Got the bj bug, newbie counter. Ko rookie.

[The Round Tower]

Hi folks,
I have just recently returned from my first trip to Vegas (i live in the uk) and have literally fallen in love with the game of blackjack.
I had intended to play poker for the majority of my time in Vegas, but after a couple of days i found it slow and pretty boring.
I decided to have a go at playing BJ, i had played a few times before in the UK without really paying attention to what was going on. (usually when i was intoxicated!)
FIRST BJ hand in Vegas.........YUP.....BLACKJACK. Love at first sight!!!
After speaking to a fellow player i soon realised that the casinos edge was below 1% when using BS. I memorised the BS chart over the next day and played BJ whenever i could. I ended up $500 with an average bet of around $20, so that only increased my interest of my new found friend.
After realising that you can learn how to count cards with a bit of dedication and practice i was in over drive!!!!
I've been reading up on various counts and have come to the conculsion that i would be best suited learing the KO count to begin with.
I came to this decision because to me it looks like the easiest count to learn, beginning with the KO Rookie count.
If i can eventually master the full KO Preferred count i would consider learning the HILO count.

I have a couple of questions regarding the KO rookie count and other areas:

In the Book in mentions a bet spread of 1 -10 will yield a 0.54% EV, how can i work out my EV using this count with a bet spread of 1-20, 1-25 or 1-30? as this will be my bet spread i will be using.

Also, if my big bet is 30 units, can i play two hands of 15 units when the count dictates to bet big and consider this a 30 unit bet?

Is there a chart that can inform me of the cost in EV when you misplay any given hand. IE. staying on a 12 v's a 3 up card or not doubling with a 10 versus a 7 up?

Any help would be greately apprieciated.

Love the site......................BLACKJACK ROCKS

 

[iCountNTrack]

Hi folks,
I have just recently returned from my first trip to Vegas (i live in the uk) and have literally fallen in love with the game of blackjack.
I had intended to play poker for the majority of my time in Vegas, but after a couple of days i found it slow and pretty boring.
I decided to have a go at playing BJ, i had played a few times before in the UK without really paying attention to what was going on. (usually when i was intoxicated!)
FIRST BJ hand in Vegas.........YUP.....BLACKJACK. Love at first sight!!!
After speaking to a fellow player i soon realised that the casinos edge was below 1% when using BS. I memorised the BS chart over the next day and played BJ whenever i could. I ended up $500 with an average bet of around $20, so that only increased my interest of my new found friend.
After realising that you can learn how to count cards with a bit of dedication and practice i was in over drive!!!!
I've been reading up on various counts and have come to the conculsion that i would be best suited learing the KO count to begin with.
I came to this decision because to me it looks like the easiest count to learn, beginning with the KO Rookie count.
If i can eventually master the full KO Preferred count i would consider learning the HILO count.

I have a couple of questions regarding the KO rookie count and other areas:

In the Book in mentions a bet spread of 1 -10 will yield a 0.54% EV, how can i work out my EV using this count with a bet spread of 1-20, 1-25 or 1-30? as this will be my bet spread i will be using.

Also, if my big bet is 30 units, can i play two hands of 15 units when the count dictates to bet big and consider this a 30 unit bet?

Is there a chart that can inform me of the cost in EV when you misplay any given hand. IE. staying on a 12 v's a 3 up card or not doubling with a 10 versus a 7 up?

Any help would be greately apprieciated.

Love the site......................BLACKJACK ROCKS

Welcome aboard!

Agree with you that poker is boring. , before you move on with KO, i advise you to learn Hi-Lo. Unbalanced counts are for lazy people .
Most of your questions could be answered if you could invest in a BJ simulator.
But a 1-30 bet spread in is like shouting out loud "Hello I am a card counter". The 0.54% edge is not a magic number for a 1-10, it also depends on the game rules penetration etc. The bottom line is these questions require a simulator, before you play it, analyze it!

To get the ev for each decision check

http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/ev/ev.htm (Archive copy)

 

[sabre]

Unbalanced counts are for lazy people .

Uh, no. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. KO is a very solid system for a starting counter, just as powerful as HiLo for shoe games, and the book is very concise, easy to understand.

But a 1-30 bet spread in is like shouting out loud "Hello I am a card counter".

In some places. Not if you're playing a $5 min 8 Deck shoe on the strip. I wouldn't hesitate to spread $5-$150 or $5-2x$100. Your chances of a backoff are negligible. Hell ... I'd spread $5 - $400 without a 2nd thought.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Uh, no. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. KO is a very solid system for a starting counter, just as powerful as HiLo for shoe games, and the book is very concise, easy to understand. ...

And not only that, any unbalanced count can be true counted just like a balanced count. Difference is an unbalanced count is useful in running count mode too.

 

[StandardDeviant]

Get CVCX

I recommend you invest in CVCX. It is very easy to use and will answer your questions. Spending time with this tool will help you better understand the game, in particular, the risk vs. bet considerations. These are very important to understand.

You can get it here.

 

[iCountNTrack]

Uh, no. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. KO is a very solid system for a starting counter, just as powerful as HiLo for shoe games, and the book is very concise, easy to understand.



In some places. Not if you're playing a $5 min 8 Deck shoe on the strip. I wouldn't hesitate to spread $5-$150 or $5-2x$100. Your chances of a backoff are negligible. Hell ... I'd spread $5 - $400 without a 2nd thought.

I never said unbalanced counts are no good, i said people get lazy and use unbalanced count so they dont have to worry about calculating the TC. I advocate the use of balanced counts because:A) using balanced counts will help you improve your deck estimation a skill that is very important for several AP techniques. B) If you ever get interested in shuffle tracking using balanced counts is significantly easier than using unbalanced counts.

how long do you think you can go for with a 1-30 or 1-80 spread!!!???, wouldnt be MUCH BETTER to backcount and spread 1-8.