Looking to Start on the Right Foot

[Wuppin]

Hey guys and gals,

I find myself inexorably drawn to this world, and find that I want to see where it leads me. I have a bank roll of about 10K I don't mind losing in the end, so I am interested in the cold calculations necessary to make this work for me. Simply put, I need advice on:

1. The essential elements - Books, guides, articles on the game and what is necessary
2. The money management - Guides, books, and/or articles that lay out proper spreedsheets and proper record keeping
3. Which counts, side counts, etc work well and which don't and why
4. Any other information you deem a necessity

I have already purchased Qfit's CVBJ V5.5 and Modern Blackjack VOL I and II, and I have been reading the fantastically outdated World's Greatest Blackjack Book just to get some ideas as I wait for the more up-to-date stuff. I live about three hours away from Atlantic City and about an hour and a half from half a dozen others, so I have plenty of stomping grounds to try when I get the necessary things in order. I also have basic strategy down pat and practice often, so when I do play now I at least limit the damage somewhat.

Thanks for any information and I apologize if this was covered in another thread. I couldn't seem to find one.

[Norm]

Ken Smith's site had a sticky thread on resources, but I think it's gone. You're asking for a lot of info in one post. You can start by clicking on the BJ Resources button in the navigation bar.

[Lowrider]

To start with...

1. Spend several hours a week reading articles on this site and BJINFO archives site
2. If you have a mobile device, get the app entitled "Card Counter" - this was the single best resource I used to learn the Hi-LO count...but it has many other counts as well
3. I would recommend the Hi-LO countng system if you intend to play SHOE games....there are others that are slightly better mathematically but IMHO, Hi-LO has a very low error rate compared to all other counting systems and is among the easiest to learn
4. Buy CVCX
5. Buy Blackjack Attack 3 - after reading Modern BJ and all articles on the two websites and after you also have about 3-6 months of study time on hi-LO ....crack open BJ3

[Wuppin]

Thanks for the replies. You are right Norm, I did ask for a bit too much in one thread. Lowrider's reply was perfect for me; I am mostly at a loss as to how to begin in general. There is a lot to cover and without some direction I can see myself getting lost. To narrow the thread to something more manageable, I will just request more opinions, like Lowrider's, on a correct, step-by-step course of action and which count they recommend to study.

[Coyote]

This is a good free course to supplement Modern Blackjack.
http://www.gamemasteronline.com/BlackjackContent.shtml

[AussiePlayer]

Ken Smith's site had a sticky thread on resources, but I think it's gone. You're asking for a lot of info in one post. You can start by clicking on the BJ Resources button in the navigation bar.

This one? http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showthread.php?t=697

[soytari]

imho get a copy of blackjack secrets by stanford wong and Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder. read both of them at least 2 times.
learn basic strategy for the game you will play.
practice counting by yourself for a few weeks than try your chance at the lowest limits. i recommend you start counting hilo without any side counts but if you are willing to work hard you may start by zen count.

[Wuppin]

Thanks to everyone that have responded. I have purchased Blackjack Attack, Knock Out, Blackbelt in Blackjack, Blueprint and the CVCX software. Lots of reading to do. I think I will go with REKO for my level one since I like Norm's comprehensiveness in Modern Blackjack. Have many people had success with it in actual play over long periods of time? I am considering going with Zen as my level two after I master enough of REKO and all the basic aspects of the game, cover, etc. Once again thanks; I feel a lot better about progressing forward.

[Nick Matteo]

Wuppin, since you mentioned "Knock-Out Blackjack" and using REKO, may I also suggest as a supplement Daniel Dravot's "The Color of Blackjack"? It shows you how to easily obtain the extra power of TKO, including recognizing betting opportunities earlier in the shoe.

[jaygruden]

I think I will go with REKO for my level one since I like Norm's comprehensiveness in Modern Blackjack. Have many people had success with it in actual play over long periods of time?.

Yes.....Have been using for 14 months and find it to be a very simple yet powerful count for shoe games.

[Wuppin]

Wuppin, since you mentioned "Knock-Out Blackjack" and using REKO, may I also suggest as a supplement Daniel Dravot's "The Color of Blackjack"? It shows you how to easily obtain the extra power of TKO, including recognizing betting opportunities earlier in the shoe.

Have you found that this works with REKO or do you have to actually use KO?

[Norm]

Have you found that this works with REKO or do you have to actually use KO?

Yes it will work with REKO. But, it doesn't give the full power of TKO with any unbalanced count.

[Wuppin]

With that in mind, would you recommend sticking with REKO or going KO to get full advantage? I know REKO is easier, but since I have months to train I can imagine that the latter makes more sense.