Many Las Vegas counters complain when there's more than 2 decks. Stating that it's too difficult for counting. East coast counters on the other hand regularly count 8 deck games and a few can actually beat the house. What do you guys think?
*throws up his hand in a W sign*
WEST SIDE!!!
Of course we're superior! We are smart enough to live in a place which has better conditions and better weather and better...well, the list could go on forever, couldn't it?
Fewer 8-deck shoes on the west coast. I hear AC is mainly 8-deck shoes. Is that true?
Many Las Vegas counters complain when there's more than 2 decks. Stating that it's too difficult for counting.
That doesn't necessarily mean they are inferior players, just because they understand that 8-decks is a more difficult game. Some of them, however, could be in the category of whiners and complainers,
or may not have the patience or skill level for multiple-deck play.
A well-rounded counter can adapt himself to various playing conditions, but it also is a manifestation of skill and wisdom to seek and play the best games available, with consideration for overall tolerance, long-term survival, and total numbers of games available.
East coast counters on the other hand regularly count 8 deck games and a few can actually beat the house. What do you guys think?
I think you need to look at the bottom lines and compare them. However, I don't think that geographic location is the best of criteria for rating counters' abilities, because many of the better ones play all over, anyway.
I find the whole process of counting down an 8-deck shoe to
be a piece of cake. I also have NO problems turning a profit
hitting these shoes. Of course one can't just sit there and play
all.
Best of luck
-- oms --
are that people who learned to count in shoe games merely have more stamena for counting. The best at estimating deck fractions in shoe games and single deck, tends to be those who had access to the few games that use(d)hand-held discards, when they first started to play. Today this is limited to some who started playing at some of the smaller indian casinos. The least skilled would appear to be those who start in pitch games with discard trays in use. The ability to eyeball the discard tray is linked to the ability to estimate at various vision angles, which is always necessary in the hand-held discard games. Those players learn this the quickest. You are right about shoe players only in terms of stamina!!
IMHO I think that this is why K-O and similar unbalanced counts are so seductive: people give up on their deck estimate skills. I say "seductive" because the pivot and key count tables quickly become cumbersome, with different numbers of decks, and other than what T-hopper has come up with in his new systems sourcebook (which should be in beta review now), do not work well with variable subdeck tracking unit sizes for shuffle tracking.
there are some expert east coast players. but for most people trying to get any real money out of east coast casinos is like trying to suck a bowling ball through a soda straw.
i think choosing game conditions is a big part of being an advantage player. and unless you're extremly patient, skilled, and bankrolled -- and maybe connected (team-wise) as well -- the advantage move when faced with lousy penetration crowded shoe game is to not play.
i think the day i realized this was the day i became a serious counter. YMMV :)
wilfo
Plus they may not bother to learn how to play 8 decks because they don't have to.
