I'm down money from playing blackjack lifetime as in most players. All I do is play basic strategy and obviously chase.


Well when i sit at a table... say the minimum is $15. I always buyin for 20x the amount which is $300. And thus i flat bet $15 and sometimes i increase it if i'm on a streak. The same as if I'm playing $25 a hand... i always sit with $500 usually. So if i play $50 a hand... i buyin for $1000.


Now i don't know how to count but i did try it back a few years ago but i was never good at it. I'm wondering... what is the standard buyin for someone who is counting cards? I know that you must have a spread and its minimum 1-5 and some people even go 1-10 but that might get unwanted attention.


I'm curious about how much is the standard buyin for someone that is counting cards when he buys into the table. Like say when he starts out... he might bet the minimum of $25. But when the count is very good... he would bet 3x the amount and thats $75. And when the count is real real good, he goes the max of the spread which is 5x which is $125.


The thing I'm wondering is how much you buyin would start raising eyebrows as oppose to your average bet. For example, say you buyin for the table $1000. Then you bet $100 your first hand. Obviously the floorperson sees nothing wrong with it. I mean... I see people who buyin for like $50 at the table and bet $10 a hand and the only thing i'm thinking like is... why in the world are you buying in to the table with like 5 bets. The thing about me is I'm a bankroll nit so if I'm betting say $25 a hand... I will always buyin at least $500 at the table because if i bought in for like $200... my mind tells me... i only have 8 bets total minimum even though i have more money in my pocket. Does anyone else feel a bit like this too?


If there is a guy that buyins for $1000 and then he starts only betting $25 each hand... does the floor raise eyebrows? I mean... if this guy bets $25 like 8 hands in a row.. then goes to $200 and then $400... then surely they might suspect counting. But do floorpeople look at you carefully when they notice your first few bets are so small relative to your buyin? The thing is I don't know how to count cards but i always felt like doing this might get me unwanted attention. Well the only time i increase my bet is if i noticed... hey there aren't many aces that has been out in the last 3 hands... then thats when i increase my bet size.


Like if a guy buys for $2000. Then all he bets are $25 only but rarely goes higher than $75... i assume this person won't ever get looked at suspciously right? Because card counters are not betting on a 1-3 spread?

If being a "bankroll nit" influences your feelings about what you have on the table, then you have discipline to work on?

Depends on a players style of play. Counters play with a large spread and so need a big bankroll, but there is no reason to buy in for a large amount. I think that is a mistake many counters especially counters just starting out make. Buy-in for $500 and then start betting $5 or $10, or buy-in for a couple grand and then start betting $25 a hand, is not very natural thing to do. Almost puts the pit on alert that you intend to bet bigger at some point, so they may keep an extra eye (third eye...lol) on you. It is much more natural to buy-in for 10-20 x your first bet. That's what gamblers do. $100 and play $5 or $10 per hand. When it comes time to raise, your bet, you can always buy-in for more. casino's love multiple buy-ins. Gives the appearance of chasing losses.

I play a hit and run style of very short sessions and have adopted a ridiculously small buy-in strategy. I usually buy in for 4-8 times what my first bet is. $100 or $200 when playing $25. This has several benefits. One is that when the count suddenly tanks, and I want to leave, I don't have to color up or walk away with 2 bulging handfuls of chips. I just grab my few chips and am off. Second benefit buying in for such a small amount, gives the impression that I don't have much money and am not going to be playing long. I am usually immediately dismissed as a non-threat. First impressions are strong impressions. By the time they reconsider this first impression, I should be walking out the door.

Yes. You don't want to indicate how deep you're willing or able to play. About 5x to 10x your top bet makes you look like a gambler. Just pay attention to the way a dealer colors your buy-in ... if you have to color down before you play your first hand, you're buying in way too big