Heat and Cover

I apologize, Robbie. I didn't phrase that correctly. The one pit guy has a list of 5 things that counters do frequently that he uses to ID them. Only 3 are about how they play a hand. They are all obvious, common sense, type things. Bet spread, spreading to 2 hands, and how they play 16 vs 10, insurance and splitting 10's. He stated that individually none of these mean too much, but he is particularly interested when he notices a player do 2 or more of these things.

I just found it interesting that at the top of this guys list was the play 16 vs 10, while the second guy I spoke with 16 vs 10 was the only play he looked for. The play itself is fairly insignificant, as we know, except at higher counts. But I guess because the hand is very common, the single most common hand, if I remember correctly and because the index number for playing the hand differently is right at zero, it is pretty easy to notice when players play it differently.

Now, I realize that the opinion of 2 different pit guys isn't worth a whole lot. It's a pretty damn small sample size. Unfortunately, I don't have access to hundreds of pit guys that I can poll and see what they are thinking. I have just 2 or 3 that I know well enough to pick their brains and discuss things like this with. But since the two that I have had this conversation with both mentioned that 16 vs 10 hand, I have incorporated it into my play, as it costs almost nothing, especially with my aggressive wong out style of play.

It should come to you.

Because it's more fun to be obnoxious and abusive. Comes from spending too much inside gambling houses.

Let's not play games!

Being obnoxious and abusive comes from a mental aberration!

Robbie

I'll try to surreptitiously survey some of the pit people. Probably some I know in casual conversation. That's a good idea. And probably someone whose table I won't be playing at for a while.

Are you saying that you would hit 16 rather than stand depending on the index? I wouldn't change that in my play because I don't think it's that noticeable. Most poor players play it either/both ways.

I've known these of course, as would anyone who has learned to play properly. The only one that we can control is splitting 10's, and the only one we cannot control is taking insurance at the proper time.

How much of a spread do you use and when do you go to two hands?

Thanks,

Robbie

---Are you saying that you would hit 16 rather than stand depending on the index?---

No I am saying just the opposite. I always stand on my 16 vs 10. When the count is zero or negative I stand rather than hitting, which is the correct play. At all other times standing is already the correct play. Because I wong out of negative counts very aggressively, there aren't that many hands that I am playing incorrectly, so the cost of always doing the same thing on this play is minimal for me.

---How much of a spread do you use and when do you go to two hands?---

I don't spread to two hands, Robbie. Crowded conditions back east made spreading to two hands more difficult, so when I relocated to Vegas, 3 years ago, one of the things I was really looking forward to, was spreading to two hands. I quickly realized spreading to 2 hands was problematic and not tolerated to well, especially by the local type casinos, that I frequent a lot. I had several pit people start flipping through the discard rack immediately after I had spread to two hands on several different occasions. Their message seemed pretty clear to me. lol And this was before I knew any pit folks and had a chance to discuss the matter. being that Longevity is my primary concern, I have refrained from spreading to 2 hands ever since, except in very rare circumstances.

I use a wide variety of spread for different games, depending on what I have determined that casino's tolerance level or comfort level to be. My spreads are set by determining the max bet level that I wish to play and then working backwards to minimum wager. For shoe games I use a spread of 1-12 up to 1-32 depending on the casino. At DD games, I use a spread of 1-6 up to 1-8 depending on the place.

More important to me that the spread, is that I only show it once, each session. Once I show a higher wager, I exit at the shuffle, win lose or draw, rather than revert back to a smaller wager.

I stand on 16 vs 10 and hit at minus one or greater. I've never had a problem spreading to two hands but I suppose it depends on how much is being bet. And as long as the total bet is ~ 3/4 of max bet.

Your spreads are very large for shoe and DD, even if you do leave the table, because they will remember you.

I've always wanted to meet a counter in Las Vegas so that he could call me into a hot shoe, but more importantly so that I could call him into a hot shoe. I've met some but they were locals who wanted to keep to themselves. Maybe we can meet there sometime.

Robbie

I'm referring to control relatively thinking in my own mind. I would always take insurance when called for but may vary splitting 10's when called for.

when you go to a casino and encounter a gimmick rule on a good blackjack game? I left my laptop in my hotel room as a rule. I don't care to sit down and play a good game and guess at an indice with my max bet on the table.

At which casino in the D were you told to hit the door ? Did they escort you out with security ? What was your spread ? I have played in all 3 of them and never had a problem. I have spread green from 2 to 12 no problem. I have spread black from 1 to 6 no problem. I have made every index play under the sun expect split 10 which I will not do no problem. I have only seen 1 person every being asked to leave and that was because it was a flashing dealer and the spread they were using. It was like 1 to 40. You might be paranoid unless that was you.

All right I agree. Some of my blackjack friends that I'm on a board with carry some form of computer with them. It might be a laptop or an iPad but I don't usually run into those situations.

... that was because it was a flashing dealer and the spread they were using. It was like 1 to 40. You might be paranoid unless that was you.

Why use a spread against a flashing dealer, instead of max bet on every hand? This player was probably thrown out for stupidity.