Designated Driver: Quitting while you're ahead or losing before you even play.

[Designated Driver]

> The house's money is all those chips in the dealer's
> chip tray. If you start playing with that, they will
> get really, really upset.

So that's why they bar you when you start winning too much. :-)

> They do. It is.

> Actually, the odds of being abducted by aliens and of
> winning the top MegaBucks jackpot are almost
> identical.

Pretty good for the believers I guess, but not so good for skeptics like me.

> Well, you've just managed to piss off not only all the
> advantage players, but all the doctors who might be
> reading this. If you're looking for easy money, you
> haven't been paying attention.

I am not looking for "easy" money but plenty of money the easiest way I can get it. And as for "pissing off" the AP's and doctors, all I can say is: Sorry, that was certainly not my intention. But it is a bit funny if it's true. LOL :-() Ha, ha, ha. Just kidding of course. :-)

> As I have often said, if you have the bankroll to play
> blackjack full time, you have undoubtedly found an
> easier way to make money.

Unfortunately, I haven't found that "easier way" yet. But I am on the lookout for how I can make obscene amounts of money by doing absolutely nothing.

> The pros I know are a group of rugged individualists
> who share one common trait: They would rather die than
> work at a conventional job for someone else.

A trait which I posess, for better or worst.

>These are truly exceptional people, who would likely be
> successful at any endeavor they were to attempt. They
> have my sincere respect.

As well as my own. However, I cannot say that I truly envy them.

Desi. D.

[Designated Driver]

> Since Parker addressed most of your questions/points,
> I will only address one here that bothered me:

> I'm also into working for the money, but that's not
> gambling. There's a big difference between playing and
> gambling, and I think that anyone who doesn't
> understand that is a gambler. Even some who do
> understand the difference are still gamblers, but if
> you ("you" generically speaking) don't
> understand it, you are certainly not an AP'er. Hope
> that made sense; I haven't had my coffee yet.

I do understand the difference between playing and gambling, but what can I say: I am really a bit lazy at heart and not all that into working for the money, if I can get it by gambling. I am more interested in retiring on gambling winnings myself. Or better yet: being able to retire and not have to work/play or gamble at all.

Actually I am more of a workaholic and would probably get bored with retirement and nothing to do. :-)

> Thanks much. I heard you called yesterday and am happy
> to answer any questions you might have.

> Bettie

Thanks for all of your answers to my many questions.

And happy new year,
Desi. D.

[Designated Driver]

> I had one of my classic mile-long posts put together
> but have turned a new leaf for 2006!

> So simply ..

> You want to go to Cal Tech and be a rocket scientist?

No, not especially. And I probably couldn't do it even if I did.

> Great -please go do it if you can. If so, you should
> be smart enough by now to see that a 1% or 2%
> advantage, played 100X an hour, hour after hour has
> potential for a pretty sizeable payback. Or that a 30%
> or 50% advantage, caught just a couple times a day
> could be huge.

> You have also noticed the bright neon signs on top of
> the big metal machines that 'quarantee' a 99% payback.

> You do understand the difference, right?

I do, playing slots I will get back 99 times as much. Guaranteed! :-)

> If you desire to elevate yourself to the level of
> those that came before you, back away from the general
> slots. If you are just going to Vegas to screw-off,
> fantastic.

No, I come here to screw off. I will go to Vegas to jerk off. Too much? Sorry. :-)

>Have a wonderful time; crank those handles and bet big on red.

No, no. In the words of Wesley Snipes: Always bet on black.

> Just don't confuse the later with advantage play
> -unless you happen to notice a wheel where the two
> green spaces were accidently replaced with two extra
> red ones!

I'll be on the lookout.

>

I hope my attempt at humor doesn't annoy you.
But thanks Sun Runner, and happy new year, almost.

Desi. D.

[Designated Driver]

> [Well, even if it is "yours"; if you were
> going to play anyway, you might as well do it with the
> house's money.]

> Sigh...what Parker is telling you is that it's not the
> house's money it's yours. Similarly if you find $100
> in the parking lot it's yours, & should rationally
> be treated as if it was earned.

I know. :-)

> [A good life for many I am sure, but a far cry for
> what
> I am looking for. Not to draw too close a comparison
> here, but they are no better than doctors making their
> tidy little 6 figure salaries year in and year out as
> they labor for their earnings.]

> Exactly, now you've got it!

> BJ is most likely the wrong career path for you,
> unless you look at it like many ambitious APs, as a
> way of building a bankroll for more profitable
> ventures.

I hope to start my own business some day. Maybe it'll be a casino, for players like me. :-)

> For me, having only completed high school, no-one
> seems willing to pay me this 'paltry' sum. I'm happy
> to labour for this, not take any crap from bosses
> & work my own hours.

> Card counting at best for most is ekeing out a living.

> Only a small % like myself even achieve what you sneer
> at!

I don't sneer at it, only sneeze.

> Only a minute %, like high stake team leaders, or
> globe trotting hi stake players would clear more than
> this. (I'm guessing here, as I'm working on second
> hand info, not knowing any of them personally)

> A truly rich person gets paid a lot more to do nothing
> at all. Not to simply that I am lazy or anything, but
> only that I do not see the people above as true
> winners.]

> I'm sad for you then. I do not judge peoples success
> by how much they make. I would consider someone who
> loves to surf or play music, deriving their income
> from same to be successful. Ceratinly more so than say
> Packer who just passed away, who spent just about
> every waking moment working.

> My AP mentor earns more than me each year, a feat
> considering my income also takes into account my
> wife's, but he is single & his personal life
> always in a state of crisis. I do not consider him to
> be leading a successful life, & certainly do not
> envy him.

Success in life is happiness. :-)
Rather unfortunate as I am a chronic depressive. :-(

> Further I have purchased & nearly paid a rather
> nice house, (by my standards, certainly not yours!)
> over seven years, whilst he has squandered most of his
> earnings.

> I don't expect this to impress you by the way, as I
> know it is way below your target, but I am hell happy
> with it.

Considering that I still live at home with my parents(for now), I am actually quite impressed and perhaps even a little envious.

> At 30 I was lonely, broke & in debt. Now I am
> married, 2 great kids, financially stable & doing
> work I enjoy..well as much as anyone can enjoy working
> anyway

> I have the bankroll & I'd like to think the
> potential to make more, but at the expense of my
> comfortable family life, the price is too high.

> Your questions as to the likelihood of winning can
> largely be answered by purchasing a sim, &
> learning to both use it, & interpret the results.

> That you don't trust computers, or the validity of the
> written works of brilliant professors &
> mathematicians smacks of arrogance to me.

I object. I am not arrogant, but pompous.

> You mentioned you've read Million $ BJ. One of the
> biggest impressions I took from that book is his
> explanation of why you split 8's against a 10, ie
> because computer simulations show you will make more
> money doing this than anything else.

> As much as BJ theory interests me, I always fall back
> on Uston's logic of why to play a hand a particular
> way, & extend that logic to everything BJ.

> My benchmark ROR is Uston's 5% (for a renewable
> bankroll),
> I sim my game accordingly & play whatever the sim
> dictates.

> If you sense any intolerance in the answers, it's
> likely because they have all been presented to you,
> but you have not yet heard anything you want to hear.

Sometimes I don't hear anything at all.

> In a nutshell, unless you have the bankroll &
> management skills to run a highly successful team, you
> won't see the sort of dollars you seem to want from
> this game. Even if you do possess these, in today's
> climate it would be an almost impossible feat.

If I possessed the above, I would probably start my own business, whatever that is.

And actually, if I leave with a penny more than I started with, I will be exuberant.

> You would do much better looking at sports betting or
> horse racing, where the % are higher, & the
> profits limited only to your bankroll & ability.

Two mighty big limitations.

Thanks 4 the "last words" fish,
Desi. D.

[Designated Driver]

[thanks4thefish]

Let's have a look.

The reason I posted 'My last post' is simply that you have already received great advice, which has been repeated & built on by many. You have received all the answers, it's really just up to you if you wish to accept them.

I have no interest in convincing you beyond what any rational person should require.

"Success in life is happiness. :-)"

Considering the no. of rich & famous that commit suicide this should be a no brainer!

"Rather unfortunate as I am a chronic depressive. :-("

Perhaps like my mentor you should be focusing on your personal life more.

"I object. I am not arrogant, but pompous."

For being unwilling to invest in a BJ sim, I'd say stubborn. Properly used & understood it will answer all your questions re: applying any system, the merit of any adaptations, profitability & risk, the bankroll required for any given game & your approach to it.

"Sometimes I don't hear anything at all."

Then why ask the questions, if you're unwilling to seriously ponder the answers?

[Designated Driver]

> Let's have a look.

Okay, here you go. Brace yourself.

I have read(and own about 2/3 of the following) given here in no particular order:

the blackjack sections(chapters) of Darwin Ortiz on Gambling, along with his Gambling Scams book, Dustin D. Marks' Cheating at blackjack and his "squared" book, Beat the Dealer by Edward Thorp, 2nd ed., Playing Blackjack as a Business by L. Revere, The World's Greatest Blackjack book by Cooper and Humble, Knockout Blackjack by Vancura and Fuchs, Playing Blackjack in Atlantic City and Around the World by Gaffney(I think), John Scarne's book on Gambling, Edwin Silberstang's book on Gambling, KISS guide to Gambling by John Marchel, the Everything about Casino Blackjack book, Allan Wilson's Casino Gambler's Guide, the Theory of Gambling and Stastical Logic by Richard Epstein, Winning Blackjack(or something) by Charles Einstein, Blackjack Your Way to Riches by Richard Canfield, Avery Cardoza's books, Martin Jensen's Winning Without Counting, John Patrick on playing Blackjack, Sklansky talks Blackjack by David Sklansky, A book on Casino Blackjack by Mason Malmuth and other(I believe), Million Dollar Blackjack, the Big Player and Two books on Blackjack By Ken Uston, Burning the Tables at Las Vegas by Ian Anderson, Basic Blackjack, Professional Blackjack and Blackjack Secrets by Stanford Wong, Blackbelt in Blackjack the 2005 ed. by Arnold Snyder, Blackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson, Jerry Patterson's Blackjack Winner's Handbook(s), Peter Griffin's Theory of Blackjack 6th ed., A book on Casino Blackjack by C. Ionescu Tulcea, Walter Thomason's Twenty-first Century Blackjack, and the Ultimate Blackjack Book (I think), Progression Blackjack by Donald Dahl, The Complete book of Blackjack by T. J. Reynolds, Play Blackjack like the Pros by Kevin Blackwood, Frank Scoblete's Best Blackjack and Guerrilla Gambling, Henry Tamburin's Blackjack take the Money and Run and the blackjack sections of his general gambling books, Victor Royer's Powerful Profits from Blackjack book, John Gollehon's Blackjack book, Winning Blackjack by Stanley Roberts, I think Winner's Blackjack by Frank Scott, recently Blackjack Attack 3rd edition by Donald Schlesinger, along with numerous others that I borrowed from the library or read in a bookstore and cannot remember the title of. I have also read many internet based articles, and have basically read anything and everything written on paper or electronically published that I could gain access to.

I believe myself to have spent considerable time, money and effort over the past few years learning, and practicing how to beat the dealer and hence the casino at the game of blackjack or 21.

> The reason I posted 'My last post' is simply that you
> have already received great advice, which has been
> repeated & built on by many. You have received all
> the answers, it's really just up to you if you wish to
> accept them.

No problem. :-)

> I have no interest in convincing you beyond what any
> rational person should require.

You shouldn't have to, except I may not be a rational person. I am not sure, let me think about it. Hmmm. LOL :-)

> "Success in life is happiness. :-)"

> Considering the no. of rich & famous that commit
> suicide this should be a no brainer!

> "Rather unfortunate as I am a chronic depressive.
> :-("

> Perhaps like my mentor you should be focusing on your
> personal life more.

I will, after I become rich and can throw my money at the problem, if I am lucky.

> "I object. I am not arrogant, but pompous."

> For being unwilling to invest in a BJ sim, I'd say
> stubborn. Properly used & understood it will
> answer all your questions re: applying any system, the
> merit of any adaptations, profitability & risk,
> the bankroll required for any given game & your
> approach to it.

You're right. I am a little stubborn but not completely unreasonable, and given your advice I will consider this (purchasing a sim). Which do you recommend: SBA, CV, or some other one? Not to neglect John Auston and his masterful program and insightful comments given me here.

> "Sometimes I don't hear anything at all."

> Then why ask the questions, if you're unwilling to
> seriously ponder the answers?

That was a joke and perhaps not a very good one, but I do listen to(read) anything and everything posted in response to what I have asked, carefully pondering the meaning of their words.

Desi. D.

[thanks4thefish]

I will only give you my opinion of the ones I own.

Beat the Dealer by Edward Thorp, 2nd ed.

This book is important, the hi-lo tags & BS, published in the 66 version have survived 40 years. You should mention this to your Uncle.

Playing Blackjack as a Business by L.Revere

Featuring the count Uston used. A textbook for it's time.

The World's Greatest Blackjack book by Cooper
and Humble

Not a bad book, interesting anecdotes, fleshier than it's precursor BJ Gold. BJ Supergold is totally different & has some more stories. There is also another book which I haven't got, (How to win at BJ or something)

Knockout Blackjack by Vancura and Fuchs

A very popular running count. Not much else for people not contemplating this count.

Playing Blackjack in Atlantic City

Pretty restrictive to the games offered back then.
Chambliss/ Roginski's 'Fundamentals of BJ' is an extremely underrated book, very solid, if you can get hold of it.

Allan Wilson's Casino Gambler's Guide

Excellent explanation of Kelly, & roulette section is very good too.

the Theory of Gambling and Stastical Logic by Richard Epstein

Some excellent tables for BJ. I wish I had the math ability to appreciate it more.

Winning Blackjack(or something) by Charles Einstein,
(How to win at BJ)

Yeah, it's all there, but not much of a read, 1st publish of Hi-Opt tags from memory.

Blackjack Your Way to Riches by Richard Canfield

A very disappointing book, even for it's time, pretty empty.

A book on Casino Blackjack by Mason Malmuth

(BJ Essays) Worst written 'solid' BJ book I have. Incredibly repetitive, & extremely annoying. The guy keeps claiming original material, but there is none here.

Million Dollar Blackjack

This book turned me on. My mentor also, he still actually uses the APC! The stuff of dreams.

the Big Player

Ken's 'non fiction novel' of Million Dollar, good to lend to family members, as it's a straight read.

Two books on Blackjack By Ken Uston

One of my faves, the photo's are great, as is reading all the bullshit politics.

'Ken Uston on BJ' is also a good read.

Burning the Tables at Las Vegas by Ian Anderson

My fave part is when he talks of the US$50K hourly swings you can & will encounter at his level. Some great comportment tips.

Basic Blackjack

Good treatment of exotic rules, misleading title.

Professional Blackjack

Complete hi-lo system, a must for the majority of counters using hi-lo. Plenty of tables for different rules also.

Blackjack Secrets by Stanford Wong

I didn't think this book was great, it's OK. The advice is pretty basic.

Blackbelt in Blackjack the 2005 ed. by Arnold Snyder

Waiting to buy bundled with Big book of BJ, which should be released soon. The '83 version I've read. I'm a big fan of this book & Snyder generally, (which may not win me to many friends on this site!), as I've made quite a lot of money using his Red 7.

Blackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson

Omega 2 level count is quite popular with some of the smarter counters out there. A good read, not as motivational as Uston, but still good.

Jerry Patterson's Blackjack Winner's Handbook(s)

Yeah there's been a few different books with the same title. Rather odd. A lot of target crap, but the 90 version I have has some rather nice info & diagram of basic shuffle tracking which was ahead of it's time.

Peter Griffin's Theory of Blackjack 6th ed.

A must have, even though the math is too advanced for me, there's still plenty of gold here. Before I had a sim, I used his table to work out BS for different decks, rules. I've also used his count for single deck play. Brilliant.

A book on Casino Blackjack by C. Ionescu Tulcea

Hmm, I have 'A book on Casino Gambling'. If it's the same one, it's just a brief treatment of each casino game.

Blackjack Attack 3rd edition by Donald Schlesinger

My eyes glazed over when I saw all the tables, but I expect it will be a very solid read. I've just been putting it off. Certainly a lot of effort gone into this book!

"I believe myself to have spent considerable time,
money and effort over the past few years learning, and
practicing how to beat the dealer and hence the casino
at the game of blackjack or 21."

So the question begs, "Why aren't you out there playing!"

You've certainly read more than enough to know it's viable. It's time to pick a system & go get 'em.

Don't wait for the perfect system first as:

a) Once you find the perefect system for you, the win rate will only be negligibly higher than any solid system anyway.

b) The system you begin with, doesn't have to be the system you use forever.

& c) Waiting doesn't put rice on the table.

"You're right. I am a little stubborn but not
completely unreasonable, and given your advice I will
consider this (purchasing a sim). Which do you
recommend: SBA, CV, or some other one? Not to neglect
John Auston and his masterful program and insightful
comments given me here."

Smart boy! I use SBA, as when I purchased it, it was supposedly the most powerful at the time, (in terms of simming many variables, & it can handle a running count).

I can't comment as to which is the best as I have only used the one program.

I think Karel's (SBA creator) pretty busy with his scientific research these days, & as you know Norm (CV) & John are pretty active on these boards, so really the choice is yours.

[Designated Driver]

Most of my comments(and questions) come after the booklist, but there are some interspersed in between.

Oh, and thanks for your interest in helping a new player.

> I will only give you my opinion of the ones I own.

> Beat the Dealer by Edward Thorp, 2nd ed.

> This book is important, the hi-lo tags & BS,
> published in the 66 version have survived 40 years.
> You should mention this to your Uncle.

> Playing Blackjack as a Business by L.Revere

> Featuring the count Uston used. A textbook for it's
> time.

Yes, it is a good treatise on blackjack.

> The World's Greatest Blackjack book by Cooper
> and Humble

> Not a bad book, interesting anecdotes, fleshier than
> it's precursor BJ Gold. BJ Supergold is totally
> different & has some more stories. There is also
> another book which I haven't got, (How to win at BJ or
> something)

> Knockout Blackjack by Vancura and Fuchs

> A very popular running count. Not much else for people
> not contemplating this count.

For the most part, I agree.

> Playing Blackjack in Atlantic City

> Pretty restrictive to the games offered back then.
> Chambliss/ Roginski's 'Fundamentals of BJ' is an
> extremely underrated book, very solid, if you can get
> hold of it.

> Allan Wilson's Casino Gambler's Guide

> Excellent explanation of Kelly, & roulette section
> is very good too.

> the Theory of Gambling and Stastical Logic by Richard
> Epstein

> Some excellent tables for BJ. I wish I had the math
> ability to appreciate it more.

Actually, I thought the math was pretty straight forward and very useful to facillitate a solid understanding.

> Winning Blackjack(or something) by Charles Einstein,
> (How to win at BJ)

> Yeah, it's all there, but not much of a read, 1st
> publish of Hi-Opt tags from memory.

> Blackjack Your Way to Riches by Richard Canfield

> A very disappointing book, even for it's time, pretty
> empty.

I agree, it was rather disappointing.

> A book on Casino Blackjack by Mason Malmuth

> (BJ Essays) Worst written 'solid' BJ book I have.
> Incredibly repetitive, & extremely annoying. The
> guy keeps claiming original material, but there is
> none here.

> Million Dollar Blackjack

> This book turned me on. My mentor also, he still
> actually uses the APC! The stuff of dreams.

I had originally thought of using Uston's APC, then thought better of it.

> the Big Player

> Ken's 'non fiction novel' of Million Dollar, good to
> lend to family members, as it's a straight read.

> Two books on Blackjack By Ken Uston

> One of my faves, the photo's are great, as is reading
> all the bullshit politics.

> 'Ken Uston on BJ' is also a good read.

> Burning the Tables at Las Vegas by Ian Anderson

> My fave part is when he talks of the US$50K hourly
> swings you can & will encounter at his level. Some
> great comportment tips.

Whoa, I missed that. Guess I have to go over it again.

> Basic Blackjack

> Good treatment of exotic rules, misleading title.

> Professional Blackjack

> Complete hi-lo system, a must for the majority of
> counters using hi-lo. Plenty of tables for different
> rules also.

> Blackjack Secrets by Stanford Wong

> I didn't think this book was great, it's OK. The
> advice is pretty basic.

I agree.

> Blackbelt in Blackjack the 2005 ed. by Arnold Snyder

> Waiting to buy bundled with Big book of BJ, which
> should be released soon. The '83 version I've read.
> I'm a big fan of this book & Snyder generally,
> (which may not win me to many friends on this site!),
> as I've made quite a lot of money using his Red 7.

Personally, I am only lukewarm about "the Bishop" but why do you make the above comment, on winning friends?

> Blackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson

> Omega 2 level count is quite popular with some of the
> smarter counters out there. A good read, not as
> motivational as Uston, but still good.

> Jerry Patterson's Blackjack Winner's Handbook(s)

> Yeah there's been a few different books with the same
> title. Rather odd. A lot of target crap, but the 90
> version I have has some rather nice info & diagram
> of basic shuffle tracking which was ahead of it's
> time.

I think my uncle plays by TARGET or something like it, trying to spot hot tables and winning streaks to bet into.

> Peter Griffin's Theory of Blackjack 6th ed.

> A must have, even though the math is too advanced for
> me, there's still plenty of gold here. Before I had a
> sim, I used his table to work out BS for different
> decks, rules. I've also used his count for single deck
> play. Brilliant.

I don't understand most of the math either, but still make plenty of good use of it.

> A book on Casino Blackjack by C. Ionescu Tulcea

> Hmm, I have 'A book on Casino Gambling'. If it's the
> same one, it's just a brief treatment of each casino
> game.

> Blackjack Attack 3rd edition by Donald Schlesinger

> My eyes glazed over when I saw all the tables, but I
> expect it will be a very solid read. I've just been
> putting it off. Certainly a lot of effort gone into
> this book!

As for the other titles, I realize they are possibly more obscure and not written by "reputable" gambling/blackjack authors, but I do not believe that they should be dismissed on this fact alone. I guess my problem is that I usually do believe everything that I read. And in this case, they all claim to be experts and contradict eachother on many facts, even basic strategy sometimes! Who do I believe?

> "I believe myself to have spent considerable
> time,
> money and effort over the past few years learning, and
> practicing how to beat the dealer and hence the casino
> at the game of blackjack or 21."

> So the question begs, "Why aren't you out there
> playing!"

Well, as I have often been criticized for before, I do not really have a bankroll. Also, I live in a non-gambling jurisdiction(something not to be overlooked) and I am a bit(a lot) timid and not fully confident in my playing abilities for the time being. Remember, I am the perfectionist and really do enjoy studying the game. But I also like making some money too! Not to mention the fact that gambling is not generally viewed as an acceptable occupation by most.

> You've certainly read more than enough to know it's
> viable. It's time to pick a system & go get 'em.

Yes, after being obsessed with the game of blackjack for the past three and a half years or so, I would think so.

> Don't wait for the perfect system first as:

> a) Once you find the perefect system for you, the win
> rate will only be negligibly higher than any solid
> system anyway.

I have read this a lot, and have to say: I don't like it.
I want to play the perfect system that will give me a significant edge.

> b) The system you begin with, doesn't have to be the
> system you use forever.

Can I ask a few questions to elaborate on this? First off would you know if anybody does it the "right way" from the beginning? By this I mean playing a truly professional system, multi-level with side counts and of course a true count conversion?

And as this will be my first time playing(in a casino) I have read that beginners should flat bet while playing basic strategy just to get some experience. I understand the reasoning, but wasn't planning on it as I want to win, now. But what do you think?

> & c) Waiting doesn't put rice on the table.

You can say that again. And believe me when I say it is very, VERY frustrating.

> "You're right. I am a little stubborn but not
> completely unreasonable, and given your advice I will
> consider this (purchasing a sim). Which do you
> recommend: SBA, CV, or some other one? Not to neglect
> John Auston and his masterful program and insightful
> comments given me here."

> Smart boy! I use SBA, as when I purchased it, it was
> supposedly the most powerful at the time, (in terms of
> simming many variables, & it can handle a running
> count).

Yes, but a bit pricey.

> I can't comment as to which is the best as I have only
> used the one program.

> I think Karel's (SBA creator) pretty busy with his
> scientific research these days, & as you know Norm
> (CV) & John are pretty active on these boards, so
> really the choice is yours.

I guess I have to ask.

Thanks 4thefish, and if I didn't say... happy new year.
Desi. D.

[thanks4thefish]

"I had originally thought of using Uston's APC, then
thought better of it."

Multi level counts have a higher playing efficiency, which is why they are good for single deck games & to a lesser extent 2 deck. For shoes playing deviations are of less importance.

Uston used Revere's 3 level count, but recants his use in 'Ken Uston on BJ' where he states if he'd have known the small relative loss in win rate he would have probably used hi-lo for shoes.

"I am only lukewarm about "the Bishop" but why do you make the above comment, on winning friends?"

He is at odds with some of the notable names on this site, is all. Less said, the better It was said tongue in cheek as I don't think Arnold or the people here are so small as to try & divide the flock into 'who's on who's side'.

"I think my uncle plays by TARGET or something like it,
trying to spot hot tables and winning streaks to bet
into."

Yeah, you've got the gist of it. Hot tables can apparently be spotted as they have full ashtrays, (punters stay because they're winning), & other nonsense.

'As for the other titles, I realize they are possibly
more obscure and not written by "reputable"
gambling/blackjack authors, but I do not believe that
they should be dismissed on this fact alone."

Yeah there were some easy targets there, but having not read them, I don't want to trash them. As I said I managed to find some worthwhile material in Patterson.

The danger for the uneducated of course, is that they have no way of distinguishing the diamonds from the dust, & the downright dangerous misinformation.

"I guess my problem is that I usually do believe everything
that I read. And in this case, they all claim to be
experts and contradict each other on many facts, even
basic strategy sometimes! Who do I believe?"

You believe the collective wisdom of the better authors, the guys who are synonomous with the game. Where one author goes off on a completely different tangent, further examination is required & scepticism healthy.

I think you already have a good grasp on which authors to trust. The better authors tend to include each other in their bibliographies also.

As for basic strategy differences, this can usually be attributed to differing game benchmarks, or decisions that are so incredibly close the authors got different results on their computer trials. With modern sims it aint gonna happen.

Of course some authors simply don't know their stuff, or have tried to simplify it.

"Well, as I have often been criticized for before, I do
not really have a bankroll."

yeah, Uston's benchmark is 100 max units, so even for red chip spreading $5- $100, you're going to need 10K, & win rate won't be spectacular I'm afraid, probably no more than flipping burgers at McDonalds.

"gambling is not generally viewed as an acceptable occupation by most."

My wife had problems with that initially, but has gotten over it, the money probably helped It's a lot cleaner than most businesses is all I can say.

"I have read this a lot, and have to say: I don't like
it. I want to play the perfect system that will give me a
significant edge."

Then you still don't understand the relative differences between systems. You really need a sim to improve your understanding of the game.

Once you sim a game using different systems you'll see the win rate differences are only marginal. You'll see much greater difference with better pen., more aggressive spreading, or better rules, regardless of the system used.

"Can I ask a few questions to elaborate on this? First
off would you know if anybody does it the "right
way" from the beginning? By this I mean playing a
truly professional system, multi-level with side
counts and of course a true count conversion?"

As I stated my mentor played APC, day 1 to present. That's a 3 level count trued to half decks, side Aces.

"And as this will be my first time playing(in a casino)
I have read that beginners should flat bet while
playing basic strategy just to get some experience."

I disagree with this, just wasting time.

>Yes, but a bit pricey. (SBA)

For me spending $100 or so, on a sim that will help me get an extra five figures a year from a game is worthwhile. I have the same attitude to my books. $1000 spent on books is a bargain. Techniques to help from being barred, strategies, even just plain confidence & encouragement. Beside it's my interest & costs me a lot less than other interests I have that don't produce wealth.

Compare franchise prices, or 4 years studying & debate the relative cost.

Happy new year to you, & your resolution should be,
'I must not procrastinate'