Betting Units and Counting Strategy Deviations

I recently learned to count (hi-lo) but have barely broken even after two years. I seem to loose often when the count is good (positive) and I've increased my bet. Naturally I wonder if I'm doing something wrong. So, I re-read Wong's "Professional Blackjack". I have two questions: (A) I can find no mention of how many units to increase my bet with the true count: Is it in the book? If so where? I've been betting the number of units directly related to the count (ie. if I'm betting $25.00 and the count is +6 I'm betting $150.00). (B) I want to move to the next level and deviate from basic strategy with the count. It seemed overwhelming to relearn a chart (there's over 50 changes) but I discovered a note in Wong's book that most of the changes are insignificant except for three: (1) take insurance when the count is +3 or more; (2) stay on 15 if the dealer shows a picture card and the count is +4 or more and (3) stay on 16 if the dealer shows a picture cont and the count is 0 or more. Is that correct or should I learn the entire chart?

You will prob get better, more indepth advice, but I'll start it off. I'm not sure you're playing much more than an even game with just BS with no variations. You don't mention if you're playing all negative counts. Definitely learn the chart. If not all 50, the + ones (more $ on the table) or the Illustrious 18 changes, which can be found in many books/websites. Insurance & 16 vs 10 are 2 of those.

You are using a count suitable only for recreational players, and without a raft of indices to deviate from Basic Strategy, you are not playing with a real advantage. Your game is less than "break-even"

You recently learned to count but have two years of result and you haven't bothered to study the full system before playing (learning on the fly). It's no wonder you're losing. Remember basic strategy is a LOSER...it just loses less than no strategy. High-Low (and other bona-fide count systems) are ADVANCED strategies...if you want winning results you have to study them and practice them before you walk into the casino...preferably on a computer program like Casino Verite.

High-Low is the industry standard used by 80% of all real high stakes professional players today. If you are only using it for betting you are leaving a large chunk of your possible winnings on the table. Learn the I-18 + Fab 4 index changes and you'll get most of the possible gain from knowing all of the index numbers...you should learn these immediately. If you're playing a lot of single and double deck you should eventually learn all index numbers from +6 to -6 but can use basic strategy for of the soft doubles and ALL of the splits except those that are in the I-18 or Fab 4.

Second, You should bet 1/4 of your max bet at +2, 1/2 of your max bet at +3, 3/4 of your max bet at +4 and your max bet at +5. At +1 or less you should make as low a bet as you can get away with except at single deck, s17 double deck, and s17 ds ls rsa ruled shoe games where you can move everything up by one notch (i.e., max bet at +4 instead of +5).

You will NEVER do well at this without at least correctly mastering the count system as well as putting in at least a college semester or two worth of time and effort of study. There is much money out there to be taken in casinoland, but it is not the easy money it's made out to be. It's as least as difficult and life-consuming as any other well-paying profession. Time will be only more unkind to your bankroll unless you make some significant adjustments.