AO 2 count questions

I have read and re read Blackjack for Blood and am
practicing a great deal with this count
However it seems that his indices are for single deck
only
(especially standing on a 14 (7,7) vs 10)

Are these indices accurate for multi deck games?

If anyone has any ohter helpful tips for using this
count I would also appreciate it

Here is a response from Bryce Carlson on similar questions:

Posted By: Bryce Carlson
Date: 1 Nov 03, 1:24 am

In Response To: Bryce Carlson! - Al said this ? is for U (Stealth Bomber)

Hi Stealth,

Thanks for your questions. And thanks for the lofty title, even though I don't think the Crown is Knighting blackjack pros for slaying casinos just yet. Not yet ;-).

Anyway, as to your questions, the playing indices in BJFB for the Advanced Omega II System are designed to be used in 1-, 2- and multiple-deck games. They represent a weighted average of the exact deck-specific indices, with a bias in favor of the 2-deck game. Nevertheless, if you read the footnotes, you will see that there are several instances where specific changes are recommended based on the number of decks in play. However, with the exception of these footnoted plays, the potential gain from optimizing the playing indices for the number of decks in play is nominal. For example, the win rates of the playing indices published in BJFB have been compared by simulation to those generated by Karel Janecek's SBA for 1-, 2- and 6-deck games, and the results show little to no difference. For all practical purposes they are equal. So, with the exception of the plays footnoted in BJFB, I wouldn't worry about learning separate playing indices for different numbers of decks in play.

Now, as to the betting ramps suggested in BJFB, they are, indeed, somewhat conservative from a purely mathematical standpoint, but they are designed to give you the maximum bet spread possible without much risk of being detected as a counter. They work. They'll definitely get the money. And, overall, I use them in my own play. Of course, there are (rare) occasions when camouflage is not much of a consideration and I bet significantly more aggressively. Within the constraints of sound Kelly-style betting, personal philosophy plays a role in betting style. I prefer to maximize longevity, so I forgo some potential short-term profits in order to be able to stay in business for the long haul. But that's me. Some pros prefer to go for the jugular every time and worry about tomorrow when it comes. I personally do not think that is the way to maximize lifetime winnings.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

Bryce Carlson

i have played 'blackjack for blood' for something like the past 8 years. i never vary from it. i love single deck but play all bj games with it. i've never done anything but win. some people consider it tough to learn. as for the 14 vs 10 - there isa mathematical anomaly which makes this the worst hand in bj particularly on a plus count. i'm not a mathematician so i can't explain it.

John....do you use for all decks
1,2,4,6,8 Ao2,any side counts,
Indices.
Thanks for an answer Rainer

as published in BJ for Blood are for True Counts, EXCEPT for Table 5.7, i.e., Betting Indicies, which are noted as Running Counts.

Play indicies are certainly accurate for both SD and MD...just have to do a TC converson.

Hope this is helpful.

phantom007.

for the multi-deck games because of the ace neutralization factor. For a great performer in multi-deck, I recommend Renzey's Mentor Count. It's available in Blackjack Bluebook II.

AOII with its ace side count is better than the mentor count for multideck since its BC is higher. If aces are not being tracked with AOII, then mentor would be better.

Really a personal preference, some find it easier to use the same count all the time, others prefer using a simpler count for multideck.

wc21