Hi Arnold,

I'm not exaggerating at all, in fact I feel I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. I have 3 of these apps just on my phone right now, and I used to have many more. "Card Counting" brings up 40 relevant downloadable apps on Apple iTunes. I can recall coming across at least 20 Flash games that does card counting drills in some form. "Card Counting Trainer" brings up 1,120,000 hits on Google, though I'm aware that many of these are irrelevant and/or duplicates. "Blackjack basic strategy chart" brings up 60,300 images on Google Images. Also consider the thousands of books written on Blackjack that supply basic strategy charts for each variant. Even casino gift shops sell basic strategy charts for their games, although they are usually slightly inaccurate in some way.

You are right that this specific script is very unique to you, but everything it contains has been beaten to death thousands of times before, many times as software trainers and generators. Unless you can program something that can compete with Casino Verite and all of it's addons and extensions, widely regarded as the gold standard of publicly available blackjack training, analysis, and simulation, I seriously wouldn't bother.

I understand the pride of having something like this being yours, as I know about all the time and effort it takes to put together something like this. From my perspective it seems like such a waste of good time and talent, seeing how you are capable of producing something much more sophisticated, unique, and useful.

If you insist on refining the script you have now, I would follow Splice's advice and eventually add the appropriate indices for the BS charts. Also consider adding a "Show/Hide" button for the "Card Values" table, and adding a true count conversion when appropriate.

You are right that there is no close equivalent to the faro analysis tool you have, but there are some similar tools related to faro that can produce the same results. Nick Pudar's software "StackView" provides a very powerful and customizable sequence analysis through various types of shuffles, including faros, running cards, dealing into piles, etc.. Also, Denis Behr has a very simple faro calculator on his website (http://www.denisbehr.de/faro/index.php).

Something I would like to see done properly is a visual shuffle tracking trainer for various types and combinations of shuffles -- fully customizable with the types of shuffles, thoroughness of the riffles, thickness of the packets with the strips, etc.. It would need to be highly visual by nature, so it's not practical to be done as a web-script which you seem to be fond of. I worked on something like this many years ago but abandoned it for various reasons. Maybe I'll pick it back up some day, or maybe you'll beat me to it.

In a nutshell, you're too good of a programmer to be wasting your time making a run-of-the-mill basic strategy chart generator. They don't call it basic strategy for nothing.

Admittedly NFS is partially right.
But...although there are other scripts out there -
Nothing, Nothing at all compares to your work.
And the fact you are doing it for free and offering it to us no string attached is incredible of you.
Thanks so very much!

@Nich

I thought you were serious but now I see you're not .

The apps you're talking about run on your phone only. If you don't have your phone, you can't access your app. Me, you just need an Internet connection. No need to have an operating system in particular: as long as you have an Internet access you can use the tools, whether you are running Windows, Android, Linux, iOS or another OS. I use technologies anyone can benefit, therefore no flash or java (which would be more convenient for me, trust me). Phone, tablet, laptop, computer, everything is OK.

My tools are for free. Not even an advert on my pages! You're talking about CV, but this software isn't free... Again, stackview is a software dedicated to a particular operating system, you need a computer running Windows.

I strongly doubt there are thousands of basic strategy chart GENERATORS. What you are talking about are definitive charts. You can't change anything. And many are just duplicates. Besides, many of them are sometimes inaccurate and even just... wrong! Mine, you can GENERATE the chart you WANT. You can SETUP various parameters. Again, I just know 3 or 4 equivalent scripts and, please, understand it's just a pre-version, with time the script is gonna be more powerful. You're talking about books, sure, but do you have your books always with you?

I'd like you to name a Faro app/software providing Faro chains, just for instance .

Wasting time? Well, I don't know. The Card Counting Trainer took me maybe 2 hours to code. It's nothing.

Man, I don't want to compete with anyone or to challenge anyone. I just put useful (well, I think...) scripts online (for free) and ask for some feedback in order to improve them. I plan dozens of scripts, don't forget it's just the beginning of the story, therefore some scripts are basic and, obviously, some exist already. But with good feedback and useful comments they may evolve.

I already have a shuffle tracking tool. For years (I code gambling stuff for 30 years pal!). How do you think I created my method for stacking cards? But I doubt you'll see it as I release mainly stuff I don't use anymore.

Thanks for your comments.

PS: the link for the Faro tools provided above is wrong (there's a stupid ) at the end of the link), here's the good one:

http://www.arnoldmcdonald.org/code/main.php?p=6400000

Bravo!

For those of you interested in a functional BS chart (not for counting, just BS), go to the classic Basic Strategy Engine (http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bjbse.php), it's been online for about 10 years now. Not only can you GENERATE the chart you want and SETUP various parameter's like Arnold's generator, but this one actually gives you the choices to pick, you're not forced to use LS with DAS and DA2. I'm sure Arnold will eventually implement those choices, at which point it'll be just as useful, free and accessible as something that's been available for a decade or so. If he implements strategy deviation indices for various count it may be interesting.

I mean, keep at it, Arnold (it's not like anyone will stop you), I'm sure you'll come up with interesting things, even if only for yourself. But you don't need to go over the top to try and justify yourself. Every time I read any of your replies to any kind of criticism or suggestion I can't help but imagine a pufferfish that feels threatened.

I'd like you to explain to my small brain the difference between the generator you provide the link and mine... (except than mine being not finished - I'm currently working on it - hence the limitations).

So, if I understand you well, just because someone has done something before we can't do it again?

I don't justify myself man, it's just that, as usual here, it's almost impossible to have a clever debate.

I'm gonna sum up it for you. You don't wanna use my tools? Just don't.

Arnold, I wish you nothing but the best. I look forward to using a tool of yours that is applicable to my needs, and that I don't already have available.

Soon Nicholas, soon...

I'm simply disappointed you don't understand my goal. Anyway.

I understand now that your core focus is portability - having various tools, new and old, accessible from your website.

Hi all.

I have taken into account some comments. Here are the new version (redesigned):



Thanks to those who help me!

That's really some nice stuff Arnold, you got talent.

Thanks a lot AMcD
I was never really interested in Card Counting, but playing with your script is a lot of fun

Thanks pals!

There's more to come! This year I'm gonna release many scripts. Actually, old code I have decided to turn into Internet material. I don't use it anymore but maybe it can be helpful to someone.

Here's the new design for the basic strategy chart engine (I'll add new tables when I have some spare time):



Again, thanks for all the good comments and suggestions.

OK, I have added some suggestions.



1 - Counter on sevens.
2 - The current card value is highlighted.
3 - The card values can be hidden.

Thanks to the contributors and NFS in particular.

Arnold, very nice job on the simulator and appreciate your effort and positive contribution to the board.

I am going to describe the way I learned to count back in the early sixties and how we practiced at that time, plus further information on count plays during that time period on another thread (Modern Card Counting by Cris Statz) because I think it is more appropriate there. But thanks again for the simulator. Unfortunately for me it is about 40 years too late. I’ve already made my money with the count. LOL

Thanks Cagliostro.

I like reading your contributions.

Maybe I should add the Canfield counting systems .