losing

Why do I keep losing on my big bets on good counts. I mean I may as well bet big money on the min bets where I seem to win more hands,so if I do that then I mayaswell play the CSM.
They say the long run will pay off so how long do I have to play for before I make a profit??
Also should I play 2 boxes or 1 when going H2H.
Thanks

I have certainly struggled with the losing big bets question many times. The long run seems very far away when you lose big bet after big bet and then you sit out because the count is negative and everyone is winning every hand. Any player who has played for any length of time will tell you of enormous losing streaks, even losing years. I have written many times on these boards how much I admire anyone who can play BJ professionally. They not only have to endure bad osing streaks, but also international travel and heat.
To answer your question, there is no answer to your question. What you do have to make sure is that you know basic strategy down pat, including index variations, and that you manage your emotions and your money well. The year that I played 2 hands in high counts (not just head to head) was the worst year I ever head of 30+ years playing BJ. It almost completely depleted my bankroll (which was replenishable if I decided to continue to play). My bankroll is now at an all time high, but I certainly haven't gotten rich playing the game. I have received many comps and have more more than I started with. Good luck in this crazy game.

Thanks very much for youre response.

I will take youre advice very seriously and I will lower my big bets considerably and try and not lose so much and at the same time will have fun and enjoy the game more.
It is sad when u lose the big bets especially when u have been waiting patiently for that count to go up but I guess thats showbusiness as they say.
One thing I learnt today was that it is better to make the biggest bets not just when the count is high but when the shoe is nearly over as then there r less cards in the remaining shoe so it stands to reason.
bye

From some of your comments, I'm not convinced your losses are entirely the result of bad luck. In any case, take heed of revereman's wise words, study the game a good deal more and remember...even the greatest players, even computer-perfect players, lose more hands than they win.

read don's book.

thanks
Please explain what u think I am doing wrong based on my comments.
I would appreciate it.

I'd say you clearly need to study the game a good deal more. When to bet big, how much "big" is, what sorts of fluctuations are invovled are all things you can appreciate by reading and understanding books by Wong, Snyder, DS, and so forth. Your comments are so vague they reveal you haven't done much of that. Also, this:

"One thing I learnt today was that it is better to make the biggest bets not just when the count is high but when the shoe is nearly over as then there r less cards in the remaining shoe so it stands to reason.
bye"

I'm not quite sure what you mean here. If by "not just when the count is high" you mean the running count means different things at different points of the deck then yes, of course...but that's like step one out of the blackjack cradle. If you mean something else, I don't know what reasoning that would be but I think it would stand about as good as a drunken sailor.

In other words, skillful blackjack is not a game where you read a couple of pages in a pamphlet overnight and expect to play like a genius. It takes time and study.

For starters...you do know what I meant by that comment that even a computer-perfect player loses more hands than he wins, right?

The most important thing you can do if it seems like you have been losing a lot is try and go back in your mind and think about whether you played every hand perfectly according to the count. The last thing you should be worried about is betting too much or even considering playing the CSM machines. If you are really serious about card counting make sure you have the bankroll to withstand the swings. Get a practice software like casino verite. It will give you a feel for how it is in casino conditions in a way. It also has drills that will help you vary your strategy and know exactly when to do it. Also simulation software like cvcx which is also a casino verite software and based off of a chapter in Don Schlesinger's book is good to help you understand the mathematics behind the rules of your particular game and gives you an idea how to bet optimally. (Does not consider casino comportment skills though). Anyway I hope this bit of advice helps. Good luck. Sometimes without luck we are doomed even with the best counting system.

just unlucky I think ,but I have not got the bankroll so I play the system and walk away as soon as I am up 30 bucks but I got greedy and carried on and then lost the bigger bets on the high counts.
Normally u are always up at some stage in the session so for me it is a buzz just to win something and some pocket money while using advantage play.
Funny thing is u can still win on the minus counts using BS on the min bets especially if u have some DD Splits and BJ in the mix.
For the most part I do play near perfect play although I cannot remember all of the count variations so I just stick to the ILL 18. Thanks for youre support. Bye

that it would be better to have a high count near the end of the shoe as opposed to when the shoe has just started, because there are less cards to be dealt in the shoe, therefore the low/high card difference is more in youre favour.
My comments are only standard straightforward queries on strategy etc so I don't understand y u think they r vague??.
Also I have read wongs stuff and I am a profficient counter and I know the game pretty well including standard variation , BS count variation and also the betting strategies, although I admit I have been overbetting which is the reason why I am losing more , but if u keep getting bad hands and the dealer keeps beating you ,well that is bad luck isnt it

Review your Kelly Criterion...if you are overbetting more than 2 X Kelly then you don't even have an edge, so don't blame bad luck in that instance.

As to your first comment well yes, for a given running count of course the edge is higher with 1 deck left to be dealt as opposed to when 5 decks are left to be dealt. That is card counting 101, so I'm confused as to why you seem to think you are "proficient".

I am not overbetting no more and I am proficent. I played 6 shoes tonight with $150 and walked off winning 5 bucks so what do you think of that and who is Kelly . Is he kellys heroes??

So what was your bet spread with your $150 bankroll? You've had a nice run on this board, and you're losing a little more credibility (whatever you had to begin with)with each post.

1--4 because of my low bankroll. Look I really know about the kelly criterion and I know what I am doing.
To be honest if i can stay level or win a few bucks using advantage play and have at least an hour of play then that is fine for me,you see I go in my work break and luckily there are some other counters who play with me although they dont say but I know from their betting strategies .

I forgot could you please confirm that it would be OK to play 2 or 3 boxes,I mean mine and other players boxes if the count is high or do u always recommend that just one box is played only??
When I watch other counters they always go to 2 boxes when the count goes up and back to min bet and 1 box when it retreats but I recall what u said about youre loss when playing 2 boxes on a high count .
Some people tell me to play 2 when having the advantage even on H2H but Wong says that u should play only 1 box H2H and 2 when more players are around. I must admit I do get confused by this issue.
Lastly I do not want to lose credibility on this site as I respect everyone here,and to be honest I am surprised that I would have any at all anyway considering I have only just started posting on here.
Regards

observe the play of other players. most don't go back and forth between 1 and 2 hands. it's a good way to get caught counting, even at low stakes. some will add a hand "to change the cards" but you seem to want to do it in a systematic way. I don't advise it but that's only my opinion.
your spread was 1-4. what was your base unit?

unit is �5 ($7.50)min bet 4 deck with Pen of 75% all the good rules no surrender or insurance but we have evens on a dealer Ace with a 3:2 payoff on a BJ.
I am sure though that looking for card counters is the last thing on their mind not in London at any rate, but Vegas is a different kettle of fish.
Thanks thats what I thought. The way I look at it is that if u play more boxes you will either win more or lose more but just faster.