The point of mentioning the 5% number is to show that even when the player does get an advantage, it's still relatively small.
To have a 5% edge on the next hand, the true count would need to be around +11 or so, which happens around once every 200 hands or so in a decent two-deck game.
Now, for simplicity, we'll assume your big bet is $100. With a $100 bet on this hand, your expected value on this hand is only $5. Obviously, you're still not that much of a favorite to win this particular hand.
Now, I'm definitely not saying that card counting isn't worth the effort. Indeed, it's the repetition of all these small edges that add up to a significant profit potential. I'm just trying to make readers understand that it is a game of small profits here and there that add up over time. It is very much worth the effort to learn.
On counting at 6:5, yes, you could beat this game with a large bet spread. However, it is still much easier to beat the six-deck game than this single deck with the crippling payout on blackjack. If converting to a true count seems like too much work, play the six-deck game using a count like the KO. It doesn't require true count conversion, and is still quite effective. There are other threads on KO here, and the book is available in
the store.
On my TV appearances: They all tend to end the same way lately! I make a big double down that is critical to my success, and lose it. That's the way WSOB 2004 ended for me. That's the way WSOB 2005 ended in the first round for me. And, that's the way my appearance in the Las Vegas Hilton's Million Dollar II ended for me in the semifinals.
Oh well. My day will come eventually. If I continue getting to that point in these events, a payday is out there waiting for me.