first post...have many questions(???)

hello,

This might be a little long winded, but please bear with me.

I have logged on here in times past, but never really utilized what seems to be a valuable source of info (you fellow players out there) for skilled BJ players. I love BJ, and want to further my game, and it sounds like you guys can help me

A little background about myself....i am twenty nine, and started playing BS since my first ever trip to nevada when i just turned twenty one. I only play to win, and have never played other casino games, except a few minimum plays on the rare craps table or roulette wheel. I love sports, but do not take sports wagering seriously, altho i do recreationally bet on line playing $20 bets on college football.

I never play a shoe. (i have only ever played single deck las vegas rules games in my playing career) Shortly thereafter, I started playing just a simple hi-lo (vary bet due to count with just sticking to BS) with concentrated discipline and money mgt, and have either won or broken even over time since then. Only a couple of years ago, i dived into revere's book and have embraced it as "the bible." (i have known of this book since my earliest memories as a child - my father has been a counter for decades.

Distractions do not bother me, i can carry on light conversations with pit bosses, dealers, and other players, and almost never lose the count. I have never felt heat from bosses or dealers, but have been accussed once of counting by a very nice lady dealer, but she didn;t seem to care. I always tip the dealers as much as i can, and enjoy talking to nice bosses, and giving up my card. And i do accept various small-time comps.

In the last two years, i have mastered his five count and +- count strategies, and have had small time (1K a trip) lucrative success playing $25 as my unit wager. I am now ready for more advanced play.

My plan was to institute his point count strategy after a few more winning trips with the 5 and +- stategies. I take his teachings very seriously, and never ever will sit down at a $25 table until i have mastered a further advanced strategy praticing at home and/or playing at a $5 unit.

But then i logged onto the site here, and i understand that there are many other strategies than revere's that might be utilized to become a more effective player. Again, i am a successful, yet naive, player, and want to further my play. SO......my question to you guys is how i do that? I only play single deck, but it is obvious this game is becoming a dinosour, and i need to adjust my play accordingly to other games.

Oh yeah, if it helps you help me, my current, what i call my "BJ bankroll" is 5-6K.

At my level of skill play and bankroll, what strategies are out there (books? software?????) I have heard of the books here (KO, Wong, etc) What do you guys recommend i concentrate on for now. What games? What strategies, books, games, etc????

Also, i would love to talk about my various stories about playing, but am not sure of what is forbidden/okay to talk about here.....do casinos monitor this site, etc. Are specific games and casinos ever discussed here? I ask because i don't know which specifics are "okay" to discuss here.

I am honored by your comments, and it's nice to know there are others out there that share a passion the same as my favorite hobby. I know no other skilled players, other than my father, and common society frowns upon someone who thinks they can play BJ and win, so i almost never mention it to friends.

BTW, i apologize in advance if i pushed the limit on what may be discussed here. If i crossed the line, please correct me, and it will never happen again.

Thank you for your time and comments, peach.

$25 units with a tiny 6K bank? You have been extremely fortunate to not have been wiped out many times over. You should purchase Blackjack Risk Manager before you play another session. Also, consider joining Green Chip. Many knowledgeable players post here, too, but far more post only on green Chip, and do not visit the free page.

1. Revere is outdated and inaccurate. The blackjack games he played against, (S17 single deck dealt deeply for example) are virtually extinct. He also underestimates the risk involved.

2. The five count is almost like no count at all. I suggest you switch to HiLo. Revere's APC is just plain overkill and isn't as strong as two better choices....HiOpt-2 or Advanced Omega-2. AO2 is described in detail in the book "Blackjack for Blood". Both HiLo and the Halves count are in Wong's book "Professional Blackjack".

3. $6,000 is not enough bankroll to play blackjack. If you've got a regular job then you should simply consider the cash you have on hand as either your trip bankroll or a fraction of your bankroll since you can replinish your bankroll from other sources. Only fulltime players with no outside sources for money need to consider the actual cash they have left as bankroll.

4. Before you begin to play with serious money (and I'd say betting green chips to be pretty serious money) you should have read and fully understand the following books. Until you understand the following books completely you should not play more than at the red chip/white chip level.

Professional Blackjack
Blackjack Attack
Plus the book for whatever system you decide to use

You should also have the following software:

Casino Verite Practice Software
CV Data Simulator
CVCX Risk Analyzer

OR

Casino Verite Practice Software
SBA (Statistical Blackjack Analyzer)
and BJRM (Blackjack Risk Analyzer)

Sorry bigplayer

I do have to disagree with the Revere APC. I have used it ever sense it came out and still us it VERY successfully. A system the beats blackjack is only as good as the person the is using it.

Again this is just my opinion I don't want to get into a heated battle on the subject. If others that have USED the count successfully don't like it now, then thats ok. But personally I don't find nothing wrong with it.

good info here, just what i was looking for....thank you. I will be ordering books and software soon. I have seen these books, but never knew what strategies worked better than revere's. I figured there were better systems than revere's, due to the age of his info. Altho from some past posts in archives, etc, i do intend to learn his APC eventually. I've almost got the point count down now, so it was the next step.

a few more questions about the bankroll. I've never been hurt too badly, and always thought a playing bankroll well over 200x the unit bet was adequate. It is obvious from the advice given that this is grossly incorrect, and i will improve in this area.

a very strong count. But considering the fact that there are simpler counts with higher betting and playing correlations availiable I don't know that I'd recommend it as a count for someone to learn. If you've learned it and been making money with it more power to you!

Just curious, did you pick your nick from Ustons term of Big Player in his Million Dollar Black book?