I am a little reluctant to ask this question as it is so basic and may actually belong on the beginnger's page, hmmmmmm..... but I have been agonizing over it for so long that I just have to ask so I can end my toilsome plight, anguish and frustration.

After all of my most critical thought I still cannot for the life of me really understand how an unbalanced count system works. Can someone please explain to me the logic and validity behind such a system?

Now I own and have read "Knockout Blackjack" by Vancura and Fuchs and get the concepts of the initial running count(IRC), key count, pivot point, etc.(I mean they explain it by counting gumballs for goodness sake), but for the life of me I just do not truly and fully understand how it works. I guess the logic just doesn't compute for me. Error. :-)

I have also read some web articles and pages(by Fred Renzy among others, last night) explaining an unbalanced count and it seemed to make pretty good sense, but when I try to apply it to what I am interested in, my though processes break down and I am saddled with doubt of it's validity and correctness.

I do completely understand how to use the unbalanced insurance count and why it works though. :-)

And while I have absolutely no interest in playing KO(I want power and accuracy over simplicity), I am interested in modifying my current system(Zen) to an unbalanced count in order to neutralize the ace for greater playing efficiency to be used in handheld games, particularly Double Deck.

I know that George C. has developed the unbalanced Zen II count and I have actually read part of the book, but I am not really interested in playing the system.

At this point I am pretty well settled into(and content with) playing the Zen count(modified with side counts to increase BC, IC and PE to a lesser extent) in multiple deck games, but I desire to play a more precise count(an ace neutral count) for pitch games because of the relatively greater value of Playing Efficiency in such games.

Don if you are listening, this is for you. I took your advice given me a long time ago that someone playing a level-2 system should compute the True Count to the nearest half-deck, and have consequently adjusted all of my index numbers to reflect this change to which I am quite pleased, given that it is a bit more precise which I am certainly a fan of. Actually I calculate the TC to the nearest fraction of a half-deck and do still plan on using full indices calculated to two decimal places in multiple deck(4D and 6D) games. Sorry, but I do not believe this to be that difficult(and do it fairly well with little strain) given that you would only have to divide by at most twelve(six decks x 2-half decks) and mixed numbers can be converted to fractions to be multiplied after reciprocated to the RC.

But anyway, here's my question. If I were to neutalize the ace(my primary desire), I would need to keep a side count and make the necessary adjustment for betting purposes by adding or subtracting the appropriate value to the RC for each "extra" or "deficient" ace per quarter deck. I was only planning to use this count in a DD game and would also calculate the TC to the nearest quarter deck which would make the ace adjustment moderately simple as I should expect one ace for every "unit" in my divisor, eight aces in eight quarter decks(two decks x 4-quarter decks).

This sound pretty reasonable, right?

Okay now, moving on.

I know I have asked this question before, but I haven't gotten a satisfactory(helpful) answer back from anyone yet, so I am going to try again as this is the last thing holding me back from playing comfortably and confidently, well at least for now. :-)

This follows from the top. I had read an article by Brett Harris about the value and legitimacy of the unbalanced true count after which he devised/developed his own system dubbed Br-h II(also T-Hop II), which he claimed was more powerful overall than both Wong Halves and Advanced Omega II. The point values, "tags" as he called them for this system are identical to the Zen count, except that the ace is zero making it unbalanced. I wanted to order his system manual, but it was out of print or something and is still not available to my knowledge. I haven't been able to find it or the article I referred to above, despite my recent greatest efforts.

Now I know what some of you may be saying(if you have read a previous post of mine), why don't you just play Advanced Omega II if you have the book. And if you want better, than why don't you try Hi-Opt II, as that is available? The answer is because I have already become quite proficient with using my Zen count for multiple deck games, and I do not want to have to count different values(for handheld games)if I don't have to. And essentially, if I could do it the way I want to, then I could play a single count(an advanced Zen II let's say), slightly modified and optimized for each particular game for play in all games except for single deck, for which I reserve another, more powerful system which I am still working on and will hopefully have metrics of 100% BC, 90+% PE and 100% IC. I mean AO2 counts the 9 as -1 and HO2 the 6 as +1 instead of +2 like Zen does, and to change these values would make things rather inconvenient as Zen is almost automatic and second nature to me after hundreds of hours of long and painstaking practice.

How would I modify the IRC and indices if necessary for the DD game if I neutralized the ace in the Zen count consequently making it unbalanced?

Right now I am thinking start with an IRC of -4, to compensate for the unbalance of the sevens(no longer counterbalanced by the ace) while keeping all the same strategy index numbers, but divided by 2, to reflect the TC now being calculated to the quarter deck(from half deck), which also makes the TC the true edge in percent advantage. Is this right, am I on the right track at least? I'll ask you about the floating advantage and what I can do about it later.

Also, would it be as accurate if not more so than a good, balanced system? And would the accuracy be uniform throughout the DD game capable of being used to play all hands if I wanted to?

This really is the last obstacle to my feeling ready and confident in my ability to play the games, and if I can navigate this hurdle than I will be so much the better off both technically and psychologically, knowing that I can play any game with confidence when I do actually make my trip down to Vegas and put my money on the table, and I promise the trip is already booked, and the date is coming up fast. So any comments would be greatly appreciated and I provide my thanks in advance.

Desi. D.