please update me

Hi - I used to play bj and count but haven't played in the last 7-8 years or so due to a personal shift in interest to poker. However, I would like to start playing again...so I have a few questions I'd like to ask as I've been out of the loop so to speak.

1. Has the counting environment and quality of the games changed in the past 8 years? If so, how?

2. What system is popular now? I used mostly the KO system back when I was playing. Is the system still valid?

3. What do you guys think of online blackjack (I've only played in brick-and-mortar casinos)? Is it beatable? If so, what sites do you recommend?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Q-1 Game has deterioriated, but still plenty of opportunity. Suggest you get latest edition of CBJN for a read on the playing field in your area and other locations.

Q-2 KO, like others, are still valid. Some are stronger than others. Whatever floats your boat and you are comfortable sailing.

Q-3 Never played BJ on line, but then, never had to as I live in Vegas. I understand it is a shuffle-after-every-round situtation. Never liked on-line gambling of any sort, but that's just my personal view.

Welcome back,
Cobbson

Hello lotofaction

Using CSM's, using 8 decks and cutting 2 or more decks out of play, effectively preventing the ability to "wong in and out", or barring players if everything else fails, has made the game next to impossible to beat. I am curious to know why you are less interested in poker. Does the vigorish make it too difficult to be a winner in the long run? Do you eventually find yourself playing against people who are just as good or better than you are? Or does the amount of luck involved in playing poker make it too complicated to correctly determine how much of a bankroll that you need to overcome standard deviation?

Thanks for the helpful responses. As for your question Stephen Adams, I would say the main reason why I need to take a break from poker is the "going on tilt" aspect of the game which I frequently experience when I get bad beated on. I consider myself a pretty solid poker player but I've been on somewhat of a losing streak which I can't seem to get out of (due to these bad beats) - resulting in serious mental toll. As stated before, this losing streak has been mostly due to subpar/recreational players making the wrong play but hitting the right cards at the right time. I know that this is just negative variance and that I should keep playing but the stress is now too much for me. Something about a bad player getting lucky and taking huge stacks from you is excrutiatingly more painful than a dealer hitting 21 to your 20 and sweeping up your big bet. The dealer had to hit to 21 while the bad poker player made a conscious decision to make the "gamble" play. Months of not getting compensated for making the right poker decision just takes a serious emotional toll on you. I realize that a good poker player will not let this get to them emotionally - so I guess I need to learn to overcome this in order to be a truly solid long-term player. In other words, for now I need to step away from the table and forget about poker for a while. I'm just not up to the task. Sorry for the rant.

Hello Lotofaction

Under no circumstances could your message be considered a rant. Thanks for taking the time to describe the situation that you were facing.

Take heart, my friend. Just keep on playing the games with +ev. Every advantage player has to suffer the variance. It's part of the game. Enjoyed your post; really I did.