Bankroll Question

Here is my situation. I backcount shoes at the casino and wait until i have a true count of 2. Anything less, i don't play. If i am betting at a true count of 2 or higher, what kind of bankroll should i have if i don't want to go broke? If i'm betting 25 a hand, what kinda bankroll is needed for me? Also, i am forced to play at the same casino, so the pit bosses are starting to get familiar with my face. I think it is obvious that i am counting, any suggestions on how to hide the fact that i am counting?

Thanks for the advice

As long as you just bet $25 the bosses won't take action against you even if they know perfectly well that you are counting.
As a medium term bankroll $2500 should be available but for one session only $500 is needed with your betting style.

Francis Salmon

if you're flat betting $25 at true counts 2 and above, you should have $2500 to avoid tapping out--long term.

As for your second question--Act Strange; wear a turban one day; a painted on, fake Dali mustache the next; then black, split-crotch panties, over pink tights, the third--and so forth and so on.

You see, you want them to pay attention to you, but for all the wrong reasons. THE FUN is in acting the part of the fool, as the wise-men of mammon appraise your worth to be beneath their own...and THIS is their weakness, so play into it, like a harlot in a judge's chambers.

And this isn't hard to do either--if you check your ego at the carport with the valet, and walk through the casino gates with the mirth of a trickster, instead of the dread of a man with a concience, who is about to be...hanged.

From the last two posts, you're both recommending a bankroll of 100 units for a flat-betting backcounter who's only playing in TC +2 or higher. What's the risk of ruin with this bankroll?

How about for a player who spreads to 2 units on a count of +4 or higher, still only playing counts of +2 or higher?

I'm a newbie counter myself.

Thanks for your help.

I don't have tables at hand, but my best guestimate, with a two unit spread beginning at true count 2 and escalating at true count 4, would be an average bet size increase of somewhat less than half a unit. In the example above the average bet size would increase to perhaps 33-35 dollars, in which case one should have 100x average bet-size for a ROR of less than 5%.

Could i get away with a 50X regular bet size and still have a low risk of ruin when betting at true count of 2 or higher?

Thanks

"As for your second question--Act Strange; wear a turban one day; a painted on, fake Dali mustache the next; then black, split-crotch panties, over pink tights, the third--and so forth and so on."

Oh wow, heeheeheehee. I think it was the turban and the pink tights that got me. *chokes*

Would anyone really do that? pink tights in a casino?!!!?

I played with Elvis about two weeks ago. It was about 4 am. Wongs into my table with a money plays, and a "Uhh ... Excuse me, man". Won two hands and told the dealer, "Thank you, Thank You, verry much."
Sounded just like Elvis, looks like he has lost a little weight even. Then Elvis left the building.

Keep in mind that with your flat betting you don't really exploit huge advantage situations, so your average edge will be at best 1.5%.
Let's now check your risk of ruin within a certain playing period say 100 hours. This should mean about 2500 bets for you.Standard deviation in Blackjack is about 1.1 per bet.For the whole period you have to multiply with the square root of the number of trials =>
1 Standard deviation = 50 * 1.1 = 55 units
Your expected gain is 2500 * 1.5% = 37.5 units
This means that if you play with a 50 unit starting bankroll a negative swing with a magnitude of 1.5 sd will already wipe you out.
The probability that this will happen is close to 10%.
It's up to you to decide whether you want to take that risk.

Francis Salmon