them soon after this hand.

Using a basic counting system, known as the HI-LO, i practiced for 5 days, until i was able to count a deck in 25 seconds minimum. Through free BJ simulators on internet, i sharpened my count and decided to hit the Local casino, with a hundred dollars.

To my suprise, the minimum bet there was 15$, thus allowing me to play 7 hands.That meant i could only play when the count was extremely high.

So for the first hour, i backcounted(counting the cards but not playing). I was able to keep track with the dealers, including the extremely fast one. After this hour, i decided to give it a shot.

For the next 3 hours, i walked around tables, counting, and when it was good, i bet, won and left because the count got crappy.

In 3 hours - +70$
BJ BR:170$

I left the casino feeling fairly good, quite happy with how things turned. Still my BR is incredibly tiny and the minimum bet is an overbet to my BR. Hopefully my count will stay sharp and i will keep getting the cards...


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