from "Blackjack Your Way to Riches" by Richard Canfield.
Has anyone here read this book? Of the 9 books I read when learning BJ and counting, this method seemed the best. So I learned it and adjusted my bankroll and betting structure and I am here to tell you, I have been VERY successful.
Has anybody else had good cussess with Canfield's method? Would love to hear about it. Thanks!
I have the book and actually played the system successfully for 2 or 3 years. It is a good system, equivalent to Hi-Opt 1. However, it is very important to use the ace side count and adjust correctly for betting. If you are playing single deck, stay with the system if you are comfortable with the ace side and don't make mistakes with it. If you are playing multiple deck, then Hi-Low would be easier, and would be just as good. I personally don't want to side count more than 1 deck.
In most respects this is an excellent book, better written than most bj books, as well as entertaining. However, there are two critical exceptions that I can think of right now. It implies unrealistic win rates and the money management section is dangerous. I don't remember exactly what is recommended, but it has you seriously overbetting your bankroll, and there seems to be no understanding how strong and serious fluctuation will be as you play for many hours. If you follow its money management procedures, you have a very high risk of getting wiped out, especially if you continue to adjust as your bankroll grows.
So, the system is fine and will get the money if you play it right. If you follow the money management system to size your bets vs. your bankroll, it might seem to work for a while, but then one day it will bite you and kill you. Good luck! bjdavid
Regarding Canfield - did you ever buy the "Expert" system for the additional $250 as listed in the back of his book? What do you think that's all about?
I appreciate your response. Yes, I play single deck 99% of the time, double deck the other 1%. I need to re-read the chapter on side count of aces.
I must tell you that I have had several responses to prior emails about Canfield's system. Usually all positive but with the exception of bankroll. I simply bet (green) with the count, never going past 4 units out, no matter if count is +8, 4 units max.
Now this is the gospel truth - I have played 2 years my win rate is incredible. I may lose 1 session, then win it back the next session. Maybe this has something to do with playing in Tunica.
I've built a bankroll of $5000 but have never gotten into it more than about $700. I play twice a week and my win goal is $500. I DO NOT continue to play once I reach it! Granted, this is not my main source of income, but heck, it's a great/fun second job for $2000 a month!
There is really no need to spend $250 to get a good blackjack counting system. If you are looking for something beyond a level-one system, there are plenty of them out there for the normal price of a book, including Halves, Zen, AOII and more. I don't know if Hi-Opt II is available without paying a premium or not. My point is that you should check out the other systems before laying out $250.
It's available at Dalton's site for something like $39.95 ("over 80% off!!"). Probably at Snyder's site too.
The Canfield Expert system is described in the book, while the Canfield Master is the system that costs $200.00
And, yup, Canfield Master and AOII are the same.
Cheers!
Syph
"And, yup, Canfield Master and AOII are the same."
The tag values for the ranks are the same. But the indices Bryce furnishes are superior.
Don
BJF, you have been experiencing good luck, or positive variation as some would put it. Competent players will have many different experiences, even betting in similar fashion etc. I personally have had good luck, with the occasional hammering over several hours. However, I have never had a truly prolonged losing streak. I know other players who play as well or better than me, with excellent discipline, who have gone for long periods of just getting creamed. Trust me, if you keep on playing, you will hit a period when it will be so bad that you will question the game, your skills, or wonder what mysterious cosmic event has caught up with you.
Regarding the system for sale, it is called the Master System. You are already playing the Expert System. The Master System is a multi-level count that I think is also known by another name, but I don't remember what it is or what the card values are. I can tell you that its not worth $250. No count system is. If you want to play a more powerful system with ace side, and you specialize in SD, go for Hi Opt II. It is only 2 level and is just as strong if not stronger, than the 3 and 4 level systems. You can buy Hi-Opt II either on this site (I think) or on RGE21. The best thing though, is to play a system where you make as few mistakes as possible and don't get tired as fast, and that you can play a little faster.
I also played Hi Opt II for several years, and it was excellent, but I switched to Hi-Lo when I started playing more shoes, as well as not playing as much. Hi-Lo works well and is extremely easy. For single deck, I carry an ace side to make up for the loss in playing efficiency, which is more important in single deck. I use the ace side to improve the insurance bet correlation as well as other close strategy plays. This makes Hi-Lo just as good as the Expert, but probably a little easier.
Regarding betting if you are spreading to 4 greens, I would bet 4 greens at an ace adjusted true of plus 3 or more. I personally try to make my top bet at an equivalent true of plus 2. This will increase your variance, but it makes it easier to more consistently get your top bet out when the count is higher. On the other hand, betting with the count to a max of 4 has probably helped you from having as much negative fluctuation.
Unfortunately, the apparent win rate you describe won't last! You are doing far better it seems, than even a perfect computer sim will do over the long run. So appreciate and remember the good ride you have had, and hang in there when it goes the other way. Have fun, bjdavid
How exactly do you use ace side count w/HiLo for single or double deck? Will this give playing efficency a good bump? I've seen other posts about this but I haven't quite understood the math. Thanks!
austin boy
Wong's original edition of Professional Blackjack starting on page 119
describes the methodology of adjusting strategy with a side count of aces. He dropped this information in a later edition. Maybe Stanford or David Matthews would be kind enough to post it on this site??
To do it completely right, you also have to learn a slightly different set of strategy indices, but you get most of the gain by adjusting for insurance and other plays when they are close, using the same indices. Thats what I do.
I am short on time right now, so if someone else would like to take a stab at it, please do!
