It’s been a while since I have made any update posts. However, this does not mean that progress has not been made. Here’s what I’ve been getting up to:
Since my last progress report, I have played 3,157 hands of Blackjack, averaging just over 200 hands per day. And as I show here in my Achievements, I have gone on multiple 500+ perfect streaks with basic strategy. The last Achievement is 1000 perfect hands, but I want to earn that with the deviations as well, and that will be the true litmus test for when I feel ready to go to the casino with a bank roll.
Speaking of bank roll, I turned betting on in the app (fake money) and started with $10,000 and did consistent $100 bets (I’m sure there’s a better strategy but I haven’t looked into it). I went as low as $5,500 and went as high as $12,800, and I’m currently sitting on some profit.
My decision making speed has improved dramatically, but I still feel like it is slower than it needs to be, especially once I start keeping track of the counts. When it comes to hard counts, I can make decisions almost immediately, but both splits and soft counts still require some thought. Little did I know, but I could just go into the settings and change the behavior of the dealer to give me only soft hands. This helped out a lot, and this will help me to get faster at hand totals when there are aces out.
It is now the end of Day 27, which means I’ve been at this nearly a month, and I feel like I can start the next stage – improving my counting.
In order to do this, I bit the bullet and downloaded the premium speed counting drill for an additional $0.99. This acts the same way as the typical app, but the decisions are made for the player hand and the cards are dealt immediately. There are speed and deck adjustments, and I plan to get the speed as high as possible at some point in this journey. Also, with this drill being on the app, it makes practicing a lot more accessible than carrying around a deck of cards. The counts can also get way higher, and in just the few times I have tried the drill, I have gotten as high as 14, and with a single deck I’ve never gotten over an 8.
By next update, my goal is to be counting confidently, and to be ready for the deviations. At the casino nearby, they use S17 rules (At least to the best of my knowledge – I’m trusting a buddy of mine who is “pretty sure they stand on soft 17s”), so I will be reviewing that chart as well.
Overall, it’s just been a steady process toward improving. This isn’t glamorous or exciting, but it’s a fun little hobby that will hopefully lead to some payout in the future. If not, I master a new game that most people have some experience with. Stay tuned for next time to see deviations, and my improvement with speed counting.
cosmicestral 