Hi everyone. HELP!

hi everyone! Im Julie! Im new here and I want to make friends. Im sure, everyone here has a story. Here is mine: I started going to Vegas in 96. Always went with friends, always went for the fun. And I always sat at the tables for a few hours every time. I have always liked BJ but never really counted cards although I knew people did it. I was in my early 20s and I did everything my way, I didnt need to learn to count cards to have fun. So every time I vent to Vegas I had 5-600 bucks that I knew I would lose eventually and when I did I went back home and I was glad that I had good fun. Half of the time I acutally broke even at the tables. I just eyed the 10s and the As and did my thing according to where they were.. Back then, at the Stardust there were BJ tables with 2 decks and 2 dollar min bet. I would sit at those tables with my $50 for hours until I was so drunk I couldn't even remember my name. Thats when Id finally lose my $50 and go upstairs to the room. My friends would come back from a club and wonder how the hell did I get so drunk alone. Next day I would do it again, and sometimes I'd go out with my frinends. So that was then.

I went to college after that. Got a degree, have a pretty good job. My dad was a math wiz, civil engineer, whatever. I didn't go into that type of thing. I liked physics better, but didnt go into that either... anyway. The point is: I want to go back to LV and do it the right way. Just to see how much better it would be.

So I found this site, read everything in it. Found other ones too. Read them. Read two BJ books (Thorp; Wong). Picked up a deck of cards and 4 days later it takes 26-28 seconds to go through it. Still slow but Im stubborn, I'll get there.
More books are to be read, when they finally get here.
But I've just realized I have no friends who would understand my new obsession.
So here I am.
Say hi. Tell me, do women do this? Are they bad at it? Are they good? Am I crazy? Will it work? And be gentile. I'm

breakable.
And I'll need alot of help.

Cheers,
Julie

...Card counting can be a fascinating and challenging hobby. Enjoy the adventure.

Good luck,

Cobbson

Yeah, Ditto what Cobbson said, from me too, Julie. You may have noticed that for some reason, this card counting habit is male-dominated. This fact has one school of thought saying that the reason for this is prima facie evidence that females are more intelligent than men.

That school says that women instinctively know how tough variance can be; fluctuations to bankroll, surviving intense pit scrutiny, camouflage, the pretence thing, cover and the like and that is why few attempt it. Good luck.

I know several excellent advantage players who happen to be women. Face it, the cards you are counting do not care if you are male or female but there is an "off the top" edge being a female counter.
When it comes to being detected, most pits are male and many have a stereotype counter burned into their brains and it tells them, "girls can't count!" So going in a woman has an edge on a male counter quite often.

My girlfriend was the one who got me interested in AP in the first place. She used to drag me along and I'd play minimally for amusement, with her guidance.

Of course, I eventually decided to learn to play properly, got obsessed with it, and now I'm the one serious about it, while she comes along for fun. :) Still some nice teamwork opps though.

Hi Julie,

There are alot of women advantage players. Some might not advertise it as readily as men. Anyone can do this so gender makes no difference whatsoever. My story is similar to yours. I started going to Vegas with friends in the early 90s when I turned 21. I always brought about 300 per night and hoped my money would last and I could play BJ as long as I was there. Eventually I learned basic strategy and started winning a little bit and went from there. This summer I won $8000 off a $100 buy at a double deck table which is my best night so far. I've run across many women advantage players in my travels. Some are better than alot of men and its easier for them to avoid detection. Anyway, don't let anyone tell you it can't be done or gender makes a difference. Of course, you have to take the good with bad and sometimes the cards just don't go your way no matter what your edge. Good luck

great counters. Just ask me.

Julie,

Always glad to "see" a new "face" on the boards. Feel free to ask anything: we've probably heard it before ;-)

Dog Hand

do you only want help from the gentiles? The Jewish people will be able to help you here too.
Welcome to the boards. I've found this is the best place to learn about BJ and advantage play. One warning--you can ask just about anything about BJ here EXCEPT where the best games are in a location. People are very protective about this type of information here. I'll agree with the others that being a female counter is a big advantage as you are usually above suspicion.

Get drunk, play cards, go to the room. Just joking a bit. Join Green Chip, wead more Rong - er read more Wong - and Good luck. Your friends probably won't understand and if you have a family and a career, don't get too obsessed about 21.

Two thoughts:

Are PBs really less likely to suspect female APs or could it be they just don't worry as much about them because their numbers are fewer? And furthermore, maybe they don't feel comfortable confronting them and backing them off. Ever seen a suit tap a Fem de AP? Does anyone know a female counter who has been backed off or have any of you fem counters been backed off?

Now, for fellow Jewish people out there. Do you think we make better APs than those of other religions or desents? Could it be that LVBear is Jewish?

Maybe if SW does another demographic survey of his posters, he can ask some questions along these lines.

about Julie, not you Snapper

I could be way hotter than Julie for all you know! ;) Plus, I'd be drunk way before losing $50, so I'd be a cheap date. Two drinks and I'm a push over. But, definitely not for you RM.

I've never seen a female AP and the only AP I've seen backed off is myself. I've played over twenty years and have seen about a dozen counters. Of course, I may have seen others but didn't know it because they masked their play very well or saw me at the table and didn't want to mimic my bets or left the table. Too bad we can't have a secret handshake or password.

I think most pits don't think women would be counters for a variety of reasons.

It would be interesting to see how many members of this board are Jewish. I am.

Excellent point.

...but never said he/she was a female. Ever hear of the late Julius "Big Julie" Weintraub, Vegas junketeer and casino host? Then their was "Big Julie" in the musical Guys and Dolls played by the raunchy comedian, B.S. Pully (you older guys and gals may remember him,). So at least for the time being, our "Julie" will have to remain androgynous.

Cobbson

Julie is probably being hugely entertained by the direction her thread has taken. For me, the energy, the 'vibe' of the post is definitely female. There is also an inference the poster is a female, if you look down near the bottom of her post.

Unfortunately, she mentioned the word 'gentile' and if you read her post again, it becomes clear she means, "gentle." Sorry to disappoint some here, who seem eager to jump on a religious or sect bandwagon. As for me, I prefer an androgynous, non-racist, non-religious, non-sexist discussion board.

Julie, you can stop laughing now. You can spill the beans all over us, here now. I hope.

Hotter than me? Hmm... I don't know. I'm pretty hot! :)

Years ago I played for a while at a table with a woman who just might have been the best stereotype defeating counter.
She was around 50, overweight by a bunch and African American.

I wonged out of her table (she was there first) but hung around awhile to confirm my impression and did so. Think my hanging around might have made her nervous or perhaps she just cut her session short because she left shortly later (at a minus count)

Most of the best bridgeplayers in the world were Jews and they always played for high stakes. If that means anything at all for card counting at blackjack. Which it probably does not.