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I have two questions: 1) What's the easiest and most effective counting strategy to use that keeps an ace side count? 2) Where can I find information on how to learn it?
I have two questions: 1) What's the easiest and most effective counting strategy to use that keeps an ace side count? 2) Where can I find information on how to learn it?
Instead of counting 1,2,3..., count A,B,C.... That way you won't confuse your ace count with your running count. Obviously, this works best with 1 or 2 decks.
That being said, don't you think it would be far easier to use a count that includes the ace, such as KO or HiLo? In addition to ease, you would gain a lot simply due to reduced errors and increased playing speed. Combined, these would probably outgain any advantage you would get with a more complex count.
1) Hi-Opt 1
2) Worlds Greatest Blackjack Book
Why do you want to use a count that requires an ace side count?
Here's an article about ace side-counts:
http://www.blackjackforumonline.com/content/sdcnt.htm
1) you asked for most effective as well. If that is the case you should look into Advanced Omega II described in Blackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson or the Hi-Opt 2 available from misc sources.
Neither system is easy, but they are effective. I stand by my previous question, Why do you "think" you want to use an ace neutral count with a side count?
For more on the Hi-Lo, also Arnold Snyders Black Belt in BJ (Hi-Lo Lite) as well as Kevin Blackwoods Playing BJ Like the Pros.
I thought he was asking how to do it.
In any case, I still think it's easier to not use an ace side count.
see http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/counting/gordon.htm
I want to use a count that requires an ace side count because I met this professional gambler who had been a professional gambler for years and he had changed from using a system that had no ace side count to one that did. He told me you can't win at this game consistently unless you can keep the ace out of the dealer's hand, which makes sense to me.
Just because you keep an ace side count doesn't mean you can do anything to prevent the dealer from getting the ace. In order to do something like that, you will need to develop some good sequencing skills.
And by the way, you can win consistently with a level 1 ace reckoned count.
-Shaggy
Do I get advantage if I count A in 8 deck game? How?
What's a level 1 ace reckoned count?
Sorry, you're losing me. Ace-location and steering? Whatever he was doing I know he was keeping an ace side count because he had me sit next to him and keep track of them while he was counting.
In a previous post, you wrote of a professional gambler who said;
He told me you can't win at this game consistently unless you can keep the ace out of the dealer's hand, which makes sense to me.
What I'm saying is that using an ace side-count does absolutely nothing to change how many aces the dealer receives. Ace-side counts are usually used for bet-adjustment. Everything else being equal, if you knew a lot of aces were in the unplayed deck, you'd know that both you and the dealer would then have an increased chance of receiving a blackjack. Since blackjacks you receive pay 3-to-2 but blackjacks the dealer receives pay the "house" only 1-to-1 (i.e., you lose your bet), you have a decided advantage when more aces remain in the deck. So, the ace side-count helps to identify those times when you have a chance to make more money through otherwise normal play.
But, again, the side-count by itself doesn't keep any aces out of the dealer's hand. For that, you need to have a more accurate method of knowing just when an ace is about to appear. You do that by keeping a close eye on where aces are located relevant to other cards in the deck, or by knowing where an ace is located within the discard stack. Then, by studying the shuffle used by the dealer, you can get a good idea where in the deck the ace is located after the shuffle. When the game has progressed to the point where that portion of the deck is about to come into play, you increase your wager. That's a rough example of ace-location.
Ace-steering takes the concept of ace-location to the next level. Suppose, in a head-to-head single-deck game, you saw that the seven of Diamonds was put into the discard tray just above (on top of) the Ace of Spades. When it comes time for the dealer to shuffle, you keep an eye on that particular part of the deck (the 7-A) as it makes its way through the shuffle. Of course, if the shuffle is a good one, one or more cards will probably make their way between the Ace and the Seven. That's why they shuffle in the first place. If the dealer doesn't split the two cards apart when dividing the deck in two, you're in business.
As the dealer deals from the newly-shuffled deck, you keep an eye out for the Seven of Diamonds. When it comes out, you'll know the Ace of Spades can't be far behind. Suppose the dealer deals himself the Seven of Diamonds as his last card of the hand (i.e., he either reaches 17-21 with it or he busts). You now know that the Ace of Spades will likely come out on the very next hand, so you spread to two hands (or even three) to increase your chances of catching it. That's a crude example of ace-steering. It's just one way you can attempt to keep an Ace out of the Dealer's hand (and put it in yours).
I play shoes, so ace-location and steering is more difficult (for me, anyway). I have on occasion, though, seen six aces come out during one hand of a full six-deck shoe game. When that happens, I build a stack of chips as tall as the current discard stack (the six aces will be in the cards at the top of the discard stack). Since I'm sitting at third base at a crowded table, I can innocently slide my chip-stack up close to the discard tray as a way to mark the aces' location, then continue to play the current shoe. When the shoe has ended, I watch the shuffle like a hawk to see roughly where the ace-clump ends up. When the next shoe is dealt down to that general area, I spread to three hands and increase my wager. I don't always get the aces, but in the long run, I'll make money off the maneuver.
"Since I'm sitting at third base at a crowded table .. I spread to three hands and increase my wager."
The chip stack maneuver was an interesting idea, but your idea of a crowded table and mine must be light years apart!
He has no idea of what he is talking about.
When I need the extra spaces, I'll sometimes incorporate bad-breath-location and fart-steering into my play. But those are highly advanced techniques that shouldn't be discussed on a public forum. ;)
Why is he wrong?
