Saturday, November 1, 2008

The Star System

I have been reading "From Poorhouse to Penthouse via The Star System" by Dwaine C. Douglas (Island Publishing House - Tavernier, Florida)

I'm not sure of the true history behind this publication. I found it on a list of free gambling systems and I am quite taken by it (the same list I posted here under another thread). You can dowonload and print the 89 page manuscript here:

http://www.roulettesystemreviews.com/freesystems/StarSystem.pdf

The Star System is a conservative money management system created for Blackjack but quite adaptable to bacarrat, craps, and roulette.

I find it appealing because it fits nicely with the direction my research has been heading. Looking for something that seems to work with great reliability even if the winnings are small (i.e. a reliable grind so to speak).

My thought here is that one could employ a system such as this with a minimal bankroll and "snowball" the winnings by increasing the unit value based on the increase in bankroll.

I will continue to write in this thread as I get a better feel for the entire system. I am also looking for message board information from those players who have worked with this money management system.

11/17/08

I have finished the maunscript and have started re-reading (or studying) it. As I said above, the appeal to me is that this system pulls together many of the concepts that I have already embraced. The only thing about this system that I have never really worked with is the parlay or "rider" aspect that the author relies on.

I will need to practice this system a good deal with pen and paper in front of me before I could think of trying it in a casino at a blackjack table where they do not like you to be taking notes. I understand the progression and the recovery stages but I'm quite sure I'm not ready to to employ this method under fire.

I'm not going to explain the system here. Although it could be explained in a few paragraphs, I think the 89 page manuscript is the best way to appreciate the system.

I have also dug up some message board entries from folks who claim to have used this method successfully however, ther seems to be a general reluctance to increase bets into the 2nd recovery set as required. This reluctance has lead to some modified versions that I may elaborate on here at another time.

My plan (at the moment) is to create a scorecard or record-sheet to keep track of the STAR system (sets, sessions, progressions, recoveries etc.) and to practice on a software simulator. If the results are as the author claims, I will try to use the same system at an online casino for real money prior to heading for the real casino. I plan to continue this thread with ideas and to pbulish my progress (or lack thereof) here.

12/5/08

One concern I have about the STAR system as presented in the original manuscript is the sheer range of the size of the bets and bankroll required. I am a firm believer in the idea that a good plan must be well funded, but the STAR has you sitting at a table with $10,000 and placing a first bet in the amount of $10. Furthermore, you need to be willing to bet about $2,400 on a single decision in the worst-case scenario (2nd recovery set). (This estimate is based on a primary bas bet of $50 at a ten dollar table.)

I wonder how many players are willing to play this SYSTEM strictly as devised by Douglas?

12/9/08
My Star Notes on Requirements and Expectations
p.12

Bankroll = $600
Average Bet Size = $6
Total Profit = $4,200 in 108 hours
Profit per hour = $38.89
Unit size (?)

p.18

should lose 1 set per 28
(win 27, lose 1)

p.23

on a $10 table
your first pre-progression bet is $10
your primary base bet is $50
Your highest bet in the progression ladder is $400

p.30

playing blackjack, expect to win .25 per $1 base bet, per hand played
with a primary base bet of $10, you should avg. $2.50 per hand
Bankroll = base bet x 200

If anyone has any advice, please feel free to leave a comment.

All for now . . .