Life-Poker.info

If TC Is Bet This Many Units
- or 0 ____________________________ 1 (minimum bet)
+ 1 ________________________________ 2
+ 2 _________________________________ 3
+ 3 _________________________________ 4
+ 4 _________________________________ 5
+ 5 ________________________________ 6
+ 6 ______________________________ 7
+ 7 or more _____________________________ 8 (upper limit)
Note: The number of units bet is approximately equal to the TC in the chart.
Both of these charts are meant only as rough guidelines, not dyed-in-the-wool dictums to be followed rigidly, especially when the heat is on. Keep them in mind, but also remember that a gradual change in the size of your wager is far less apt to draw attention or arouse suspicion. Depending upon the size of your bankroll, you can figure roughly what the dollar figure for each bet will be. With a little panache, you may be able to pull off a single jump from one to ten units successfully, but it is certainly not recommended.
Just as credit card companies benefit from monthly interest payments when their clients spend beyond their means, so casinos tiy to coerce their blackjack patrons into overbetting. When table minimums are raised to $25, any player whose bankroll is less than $1,250 can’t play at all without dancing with gambler’s ruin. This is exactly what casino management hopes to encourage. Novice players and experienced counters alike continually fall into this subtle trap.
Avoid overbetting by figuring out in advance exactly what your maximum bet can be when you comply with the 2% Rule. Then find a table whose minimum bet allows a range of ten betting units within your betting limit and decide how you will increase your wagers as the TC climbs.
For example, if your total blackjack bankroll is $1,000, your maximum bet will be $20. Under absolutely no conditions will you wager more than $20 on a single hand. At a $2 table your bet-ranging could look like the following hypothetical sample:

It should be pointed out here that if your entire bankroll is only $500 or less, and the table minimum is $10, then you are certain to be overbetting on almost every hand. Sit down and play under such conditions only if you are willing to risk losing your playing stakes several times in a row, or perhaps going completely broke because of long runs of weak hands. In such a situation, Wonging is strongly recommended (see chapter 5). Playing BS and counting cards only guarantees winning over the long haul; in the short run anything can happen and will, but if you expect the worst you can never be disappointed.
The main thing to remember when planning your TC wagering leeway is not to exceed the 2% limit on any bet. It’s not critical to range your bets perfecdy within this limit, as long as they always vary directly with the TC. This way you are sure to be betting more when the counts are good and less when they drop, all the while staying within your betting limit.