Black Jack Auto-Play ??

GrannyMae · #1 07-13-2003, 05:40 AM

i have $200 left of my $250 from riverbelle. i am BORED with the slots. they have 30 games, but they are all basically 3 games, that's it.

welll, they have blackjack with vegas and atlantic city rules (good), and an auto-play feature.

it has a very extensive grid that you can tweak all you want if you want to change the "expert" strategy.

the maximum, and only bet you can place is $2 per hand. splits, doubles etc are allowed and are already programmed into the auto play feature.

i just did a test run of 10 hands on auto play, and won $6. should i program this thing for 100 or 200 hands and let it rip?? woohoo

can the blackjack strategists please give me an opinion? i am bored with the site like i said, and it seems a fast way to try and clear a bonus. i am more comfortable with this way than the let it ride suggestions as of late.

maybe i should have taken the entire $250 when i got it in the promo, and programmed the auto play to play the EXACT dollar amount needed to satisfy the bonus, and then BOOM, whatever is left, all whores can yank clean.

maybe some of you should try this. remember you have to go through www.riverbelle.com/AWARD , and the promo ends jul 31st

bull7 · #2 07-13-2003, 06:03 AM

Ditto Granny, I'm bored with Riverbelle too. My original $250 BR shot up to a huge $262, but now down to $180 after a couple pitiful sessions on the slots.

Sorry to relay bad news, GM, but I don't think BJ play is allowed to be used towards the bonus. If you'll check your original thread and/or the terms on the web site, it specifically excludes many games, including Blackjack. I'd like to be wrong about this, because I much prefer to play blackjack.

Back a couple years ago (or less) many net casino sites offered attractive bonuses in which Blackjack play did count to qualify for the bonus. I tried about twenty or so casinos, and was only a net loser on one site (William Hill Casino, which I STILL can't beat). At that time bonues were much easier to earn, usually with 2 times play. I don't remember the exact figure, but I collected in excess of 2K profit, and received a check which cleared the bank from each casino that I was able to do a cash out. Now the bonus requirements are far more difficult.

BTW, auto bet is not such a good idea, because it is extremely important to vary your bet in blackjack, and of course to have the larger bets at the more oportune times. Generally, in BJ you will lose more hands than you win, especially as the length of your session grows. The greatest advantage players have over the House in terms of basic stategy, is the ability to vary your bet, and to use discretion as to when to split and double down your hand. Finally, taking insurance is a sucker's bet, and you'll be way ahead over the long run if you NEVER take it. As is the case in most casino games, if the House offers extra betting oportunities (e.g. BJ insurance, 777 bonus, 3 card poker combo with BJ, etc.), they are not doing you any favors, as these bets tend to heavily favor the House. Therefore, generally the rule is, if they offer it extra, you don't want it. My remarks stem from the most basic BJ stategy, and does not consider card-counting, or single vrs multiple deck games.

dink · #3 07-13-2003, 11:13 AM

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />

BTW, auto bet is not such a good idea, because it is extremely important to vary your bet in blackjack, and of course to have the larger bets at the more oportune times. Generally, in BJ you will lose more hands than you win, especially as the length of your session grows. The greatest advantage players have over the House in terms of basic stategy, is the ability to vary your bet,

[/ QUOTE ]

I was just wondering how you know when to increase or decrease your bet, if you are not counting?

Using basic strategy you will lose about .5% of your money no matter how you bet. Your expectation doesn't change when your bets do.

You can use progressions to try to even out your fluctuations, but you will still lose money.

Granny I have heard some people complain about the autoplay feature at some of these casinos, but I have used it quite succesfully, I wouldn't play it all at once I would play a little bit at a time maybe 200 hands a go, get it running then go make yourself a cup of tea or a scotch and dry.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]

Jimbo · #4 07-13-2003, 12:50 PM

"BTW, auto bet is not such a good idea, because it is extremely important to vary your bet in blackjack,..."

If they shuffle the deck after every hand why does it matter if you vary your bet bull7?

Glenn · #5 07-13-2003, 12:52 PM

Maybe the voices tell him to. You have to listen to the voices.

twizzilator · #6 07-13-2003, 01:03 PM

Auto-play uses proper basic strategy. Check out

http://www.onlineblackjackguide.com/

for basic strategy charts for various casinos and links
to the latest greatest promos.

DigitalNate · #7 07-13-2003, 01:52 PM

Jimbo has hit upon the reason counters don't play online blackjack. The only way to get an edge over the house, unless they have some odd rules or a promotion, is to count cards and increse your bets when you have the best of it. Most online casinos shuffle after every hand, so unless you are at a full table with a single deck, the count is pretty much useless. Even with a single deck you most likely will not be able to beat the game.

However, if blackjack does count towards your bonus the autoplay does sound attractive, since you can get closer to even money with optimal basic strategy compared to many other games.

bull7 · #8 07-13-2003, 03:38 PM

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />

[/ QUOTE ] I was just wondering how you know when to increase or decrease your bet, if you are not counting?

Personally, dink I count cards and prefer a single deck. Still there is a "small" factor prevalent in gaming called LUCK, which also applies to Blackjack. When counting cards the deck can be heavily in your favor, and you can still ose. Conversely, the deck can be heavily against you and you win anyway.

Even a player employing the most basix BJ stategy should observe the number of aces used and/or left in the deck. For example, if no aces appear on the first deal, there is a greater probability possibly of a blackjack occuring on the next deal. If you count cards, or at least aces and ten point cards, you could gauge better, how probable. Of course, the dealers' chance of achieving a blackjack also increases. (Here comes that crazy LUCK factor again.) Still you can opt to play multiple hands, whereas the dealer may only play one. Also a player blackjack pays 3 to 2, a dealer BJ only even money.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, you can expect to lose more hands in BJ than you win, especially as the length of your session grows. Varying your bet is essential to winning blackjack, of course hoping to win more of the larger bets and losing more of the small ones. (simple, like the stock market: Buy low, sell high). This includes effectively opting for splitting and/or doubling down your hand at the most opportunte times, i.e. favorable cards and/or bigger bet. I could go into greater detail, but, at the risk of boring poker players, I'll stop here.

The Progression stategy you mention has many flaws, not the least of which are a) running out of money, and b) reaching the table betting limit before you can recover your losses. If that stategy was esily successful, everybody would use it and the casinos would be broke. (Although all the casinos need to is drastically lower the table limits). My last trip to Vegas yet again confirms my continued, long-held strong belief the casinos are thriving.

The 5% house edge you mention which exists employing basic stategy is not necessarily true. The true house edge varies, and depends upon many factors, such as the various BJ rules employed by the house, and the number of decks in use for the game.

I hate to lose, especially to casinos. While losing is, over the long haul, inevitablle at times, I make a sincere effort to minimize the amount and frequency of my losses. Amazingly, the wins seem to take care of themselves.

bull7 · #9 07-13-2003, 03:54 PM

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
If they shuffle the deck after every hand why does it matter if you vary your bet bull7?

[/ QUOTE ]

Jimbo, you want to win more of your big bets and lose more of your small bets regardless. If they shuffe after each hand, LUCK becomes the overriding factor, and I would not play.

bull7 · #10 07-13-2003, 04:01 PM

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
Maybe the voices tell him to. You have to listen to the voices

[/ QUOTE ]

I've tried that, but sadly, it's never worked for me.