"So basically, if they lose massively (at least 30x their bankroll with about 4 hrs of play) would be totally up to how the CARDS are dealt to him/her, and they'd have ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL of over that anymore, agree? If so, so then PEOPLE WHO PLAY THIS WAY ARE SIMPLY PLAYING BY "LUCK" OF THE CARDS EVEN THOUGH THEIR PLAYING ALMOST AS BEST THEY COULD ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Right?? "

Bug, .... You DO have some "CONTROL". Like leaving the table if the environment is bad. Lose 4 to 5 hands in a row & have the discipline to LEAVE. If you have some jerk at 3rd base splitting his 10's against your double down , LEAVE, I don't care how many experts tell me the bad player does not affect my game. Find a table with more knowledgeable players. I have been advised NOT to play at a FULL table (bad, in most instances for it limits your "chance" -standard deviation- at good luck with the cards). Seems to me it is all a "percentage" game. Up your percentages by ANY means (go beyond your "basic" Basic Strategy) & you walk with a plus more consistently. "Luck" is a balancing act & you are fighting not only the Casino but YOURSELF. Did you have a fight with your mate? Don't play. Are you angry about something? Don't play. Are you tired & hungry? Don't play. Are you a morning or night person? When are YOU at your "best"? KNOW THYSELF & play accordingly. There are just too many VARIABLES to blame ALL your losses simply on the "bad luck" flow of the cards. And finally, if you are going to play on a regular basis: Set aside a separate checking account with at least $5,000. - if you are a quarter player- (that is NOT needed to pay your bills) to draw upon WHEN you hit a string of losses before the cards turn for you. What this does is release you from the stress of "press betting" where you WILL, most often, LOSE CONTROL. I have limited experience with the game, but this is what I have discovered so far.

There is more to the game than the psychology of the game. Let us say you are happy, happy :lol: You still must deal with all the other factors, variables, elements of the game itself. Whether you Hit or Stand is just one factor in the game. But you can be a little more sophisticated. For example. You have 16/10 situation. Like Desert said in earlier post: "sometimes" the correct strategy is to STAND! Well, if you don't know ALL the little "exceptions" or tricks that go along with "basic" BS, then you will lower your percentages of winning, won't you? When I refer to all the "variables" in the game, that is what I am talking about. What if you have a 16, are on 3rd and see that person to your right has a "4" in his hand. Your percentages just changed, didn't they? If you are not aware of this, then you may walk away loser, blaming your "loss for the day" on "just bad luck" or the old "I just got a bad run of cards, nuttin' wrong with me!" It wasn't "bad" luck. You just were not sophisticated enough to KNOW how to handle the situation.

Everyone relax: the guy at third base will often hurt as well as help you with his "dumb" moves. Once you realize that, you'll be a whole lot more relaxed. He wants to split his 10s? Fine. He wants to double a 12? No problem. Life is much easier when you realize the "dumb-ass" at third base will help you as often as he will hurt you.

If you play perfect BS, people will regard YOU as the "dumb-ass" when you hit A7v9, or split 88vA or hit 12v3 or soft double anything. What comes around goes around. So RELAX!

And don't beat yourself up about "skillfull" play. 16v10 is a close call, and you'll often loose when you make the correct play, and Joe Bloe will often win when he makes the wrong move. Just look at the results of the typical HitOeStand game. Sometimes you win a lot, sometimes you lose a lot, but you always (at least I HOPE you always) play the same BS (basic strategy).

Let's keep the tables happy. :D

Mr. Ed - Superb post as usual.....Minimum of words..... 100% accurate with the facts.

Crackers - Mr. Ed is "right on".... Believe him.

Bug - Good post of yours.....you also "nailed" the facts. Call it luck, expectation, standard deviation, whatever.....The fact is you are going to "win some and lose some". BUT, by you playing perfect BS you are cutting that house edge down to -0.43% and Mr. Bug, that ain't bad.

Enough "talk" - I'm flyin' out of here tomorrow morning to play blackjack for three days.....life is good.

Regards.....Grifter

Hey Buffarino, you may as well get twice as jealous. I am also off for three days of BJ and fun. I will post a trip report, when I get back. :D

Crackers, at digital bj can you see the other players' cards? Are they on screens in front of each seat and hard to view from other angles?

"Crackers, at digital bj can you see the other players' cards? Are they on screens in front of each seat and hard to view from other angles?" (From Desert Dog)

YES. If I stand all the time, I can see the other player screens except for the one next to third base, which appears "black" if you are at first.

HELLO??????????????????? IT'D BE NICE IF SOMEONE COULD BE KIND ENOUGH TO POST A REPLY! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :twisted:

Dude, but $1000 is 40x the $25 table minimum... so my point is that it was more than sufficient!!! At a $10 table $400 is 40x so $500 would be over 40x, the recommended amount to bring by the Experts.

I'm just very shocked how POORLY the flow of my hands went and how it was all gone in 3 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BuGhOu§eMASTER said:

HELLO??????????????????? IT'D BE NICE IF SOMEONE COULD BE KIND ENOUGH TO POST A REPLY! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :twisted:

Nobody 'owes' you a reply, Bug. Maybe if you were a bit nicer, more people would respond. Just a thought.

crackers said:

:cry: Setting a LOSS LIMIT is a smart thing, but hard to do. Takes so MUCH Discipline (that I do not yet have). 3 hours and down $1,000. ?Hmmmm. Might have been good, in retrospect, to slow down and, after the first $500. down ....to have taken a break!
Is real easy for ME to advise you, Bug. Now if I could just get someone to make me listen to my own advice :P

I only bring as much as I'm willing to lose in that sitting with me. There has been 1 or 2 times where I've driven the 1.5 hours to the casino only to turn around and leave after an hour (or, on one occasion, 45 minutes). Doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Like you said, you've just gotta be disciplined enough to do it.

BuGhOu§eMASTER said:

Nobody 'owes' you a reply, Bug. Maybe if you were a bit nicer, more people would respond. Just a thought.

And maybe if YOU learned how to play, you wouldn't be crying about BS questions!!!!!!!!!!!!! :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

I made $300 on my last trip to Vegas (3 day trip, played 8-10 hours per day). How'd you do on your last trip?

You lost your whole bankroll. Maybe it was just bad cards, or maybe your BS isn't quite as perfect as you'd like to think it is.

My bad, Grifter. Will do.