Busted: K O vs Blackjack Bluebook 11

[Busted]

Does the Bluebook contain a counting system. If so, is it unbalanced? The thought of converting the running count to true count scares me.

[Fred Renzey]

> Does the Bluebook contain a counting system, etc.?

snip> Blackjack Bluebook II contains three totally different levels of counting systems.

The first (Ace/10 Front Count) is merely a rich/lean shoe casing device which you refer to after the first two decks of a six deck shoe have been dealt. It's not a plus/minus count, but merely an "add'em up" method. After the first two decks are out, you stop counting altogether and play the remainder of the shoe according to how many Ace/10's have come out so far. It's a very gentle (and marginal) step over the threshhold from basic strategy to advantage play.

The second is the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) family of "level one" unbalanced plus/minus counts. All use a positive IRC and pivot. The pivot is equal to a +2 TC. You make all your bets and hand playing decisions according to the running count.

The "entry level" KISS I Count tracks just half the cards. Once comfortable with it, the user may upgrade to KISS II by simply adding one low card and one high card to his count structure.

The KISS III adds yet one more high and low card to its structure with no other adjustments necessary. Thus, the user can "grow" into his own maximum level of comfort. KISS I has just six basic strategy departures, all activated at the same running count. KISS II and III have twenty departures, each activated at its own running count. The KISS has been thoroughly structured and streamlined for maximum ease and definitive decision making.

The final system is the Mentor Count, a level II balanced count system. It comes with 88 basic strategy departures, all activated by the true count. An Ace-reckoned count, the Mentor requires no side counts, yet has a playing efficiency of 62%. My own unbiased tests have shown it to outperform all other level two counts when no Ace side count is used.

[fat chris]

What is the difference in effectiveness between the hi\low front count and the KISS level I counting system?

[Fred Renzey]

> What is the difference in effectiveness
> between the hi\low front count and the KISS
> level I counting system?

snip> Used as presented in the book, the A/10 Front Count yields a +0.25% EV in a six deck game that has a -0.50% basic strategy EV

The KISS I (which counts 50% of the cards) yields a +0.50% EV in the same game. KISS II (counts 65% of the cards) yields +0.64% and KISS III (counts 80% of the cards) yields +0.70%. All computer sims were run using a 1-to-10 betting spread and dealt out 4.25 decks of the six. (KO Preferred was +0.68% and standard Hi/Lo was +0.72%)

Be aware of two things about the A/10 Front Count.
1) In order to acheive a +0.25% EV, stringent exit rules mandated that roughly one third of the shoes were walked away from. The betting spread was 1-to-6.
2) The A/10 Count's performance can be improved considerably by consulting additional checkpoints further on into the shoe.

[fat chris]

Thanks for the clarification, im finding your book very helpful as i wander into the world of advantage play.