vpFREE2 Forums

XVP: BJ tournaments and card counting

#1

This is somewhat comforting news to me, as I am understandably a bit nervous
about the upcoming UBT final table in Hollywood next month. I've tried to
learn counting in the past, it was like trying to give swimming lessons to a
brick. Chip counting by sight and the ability to quickly do simple math in your
head are more valuable skills than card counting in a blackjack tournament.
The ability to count would come in handy, but knowing the count in a six-deck
tournament shoe isn't going to help one little bit if you can't tell exactly how
many chips your opponents have, and calculate the best appropriate bet. If
any of you decide to take a whack at UBT's free online games, understand that
card counting is useless there because the cyber-shoe is shuffled after every
hand.

Six professional tournament blackjack players and little ol' me. I feel like
I'm taking a knife to a gunfight! But I'm going to charge in there swinging,
and with just a wee bit of help from Lady Luck, I intend to give 'em all they
can handle.

- Brian in MI

In a message dated 12/21/2006 6:02:36 AM Eastern Standard Time,
bob.dancer@compdance.com writes:

If I had to predict the success in a tournament between a card counter
with no tournament experience and an experienced tournament player who
couldn't count cards at all, I'd go with the experienced basic strategy
player.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#2

Marksalot300 wrote:

Six professional tournament blackjack players and little ol' me. I
feel like I'm taking a knife to a gunfight! But I'm going to charge
in there swinging, and with just a wee bit of help from Lady Luck, I
intend to give 'em all they can handle.

Something to consider, Brian: Food for thought; you decide whether
the comments have applicability.

In that particular deck, you're definitely the wild card. I can see
considerable temptation to try to maintain a cool and rational posture
to set yourself on par with the pros.

However, in your shoes, my inkling would be to take advantage of the
fact that they have almost no idea of what to expect out of you, and
play that wild card up a bit in an attempt to put them off balance.

Speaking personally, one of my pet negotiating postures is to play the
fool. (And I expect I'm rather good at it ... it comes to me pretty
naturally :wink: It doesn't do much for my off-the-cuff reputation in
some quarters. But it serves as apt misdirection for a bit of sleight
of hand.

···

------

You damn well better offer up a play-by-play on this, Brian!! We're
all going to be pulling for you. Good Luck :slight_smile:

- Harry

#3

Harry, you're so right. I do my best negotiating when people underestimate me. Brian, good luck -- and keep 'em guessing! Lainie

Harry Porter <harry.porter@verizon.net> wrote: However, in your shoes, my inkling would be to take advantage of the
fact that they have almost no idea of what to expect out of you, and
play that wild card up a bit in an attempt to put them off balance.

Speaking personally, one of my pet negotiating postures is to play the
fool. (And I expect I'm rather good at it ... it comes to me pretty
naturally :wink: It doesn't do much for my off-the-cuff reputation in
some quarters. But it serves as apt misdirection for a bit of sleight
of hand.

···

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