counting--->help?

[dismantle]

hey guys im a newbie...i been trying to count cards for awhile but i keep stumbling upon the fact that theres to many counts. I purchased the books blackbelt in blackjack and blackjack for blood awhile back, theres just to many counts. I also see alot they say you need a pretty large bankroll and a team to make any good money. I was just wondering if anyone could help me out alittle with some direction.

[moo321]

Honestly, unless you're playing single deck, completely discount any overly complicated system. Any count you use should probably only assign a +1 or a -1 to any card, not +/-2 or more. Also, you don't want to side count aces, so use a count where the ace counts as -1.

I think Hi-Lo is the best, because it's simple to use, and many teams use it. Red-7 and KO are also fine. Hi-lo is what's called a "balanced" system, which means you need to divide your running count by the number of decks to find the "true count". The other 2 are unbalanced, which means you just bet a certain amount when the running count gets to a certain number.

Most of all, find a count you can use, and practice it.

[LeonShuffle]

I always suggest Red 7 because it's kind of the best of both worlds in that you use a running count to make playing decisions but a "true edge" method (dividing) to size your bets. If you're just starting out, it's easier to do the dividing part between hands than it is to do it while the dealer's staring at you and the other players are waiting.

There might be a more precise bet sizing method for KO also but I don't believe it's explained in the book.

[Sonny]

You’ve already gotten some good advice about counting systems, but I just want to add one more thing…

Originally Posted by dismantle

I also see alot they say you need a pretty large bankroll and a team to make any good money.

Yeah, it does take a big bankroll to safely make any money at this game counting cards. It also takes a lot of dedication to perfecting your skills. Oh yeah, and you need to find great games as well. It’s pretty easy to get an advantage and maybe make a little money playing BJ, but if you want to make decent money it isn’t going to be easy. Luckily, there are plenty of people on this website who can help.

-Sonny-

[eps6724]

Originally Posted by LeonShuffle

I always suggest Red 7

I agree, but would suggest that you also get Rezney's book "Blackjack Bluebook II", which goes much more in depth about HOW red7 works and gives some more advice on how to use it to your advantage. (Bet sizing, indice variations, etc.) It's also one of the easiest blackjack books to read!

Luck!

[dismantle]

Originally Posted by eps6724

I agree, but would suggest that you also get Rezney's book "Blackjack Bluebook II", which goes much more in depth about HOW red7 works and gives some more advice on how to use it to your advantage. (Bet sizing, indice variations, etc.) It's also one of the easiest blackjack books to read!

Luck!

thanks guys for the help. Im gonna get this book too...