@@royjonzejrno points explaining to someone who doesn’t want to learn deviations. It’s like stand 16 against 10 when the count is positive, but they always refer to the book that is always hit 16 against 10.
As someone who is still learning and devouring all your content. These simulations at full table speed are a tremendous help for me to be able to practice at real speed.
Love this format. It'd be cool to see different levels of counting strategies compared. For example, Hi-Lo vs Zen vs Wong Halves vs Revere RAPC (levels 1 to 4 respectively). It'd be fun to see exactly when each level would differ in betting and playing deviations.
I’ve been binge watching your videos for the last week and have got into card counting big time. I’m half way through memorizing basic strategy and can’t wait to start learning to count. I can’t wait to be able to buy a membership to really learn some things!
That was very fun to follow along and count. I'm still a little slow, but i'm getting there. Haven't looked into deviations yet, so it was nice to see the splitting of tens on the high counts. Once I can count more naturally I'll look into those.
Love the video! Goes to show you that legit card counting is such a grind and a very, very tiny population of the world can successfully pull it off over a long period of time. You have to put really put in the hours, stay true to the bet spread according to the count, AND learn deviations. A huge factor is also keeping your emotions in check after a huge loss (or win), and not let that affect you going forward.
I really enjoy these videos, it reinforces how much varience you can experience in the game and i need that (im a beginner AP with about 50 hours of at home practice and about 97.5% accuracy on basic strategy on the bja app). So far in live play ive only seen 1 shoe with a high enough count to raise bets more than 2 or 3 units (with about 12 hours of live play) and i got crushed on that shoe, funny enough ive been profitable on the negative shoes
This was great, TY. I was able to count along in real time and keep up through the entire shoe, but still not good enough to make the playing decisions quickly or keep track of payouts and deviations.
Serious question: since we know that IF the true count gets hot for a particular shoe, then it will usually occur towards the middle or end of the shoe (this is why some casinos cut the shoe towards the middle to effectively neutralize counting). If this is true then why bother counting? Just find a casino that cuts the shoe towards the back (deep penetration), and when the shoe is about halfway done, enter the shoe and do a moderate bet progression. Yes, I'm aware that sometimes the true count can get hot towards the beginning of the shoe, but that scenario is generally rare. EDIT: @ 10:58, as expected, the running count is 19 at the halfway point in the shoe (estimate 3 decks remaining), this means the true count is about 6. Loudon does a series of splits and hits 10s (and stands). Dealer has 69 for a total of 15, hits and catches a Jack and busts. Loudon wins BIGLY. So yes, the true count of 6 gave Loudon the advantage and he was relatively assured to have won this hand. But again, this happened towards the middle of the shoe. Logically, wouldn't have been better for Loudon to have just waited for the middle of the shoe before entering? THis would have saved him all those losing bets at the beginning of the shoe.
good deck pen is important, you can't really play bad pen games for profit very often. But you would keep your risk much lower by wonging, (back counting and only being dealt in when the count goes true 2+) as opposed to sitting down at a 3 deck shoe you havent counted and being dealt in. yes, in theory, you will sit down at a positive count just as often as you sit at a negative count, but in an effort to keep your risk as low as possible you shouldn't be raising bets in what is effectively an unknown true count.
Hey Colin, I have no interest in actually card counting as it's not possible where I'm from (Sweden). But I really enjoy the concept of it and the videos you've been putting out to the point that I've been binge watching every single one of them the past couple of weeks, so thank you
First I’d like to say that vest is pretty awesome and looks good on you Second I really liked seeing you guys play hands and the out comes as you go Last please keep posting awesome videos like this ❤
Hey Collin, I just came back yesterday from a three-week card counting trip. My third trip I did so far, I made over 3000 Euros. Although I had an over 5000 Euro losing streak in the middle of it, but got it all back and more in the second half of the trip. All three trips were positive AV overall :) Thanks for teaching me all this stuff, I put it to good use. I really like this type of video!
@@jake12381 No, actually I didn't. I'm pretty sure they know by now that I'm couting as I have played many hours and kept coming back and they give me bad pen, and when I enter they immediately call surveillance. But for some reason they don't back me off, and the rules are really good so it's still profitable even with bad pen.
I see the side bets as deviations. If the side bets pay big for suited and unsuited face cards, than it makes sense to play those bets when the true count is +4 or higher. The odds of you getting a 20 are in your favor.
So, I know you're supposed to split 10s v 6 at TC4 but I'm never doing that again IRL. it's a massive red flag ( apparently ) and it's a good way for them to backcount you prior to the inevitable back off. I'll eat the bit of EV and just avail myself to keep playing rather than being kicked out. My opinion, of course! LOVE the vids!
I'm getting better at keeping the running count, but adding one for low cards 2-6, and subtracting one for high cards 10-A, still seems counterintuitive and is throwing me off. My goal is to master the running count, and then learning to multitask to determine the true count. Once I have the running count and the true count mastered, my goal is to then combine it with optimal blackjack strategy. Right now I can only focus on keeping track of the running count.
It would be interesting to see the same setup but with a person who follows perfect basic strategy, and maybe with a more conservative progression, such as the D'Alembert
I'm loving these videos, the high speed is something I love to practice. I am curious on the counting when you sit down and some of the deck is already discarded. What's the best way to find the count once it's already started?
I don't know but this might help for me as a beginner, can you do a challenge like this one where the players card count loud so we can hear how they count?
Great video but would have liked to see the table max 5 or 10k like in the casino, then the martingale better would have actually came in 2nd place in the winning bc her highest progress would have been $3200 and she won that bet... keep up the good work!
Practical question. What if the majority of high cards were in the first half of the shoe? The count would always be negative. In this case the player wouldn't increase their bet (because the count is neg.)even though they have the advantage?
@@michaelbraun6504 by counting. LOL. If I'm understanding your question, you know how many high cards there are, right. You counted them and you see that most if not all are gone and you have a half of a deck left. Therefore, you know that the majority of the high cards were in the first half of the shoe.
Splitting 10’s is going to get a lot of attention on big bets and will get you backed off sooner or immediately. Plus it’s tough to beat 20, why not just take the win?
Playing decisions were optimal since I wasn't going to back them off. You can always decide for yourself if you want to give up some EV by not splitting 10's.
it would be way way better to make the call as the basic strategy said, so that we have a real view of how the things should have worked out. Even a bad call leads the odds way more towards the croupier other than the players
I think the 11:55 mark....before then is a perfect example of something in my head. One player splits tens...loses. next hand.... splits tens ..wins. You can have 2 players...both counting...both playing perfectly...wildly different outcomes... For any particular shoe Hey counter 1, how did you do. Won $5k. Hey counter 2, how did you do. Lost $5k. Yes...better to look at them over a long period of time...more hands...probably evens out. But amy particular shoe or string... could be completely different. No it doesn't matter if 2 counters are sitting next to each other at the same table ...but just illustrates the randomness and "luck" for any person, for any shoe.
I see you found one of those shufflers that works overtime for the house. Has anyone else notice that the cards seem to be coming up with a lot more 21 combinations? Electronic shufflers setting up the cards to have more 21 combinations?
No. The shuffler can't know the precise card you will cut to, and can't set up a shoe that can take into effect how each player will play, and players coming and going during a shoe.
I played along using my system which does not include counting but does include the Martingale at the right times! For the first hand, I finished with $21,600! Giving me a $11,600 Profit!!!! Playing Graces hand I came up with $15,750 for a $5,750 Profit!!! And JCnote's hand came in at $13,100 so a $3,100 Profit!!
@@MiroslavDestanov This works even with Splits and double downs as well... That's why you do it!! The problem is most people double every ten and 11. That's wrong only some 11's get doubled!!
People AP all the different machines as well but it's an entirely other subject. We don't get into it ourselves since we purely train card counting, though it is mentioned in some podcasts from players that also AP machines too.
It’s wild how even when counting you can still loose money, the casino will back you off for having the slightest edge meanwhile will assist you with putting your life on the table 😂
ive been learning a little bit but it seems like it would be super easy to tell if someones counting cards, Min bets consistently through a large first part of the shoe, playing basic strategy then making deviations that work and insurance that tends to be right, and large bet increases towards the end. It seems so easy to tell that its a mental roadblock for wanting to sink more time in. to it. Id be so self conscious itd feel like it was glaring, but id like to learn more. Does it seem more obvious because Im aware of it?
There is a mental factor in the game; knowing you're being watched, knowing you might be backed off, knowing that the right moves mathematically may upset less educated players at the table. Getting comfortable with that generally comes with time.
Hi Colin, appreciate your videos they are educating and entertaining. I have a question what are your thoughts on playing blackjack with a bedding style using reverse martingale?
This is a "no-brainer" for anyone not "math-challenged", vis-a-vie the double up to catch up system. Both counting systems win, not the other. The reason we spread our bets is for cover, but sometimes it might be because of a small BR that is subject to run out with a negative run. In the early '60s, before heat, I went from minimum to max on short money, and busted out repeatedly. I knew better, but then I was young, 19, and reckless. (I drove 120 mph in my muscle car.) I got drafted during the "Nam" war, got out more mature and more conservative. If it wasn't for my poker/BJ winnings (I hit the Gibraltar casino) I wouldn't have able to stand living under military control. The extra money (4 x) monthly allowed me to escape off base for 72 hours every 6 shifts, and live well, like a free person, not like a slave.
If you’re splitting that many 10’s, doesn’t that lower your running / true count and eventually it lessens your edge? Should you sometimes expect to not split split, say after 3 splits and realizing the count is low and no longer favors you?
Yes. But the count was really high and with not many decks left. Also, dealer had a 6 upcard, which is the worst hand. It was a PERFECT scenario to keep splitting like that
At 7:39 Player hit on 14 vs dealer 10.... standard... got a 2 giving player 16 vs dealer 10..... Doesnt Basic Strategy say youre supposed to hit? Which player would have gotten the 4 that went to player 2 giving player 1 a 20.... Or did I miss something?
I have a question. When the count is high I see a lot of counters bet 2 hands. My question is for example when someone bets 2 hand if $300 vs 1 hand of $600. With the exception of table maximum why bet 2 hands of $300 instead of 1 hand of $600?
I belive it would just reduce variance. Having one hand at 600 is more volatile than 2 at 300, because there will be two times less hands basically. So it should keep your ev the same and reduce variance/risk of ruin
Hey Colin, I recently visited mystic lake casino in MN and sat down at a 5$ table to generate some EV. After I bought in, I was told there is a 25-cent non-refundable fee per hand to play. I immediately laughed out loud and asked to color up. I was wondering if you'd maybe want to make a video talking about the house edge % and expected loss at such tables. Cheers and thanks for all you do to help aspiring AP's! ~Cody
Many casinos, particularly those in Las Vegas alter the decks of cards they sell to tourists - either by punching holes through the middle of cards or trimming their edges - to prevent cheaters from returning to the game tables after buying the cards and then slipping the favorable cards into their hands when playing.
You should collaborate a tournament that is a real tournament. If it’s somehow legal and we all just play for prize money, the casino tournaments are crap. The blackjack games are turning to crap. We just wanna wait to show our skill.
If you’re splitting tens just take the split 20’s, yes, it’s possible it will be in your favor to keep splitting but splitting on strong more than hand twice is just asking for disaster
I'd love to see a win progression betting system instead of a martingale. Still not an advantage play, but far better than raising bets on a losing streak
@Blackjack Apprenticeship As a beginner dealer I have to ask why did you pay the Blackjack at 6:10? You had a Queen and I was taught that you don't pay it until you draw your own card to make sure you don't have a blackjack of your own
I have a question. I was using your training app. I had a hard 13 and the dealer had a 2. Basic strategy says to stand, so i did and was told i was wrong. True count was 0. What did ind wrong?
