Bryce Carlson! - Al said this ? is for U

Sir Bryce:
-
I�ve had your book for about 2 years. The AOII works very well. I use it primarily on 6 deckers though. First upon entering the good ol' First Interstate Casinos of the World, I usually chomp a bite out of a SD or DD until the ploppy crowd fills the tables. Then I head over to the old slow grinder (6D). I feel as though it puts me into my comfort zone. Makes $ too but takes a lot of endurance, dedication, persistance and patience.
-
I notice that your advanced play indices tables are for SD or DD. Do you have any advanced play strategy table indices other than for Basic S i.e. + 6 TC and higher, especially mathematically formulated for Multi-D play?
-
Additionally, I don�t fully understand the betting ramps, i.e. units bet during TC + side valuations, (tables 5.6 & 7.10). I�ve been increasing 1.5 units for every +1 TC to a max spread of approx 15 to 1. It�s working but I know it�s not exact. Are there no simple bet ramp numbers to memorize? Please advise.
-
Yours Truly:
-
Stealth Bomber

Hi Stealth,

Thanks for your questions. And thanks for the lofty title, even though I don't think the Crown is Knighting blackjack pros for slaying casinos just yet. Not yet ;-).

Anyway, as to your questions, the playing indices in BJFB for the Advanced Omega II System are designed to be used in 1-, 2- and multiple-deck games. They represent a weighted average of the exact deck-specific indices, with a bias in favor of the 2-deck game. Nevertheless, if you read the footnotes, you will see that there are several instances where specific changes are recommended based on the number of decks in play. However, with the exception of these footnoted plays, the potential gain from optimizing the playing indices for the number of decks in play is nominal. For example, the win rates of the playing indices published in BJFB have been compared by simulation to those generated by Karel Janecek's SBA for 1-, 2- and 6-deck games, and the results show little to no difference. For all practical purposes they are equal. So, with the exception of the plays footnoted in BJFB, I wouldn't worry about learning separate playing indices for different numbers of decks in play.

Now, as to the betting ramps suggested in BJFB, they are, indeed, somewhat conservative from a purely mathematical standpoint, but they are designed to give you the maximum bet spread possible without much risk of being detected as a counter. They work. They'll definitely get the money. And, overall, I use them in my own play. Of course, there are (rare) occasions when camouflage is not much of a consideration and I bet significantly more aggressively. Within the constraints of sound Kelly-style betting, personal philosophy plays a role in betting style. I prefer to maximize longevity, so I forgo some potential short-term profits in order to be able to stay in business for the long haul. But that's me. Some pros prefer to go for the jugular every time and worry about tomorrow when it comes. I personally do not think that is the way to maximize lifetime winnings.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

Bryce Carlson

Thanks Bryce for the clarification. I'll go back to your book or rather the CC Bible and keep studying. I keep picking up more and more bits of refinement as I read over the areas I read before. Quite amazing!

If you want to consider me to assist in some team action sooner or later, let me know. Just have Al or Cris let me know. The following three gambling Mecca�s are an easy commute for me; Reno, Lake Tahoe & even little ol' Carson City.

Yours Truly:

Stealth Bomber