best system

WHat is honestly the best counting system for an advanced counter?

WHat is honestly the best counting system for an advanced counter?

Using Arabic numerals has a huge advantage over Roman numerals:

1) The Arabic numeral system includes a value for 0. This is really important in neutral counts.

2) Roman numerals require more brain power to handle multiple symbols for single values. It is much easier to say '3' to yourself than 'III'.

3) If you use 'M' as a prefix for negative numbers, using Roman numerals you would use 'MII' for -2, which you might confuse with 1002. Other the other hand, if the count is -9, you might blurt out 'MIX' and cause the dealer to shuffle.

You can also consider counting in Mayan ... it is base 20 and since there are only 13 cards per suit, you can use a separate number for each card making the count up to 13-leveled with ease.

Check out this link - it will help you do the conversions

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/conv/d2m

Besides the obvious advantage of a base 20 system, there is
evidence that Mayan counters used bases 2 through 40.
Think of the flexibility as your skill, and heat, increases,
and you get to keep a Mayan count throughout.

For those of us who use a Level 1 system and count on our fingers, binary is a much better choice. With just one hand, discreetly beneath the table, you can count from -16 to +15, leaving the other hand free for playing, drinking, and "giving the 4" to the guy who keeps telling you third base is supposed to play for the whole table.

except with-in tightly defined parameters and goals. The best insurance count is not your best Bet Count. Systems that maximize one (Bet, Play, Ins.)often do so at the expense of the other.

Experience and accuracy also matter...Is one better off playing a simple Level I system with a 0.01% error rate, or a Ball-Buster Level III + 2 side-counts, with a 2% error rate? A more complex system that gives the CC a 0.1% Advantage over a simple one could be fairly argued to be important for a F/T Pro....could just as easily be argued too fatiging for long-term play.

Schoblete's Book "Best BJ" has a good comparison of most common systems relative to BE and PC...or is it BC and PE...whatever, I refer to this book often for comparison...then always go back to my usual AOII.

I recently purchased CV-All (Casino Veriti package)...with same, the computer literate can compare and compose various counts and systems...for me, I just practice with Cassie, then refer to above book when I want to check on counting systems.

phantom007.

Tried to reach you to pay a self-imposed debt.

For those of us who use a Level 1 system and count on our fingers, binary is a much better choice. With just one hand, discreetly beneath the table, you can count from -16 to +15, leaving the other hand free for playing, drinking, and "giving the 4" to the guy who keeps telling you third base is supposed to play for the whole table.

With values -1,0,1. I'll use 'T' for -1.

For instance, 6 = 1T0 = (1)(3^2)+(-1)(3^1)+(0)(3^0).

What's cool is you can negate a number by simply flipping the 1 and -1s: -6 = T10.

You would implement this with your hand: finger straight = 1, one knuckle bent = 0, two knuckles bent=-1. This requires some dexterity as most people can't bend their pinky without bending their ring finger. Using five fingers, you get 3^5 = 243 possible combinations, far more efficient than binary.

AOII and am very happy with the switch, but I play mostly DD and SD games. I am now considering a switch to Uston APC. Can anyone offer advice to me about swithching to Uston APC?

I've use Uston's APC for years and like it. I am not familiar with AOII so I don't know how difficult the switch would be. As an infrequent player I make only a few trips to Vegas or Miss. each year and find the only disadvantage with the APC to be the memory work necessary to get the numbers matrix indices down precisely each time I play. I also play mostly 2 decks and have enjoyed much success with the APC, albeit on a humble bankroll. Best of Luck.

You can prove that the Cantor set is measurable...

-31 to +47 on my fingers in binary, AND hold a drink in the same hand. Thumb curled under the palm counts as +32, and you don't really need a sixth digit for negative numbers. What you bet last time, and general excitement level is enough. I suppose if count were >31, and I needed that hand to drink, it would be a problem.

What's nice is, once you learn the procedure, it's the same whereever you are in the count. Adding one to +22 is the same as adding one to -15, etc.

ETF

AOII os level 2 where APC is level 3. It will take some work for me to switch, but the sims I've run show that it is quite a bit better. Of course, I will make some errors where the computer does not. So I don't know if I will gain enough to make it worth the switch.

There is essentially no difference between AO II and Upton APC. Both are near the optimal for two parameter counts (count + side ace).

Play the count that will minimize your errors. Consider adding a third count (sevens) to improve PE above either of those two, but this is seldom worth the effort...

wc21

Maybe not worthwhile, but If you play often enough maybe the numbers matrix won't be as much of a problem due to more frequent use. I just get rusty after several months layoff and have to practice considerably before each trip so that I can hit the floor running when I arrive. Uston's APC has been a really good for me, but I'm sure AOII is likewise. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do well with either.

I will stick with AOII.