I will be going to LV soon, and therefore plan on playing some SD and DD, as opposed to the shoe games I have been playing. Does anyone have recommendations on what counting system (and associated book) to use? Hi-Opt, Zen, Omega II, Wong Halves? Ace side count? Presently I use the Hi-Lo count for shoe games. Please let me know the count you use and why you recommend it as opposed to other available counting systems.
--Thanks, Homer J.
Homer, I'd suggest that rather than a new count you learn to use an ace side count with HiLo for making playing decisions. Add one to the True count for each ace played and you'll increase your playing efficiency to 0.6 or better. Hit 'em hard, The Side
you'll be confused enough dealing with a face-down pitch game. The cards will not be appearing in the same order as you're used to.
Triple-check your payoffs since much easier to make errors with pitch.
If you really must expend some brainpower, learn a few more indices, if you're presently just using the I-18.
Remember, you will likely be watched more closely than in shoe games, so you don't want to be just sitting there, staring at the cards with a look of intense concentration on your face.
In dealing with the ace, it is my understanding that it is considered to be a high card for betting purposes and a low card for playing purposes. Therefore, we consider it to be neutral in our main count, and keep a side count. Before betting, we add the excess number of aces to the main (running) count, or vice versa, before placing our bet. When playing, we revert to the running count without the ace side count. Is this correct?
For example, if playing in a DD game with 1 deck played and a RC of +4, and an ace side count of 2:
1) before betting, we add 2 to the RC, since we expect to see 4 aces after 1 deck, but have only seen 2 (excess of 2 aces remaining in deck). This makes the RC = TC = +6 for betting purposes.
2) for playing purposes, we revert to RC = TC = +4, since we now consider the ace to be a small card.
...Is my logic here correct? Some doubts I have are:
1) during playing, do I SUBTRACT the excess number of aces from the RC, since it is now considered to be a low card, and an excess of aces in the deck means an excess of - cards in the deck?
2) should we always consider the ace to be a low card when playing our hand? For example, if the total of the player's first two cards is 8, then should we not consider the ace to be a high card? Additionally, if the 2 card total is 12, then the ace would most definitely be considered to be a low card. In other words, is the ace considered differently based on the composition of the player's first two cards?
Thanks for the help..
-- Homer J.
Homer, My advice if you choose to try side counting aces is to forget "how many you should have seen" in each half deck. In my opinion that will just add to any possible confusion. Just deal with the ones you have seen and counted as -1. When you add the number of aces seen into the running count it will cancel out however many -1's have been included. Now make your playing decision. Subtract them again from the running count before making your next bet. This will take some practice but will give you a better edge at SD & DD games. Hit 'em hard, The Side
In single deck games especially, you will be so confused by the rapidly gyrating count and watching for dealers who are preferential shuffling on you, you won't have time to think of changing your count.
The advice I was given for my first single deck experience: Keep a side count of the number of rounds dealt. If you are always getting less rounds during positive decks, don't make a fuss, don't get cute, don't tip for better pen, just get up and go. If you are sometimes getting one less round on positive decks, it's due to the cut-card effect, so you should still stick it out.
About the only changes I will make to my Hi/Lo gameplan for one deck, is that if I feel I need to make some camoflague bets, I will increase or decrease my bets in "good" neutral counts (Hi/Lo of 0 with excess aces is almost a break-even game, as is a Hi/Lo of 0 in the 3rd or 4th round). By my reckoning, 99.5% of the dealers and pit staff that count use Hi/Lo or Red Seven (some ace-reckoned count), so if they see you upping your bets after a win when the count is 0, that might blow them off your trail a bit.
M.
I came across a system in which your main count is the hi-opt 1 and the side count is of 2's and A's...for betting purposes you use the main count + side count (which is hi-lo) to get a high betting efficiency (97%), then use the main count for playing purposes (and insurance plays) to get a higher playing efficiency (62.3% versus 51% for hi-lo). Has anyone tried this??
--Homer J.
At first, you will have your hands full adjusting to the dynamics of pitch games. Not being able to see the cards right away, the wild swings the count may take, closer scrutiny from the pit, possibly preferential shuffles, etc.
Just use your basic hi-lo count. Once you are comfortable playing pitch games, then you can worry about side counts, etc.
Like the saying goes, KISS! (Nothing personal intended. :-))
