Card Counting

[quotemyname]

There comes a time when one must step there game up to the next level. Performing basic strategies with your crews is one thing, but being able to predict what that crucial flip is going to be is another thing altogether.

I'd like to hear from everyone what their card counting strategies are. Please post here if you have any good suggestions for others!

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If a thread like this already exists and I missed it, I apologize. If this ends up being useful enough to be stickied, that would be cool too

[alemon]

You should start performing more complicated strategies with your crews once you've got the basics down

[nilus]

Card counting will get you a pair of broken legs in Vegas.

That being said in Malifaux its perfectly legal.

As far as basic strategies go.

1) Just try to remember what cards have already went by, if you have seen a lot of low cards in a row then you can play the odds that the next card might be high. Same with suits, if you have not seen a crow in your last 10 draws then you got a good chance of seeing one soon

2) With the currently rules for Jokers its sometimes worth cheating to lower your total. If you are fighting Res and you already saw your black joker go by its might be worth it to tie and win(with that extra flip), then beat them between 1 and 5(or even 6 and 10). Since if you are negative flipping anyways you might as well flip more and hope for the red joker.

I am perfectly fine with people trying to count cards in there head, as long as it doesn't slow up the game. Starting to keep track of cards on paper is where I draw the line and start wanting to break legs .

[quotemyname]

You should start performing more complicated strategies with your crews once you've got the basics down

My initial post was really just a bit of descriptive fluff to intro the thread. Believe it or not, I actually do know an advanced strategy or two ;)

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I would agree. Once you start keeping tallies of every card you draw, you've crossed the line.

I know the benefits of abusing the twists already. What I was really looking for in this thread was to see if anyone had any mental rhetorics that they found particularly effective at counting cards.

For example: I've heard that if your looking for a certain suit, you could keep track of the cards you flip by using simple addition. Everytime you flip the suit you want: -3. When you flip one you don't want: +1. I'm told that when you get to about +6 or so, you'll have a 50% chance of flipping what you want.

[Mr_Smigs]

really, all you need is a simple plus-minus system to track if taking a high-risk (high card needed) maneuver is viable...

but then,
you could just make a ipod app that checks the cards for you and spits out the probability...
draw cards, punch suit and value, it re-calcs the odds of whatever value you're looking for...

it'd just be another tool like a tape measure, glass counters, or dry erase marker...

[mylastnerv]

really, all you need is a simple plus-minus system to track if taking a high-risk (high card needed) maneuver is viable...

but then,
you could just make a ipod app that checks the cards for you and spits out the probability...
draw cards, punch suit and value, it re-calcs the odds of whatever value you're looking for...

it'd just be another tool like a tape measure, glass counters, or dry erase marker...

Not sure I'd be really pumped to play against someone who after every card flip is keying in information to try to predict the odds of what is coming next. There comes a point where you have to leave part of the game up to a battle of the brains and the brains alone, and leave home all the "helpful" tools.

[notmikehill]

Do you know how difficult it would be to play and card count at the same time? Especially if you're playing a pretty fast game, their would be cards being flipped so fast, and if you cycle through your deck you'd have to reshuffle, not to mention every time you draw a new card to your hand and the hand you have you'd have to keep the tally with, as well the cards you flip and cheat with. It would be too staggering imo.

[Iamwyrd]

really, all you need is a simple plus-minus system to track if taking a high-risk (high card needed) maneuver is viable...

but then,
you could just make a ipod app that checks the cards for you and spits out the probability...
draw cards, punch suit and value, it re-calcs the odds of whatever value you're looking for...

it'd just be another tool like a tape measure, glass counters, or dry erase marker...

Ya someone busts out an iPod or iPhone and starts punching numbers into it. I would not play them, if they can't do it in their head, then oh well. Cause seems like cheating on a new scale to me, lol

[nilus]

you could just make a ipod app that checks the cards for you and spits out the probability...
draw cards, punch suit and value, it re-calcs the odds of whatever value you're looking for...

it'd just be another tool like a tape measure, glass counters, or dry erase marker...

Except I wouldn't play the person using it, also would disallow it at any tournament I ran. Its on the same level as writing down what cards you get on a piece of paper.

As far as the system above mentioned. The problem is at any given time in Malfaux you are not always looking for the same suit or card. So sure you can keep track of when you will get a mask, but what happens if this draw you need a crow.

Like others have said its seems nearly impossible to do reliably while playing the game. I am sure some sort of savant could do it but its well beoynd the skills of most of us.

[Mr_Smigs]

if you're going to state that card counting is in the spirit of the game, then how can you deny tools that aid in that spirit?


as soon as you say the "not cheating" act of card counting is acceptable,
then you open the door to all the parts of that act.


if a player showed up to a tourney with an ipod pre-programmed so all he had to do was punch in numbers, and was quick enough that it didn't break his rhythm of play,

would you deny them the right to play?

how is that any different than someone who can do it in their head ?




by allowing card counting,
since this is a game of cards,
you should also say "stacking the deck is also allowed"
or "marking cards is also allowed"

why bother counting when I can just play with a marked deck and KNOW what the next flip is?