On a typical game, the house edge is around .5%. This means that you have a disadvantage of half of one percent. With Hi-Lo, the edge goes up about .5% per true count. So the player is breaking even right at a true 1. Then the player has a .5% advantage at a true 2, a 1% advantage at a true 3, etc. It doesn't go up forever, but you get the idea.
You have to also account for the frequency of each count. You get about 25 positive hands per hour, and 75 disadvantage hands per hour (which is why you have to bet much more in positive counts to make up for what is lost below a true 1).
If you use a 1-10 bet spread, on a standard game, you could expect to make about 1% of your average bet, hence the "1% edge" over the house.
Here's a picture of a 1-10 bet spread, with the win rate and average bet, explaining what I meant: http://tinypic.com/r/s4avdt/8
TL;DR: The edge goes up .5% per true count, which gives your typical card counter a 1% advantage with proper bet spread.
American Express Serve should serve your interests. Though you will need to register your card with KYC (Know Your Customer) details such as your SSN to assign a domestic U.S. address and to make international purchases. They have various card options, one being $4.99/mo for unlimited cash reloads at major participating partnered brick-and-mortar retail locations.
Or, perhaps you should look into https://privacy.com/ — one-time use disposable virtual credit card numbers that can be funded by traditional banking/credit means to serve as an intermediary inbetween. However, I’m not sure about international purchases though. Regardless, it’s still a nifty addition into your /r/personalfinance arsenal...
And you should be uncomfortable putting your actual main credit card details. I did that with America’s Cardroom a few years ago with my BoFA credit card. They miscoded transactions through a China merchant, then I had fraud charges appear on my card shortly after. I mainly purchased from mainstream e-/retailers too FWIW.
TBH, you should just make a trip to Foxwoods and play their $1 Blackjack games with an automatic .25 side-commission/take for all bets under $10 to learn and practice the game. At least the ambiance is nice and you get comped drinks on the house. By the way, you’re not going to last long with unfavorable live-online-dealer BJ conditions if you want playing longevity. That is especially with short-and deep-deck penetration on BetOnline with $300 even for the $5 min Blackjack games, hun!
If you’re anywhere in the Northeast...a trip to CT and playing with $50 and $250 set aside for travel expenses would probably last you longer than online...
Check out Amazon. There are basic strategy cards you are usually allowed to have on the table while you play in most casinos. There's a nice set available for $20 that has deviations and is based on deck composition and H17 vs S17 rules. Even if you memorize basic strategy it's nice to have the card handy to refer to if you need it.
I really liked this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=blackjack.allin1.com&hl=en_US&gl=US
Play with it a bit, and then buy the "Card Counting" portion. It's super worth it.
For a very fun read, The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book. Ignore the emphasis on cheating, it was written a long time ago.
Don’t limit yourself to a single book. Also read Ken Uston’s Million Dollar Blackjack.
I feel this one is pretty solid. I broke one million in a six weeks. You can buy chips with real money but they give you free chips every day and if you count you should do well. I think this is similar enough to the real-card experience in a casino. I've seen the count go +25 and only as low as -16. Enjoy!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sozeray.yirmibir
I assume you are talking about these
I used to use a BS chart on my phone and was specifically told by the pit boss they didn't allow any "counting charts" but my BS chart was fine as long as I didn't slow down the play.
The numbers on these cards look extremely small though. However if they ask to examine one of them, you will be busted.
Ed Thorp's Beat the Dealer is the OG book on blackjack and counting.
These are for six different games (single deck, 2 deck, 4-5-6 deck with both stay on soft 17 or hit on soft 17).
These are the larger print version.
Set of Six Blackjack Strategy... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999371967?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This one sounds like what you're looking for. It breaks down hands into different categories (hard hit, soft double, surrender, etc.) and tracks your performance for each type. You can enable an option that shows you the hands you've struggled with in the past more frequently, and you can specifically enable/disable categories of hands. The advanced features require a subscription but there's a free trial. Hope it helps!
I like this one to practice basic strategy. You can select only certain hand types (i.e splits and soft doubles) and only practice those if you have the easy stuff all memorized.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wftllc.blackjackstrategy
(Not affiliated with the app or brand in anyway)
That's all well and good, and it's great to be ambitious. But your reasoning about how this is realistic leaves out everything about the actual blackjack playing itself.
You need to run the numbers properly. You are not going to get, for example, 2000 hrs/year of play time with $250 EV, and you'd need an enormous bankroll to even make the attempt.
Spend a few bucks on CVCX, and an issue of CBJN, and plan out a scenario to see.
Go watch KC's great movie "Inside the Edge" for a taste.
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Edge-Professional-Blackjack-Adventure/dp/B07QMS68TC
Have you seen the LTD Blackjack app? It is for Andoid, I don't know if there is an iPhone version. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.learningtodeal.learningtodeal_blackjack_android&hl=en_US&gl=US
I really like the book "The Counting Game: An Accountant Reveals How to Win at Blackjack" by Alan Berg. Used copies on Amazon start at $4.01.
For face up game, I do in pairs. right to left as the dealer deals the 2nd card. I think of it as a mechanical process, click, click, click, then the dealer's face up card click. If I count the individual cards, I make mistakes.
For pitch games, even easier, I don't even look at my 1st card. when I get the 2nd card the same mechanical process, my cards click then the dealer's up card click. I don't even peek at other players cards, or even when they turn them over for side bets. If I try to count ahead by peeking at other players cards: mistakes. mechanical process every time.
If I count cards the second I see them, I make mistakes. Hence the mechanical process. The only way to know is if you have someone else deal the cards while you watch. Somehow if you do it yourself you will subconsciously throttle it at think you are doing great.
I found the best way to learn to count pairs and single cards at the same time is to put blank cards in your deck. Then turn over 2 at a time, you will get either a pair or single card. you can get blank cards here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H4CZQ14?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details
There's an app for Android called Blackjack All-in-One Trainer and it's worked well for me as a training software. It comes with guides, drills, and game play, as well as simulations you can run. It's only a few dollars but I highly recommend it for on the go and as a cheap alternative to CVBJ, however CVBJ is a good investment once you can afford it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=blackjack.allin1.com
Buy all of the upgrades for about $5. Think of it as an investment. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=blackjack.allin1.com&hl=en_US&gl=US IF you download Bluestacks you can play on your PC.
Enjoyed it!
Super intimidating that I'm working so hard on drilling for basic strategy and counting down a deck, and here this clown basically thought about it on the way up the steps. That said, it did sound like he put in a lot of work after that, and also had a head start from the poker experience. But still, LOL!
Funny tip about the pink chips. I don't think it is worth the trouble for me, because I would have to specifically request those chips, then use them often enough to hit the blackjacks. Maybe the dealer would just roll their eyes and that's the end of it but it seems like it would be annoying, or at best a strange move. It's still a funny thought, though. And for us red-chippers, hey, $1 per hour over the course of 100, 500, 1,000 hours could add up.
I think this is the book WacoKid referred to: https://www.amazon.com/Blackjack-Secrets-Stanford-Wong/dp/0935926208/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1
I really liked this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=blackjack.allin1.com&hl=en_US&gl=US
Play with it a bit, and then buy the "Card Counting" portion. It's super worth it.
Hi there man! I have a similar paid app on the google app store and I was wondering if you could give me some feedback on it, I'd be willing to get you a free copy :)
It has a bunch of lessons and 5 counting systems at the moment
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fassor.android.blackjack
Pretty bare bones that will keep running count, allow you to change # of decks and penetration % among a few other things. Only downside is you can only play one hand at a time.
Knock-Out Blackjack: The Easiest Card-Counting System Ever Devised https://www.amazon.com/dp/1935396641/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_an.vFbBNCWYEP
and
The Color of Blackjack : A revolutionary method to learn card counting https://www.amazon.com/dp/144042697X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ko.vFbAC5VWTP
This is much easier to learn imo and is just as powerful as hi-lo, may even be more powerful as it should eliminate some mistakes made when trying to utilize a tougher count. Either way you can’t go wrong with hi-lo either and most BJ literature will apply directly to hi-lo as it is the most common count used. Master basic strategy and keeping a running count first, learn to cancel out combinations of +1/-1 it will make your counting life a whole lot easier and allow you glance at a whole table full of cards and know the count compared to counting each card individually. Be careful, diving in head first to counting in 2020 isn’t the same as it was when most books and learning materials were published. The edge is slim and requires perfection and tons of time. Variance is a MOTHERFUCKER with the type of edge you’re looking at, Good Luck, never stop learning ways to enhance your edge. One last thing, look up gambling with an edge podcasts on youtube or any podcast service from richard munchkin and bob dancer, they have had dozens of professional counters on there over the years and their knowledge is priceless.
Well, assuming you know nothing about Blackjack, I would suggest you start learning Basic Strategy first and foremost. Here is a an app which will allow you to do that: app.
With this app you can practice individual hand types without having to pay anything.
No, I don't think so. In fact, in the last casino I went to, you could actually buy basic strategy guides to help you play. However, in an actual game, it's too slow to just use the guide so not practical. I think most casinos expect regular blackjack players to be using basic strategy anyway. So kicking out the majority of the customer base seems rather foolish. In fact, you probably shouldn't be playing blackjack without it. Most players have this stuff memorized, thanks to so many training apps.
Lots of really good answers on here. The only thing I would add is find a trainer app to help you plow through the information and test your memory on different combinations. You want a BS trainer that allows you split the information, by hand type, by dealer card and by player hand total. This is a free app that will help you with that: blackjack trainer app.
I apologize for being so ‘secretive’ - it is really just shyness and being unsure of the forum rules. I really want to help as many players as possible though, that’s why I wrote the book. https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Blackjack-Strategy-Basic-Made/dp/1533147744/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Perfect+blackjack&qid=1555595731&s=gateway&sr=8-3
This app gets you started with learning basic strategy. It also lets you split your training between, Soft, Hard and Pair hands. Read through the wikipedia article on Blackjack, and then start using the app below. Its one of the few apps where you do not have to pay to unlock the features to customize your training.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.datapluscode.basicstrategy
You have to start with Basic Strategy to be honest. Its based on mathematics, and is designed to make you play in a optimal way to minimize your loses over a long session of Blackjack. Its not too hard to learn. I started learning it just by looking at the chart on Wikipedia. What I found was for most of the Hard hands, I could guess the correct play intuitively . But for soft and pairs I really struggled, even though they should be easier to remember. Because my knowledge was "shaky", I tended to deviate to much from the strategy, and just do my own thing when I first went to the casino. Particularly when I started to lose. In the end, I decided to build a fairly vanilla app to split out the hands to help me remember it 100%. I also wanted to try and think faster. Because, I found I was not used to the pace of the game in a real casino (its funny how you can stumble over simple mental addition under pressure). Anyway, the app is here if you are interested: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.datapluscode.basicstrategy
"Blackjack Attack Playing the Pro's Way" by Don Schlesinger could easily be retitled "How Much Should I Bet" or you could use Casino Verite Software to arrive at optimal bet spreads.
Glad you had a good first experience; surprisingly at the sweatiest double deck game on the strip at Treasure Island =).
If you are in for the long haul EV; I would urge you to continue to practice your counting, indexes, cover betting, and then do some EV simulation with your particular table rules, bet spread, bankroll size, etc. Knowing the math will help you understand how you are doing, and guage your expectations better.
The biggest thing every card counter needs to come to terms with is the alarming swings of variance inherent to the game. You need to know intimately the expectation, risk of ruin, etc for your game; particularly when you begin to have losing sessions, and they will frequently and absolutely occur should you log enough hours. It took me awhile to not feel the pain of losing many max bets in row. Now I am confident enough in my skills and the math that I just measure how i'm doing relative to the EV I have simmed out ahead of time. Luckily for the past few months I have been far above expectation, even with a nasty 175 unit negative swing recently.
As an additional bit of information. I don't know the state of your bankroll etc but I would strongly urge against logging many hours of Vegas Strip Double Deck games. These tables are absolutely easy counter traps, and even at the green chip level it doesn't take much to get the Eye of Sauron on you and the push-back even with a bare minimum 1-4 unit spread. http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Tables-Las-Vegas-Andersen-ebook/dp/B005LW1XQ2 is good knowledge to have for counters, but his advice is green-chip play is very dated. They very much watch green chip play very closely in vegas these days, particularly so at DD games.
MyVegas Blackjack is what I play. You earn loyalty points when you play that you can actually redeem in Vegas for stuff like Hotel rooms and what not. They also have a slots app and all the loyalty points from both apps go together. I enjoy it because I feel like I'm playing for something other than fake money lol. I've already earned over 30,000 points.