Okay, so I've decided that the first system I'm going to learn is the "Canfield Master"
The indices are easy enough to find online, but where can I find BS adaptations for this strategy?
Also, I keep seeing "indices" mentioned. I don't know what these are or how they affect the BS or count... does anyone have a reference I can use? Thanks!
-Supa
Why not use HiLo? You can get everything you need by clicking on BJ School on the Home page.
I got it from answering the questions here:
http://www.qfit.com/blackjack-strategy.htm
and that seems to be a pretty respectable page.
Thanks for pointing out the blackjack lessons... I'll definitely check those out!
-Supa
and Canfield might the best fit for you except one thing: getting info for HiLo is lot easier. It's kind of like having Betamax in a VHS world.
Also, I keep seeing "indices" mentioned. I don't know what these are or how they affect the BS or count... does anyone have a reference I can use?
SupaNewbie,
Say that for the count system you eventually choose, you find that the index for 10-10 vs. 6 is +8. This means that when the count is below +8, you don't split the 10's, but when the count is above +8, you do split the 10's.
Indexes fall into these categories: Hit/Stand, Double, Split, Surrender, and Insurance. Most indexes work as I indicated above: at counts below the index, do the less aggressive move (that is, Hit rather than Stand, Don't Double, Don't Split, Don't Surrender, and Don't Insure), while at counts above the index, take the more aggressive action. Some indexes, though, are reverse indexes: for these, you take the more aggressive play below the index, and the less aggressive above the index. One example of a reverse index is the index for 8-8 vs. 10: split when the count is below the index; don't split when the count is above the index.
You can get the indexes for your particular count system in various ways. For HiLo, as Panama Rick has indicated, the indexes are available online. With a bit of searching, you can also find indexes for other systems online. You can also get indexes from books: for example, in Professional Blackjack, written by our very own moderator, you can get indexes for both HiLo and Halves. The final method to get indexes is to generate them yourself. I have used QFIT's CVIndex to generate them for the games I play.
Finally, with respect to indexes you'll often encounter the phrases "Illustrious 18" and "Fab 4". These are the 18 most-valuable non-surrender indexes, and the 4 most-valuable surrender indexes. The concept was introduced by Don Schlessinger in Blackjack Attack. His point is that, of the total gain a player can obtain by using indexes, these are the most valuable to know.
Hope this helps!
Dog Hand
Great info, thank you, sincerely.
I'll try to find the indexes for the Canfield Master, if anyone knows of a book on it, please let me know.
As far as finding them on the blackjack acadamy page, you'll have to tell me where on the site, because I looked around and couldn't find it.
Thanks again!
-Supa
You have to register on their forum, and request the info. I got mine emailed to me, after I requested it. The compatibility with the MIT Hi-Lo and Canfiedl Master may be an issue however. Here is the link. Good Luck
Maybe I'll do this later, and (as you suggested) learn Hi-Lo first. Being a very math-inclined person, and having spend a LOT of time in casinos as an AP in other games, I thought I could skip ahead to something slightly more advanced.
That was until last night I practiced counting down a deck using Hi-Lo. Wow. Way harder than I expected it to be. Not that I did really bad (avg. about 45 sec... off by 1 point on 4/6 attempts) for my first try (at least I don't think that's bad... I guess you'll have to tell me :) ) So I think I'll just practice the heck out of Hi-Lo, learn the BS, and get it totally ingrained before trying something different.
I'm still doing recon on the local casinos and I'm pretty sure the games are all 6-deck (still checking on the rules) so eventually I'll want something that will optimize my play for those specific rules, but as with my other games, I expect a solid 3+ months of practice (solid = 2+ hours/day, every day) before ever trying this live. I've already learned that practice in a casino is a VERY expensive way to do this (any AP activity), and every $ I lose to something stupid is a $ that won't be in my initial $3k bankroll... hell, it can sit and collect interest for all I care... better than giving it away.
Once again, thank everyone so much for the info so far. Hopefully someday I'll be able to help out someone the way you've helped me. I look forward to our future exchanges!
-Supa
P.S. If whoever wrote the material in the "Blackjack School" reads this, you're my new hero. You have no idea how much that helps. I have a funny feeling we're in the same market... so if you have any tips on the local games (even if the tip is "don't play") I'll be happy to hear it. But I would like to be able to play locally if I can get even a slight advantage, it's just WAY easier, and will give me some live experience before I spend money to travel, since that is effectively money out of my bankroll.
Canfield's Master system is unavailabe in print. Canfield wrote a book called 'Blackjack Your Way To Riches' (really dated now, but worthwhile and interesting none the less). It included his Basic and Expert count; the Master count had to be ordered outside the book. I have written without success to every source connected with his book for a copy of the original Master Count, but to no avail.
Bryce Carlson wrote Blackjack for Blood and included a system in it called the Advanced Omega II. The AO II tag values are identical to Canfield's Master (hmmm) and I'll bet the indices in Carlson's book are as well.
So, there is your Master Count.
BTW, if anyone reading this can put me in touch with the original Canfield Master Count, I'd appreciate it.
