Re: Card counting: goals & methods?
- From: ewleongusa@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: 6 Feb 2006 06:50:00 -0800
LurfysMa wrote:
I have often wondered about card counting. I would guess that I am
about average in my ability to keep track of what has been played.
Keeping track of every individual card seems out of reach for me. Part
of it is laziness, I will admit, but it's also that I don't have a
good "system" for keep track of cards or even a good sense of what I
really should keep track of. Also, I'm not sure of the benefit of
keeping track of every deuce. If I know that I have the last heart, it
does not matter if it is the ace or the deuce.
Are there effective ways to increase my ability to keep track of which
cards have been played -- or, more importantly, which ones have not?
Keeping track of the number of trump is easy and I usually also know
which trump cards are outstanding down to at least the 10. If I think
I will need it, such as if I hold the 765, I will also keep track of
the 8 and 9. I do this fairly well.
I usually know which aces are still out and almost always the kings
and queens. In addition, I will know the J and 10 in key suits.
So, I have a few questions:
1. Which cards are the most beneficial to keep track of?
I would guess that trump would be first, followed by aces, kings,
queens, jacks, and so on.
Some situations would indicate others. If I want to set up a long
suit, I will keep track of how many are outstanding in that suit. If I
want to ruff something in dummy, I will keep track of how many are out
to guage the chances of getting over-ruffed.
Is there some list of what to keep track of in priority order? I could
then practice adding to me skills in a way that would be most
beneficial.
2. What's the best way to keep track of things?
For trump, I count outstanding trumps and decrement the counter as
play progresses. If I start with 8 trumps between me and dummy (as
declarer), I think of there being "5 out" (not "13 out"). After 1
trick where everyone follows suit, I think of there being "3 out", not
"9 out". I am keeping track of how many trumps the opponents have
left. Is that the best way?
I also do this for suits I want to establish either in no trump ort
after trumps have been pulled.
I also do this on defense, especially against no trump, but I include
partner in the number that are "out", unless I have an idea how many
partner has from the bidding.
Is it better to count what's been played or what's left (out)?
Does this apply to the other suits?
3. Is remembering each trick so as to be able to recount a good idea?
I tried keeping 4 counters going and decrementing all of them, but I
made a lot of mistakes and it sometimes caused me to get the trump
count wrong.
I also tried to remember each trick (2 heart tricks, all follow, AKJ
out; 1 spade trick won by A; 1 spade trick, LHO discards a heart;
etc), but I had trouble getting it right and on the 12th trick, it
took too long for me to decide whether my small club or small diamond
was the last in that suit.
4. Are there any good books on card counting?
5. Is there any software to help train people to count cards?
Thanks
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220@xxxxxxxxxx
Some Counting stories:
Concerning counting, I was once playing with Ed Barlow in a Palo Alto
Sectional Pairs game some number of years ago, and Ed declarer a
contract after my RHO had overcalled in say the club suit. Ed rattled
off a long suit and my RHO discarded some clubs. Towards the end, Ed
shrugged his shoulders, and cashed the good deuce of clubs. On the very
next board, I was playing 3NT, after the very same RHO overcalled in
clubs. I rattled off a long suit, RHO discarded some clubs. Finally,
towards the end I was asking myself: "Is my two of clubs really good?"
I racked my memory all the while wishing I counted the hands as good as
Ed. Finally, I shrugged my shoulders and cashed the deuce of clubs.
I rarely kibitz Bob Hamman. The last I seen, he rarely sorts his hand.
But somehow he manages to keep track.
Lew Stansby once told me a story about Hamman a number of years ago.
Stansby once asked Hamman about a hand played in a Nationals about a
year earlier because he forgotten the details and Hamman told him what
had happened and he rattled off the hand. Next, he asked Stansby what
did he do on the companion board. Stansby didn't remember but Hamman
rattled off the hand and the spots.
I don't think most experts keep track of the spots as well as Hamman.
Once I was playing against an older woman's national champion (well she
had to be older than my mother) with perhaps at least 80 times the
number of master points when I had in a Board-a-match event at some
National.
The suit was something like:
Dummy
D AQ53
Declarer
D K962
But first I asked my partner if he would be so kind as to get me a cup
of water.
Then I ran off my diamond suit to get to a position equivalent to:
S K
H -
D 3
C -
S A
H A
D -
C -
S -
H K
D ?
C -
where I led the diamond three from dummy.
RHO, finally started to perk up. She racked her brains trying to
remember what cards were played. Finally, after 2-3 minutes of anguish
and various shifting body positions she finally slammed down her spade
....
I have three points to make:
1. Bob Hamman would not have gotten this wrong.
2. I agree with RHO's play. Given that you forgotten the spots it is
better to pay off to brilliance.
Unfortunately, I followed with the diamond two and took the good spade
on dummy.
3. Notice how important it was for me to send partner away to get a
glass of water.
If I had to call out the diamond spots to partner as dummy surely RHO
would have gotten it right.
Eric Leong
PS: We still lost the board but it was fun.
.
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- Card counting: goals & methods?
- From: LurfysMa
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