Howdy, Blackjack Peeps! Longtime player here, but been awhile since I posted anything. Wife just turned 30 so had a grand surprise party for her and been busy with life in general. Anyway, my question is regarding general blackjack casino gambling, not Tournament play. I read before that in order to not go broke at a 4-hour session 95% of time, it is recommended that one's bankroll is 40x their average bet, and to not go broke 90% of time, 30x is recommended. My question is, where is documented, mathematical evidence of this? Because lately I've been averaging $75 but only have $1K bankroll while the wifey averages ~$35-40 and her bankroll is $500 and we won in both recent trips we had, $500 most recently, and about $2K at Beau Rivage and L'. I would think having 20x average bet would be good at least 75% based on the above %'s, but curious to know the exact % just bec I dont want to bring over $2K ($2250 to be exact!) playing $75 average! Thanks in advance.
The subject of bankroll requirements and risk of ruin for sessions, trips and for your lifetime is covered in great detail in Don Schlesinger's book, Blackjack Attack, 3rd Edition. It is essential reading for any serious player. These things all assume that you're playing with an advantage to start with (i.e. counting) and the rules, conditions, spread and style of play you are using. I can tell you that you are both over betting for the size of the session bankroll you are using. For more immediate answers, I suggest posting at blackjacktheforum.com.
Thanks for the reply, gronbog. Yes, I'm aware that we are overbetting but on winning sessions (we won much more in the past, roughly 3-4 years ago after we were just newlyweds!) I jokingly tell my wife that we've gotten really lucky since before we'd only have $3K at the tables, and we *each* play at the $100 level and have tons of winning sessions, even a ~10K trip win! In other words, $1500 each, which, by utilizing Thomason progression to this day I'm ahead on the casino! Albeit not as much as before but still a good bit ahead. Note I'm a flawless, advanced BS player who does everything but counting (never got into it). Yes, I will post on that other site you mentioned. Thanks again. Still hoping someone else would know the answer to my question though!
Bughouse, you're obviously more interested in showing off your incomplete knowledge of the subject rather than paying attention to very good advice from an expert.
Dakota, What 'very good advise" did gronbog suggest? Referring me to read some book? If I wanted recommendations for Blackjack books I would have specifically stated such but obviously I asked a specific question desiring a specific ANSWER.
You asked where you could find documented results which would either confirm or refute what you had heard about session bankroll requirements and risk. As I stated in my response, the answer to your question is in that book. It is the most complete treatment of the subject that you will find anywhere. Someone on the other forum pointed you at an online calculator and yet another pointed you at the CVCX software which also handles evaluation of bankroll requirements and risk assessment. If no one has yet said "Yes that's right" or "no it isnt", it's because the answers are complex and no one knows what is right for your situation and the betting system that you use. The next best thing we can do is to point you at the resources that you can use to discover the answers for yourself.
And who answered me on what to fill in on those confusing ass forms on the CVCS software nonsense? I have no idea how to fill in those fields!! People are ultra-complacent. They'll reply once and not follow-up on the OP's further questions on the subject........ Reminds me of my Best Friend, the most carefree Doctor in the world.
WOW. Just WOW. The original question doesn't even involve the main intent of this forum, which is tournament play, yet you got free advice from one of the world's leading experts and you're complaining?????
Someone has posted some suggestions on the other forum now. Be aware that not everyone reads these forums every day. Some have full time careers which keep them busy. Some of the more knowledgeable players are playing for a living and are away for days or weeks at a time with better things to do. A little patience goes a long way.
I'll add that this is a free website. The site managers volunteer their time for love of the game -- not to make extra money. Please keep things friendly here at blackjacktournaments.com. Some good rules of thumb regarding bankroll: 1. No betting system can overcome the casino's advantage over the players unless you are counting cards effectively. Without card counting or outside replenishment of your bankroll, your long-term risk of ruin is 100%. 2. The Monkeysystem contains the following bankroll requirements, which have worked for me for many years: - Session bankroll = 10 big bets for live - Trip bankroll = 20 big bets for live - Career bankroll = 100 big bets for live or 30 tournament buy-ins - For flat betting or betting scheme average bet, multiply the session and trip bankrolls by 2 3. Shot taking is when you exceed your bankroll requirement in a planned manner. The following rules apply: - Done rarely. - Don't risk throwing away a huge chunk of your bankroll and putting yourself effectively out of business. - If the result is a reduction in your bankroll below the requirements in step 2 above, you need to decrease stakes until you rebuild your bankroll. - Specific reason intended to build your game, such as testing your skills against stronger opponents or gaining experience against strong opponents you know you will be facing. I don't have any references or hard math to back this up. It's the result of years of experience combined with the many books I've read on blackjack.
