Hello, I've recently started trying to see if I can't make a few bucks counting cards or at least turn around those losses into wins but I'm having a bit of trouble and am wondering if any helpful experts who may/may not be around here might be of assistance. I just registered for this forum moments ago so that I might learn a thing or two. First off, I'm not quite up to par with all the jargon most of you are throwing around here. What type of software or books would you recommend to become more familiar with the nomenclature? When you're talking about standard deviations and EVs and CVs and what-not I tend to have an inclination but just not enough to be confident in my knowledge.

Second, I started off just by looking up how to do this hi-low counting system online. I practiced for a while on an android app I downloaded and I think I pretty much keep the numbers in my head most of the time while playing at a 6 deck shoe at my local casino, but honestly, having the count doesn't seem to help very much. I tend to stick to basic strategy and sometimes alter my decisions based upon my counting but I don't seem to win very much. I don't think its the counting that is the rough part, but knowing what to do with it. Am I supposed to memorize an entirely new and complex "basic" strategy that is fluid with the count or is the old basic strategy good enough?

I generally just sit down at 5$ minimum tables with $100 and place my minimum bets until its getting positive but if I get reckless and make a single 'gamble' I suppose it ruins the whole plan? At first I thought this might be easy because simple math is pretty easy, but adding in all the decision making I am having trouble finding information on is making it rough.

Where does a novice go for initiation?