Departing shoes at negative EV counts. Prior and prospective expectation

The real key here is what your prospective expectation is for the remainder of the shoe. If the count is bad enough, it's unlikely that +EV hands will show up, so you'd be betting minimum and playing to a -EV the remainder of the shoe.

That is fairly obvious. But of some interest to me is the expectation of the hands just completed. In other words, if the Tens/Aces come out early, you've likely exhausted the good cards. The blackjacks and dealer-busts likely already occurred.

Most of the completed hands would likely have been at minimum bets, but I believe that said hands may accumulate to an EV > 0.00. It might not be much, but I think it would be > 0.00.

Think about it. You get dealt blackjack on the first three hands of the shoe (it's happened to me). Have to think hard about playing out the remainder of that shoe. A good portion of the good cards have already been exhausted. Time to move on.

... on all of this in BJA3 (which, I'm sorry, I know you don't have).

Don

Yes, I'd like to pick up the book.

I've read a lot of 21 books. But could always use some refinements.

and a very tiny bottom bet the problem isn't one of the -EV. There are two practical problems by sticking around grinding through these shoes...even one with very deep penetration

1. You're exposing your ultimate bottom bet for a lengthy period of time to the pit and the eye...AND

2. You're wasting time that could be better spent starting a new shoe that has a real chance to go positive.

The only time you'd want to grind through is if there is only one good table or one good pen dealer in the casino such that you cannot move...then if you're heads up you just have to grind it out, if there are other players you are far better off from an exposure standpoint to give them the privilege of grinding out the negative shoe for you by taking that time to sanitize your hands in the restroom or call your girlfriend and tell her how you want your underwear bleached.