counting...in your head
'I'm trying to increase my hi/lo counting speed.
How are you guys doing this exactly? Do you wait for all of the opening cards to be dealt and then count one hand at a time'
Once first base has his first 2 cards you can start counting, right to left. Then count the hit cards, right to left.
'by two's, each card at a time, what's the best way to do it?'
Whatever you're comfortable with. A lot of books suggest learning combinations but there's plenty of time if you want to count individually provided you don't have to think what value to give the card, ie it's automatic.
You will want to cancel out cards as it makes sense when the card values are automatic to you. These may be cards in the same hand or even adjacent hands. I personally cancel a lot but otherwise count mostly in 1's.
'And are you always saying the RC in head so you don't forget it?'
That'll just give you a headache. Learn to place it in the front of your memory & you can relax. It's only one number!
'And what do you do to prevent concentration lapses?'
If you have to talk with someone it can help to associate the running count no. to a mnuemonic previously memorised, ie three tree, four door etc. When you turn back to the table if you can't remember the number, you will often be able to remember the mnuemonic. If you can't, try & remember roughly the count. If you know it was 5 or 6, call it 5 & keep playing. You could also place your hand in your pocket & curl some fingers back for most numbers, assuming you can remember if the shoe was running pos. or neg. Note, form your fingers AFTER they're in your pocket, & you don't need to actually look at them to get the count, you can feel how many fingers are outstetched.
'I'd love to hear any other mental details about counting efficiently'
count neg 2, neg 1, zero, 1, 2. Note 'neg' is only one syllable.
Make sure your comfortable counting backwards, especially thru zero.
'minus' is two syllables & therefore more cumbersome & 'negative' is three syllables.
Within no time, you'll be counting using peripheral vision. Once you see paint it doesn't even matter to you whether its a J,Q, or K, you'll just subtract 1 from your running count. Same as small cards, when you see more than one pip but less than seven, you'll just add one to your running count.
