Griffin, Sch., Wong, Qfit all recognize halves as perhaps the best count across many games that does not need a side count.
Qfit Modern blackjack chap 8
BJA Sch. refers to halves as the Cadillac of counts.
Sch. makes an argument that in a team setting a higher level player should be compensated more.
Wong "halves makes almost no error in estimating advantage"
.99 betting correlation.
The modern game focuses on betting with mostly shoe play and some form of Wonging, this plays to halves strength. Halves is also a dominant DD count.
Anything that one can do with hi lo can be done with halves: ST, watch multiple tables, talk, watch the pit , errors etc.
Halves outperforms hi lo while considering the same cards as hi lo, just in a different way, no side counts.
The law of large numbers means a 5% to 10% improvement in N0 is large. It's equivalent to hours less in a casino and/or fewer trips for the same result vs lower level counts. For camo, if your not there they can't bar you. If a 3 SD N0 is 200,000 hands to decrease that by 10,000 to 20,000 hands with a superior count equals many hours of play.
On errors:
If you can pass a skills test you are competent. If one passes an algebra test and another calculus is the calculus test invalid because its harder? Of course not, yet passing a skills test with a higher level count is somehow not valid. One could claim the only valid count is A5 because the others are to hard no matter your skills test success.
Count schizophrenia:
So many counts and info I think has led to confusion. Many ask what's the best count when they are already using a good one.
Indices:
Sch. Catch 22, fab 4 is the general standard. To not use any indices may drop return 25% where adding more indicies will add little.
Should one comment on a count being to hard to use if they have never tried it?
The challemge:
Find a basic bj game from cbjn where halves does not outperform every count that does not use a side count using ill 18 or catch 22 & fab 4, risk averse. Optimized bet ramp or spread for each count, the ramps will be different. Look at modern bj chap. 8
On side counts:
Near twice the effort for 5% to 10% more return. Also, cripples you when ST or watching multiple tables, one would have to drop side counts or other adjustments. In the modern game with mostly shoe play these side counts are blunted by multi deck games. We know through sims that being off 1 or 2 TC's for indices cost us little, so side counts are therefore not correcting any great error in playing. An example 10 vs 10 for doubling has a hi lo EV indice of 4? And RA of 6?, so anything in that range is fine. So what is the big gain an A side count is suppose to give?
What to do regarding counts?:
Stick with your current count, lower level counts are fine
Indices, at least catch 22, fab 4 Risk Averse
If want to go up a level; don't lose casino time, pick a similar count
Side counts are a lot of effort for little return
The above is subjective
Qfit Modern blackjack chap 8
BJA Sch. refers to halves as the Cadillac of counts.
Sch. makes an argument that in a team setting a higher level player should be compensated more.
Wong "halves makes almost no error in estimating advantage"
.99 betting correlation.
The modern game focuses on betting with mostly shoe play and some form of Wonging, this plays to halves strength. Halves is also a dominant DD count.
Anything that one can do with hi lo can be done with halves: ST, watch multiple tables, talk, watch the pit , errors etc.
Halves outperforms hi lo while considering the same cards as hi lo, just in a different way, no side counts.
The law of large numbers means a 5% to 10% improvement in N0 is large. It's equivalent to hours less in a casino and/or fewer trips for the same result vs lower level counts. For camo, if your not there they can't bar you. If a 3 SD N0 is 200,000 hands to decrease that by 10,000 to 20,000 hands with a superior count equals many hours of play.
On errors:
If you can pass a skills test you are competent. If one passes an algebra test and another calculus is the calculus test invalid because its harder? Of course not, yet passing a skills test with a higher level count is somehow not valid. One could claim the only valid count is A5 because the others are to hard no matter your skills test success.
Count schizophrenia:
So many counts and info I think has led to confusion. Many ask what's the best count when they are already using a good one.
Indices:
Sch. Catch 22, fab 4 is the general standard. To not use any indices may drop return 25% where adding more indicies will add little.
Should one comment on a count being to hard to use if they have never tried it?
The challemge:
Find a basic bj game from cbjn where halves does not outperform every count that does not use a side count using ill 18 or catch 22 & fab 4, risk averse. Optimized bet ramp or spread for each count, the ramps will be different. Look at modern bj chap. 8
On side counts:
Near twice the effort for 5% to 10% more return. Also, cripples you when ST or watching multiple tables, one would have to drop side counts or other adjustments. In the modern game with mostly shoe play these side counts are blunted by multi deck games. We know through sims that being off 1 or 2 TC's for indices cost us little, so side counts are therefore not correcting any great error in playing. An example 10 vs 10 for doubling has a hi lo EV indice of 4? And RA of 6?, so anything in that range is fine. So what is the big gain an A side count is suppose to give?
What to do regarding counts?:
Stick with your current count, lower level counts are fine
Indices, at least catch 22, fab 4 Risk Averse
If want to go up a level; don't lose casino time, pick a similar count
Side counts are a lot of effort for little return
The above is subjective
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