Why does Senior in MIT covers Newton-Raphson and Cauchy’s remainder in his last year? So much for a 4.0 student :-/ Also, true counts of 15 and up are like what? 2 std away? (Just guessing), Actually if JDV can help me on this one i would appreciate that
I don’t understand the question… “Newton-Raphson and Cauchy’s remainder” are fine things to study. The first you would get in some numerical methods class and the second in a number theory class. What’s a “true count”?
It is fine things to study but not as a Senior. I would expect this to be Sophomore/Junior class. True count = Count of the deck / number of decks left in the shoe
*NERD ALERT* - sorry CSK had to call you out on this one 
big time nerd alert *puts away copy of beat the dealer*
I think a count of 15 or above would be an extremely rare event. In my quite limited experience I don’t think I ever saw anything above 5 or 6… haven’t seen the movie yet.
ljw2 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think a count of 15 or above would be an > extremely rare event. In my quite limited > experience I don’t think I ever saw anything above > 5 or 6… haven’t seen the movie yet. agreed. hardly even see true counts of +4. even +3 would be considered a powerful plus count.
took me a few reads to figure out this was about black jack. i remember doing newton-raphson as a soph in a numerical analysis class and then again in more depth when i did a graduate level class as a senior.
It’s kind of funny how “sexy” they make card counting out to be. All being a successful card counter means is that you’ve effectively turned yourself into a computer. Hold’em on the other hand is the only casino game that requires creativity and analytical skills. Discuss…
Agreed, counting requires a large bankroll, tons of time, immunity to second hand smoke, and constant attention. Might as well get a job. I think while poker does require more skill when played at high levels, there is also a lot of variability so you need to play a ton just to find out if you are skilled or not.
ljw2 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Agreed, counting requires a large bankroll, tons > of time, immunity to second hand smoke, and > constant attention. Might as well get a job. > > I think while poker does require more skill when > played at high levels, there is also a lot of > variability so you need to play a ton just to find > out if you are skilled or not. agreed, but compared to games like blackjack, craps, pai go, etc… The amount of thought that goes into casual poker play at a casino completely dwarfs any other games.
ljw2 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Agreed, counting requires a large bankroll, tons > of time, immunity to second hand smoke, and > constant attention. Might as well get a job. the other thing blackjack requires is immunity or insensitivity to what other people at the table say. very often, if you’re at a competitive table, people will make snide remarks if you make what they believe is a bad play, and especially if the outcome leads to the dealer beating everyone else. if you’re self-conscious like i was when i started playing, you can really get down on yourself for all the wrong reasons. worst thing that happened was one time when i found myself at a somewhat hostile table (didn’t realize it when i sat down and didn’t have the self-restraint to leave). on one hand, i made a slight change in strategy, even in spite of my confidence in my own game play as well as my recognition of the true count, which led me to lose a significant bet on when i chose not to hit. i did this only because i was worried that the “correct play” might be perceived as wild and if it didn’t work out, i’d get verbally hazed by the guys sitting next to me again – even in spite of the fact that standing was the WRONG play to make given the odds and the true count. the fact that a couple of the other guys were so hostile made me lose a bit of faith in my own ability, even though i was quite certain that i’d kept track of the counts. since that time, i learned to have faith in my abilities and not get distracted by what other people say or how much better they think they are than me. occasionally i make a play that doesn’t work out and that draws natural glares from fellow players; however, most of the time, the rest of the people at the table end up thanking me for having the “guts” to make the right play, even when all i did was play the game based on my strategies. bottom line is, you gotta stick to your strengths no matter what anyone else says, especially if you’re pretty confident that you’re the best player there.
It’s very tough to stay disciplined against the guys who play themselves off as experts at the casino. Just gotta keep the “I’m a strong and confident card player” mantra running through your head–that is, when your not trying to keep track of six hands on the table… At lease in blackjack you can buy out the rest of the spots at the table…