Table Games Do you practice before you play?

I like to feel confident that I know basic strategy down 100% before I play (spanish 21 and blackjack), so before I play at the casino I generally spend 10 minutes playing a practice session online for free. is this just my OCD or is it common to practice before you play?

 

I believe in the movie There's Something About Mary, Ben Stiller established the importance of practicing before you play.

 

I’ve only recently (last year or two) added video poker to my “gambling repertoire”. And until my last trip, I really only played about 15-30 minutes/day. So, I’m not 100% confident in my skills yet. So, yeah, I do practice a little in the days leading up to a trip. I also bring a print out of the basic strategy with me. The last trip I took in November, I found that I never needed to use it. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve finally mastered DDB or if I just didn’t happen to come across a hand that had a decision I wasn’t sure of. I think it’s probably the latter; so I’ll continue to practice prior to a trip and bring the “cheat sheet” with me until I’m 100% sure.

With blackjack, I’ve reached the level of degeneracy that basic strategy is just second nature. The only basic strategy I don’t know completely is for games with rules sets I’m not willing to play (i.e. games that don’t allow DAS or shoe games that are H17). So, I don’t bother practicing BJ anymore.

The only other game I play is craps. And really there’s nothing to practice there. Once you know the house advantage on the various bets, it’s just a matter of weighing how much you enjoy a particular bet vs. how “good” or “bad” that bet is.

 

I normally stick to BJ/Spanish/Craps, maybe some Pai Gow Poker when in Vegas. Starting to really learn VP though, found a decent free iPhone app called VP Tutor...curious if anyone else uses a trainer on their phone/PC.

 

I practice. Not while I'm in Vegas, but certainly in the week or two leading up to it. And I'll practice different variations.

In theory, it's great if you can go with thecarve's plan to never play hit on soft 17 blackjack. But if you're on the strip and you have a friend who wants to play $10 a hand, you're not going to find a table where the dealer stands on soft 17, so I find it useful to know both.

 

Indeed. I’ve been in the exact same situation. When I know I’ll be in Vegas with someone who will want to sit at such a table, I write down the handful of decisions that are different (usually only five or six differences) on the back of one of my business cards and put it in my wallet. Then, when I find myself at one of those tables, I just pull out the card.

 

blackjack is second nature to me, but Spanish 21 is not, I find the basic strategy for spanish 21 to be very hard for me to get down for some reason. I am planning a trip in two weeks and I want to play spanish, so I am practicing. I also find that for BJ most people know how to play by the book, but for spanish people play like drunken monkeys... the house edge for spanish is about the same as it is for BJ (0.42) but the house edge for the average player must be well over 1%...

 

For sure, practice on ipad and iphone on the plane going out.

Also, on the week before, I drive to local mall and go into a few stores and just throw money on the floor. Nobody gives me any comps though, so I might stop doing that.

 

You can save time on that second step by just staying home from the store and setting the cash on fire. Which is the equivalent for me of sports betting.

 

There are only 6 basic strategy differences between H17 and S17 (and only 3 if you can't surrender), so you shouldn't worry about not playing one game or the other, and even if you get every one of these wrong on one game or the other, the number of hands and the small 'wrongness' of these errors makes it almost a neglible difference over any session. This is one place where many players get confused; failing to understanding the size of an error, not just that some play IS an error.

11 vs. A Double in H17, Hit in S17
A8 vs. 6 Double in H17, Stand in S17
A7 vs. 2 Double in H17, Stand in S17
17 vs. A Surrender in H17, Stand in S17
15 vs. A Surrender in H17, Hit in S17
88 vs. A Surrender in H17, Split in S17

While we're on the subject, there are only 3 differences between any 2-deck game and 6 deck game:

_9 vs. 2 Double in 2-deck, Hit in 6-deck
77 vs. 8 Split in 2-deck, Hit in 6-deck
66 vs. 7 Split in 2-deck, Hit in 6-deck

 

I practice too by tossing the dice across the table. My wife doesn't mind as long as its not during dinner.

 

Important point. If a certain variance/error from best strategy only costs you .0003%, is it really worth worrying about it? One of the iphone games we were using at one time actually showed the error in dollars/cents and it made it easier to understand.

It would be nice to see all the plays listed in "cost" downward. For example, hitting when the dealer has 6 is way different than the decision to hit or stay on 12 with a dealer 10 showing.

 

It would be pretty easy to show some of the most common mistakes at BJ and what they cost in expected value.

 

That's what I do just for a little refresher.

 

I practice on a Craps layout I got from The Gamblers General Store. To broaden my game I make different Place Bets than normal and this helps to remember the payouts. It also gets me acquainted to the feel of tossing greens and blacks about in case I'm at the table for The Big One. Next trip I plan on pressing more often and want to be better prepared so I don't look like a noob.

It's also fun to use "Mind Control" and see how long you can keep the dice. I swear you barely think of a 7 and it shows up.

 

Alright, who can top this??!

Oh yeah, I practice all right. I have a craps layout on a beach towel! It's awesome! I play on the kitchen table and makes bets exactly as I plan to on upcoming trip. Last week, I rolled for about 2 hours. When I moved the towel to fold up... low and behold.... there are pockmarks all over the kitchen table from throwing the dice! How in the world am I going to explain this to my wife???? I was livid I did this! I decided to fess up and much to my surprise... she just said "We're not buying anything new until the kids leave the house!" Yeah, but I did this! She was like... "Oh well." Couldn't believe it. So... I am reminded every night at dinner just how much I love tossin' the dice!

 

I have Winpoker on my iPhone and practice on the subway. I also have BJ Mentor and will go through 100 hands from time to time.

 

Lately I spend my evenings reading this site and playing BJ, craps & roulette on my iPad. Putting in over 2+ hours a day.
I either need to get a life or get to Vegas.

 

I wish this board had a "like" button.

 

I usually practice on videopoker.com. I like to play keno so I check out patterns and stuff, I know it really doesnt make a difference but it doesnt hurt to try.