An Unsolveable Equation

Perhaps the greatest advantage and disadvantage to a player can be the amazing spurts of fortune or misfortune.

While we can memorize very table, every perfect play, ever odd, every indicie etc... there is one thing that is out of our control that is how far can deveiation go?

I have seen EVERYONE at a table including the dealer get a blackjack.
I saw a girl at third base get 3 blackjacks in a row in a negative shoe. I have gone from $300 to $7000 in 2 hours. I have lost $5000 in 3 hours.

While the cards don't care who we are, what mood we are in, how bad we need to win or how much we may not need the money it is amazing the type of deals that are dealt. Sometimes things happen that tend to seem impossible in terms of % or odds of happening and it will happen two or three times in the same night.

Every gambler belives in "luck" "flow of cards" etc... It is hard to convince them otherwise unless you show tables, percentages, software, million hand simulations etc... a +20 shoe a person can lose it all a negative shoe someone can win a dozen hands in a row, how can this be explained without any faith or spirutuality or luck at play.... simply amazing and it's something we can never control or predict. Somethings just seem to be beyond coincidence.

Just a thought.

I've been using Hi-Lo in shoes and Zen in pitch games ever since I can remember. Recently, after reading Blackjack for blood(great book though not quite complete in my opinion), I realized that I was missing on something: keeping side count of Aces. So I started to practice hard AO2,first having problems to count 9 as -1. After being used to it (and counting DD under 35 sec.- good according to Carlson but slow to my "standards") I visited casino in OK. Not playing (comission fee among others), just backcounting 4-5 shoes. I can't remember ever being this tired after counting for maybe 1 hr. RC was geting into 30-40 range(both ways), and I could barelly convert RC to TC. I know, this all just takes practice. I'm disappointed with myself, but it is better to admit that this stuff is not for me. Still, I think that I'll try to keep S.C. of A's with Zen, just for betting purposes. Any ideas about this? Should I add +1 to my RC for each "short"ace, or +2? Or this makes no sense at all since the Aces are already included in the main count?

I use the AOII with ace side and the only system that really compares with it is Hi-Opt II. I guess I'm lucky becuase I have what most would consider an amazing stamina for counting this way. If you are making mistakes and unable to play your usual length session, its clearly not worth it. The ace side count is a GREAT edge if you still do that. In nearly every session I see a big betting count based solely on a bundle of aces yet to be played. And when they come out, its a beautiful thing!

I have a lot of respect for anyone who attempts the AOII ace side and would say that a 35 second deck count is about equal to a 12-18 second high-low or KO count for the following reasons:
1)your counting a LOT more cards (2s, 3s, 7s, 9s)
2)the point values don't cancel out so well
3)ace side means you must store twice as much info in your brain, keeping 2 numbers simultaneously while doing deck divisions on both!

If you can do it in 35 seconds and not lose count you've got a valuable weapon!

PS: same applies for Canfield Master (which AOII is essentially a slightly improved version of).

Why not try the Advanced Red 7 count? All of your betting and playing decisions are based upon the running count eliminating true count conversion and there are fewer indices numbers you have to remember.

I wasn't making any mistakes using it, but was tired quickly. Actually, with AO2 I wasn't keeping count of aces in number, but letter (A,B,C,D and using lighter to idicate how many series of aces came out- hope this method will help someone struggling with side counts) So I think in my case it is worth using Hi-Lo in shoes which I actually don't even think about when doing (SD under 11 sec., 100% acurate),so I can play for hours effortlessly. Still, I would like to hear some opinions about keeping side count of Aces with count in which they're already included (Zen in this case). I've decided not to learn any new count -Gorgon's suggestion. Learning everything all over again would have to be worth it, and only(in my opinion) AO2 meets this condition. Sadly, it's not for me.

Thanks for ideas