7 Stud/8 dead card counter

[greenage]

OK, so I play on a laptop that is on a stand next to my easy chair such that it does not interfere with TV viewing.

On the open base of the laptop, I place 7 pennies to the right of the touch pad. If I’m paying attention when the cards are dealt on third street I note the dead cards (Ace - 7) and don’t pay much attention to eight’s most of the time.

Now if there are, for example, two treys out, I will double up the pennies so I know that there are two of them. This technique allows me to visually see which cards are dead. I have also successfully adapted this technique to Razz.

In the interest of full and honest disclosure, I thought I should make this post.

Sorry if this is unethical and happy Friday, lol.

[BeerMoney]

Very Clever.

[TomRowe]

I was searching the Forum and found this thread ... my question is what methods are used to count dead cards and suits in 7 card stud in a B&M where you can't take notes or use pennies [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]?

Is there a book that I should read for this info, or any online articles? I found one article at http://www.studstrategy.com/CountingCardsAndSuits.htm that discusses one method, but it seemed kind of incomplete.

Also I ran accross a software program that counts the dead cards on a number of different online sites. I have no financial interest in this program, but using it seems to me to be a little over the line. http://www.pokerinspector.com/stud/ Does this program violate the rules of any online poker rooms? I know it isn't a bot, but, damn, this seems to give someone quite an edge?

Thanks for your comments.

Tom Rowe

[bholdr]

i just try to use pure memorization. i even say the cards out loud sometimes- online only, of course. i do find i have an easier time remembering 35,372 than 3, 5, 3, 7, 2... maybe that helps...

noting unethical about using pennies. clever.

[TomRowe]

I agree on the pennies ... I was questioning the software.

Tom

[count1]

I think such software is indeed unethical. Probably creates bad habits as well.

[greenage]

Here’s a link to a thread that gets into this.

This thread was meant as a kind of joke, although I actually do use the penny technique for 7 Stud/8, not anymore for Razz and not at all for Stud High.

As I play more Stud I’m gradually becoming more aware of out cards, although I still don’t pay much attention to cards that won’t help my hand. Every once in a while though, I can see that there is no way a player can have the hand that he is representing and then I get to pound him.

I don’t know anything about the program you mentioned and think it highly unethical to use something like that.

[Andy B]

Why can't you use pennies in B&M?

[TomRowe]

Having played in a B&M only twice in my life, I guess I was under the impression that some of the things like taking notes, laying our pennies, or other similar things one might do in the privacy of their home when online would be deemed bad etiquette in a B&M. Seems I might be wrong.

In the case of the pennies, perhaps I woud use chips instead seeing how I have chips in front of me anyway.

Tom Rowe

[Andy B]

Certainly, there are things you can do while playing on-line that you can't do while playing live. Surfing for porn comes to mind. Some folks do take notes at the table. You don't see it much, and I think it's bad for the game as it lets people know you're paying attention. People keep all kinds of card protectors and lucky charms on the table, though, and I think the only restriction is that they can't be big enough to hide cards under, which pennies clearly are not. Apart from looking a little weird, the only problem I can see with using this method live is that if someone knew what you were doing, he could gain information about the folded cards from your penny pile. Anyone who's observant enough to decipher the penny pile can probably track the cards reasonably well anyway, though.