Originally Posted by
kewlJ
Garnabby, posted a quote from a conversation at another website, where some part time weekend warrior, player, who now says he doesn't even play blackjack but plays spanish 21, is trashing, well respected blackjack expert Don Schlesinger and his Illustrious 18 deviation plays that anyone that card counts is familiar with. There can be up to 200 strategy change deviations based on the count. Most occur at counts that are so extreme, if you play 100,000 rounds a year, you might see that situation once a year. So most just aren't relevant. Knowing the right index play for a situation that occurs once a year or less adds pennies...literally.
What Don did with the Illustrious 18 was show mathematically that after the top 3 plays, Insurance, player 16 vs dealer 10, player 15 vs dealer 10, that each strategy change play you learn and play has diminishing returns. That means each play is worth less and less of an advantage until after the top 18 or 20, they all are really worth pennies. So Don chose 18. I don't know why that was his cut off, instead of 20, or 16. But whatever number you choose, after about 18 or 20, knowing these plays adds very little. If you are trying to bump up your win rate, adding index plays is NOT going to be how you do it. there are many other different things that can make a difference, but adding or learning 200 plays isn't it.
All this what I am sure is a recreational player is doing is trying to tear down a blackjack math expert, claiming he knows better than the expert that everyone that plays blackjack regards as an expert. Poster JSTAT who sometimes posts here, did that same thing for years with Thorp, pointing out some small irrelevant detail that just didn't matter. I am not even 100% sure this latest guy isn't JSTAT reincarnated. He most certainly is somebody reincarnated, meaning been around forums using different name.
I simply gave this player a clinic on things you can do that will allow you to play for years at very little cost. Longevity...the name of the game. You can squeeze every last cent and be banned everywhere unable to get a game and be writing books and running BJ bootcamps after 4 years, or you can apply some of my techniques that has allowed me to play and play within the casinos tolerance and comfort level for 20 years. THAT was the discussion. Garnabby, if you want to bring that discussion here, I am happy to. But again, same problem: Not many active blackjack players here that want to talk blackjack.
I have one more things to say. let me take a short break and I will finish up.