Is counting worth it

[MicroBob]

a semi-drunken or care-free act is helpful too (and lots of fun).


If you can count while also singing the stupid motown song the band is playing all the while not really looking like you are paying attention to the cards they will be less likely to suspect you of counting.

I also like to mention things like "okay...I've got a hunch and am going to try to take the dealer's bust-card here." or "I'm going to leave the bust-card for you" depending on which way you want to go obviously.


I know that many people can't sing or babble about the NFL or the hot waitress or whatever while counting....but do the best you can.
Every little bit helps.

For some reason i have a special ability for this.

I keep side-count of the aces by my foot position, notice what other value may have come out a lot or a little ("haven't seen any 7's yet....even though the count tells me to stand on my 14 v. 10 right now I know that there are enough 7's left to make a hit the +EV play"), keep a running +/- count and mumble the words to 'set me free, why don't you babe' while sipping my gin-and-tonic.

I think it's kind of a special gift though.


you also need to be aware of when the floor is watching you.
After you raise and lower your bet a few times someone is bound to start watching you from somewhere. If you feel some eyes on you then go ahead and make a cover-play.


That's what learning some fo the side-counts can be good for...because the floor isn't going to know that you split your 3's against a T because you're almost at the end of the double-deck and have hardly seen any 8's or 9's.

They'll see it as a play they don't recognize and think you're a moron.
I'll do something like this every time I think it's reasonably close to even-EV....
even if they are sure that I'm counting (because they saw me take insurance on my 13 with a really big bet up there) they'll just think I'm a really bad counter who can't possibly know what I'm doing.


anyway, these are some more advanced plays obviously. But I've found them to be VERY helpful for turing the casino's attention away from you.
Some of my views weren't very well accepted over at BJ21.com though back in the day.
Stanford Wong insists that the EV gain of side-counts (including aces side-counts) isn't worth the effort.