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Thread: "The Color of Blackjack" – My Observations

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    "The Color of Blackjack" – My Observations

    Just finished this short book. I liked it – very quick read, cogently presented, informative and entertaining.

    It basically shows the KO counter where TC +1 is in the KO running count as decks are played (e.g., in a six-deck game, TC of +1 is at RC of +9 after one deck, RC of +12 after two decks, +15 after three decks, etc.). By tracking where TC of +1 is throughout the shoe, the player knows when to start increasing the bet. This helps the player avoid a significant weakness of KO, which is determining the bet ramp purely on the KO running count. Relying on the KO running count, a player is liable to under bet in the early part of the shoe and possibly over bet in the latter part.

    As a long-time KO user, I figured these principles out pretty quick and learned to modify for true count principles. But I like to follow true count of zero throughout the shoe so I know if I’m "above or below water" at any point in time. I find this more helpful, because not only does it allow me to correct the betting ramp, but it also helps with all the index plays in the –1 to +1 range (we all know that there are a lot of them).

    Ok – that’s the cliff notes version. Beyond that, I found a few interesting and/or entertaining points that I thought I’d share with the forum to solicit some comments.


    • In making the insurance decision, disregard the dealer’s Ace in the running count (makes sense – I didn’t know that).
    • Computer simulations purportedly show that it is always better to play two hands – even in negative TC situations (I doubt this one – tell’m Don).
    • In comparing the H17 game to the S17 game, the S17 advantage is not as great as the book would indicate, because there will be fewer small cards to make a hand when max bet is out (I like this - makes sense. But I would think that the SCORE charts encompass this notion more accurately).
    • When playing long hours at the same casino, it’s best to leave about every 45 minutes and make some small change to your appearance when you return; e.g., shoes, glasses, watches, rings, etc. (good advice – keep the eye off balance).
    • The author notes that the AP group in general has great character and integrity (I agree), and only a few occasionally have a social drink (he doesn’t know Bigdaddy).

  2. #2
    Random number herder Norm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigdaddy View Post
    The author notes that the AP group in general has great character and integrity (I agree), and only a few occasionally have a social drink
    Does this mean they don't drink much -- or that they're anti-social when they drink?
    "I don't think outside the box; I think of what I can do with the box." - Henri Matisse

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigdaddy View Post
    Just finished this short book. I liked it – very quick read, cogently presented, informative and entertaining.

    It basically shows the KO counter where TC +1 is in the KO running count as decks are played (e.g., in a six-deck game, TC of +1 is at RC of +9 after one deck, RC of +12 after two decks, +15 after three decks, etc.). By tracking where TC of +1 is throughout the shoe, the player knows when to start increasing the bet. This helps the player avoid a significant weakness of KO, which is determining the bet ramp purely on the KO running count. Relying on the KO running count, a player is liable to under bet in the early part of the shoe and possibly over bet in the latter part.

    As a long-time KO user, I figured these principles out pretty quick and learned to modify for true count principles. But I like to follow true count of zero throughout the shoe so I know if I’m "above or below water" at any point in time. I find this more helpful, because not only does it allow me to correct the betting ramp, but it also helps with all the index plays in the –1 to +1 range (we all know that there are a lot of them).

    Ok – that’s the cliff notes version. Beyond that, I found a few interesting and/or entertaining points that I thought I’d share with the forum to solicit some comments.


    • In making the insurance decision, disregard the dealer’s Ace in the running count (makes sense – I didn’t know that).
    • Computer simulations purportedly show that it is always better to play two hands – even in negative TC situations (I doubt this one – tell’m Don).
    • In comparing the H17 game to the S17 game, the S17 advantage is not as great as the book would indicate, because there will be fewer small cards to make a hand when max bet is out (I like this - makes sense. But I would think that the SCORE charts encompass this notion more accurately).
    • When playing long hours at the same casino, it’s best to leave about every 45 minutes and make some small change to your appearance when you return; e.g., shoes, glasses, watches, rings, etc. (good advice – keep the eye off balance).
    • The author notes that the AP group in general has great character and integrity (I agree), and only a few occasionally have a social drink (he doesn’t know Bigdaddy).
    Although I disdain the K.O. Count, I will respond to your listed points:

    Insurance. "Disregard the dealer's Ace." Why disregard any card ?

    Playing two hands. Playing heads-up one hand is preferred.

    H17 vs. S17 Most of the problem is that the dealer's Ace or 6 will bust about 2% less in a H17 game.
    You are correct. At negative counts with small bets out this worsens and at positive counts this penalty lessens.

    Appearance: Too silly to be worthy of response. Learn to "respect your enemy."

    AP Group character / integrity: Nonsense if applied to self-described AP's, e.g. zeebar

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZenMaster_Flash View Post
    Although I disdain the K.O. Count, I will respond to your listed points:

    Insurance. "Disregard the dealer's Ace." Why disregard any card ?

    Playing two hands. Playing heads-up one hand is preferred.

    H17 vs. S17 Most of the problem is that the dealer's Ace or 6 will bust about 2% less in a H17 game.
    You are correct. At negative counts with small bets out this worsens and at positive counts this penalty lessens.

    Appearance: Too silly to be worthy of response. Learn to "respect your enemy."

    AP Group character / integrity: Nonsense if applied to self-described AP's, e.g. zeebar
    You spoiled a great post by trying to bring in personal shit and bringing me in to this thread. Sad that you can learn so much from the masters about being an AP and so little about being a good human being. Folks such as Don S or Stanford Wong or Norm never address a poster, only the post. Could you not learn from them. You talk about discipline at the tables and yet you cannot delete the threads of people, me and others, where you think the post is not worth addressing? Sad!

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    Random number herder Norm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZeeBabar View Post
    You spoiled a great post by trying to bring in personal shit and bringing me in to this thread.
    Have to agree. I would've edited out the last line if you hadn't responded first.
    "I don't think outside the box; I think of what I can do with the box." - Henri Matisse

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    Random number herder Norm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZenMaster_Flash View Post
    Insurance. "Disregard the dealer's Ace." Why disregard any card ?
    Insurance bet with an ace-reckoned count. Think about it.
    "I don't think outside the box; I think of what I can do with the box." - Henri Matisse

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    Senior Member Bodarc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZenMaster_Flash View Post
    Playing two hands. Playing heads-up one hand is preferred.
    I have never quite understood this even though I have heard it many times. To me it seems if there is a high count and you play 1 hand, you'd get 50% of the good hands and the dealer would get the other half. If you played 2 hands, you'd get 66 2/3 of the good hands. Will someone explain this to me?
    Play within your bankroll, pick your games with care and learn everything you can about the game. The winning will come. It has to. It's in the cards. -- Bryce Carlson

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZenMaster_Flash View Post


    Appearance: Too silly to be worthy of response. Learn to "respect your enemy."
    While I appreciate the "respect your enemy" sentiment, I have to agree with the OP here, Flash. Changes in appearance can be more beneficial than you realize. My pit friend has told me that when a player is playing unrated, they 'assign' a code name to him or her for that session, and it very often is based on something descriptive that the player is wearing that is unique like a ball cap, logo or design on a shirt or unusual glasses, watch or piece of jewelry that stands out.

    If they mark you down as the guy in the Met's cap or the Blue tinted shades, and you remove that distinguishing item, you are once again anonymous to everyone except maybe that one pit person that did the initial assignment. And even then, if you did nothing to really stand out, you would be surprised that even he or she gets thrown off.

    Now if you have some unusual, permanent, distinguishing feature such as facial feature or tattoos, you may be out of luck. So, when Tarzan goes out dressed as a 6'6" women, with 5 o'clock shadow and a pink scarf, removing the pink scarf, might not buy him much.
    Last edited by KJ; 06-13-2015 at 10:12 AM. Reason: add on

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bodarc View Post
    I have never quite understood this even though I have heard it many times. To me it seems if there is a high count and you play 1 hand, you'd get 50% of the good hands and the dealer would get the other half. If you played 2 hands, you'd get 66 2/3 of the good hands. Will someone explain this to me?
    Heads up, Betting optimally, you would have a lower bet per hand, though fairly well in excess of the single unit bet. Accordingly, in advantageous counts, the sum total of your bets on 2 hands will be less than the sum total of your single unit hands when taking into account that you will reach the cut card much more quickly. Card eating effect. So, from a math perspective, heads up, the only time it really makes sense to go to 2 hands is when you're at table max. Example, I was playing at a small town casino with a 200 max bet. Last hand went to 3x200 since count justified. To put this into slightly more perspective, heads up, 2x16 is really not 32-1, depending on specifics, more like 24-1.

    Using the same logic, if you can play 2 hands at the same minimum as 1 hand, it makes sense in negative situations to play 2 hands, since you are eating cards At faster rate and will reach the cut card more quickly.

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    Senior Member Bodarc's Avatar
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    Thanks Freightman, I've always done it that way because I knew it was the recommended approach, it's just that the 1/2 vs 2/3 idea has always made me question it. I have never just sat down and put a pencil to it or simmed it. Also, all of the games I play require double the minimum if you want to play 2 hands in negative counts.
    Play within your bankroll, pick your games with care and learn everything you can about the game. The winning will come. It has to. It's in the cards. -- Bryce Carlson

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    Also consider game speed. How much faster can you get through a shoe playing 2 hands VS 1? Time is money. It is my understanding that this argument is why many play 2 hands even heads up (except in single deck when you can get deeper pen.)

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    If bet-sizing is precise you play the CORRECT amount on 2 hands by playing each at 75% of the original.

    That means your getting 1.5 bets out using about 8.1 cards as opposed to 1 bet using about 5.4 cards.

    8.1 cards / 1.5 = 5.9 cards per round. While 5.4 cards / 1 = 5.4 cards per round.

    High True Count have fewer 3 or 4 card hands. The mean hand is perhaps 2.4 cards

    Using adjusted figures changes this:

    2.4 X 3 =7.2 cards per round. While 2.4 X 2 = 4.8 cards per round.

    Betting 75% of correct wager X 2 hands exhausting 7.2 cards [VS. 100% X 4.8] = same net effect

    Significantly — playing 2 hands you will reach the cut card more quickly while the shoe is ripe.


    Heads up, Betting optimally, you would have a lower bet per hand, though well in excess of the single unit bet.

    Accordingly, in advantageous counts, the sum total of your bets on 2 hands will be less than the sum total

    of your single unit hands when taking into account that you will reach the cut card much more quickly.

    From a math perspective, heads up, the only time it makes sense to go to 2 hands is when you're at table max.

    From an AP perspective … THAT is NEVER an appropriate move IMHO . Others WILL disagree. YMMV
    Last edited by ZenMaster_Flash; 06-14-2015 at 06:59 AM.

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    Thanx Norm,

    RE: Insurance

    Silly me, having never played an Ace-Reckoned Count I failed to consider same.

    Regarding my unsavory statement re: zeebar I must apologize to all.

    I am aware that my altruism only partially negates my abrasiveness.

    It was like taunting caged animals; but my faux pas was triggered

    by unethical comments re: back-lining that were seriously repugnant.

    I prefer to view (actual) AP's as being reasonably honest and ethical.

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