In a shoe game with 2 or 3 other players in the table, what would be the best in a high positive count spreading to 2 or 3 hands, or just increasing you're bet on one. I have just started playing seriously in the last couple of months, and comments from more experienced players would greatly be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
At the point that the count dictates a max bet, spread to two hands with a bet of 73% of your max bet on each hand, with one or two other players. For three or more other players, spread to three hands with a bet of 57% of your max bet on each hand. This allows you to get more money on the table at high counts, reduces variance, and gives you a better chance of catching the good cards.
Of course this going back and forth from one to many hands is going to piss off the other players and will bring increased heat from the pit. One tip-off to the pit that you are counting is always spreading to multiple hands in high counts. You have to weigh player and pit reaction to the marginal gain achieved by spreading to multiple hands.
You might try reducing your minimum bet, and always playing two hands with other players at the table. This might allow you to actually achieve a higher overall greater spread in the high counts without the pit taking great notice. Also, dropping to just one hand in the really bad counts, giving you a lower minimum bet.
Good discussion of this in Chapter 2 of Don Schlesinger's book "Blackjack Attack". I suggest you get it if you are serious about the game. The entire book basically answers the question "How much should I bet and how much can I win?"
When playing heads up, the optimum #hands is ONE... unless its a 2-6D game and you are sure its the last round... then at your whim you may go to 2-3 hands IF it will not affect your game condition. Notwithstanding, if for camoflauge you alternate between 1-3 hands in a heads-up 2-6D game, you will not lose much of the EV if you tend still to 'weight' the #hands accordingly. Lastly, you may properly choose to play 3 minBet hands during neg-counts, BUT in that event tend even more so towards 1 hand in posi-counts. G
